I popped into the new Tacoma Food Co-op last week and found late-harvest fruits and vegetables, plenty of packaged foods, but no take-out foods. But, this just in: Tacoma Food Co-op now will sell ready-made salads, soups, dips and dessert. Click “read more” to see the details. Read more »
Laurie Sanders-Polen knows some peculiar things about the eating habits of Puyallupites. They like cheddar cheese. A lot. And chevre, too. Buffalo mozzarella? That’s a big no thanks. Burrata was another that didn’t sell well with the locals. And what about stinky blues? “I thought there’d be more blue lovers,” said Sanders-Polen.
If Sanders-Polen has her way, local eaters soon will be spreading crusty baguettes with Italian butter and French butter flavored with sea salt. She’ll also introduce them to fig preserves, hand-made toffee and pungent cheeses from the far reaches of the world that cost as little as a few bucks for a small wedge at My Cheese Shoppe, which Sanders-Polen opened in downtown Puyallup in June.
Sanders-Polen is a self-proclaimed cheesemonger who never intended to sell cheese. Read more »
I go every year hungry, and leave reeking of Greek eats: oregano, garlic, lamb and more garlic. The St. Nicholas Greek Festival is one of my favorite festivals and it really should be on your list, too. If anyone knows how to throw a big Greek feast, it’s the parish members and volunteers at the St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Tacoma. Church volunteers have put on the food festival for 50 years, introducing countless Tacomans to baklava, gyros, melomakarona, koulorakia, dolmades and plenty of other Greek dishes and pastries that many may find unpronounceable, but utterly delicious. Click “read more” to see the details of this year’s festival, which begins Friday. Read more »
Poke can be simple or complicated, tame in flavor or boldly spiced. The one constant in the poke equation is this: the foundation starts with cubes of raw tuna. Beyond that, a poke recipe is open for interpretation. Or at least it is in the hands of local chefs. Click “more” to read about a few interesting poke dishes I’ve sampled around town recently, and please tell me about your favorite poke. Read more »
More than six months after closing in the perch situated above La Quinta hotel, Porter’s Place Southern Cuisine & BBQ has reopened on South Tacoma Way. Owner Alton Porter resumed business last week. The restaurant will serve lunch and dinner Tuesday-Saturday, closed Sunday-Monday. Click “more” for details. Read more »
Medi’s Pizza and Pasta on Sixth Avenue is entering its third week of business. I’ll have a more in-depth report Friday, but here are the basics. The downscale pizza joint is like a red sauce Italian pasta and pizza joint, just minus the red-checked tablecloths. The food is bargain priced, daytime patrons are a mix of funky hipsters, guys in construction garb and families with kids. It may be my new favorite kid-friendly hangout in Tacoma, aside from the Harmon. At night, it takes on a more mature tone with live music and karaoke. And here’s something new for Sixth: a pizza-by-the-slice restaurant. Click “more” to read about the menu. Read more »
A Five Guys Burgers and Fries franchisee duo recently confirmed they’re opening the first of many fast-food burger restaurants in the South Sound, starting with downtown Puyallup in November.
Curious by all the fuss from readers and national media about this burger chain, I paid a visit to Five Guys Burgers and Fries in Renton. I found towering burgers and what might be some of my new favorite fries in a fast-food setting outside of Fife’s Pick-Quick Drive-In. Click “more” to read about the Five Guys burgers in Renton. Read more »
The national fast-food burger chain Five Guys Burgers and Fries is planning its first Pierce County restaurant to open in November in Puyallup. A store also is planned for Lakewood Towne Center, but the lease is not final. The chain is one of three making first entries into Pierce County this fall. Buffalo Wild Wings and Dickey’s Barbecue Pit will open restaurants in Pierce County in October. Click “more” to read updates on all three chains.