In this week’s installment of my series about Korean dining in Lakewood, you’ll read about the other kind of KFC – Korean fried chicken. Two restaurants serving the sticky, spicy dish are in the neighborhood that is the region’s finest concentration of Korean dining. I’ll also take you shopping at three grocery stores with ingredients you can turn into Korean feasts. Read more »
If you were the kind of person who planned ahead, you already would have found a recipe, borrowed the molds and purchased the ingredients to make a magical batch of chocolate truffles for mom’s special day this weekend.
But you’re just like the rest of us. Off to the store you go for chocolate. Before you settle for a drugstore buy, consider this: South Sound is home to three chocolate makers who specialize in truffles – decadent chocolates made with a creamy ganache center. Two chocolate shops are cafes with a truffle side business; the third is one of the oldest candy companies in Tacoma. All three will sell truffles for Mother’s Day, but you best not delay your purchase because supplies are limited. Read more »
A name, the menu and pricing are still in the works, but one thing is certain – Tacoma’s Pacific Grill will manage the cafe at the LeMay Museum, which opens June 2. Gordon Naccarato, owner of downtown Tacoma’s Pacific Grill and a companion catering business, is working on the menu and concept right now. Naccarato also said he has hired Read more »
I asked chefs to send me their spring menus (yes! It’s really here! Until the sideways rain starts again. A-hem). Chef William Mueller of Babblin’ Babs Bistro, a breakfast and lunch cafe in the Proctor District, just debuted a menu that incorporates the things we love about spring – fresh peas and light flavors like lemon, guava and arugula. Click to read his menu, which he and wife Shannon Mueller change whenever the mood strikes. Read more »
Dirty Oscar’s Annex chef Aaron Grissom started cooking his new spring menu this week. I like the look of the salads, which sound as if they’re among the most flavor-drenched around town. I’m looking forward to trying the arugula and butter leaf salad with tangerines, manchego, a mint vinaigrette and Marcona almond “dust” (that reminds me of how chefs used to use the word “foam” to describe … soup). Another arugula salad comes with basil leaves, blueberries, chevre and a grilled citrus vinaigrette. Here’s something neat – Grissom’s menu is coded for people with dietary restrictions – “V” dishes are vegetarian and “G” dishes are gluten free. Other changes to the menu look promising – click below to see. Read more »
Wherever you are in Korea, soup is served at every meal and it can play a starring or supporting role. Today, in my second installment of Korean dining in Lakewood, I’ll explore the vast terrain of Korean soup. Here, I’ll describe eight styles of soup, but many more varieties make up the Korean palate. The sampling here represents what’s served at the soup shops, cafes and restaurants along South Tacoma Way, which is home to the region’s finest concentration of Korean restaurants. Read more »
For Mother’s Day, I don’t need bath salts or a trip to the spa – although both would be nice, thanks. I’d probably just settle for SOMEONE besides me actually doing the dishes for once (a-hem), but if you really want to score points? How about a nice brunch? (HINT HINT HINT) A plethora of restaurants will be serving brunch or breakfast spreads. Even catering companies are getting in on the deal. Click below to see the list and do call to book soon, reservations fill up fast. Check back next week for locally made sweets and treats you can buy for mom. Read more »
Lakewood is home to a remarkable culinary gem clustered in a single neighborhood along South Tacoma Way: a concentration of about 20 Korean eateries and grocery stores. But while diners in South Sound are well versed in Japanese, Vietnamese and Thai restaurants, I’ve encountered seasoned diners who consider Korean cuisine a mystery. I call it the most delightful and sometimes under-appreciated cuisine nobody talks about.
During the next four weeks, I’ll help readers explore the three-mile stretch in Lakewood that is home to Korean barbecue restaurants, soup shops, cafes, grocery stores and dessert bakeries.
To kick off this series today, I’m digging first into Korean tabletop barbecue. It’s the easiest introduction for newcomers to Korean cuisine. It’s approachable, flavorful, healthful and meant for group dining. Read more »