The kind of chocolate you buy for your sweetheart can say a lot about you as a gift giver. Do you phone it in with a bag of Hershey kisses from Target? Or do you fail miserably at 9 p.m. Feb. 14 with a Hershey’s bar from the 76 station paired with one of those cheesy fabric roses (read: epic fail). Or do you make a sweeter, bolder, more local statement to your mate with chocolates made right here in Tacoma? Read more »

It’s getting late to book a table for Valentine’s Day dinner, but there still are restaurants with openings as of today. At this late stage, you may have to settle for a 4 p.m. or 9 p.m. reservation, or you could shoot for dining out this weekend or next. Some restaurants will have Valentine’s dinner specials through this weekend, some will have dinner deals on Valentine’s Day only. Read on. Read more »

Today I return to two restaurants for second bites: Maxwell’s Speakeasy + Lounge, a St. Helens neighborhood restaurant with a new owner, chef and menu, and Zara Mediterranean Cuisine, a downtown Tacoma restaurant newly opened in August. Read more »

Last October, Celebrity Cake Studio announced it was about to move to a new home near its longtime Freighthouse Square location – and now the move is complete. The bakery known for elaborate wedding cakes and fondant party cakes has a new stand-alone storefront at 314 E. 26th St. If you’re familiar with the Tacoma Dome neighborhood – that’s near Friesenburgers. This is the bakery’s second week operating at its new location. Read more »

Two self-directed Valentine’s events for you this weekend – a wine walk in Sumner and a chocolate festival in Proctor. Read more »

In January, I told you that the Cliff House was hoping for a late January or early February opening. Well, early February is here, but the Cliff House is not yet open. After a slowdown from the icy weather a few weeks ago it became clear that a late January opening was out of the question. Owner Giuseppe “Joe” Nappo put the brakes on rushing opening to avoid something that could be a disaster for a brand-new restaurant – a Valentine’s Day opening. Read more »

Here are five beer events over the next 10 days: South Sound brewers pour at Seattle’s Belgian beer festival tomorrow, the RAM hosts a brewer’s dinner, Morso Wine Bar invites Doug Tiede from Engine House No. 9 to talk about British beers, The Spar hosts Deschutes Brewery and 99 Bottles, the beer store, has a tasting with chocolate and brew.

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Depending upon your dining preferences or the bar you frequent, breakfast at a watering hole can be a cultural odyssey or a gritty journey. I maintain that both can be equally delightful if you have a curiosity for interesting bar food that comes with a funky atmosphere and clientele. To my surprise, I had no trouble finding bars and restaurants widely known for their late-night shenanigans that also produce quality eats from the weekend morning griddle – in copious, delicious quantities. Here are five “bars” with breakfasts worth a try. I didn’t even graze the surface of what’s available for bar breakfast dining. You’re welcome to comment and let other readers know about your favorite bar for breakfast. Read more »