On today, this drizzling, gray and mighty cool Monday, I’d like to add something to your list of things you should go eat this week: A big plate of S.O.S. for under $4. For the newly returned cold weather dining, it’s grub that sticks to your ribs and may help soften the rough transition to the return of the ARGH&^%&* rain that amazingly everyone has forgotten how to drive in. Not that I’m bitter about this morning’s drive to the office or anything.

I found this magical plate of meat gravy over toast at Kimberly’s Cafe, a cute little bistro-esque spot that opened in July in the space where Vive Bene once operated. The woman in the kitchen, Kimberly Connell, is the granddaughter of the man who owned Lakewood’s Burs Restaurant for 27 years. So that explains the perfect execution of S.O.S., which for the purpose of this family-friendly blog, I simply will call Substance on a Shingle. Read more »

Marrow Kitchen Bar opened Tuesday in Tacoma’s Sixth Avenue restaurant district with a menu of unusual proteins and a companion vegetarian menu elevated to a fine dining level I’ve never seen in a Tacoma restaurant.

I spoke with owner Jaime Kay Jones this morning and she said the first few opening days have trended smooth and already diners have picked a few clear winners on the menu – the oxtail cake, vegetarian risotto and duck, for starters, but more on that in a moment. Read more »

Ahi poke, swordfish skewers, pork belly sandwiches, roasted duck, pitchers of sangria – sign me up for Social.

Tonight’s the night. After a soft opening for family and friends over the weekend, Social Bar and Grill, which I told you about in June, is starting dinner service this evening. Curious about the location? It’s in the old Woody’s on the Water space next to the Museum of Glass.

Social will keep soft dinner hours this week (check the box below for details), but plans to offer lunch and dinner service daily starting Aug. 6.

A trio of Matador alumni are the crafters of Social. Read more »

It took four months instead of the six weeks they were expecting to reopen, but Tacos Guaymas on 38th Street is back in business.

A fire on Feb. 16 shuttered the popular taqueria near Tacoma Mall. An oily rag spontaneously combusted in the back of the restaurant and made a mess of the kitchen. The back area of the kitchen was fried, the menu board melted from the heat of the flames. Smoke damaged some of the booths. Owner Salvador Sahagun told me in March he thought it would take a month to repair the damage. As is so true in the restaurant world, one month usually turns into somewhere between three to nine months (wouldn’t it be great if an app could convert restaurant time into real-world time? I’d pay at least $4.99 for that app).

I visited today and saw the new menu board and the dining room looked like it had been fluffed and buffed. Read more »

Sometimes you just want a classic diner that serves great breakfasts or a perfectly grilled burger. In Tacoma, that place is Marcia’s Silver Spoon. This week, I’m taking a look at burgers recommended by readers. Click “more” to read about Marcia’s. Read more »

Since February, Porter’s Place Southern Cuisine & BBQ of Tacoma has been on a rib hiatus, but expect to see the return of the slow-smoked ribs and saucy pulled pork near the end of May or early June. Alton Porter, who operated Porter’s for about six years at its perch just above the La Quinta Hotel, signed a lease today to take over the restaurant space that formerly housed the delightfully named Friendly Duck Restaurant on South Tacoma Way. Read more »

Porter’s Barbecue and Tacos Guaymas are making progress, but both restaurants are behind their deadlines to reopen. Click “more” for an update on both popular Tacoma eateries. Read more »

By Sue Kidd and Craig Sailor
Staff eaters

Along Martin Luther King Jr. Way, a lively blend of restaurants turns the Hilltop neighborhood into an eating destination like no other in Tacoma.

The restaurants are an outgrowth of the eclectic and transitional nature of the Hilltop: The longtime institution Bob’s Bar B Q Pit shares a block with 1022 South, a young and edgy lounge producing some of the most interesting cocktails in the region.

The 20-plus-year-old Fish House Cafe flanks the restaurant’s eating district with southern down-home goodness at 19th and MLK, while several blocks away, the effortlessly cool newcomer Tempest Lounge bookends the area.

Up and down side streets, visitors will find Vietnamese, Thai and some of the city’s fluffiest doughnuts. We delve into the MLK neighborhood of the Hilltop for our latest installment of 10-in-one, a review of 10 restaurants in a single neighborhood. Read more »