New bar, new bev, new beats

A permanent patio enclosure has been installed in front of Pacific Avenue’s newest bistro, Seven-Oh-One. Also permanent, the bar inside is complete and the happy hour is up and running smoothly. From 4:30-6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, bar menu tappas and martinis are only $3. Crostini topped with pork and goat cheese, veggies, short ribs and blue cheese, hummus and a shrimp cocktail comprise the regularly priced $6 bar menu. Freshly made hummus is creamy and mellow; diced sweet red pepper garnish punches up the taste.



Mixologist Kristen Cummins takes icky syrupy sweetness out of Three Olives cherry vodka. She adds fresh lime and Rose’s lime juice in her newest shook-up martini, a tart Sour Cherry. Cummins says this cocktail has become very popular during the bistro’s new extended hours Friday and Saturday (appetizers and entrees are half-off on Saturday nights). DJ Cameron and Midnight Mike spin requests. No cover, dress code enforced. Spiff your look.  — Jennifer Johnson



[The Seven-Oh-One, 701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.2240]

Parkway IPA Fest

Every neighborhood has one — a local tavern that only the regulars truly appreciate, a local version of Cheers where everyone knows your name. The Parkway Tavern has been serving locals with excellent pub grub, hosting brewery nights and sponsoring local softball teams for decades. The Parkway steers away from traditional bar food like buffalo wings, Jo Jo potatoes and pizza and focuses on homemade soups of the day, hot sandwiches and burgers — making the Parkway as great a place to stop in for a cold beer after work as it is a place for a quick lunch in the afternoon. 



Our friends at the Parkway tell us that their fourth annual IPA Festival Aug. 22 will feature more than 37 IPAs including Dick’s, Diamond Knot, Terminal Gravity, Stone, Big Time and more. 



Parkway Manager John O’Gara is stoked to have the Boundary Bay Imperial, which is rarely released from the brewery and will be a first for the South Sound. Other IPA Fest firsts O’Gara mentions include offerings from Dogfish Head, Firestone Walker Double Jack, Boulevard Single Wide, Elliot Bay Imperial, and a special from our friends at the Harmon, Commencement Bay IPA, with a massive 100 IBUs.



As usual, the Parkway’s outside grill will roast pigs as well as prime rib and juicy brats. — Jake de Paul



[Parkway Tavern, 313 N. I St., Tacoma, 253.383.8748]