Guides
After almost a decade in Tacoma's Hilltop neighborhood, LeLe Restaurant is still serving Vietnamese and Thai cuisine. Swimming angel, a traditional Thai dish also called rama rama or swimming rama, is a huge plate of saucy goodness. Handfuls of fresh spinach leaves, thinly sliced carrots and mung bean sprouts are
Guides
On the road to making tasty food, I.Talia Pizzeria uses 100 percent organic, sustainably-grown ingredients whenever possible. One fine example is a serious stacker of a sandwich that features Italian dry-cured sopressata salami, turkey and rosemary ham, held tight between pieces of ciabatta smeared with creamy golden-hued aioli. Leafy green
Guides
I have what some say is an odd preference for nuts in my food; I enjoy the crunch and the buttery nuttiness. Given that, the pineapple fried rice at Narai Asian Cuisine in Olympia is a pleasant surprise. The flavor array with the textures of cashews and crisp cucumber is
Guides
Vien Dong in Tacoma's International District offers a heaping bowl of thin, undressed vermicelli noodles made from white rice - and they're especially addictive with sprigs of leafy aromatic cilantro, cucumber, shredded carrot, ground peanut and the option of skewers of grilled meat, seafood (or a combination of these) as
Guides
Coconut milk is a weakness of mine. I see those words on a menu and my eyes glaze over. Coconut milk is used beautifully in the green curry dish at Oriental Noodle & Grill across from Tacoma Community College. I select tofu versus chicken or beef for this dish because
Guides
Traditionally fish balls are pounded by hand (rather than being ground) to achieve a smooth texture. If they're not done in the traditional fashion, those served at Mizu Japanese Steakhouse in Gig Harbor certainly fool me. Rolled in crunchy panko breading and given a turn in hot oil, these hand-formed
Guides
Blazing Onion in Gig Harbor may appear to be just another churn-‘em-out sit-down fast-food joint focused on burgers with crazy toppings. But take a walk on the lighter side and you'll find a worthy plate of fish tacos. Think generous pieces of hot, grilled cod come cradled in warm corn-and-flour-blend
Guides
Though I do not, there are those who believe only certain items should be eaten in the morning. That list probably includes heavy meats cooked in oil, butter-laden or sugary breads, piles of potatoes and fruit as a garnish. I'm guessing asparagus is not on that list. Thankfully Sorci's Italian
Guides
Flying Tomato Italian Grill in Graham makes pillowy, soft flatbread and cuts it into pieces for easy sharing. Ramekins hold a variety of tasty items that can be spread, drizzled and smeared on the hot bread to create a customized flavor explosion. Oh alright, I'm completely biased; if there's roasted
Guides
When I think of sardines, I think of oily fish in an odd mustard or tomato sauce packed in a can with a peel-back metal lid. There is no can involved at Morso, Gig Harbor's newest wine bar. From a menu of small plate, or tapas-style, dishes crafted to complement
Guides
I love prawns (little mud bugs of the sea that they are) skewered, grilled, roasted, baked, hot or cold. Marzano's Restaurant on Garfield Street uses a generous number of sautéed black tiger prawns and plump sea scallops in the farfalle di marine, a large-portion seafood pasta dish. A simmered sauce
Guides
Just as I love the variety of buffets, I'm a sucker for a sampler platter. Load me up. Ranch House BBQ & Steakhouse off Highway 8 West does not disappoint, with an enormous platter filled both vertically and horizontally. I'm talking meat, baby. There was moist pulled pork piled against
We Recommend
You know you're already humming "If I Were a Rich Man" in your head. If you aren't, we are. Once again, Olympia's Capitol Theater screens the classic musical film Fiddler on the Roof Christmas day. But beyond simply watching, you will be immersed in the total If-I-Were-A-Rich-Man experience - you
Food Matters
Brewpub4u owner Duane Woytonik has built a rather stellar contraption that can brew and then serve eight different beers on tap and hold a 60-gallon pot of chili. I know! Crazy. On his website he refers to it as the "8th wonder of the world." Here's the part that makes beer lovers
We Recommend
Ever heard tell of "Old Christmas Day?" I hadn't, either. Apparently it took centuries for the West and East to see eye to eye about the day Christ was born. The Western world settled on Dec. 25, of course, while Eastern churches preferred Jan. 6. (They were both wrong. Historians
We Recommend
If you want to see an entertaining winter play - but are going to puke nutcrackers if you see A Christmas Carol one more time - head to a special early edition of Creative Colloquy. Michael Haeflinger, Titus Burley and William Turbyfill will perform jolly dramatic performances. Wait, there's more.
Food Matters
Catch a new buzz at an old spot We've all been there. Saying to ourselves, "Oh, I'll just meet friends for a quick one after work," and before we know it a polite server is handing out dinner menus as the sun sets. It happens, especially if the conversation is flowing
Stage
Two years ago, my wife and I followed multiple suggestions to see playwright Robert Schenkkan's All the Way at Oregon Shakespeare Festival. They were right; that script's a masterpiece. OSF's production featured actor Jack Willis, riveting as President Lyndon Baines Johnson, plus charismatic Kenajuan Bentley as his sometime partner in
News Front
Collaboration builds lasting relationships. For the 34th time, American and Japanese soldiers are working together during Yama Sakura 67, Japan's largest command post exercise. The bilateral exercise, which began on Dec. 8 and ends on Dec. 14, is being conducted at Camp Asaka, Japan. "This is one operation; we are literally working side-by-side
We Recommend
Charlatan is surging, post-punk inspired electro-rock. As a solo project of Omar Rashan, Charlatan combines programmed beats, synthesizers and fuzzed-out guitars into a sound that's reminiscent of Joy Division. All cleanliness and precision is smeared with layers of noise, and the persistent drum machine gets drenched in discordant guitar. In
