Monthly Archives: March 2012

Boxcar Grill

My dear husband wanted to go to a new place today! Because of a  review in the Weekly Volcanohe wanted to check out the Boxcar Grill in Freighthouse Square, 2501 E. D St., Tacoma. We enjoyed a late lunch. I had the Boxcar Patty Melt and he had the Chicken Fried Steak with eggs. We each ate about 1/2 because of the large portions. I really liked mine and he loved his saying it had real steak inside the coating instead of ground up beef. Service was delightful. The place opened in January 2012.

http://www.theboxcargrill.com/

Angry Birds Like Pistachios!

Just a quick stop today at Safeway in Lakewood (10223 Gravelly Lake Drive Southwest, Lakewood, WA) While there, I noticed that the Angry Bird’s Pig is now promoting pistachios. I’m still struggling to make the connection, but I think if we can get kids to eat nuts instead of sugar its a good thing. The pistachios commercial is here and it is pretty cute: http://getcrackin.com/videos/

While I was at Safeway, I bought some soup — but not this kind.

Bubble Tea Shop

Today I had parental obligations and found myself near the University of Washington Tacoma campus. I took the first parking spot I came to and found myself in front of the recently opened Bubble Tea Shop at 1712 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma. It was great to see a new business along the strip. We enjoyed our bubble teas and thought the shop had the coolest black tables.

 

Five Guys has the best soda machine!

Five Guys at 5605 Lakewood Towne Center Blvd., Lakewood, WA 98499 has an amazing soda machine. You push on your choice of Coke Product and there are 22 choices. I picked diet, caffeine free Coke. Then a second screen appears with seven more choices: cherry, vanilla, lime, orange, raspberry, cherry vanilla or plain. I tried cherry and orange (not together) and really they were pretty good.

   

Five Guys is a hamburger chain that originated out of Washington D.C. and currently has 900 stores. There are two locations in Pierce Co., this one and one in Puyallup. Their website (http://www.fiveguys.com/) says there are over 250,000 ways to order a burger here!  The restaurant was packed when I got there at around 4. There must have been 30 people ahead of me in line. But the line moved quickly and my order came up in no time. Or maybe the time just passed quickly since I was fascinated with the soda machine 🙂 The interior was a cheerful red and white and free peanuts were available

 

RAGS Wearable Art Sale & Show

Each year the YWCA has a benefit for their domestic violence prevention & intervention programs. This year it was at Larson’s Mercedes-Benz of Tacoma at 1701 Alexander Avenue in Fife. It was great.Their showroom was filled with more quality wearable art then I’ve ever seen in one place and it was an added bonus that it supports the YWCA’s excellent mission. I walked away with a lovely necklace and a pin for my friend. While I was there I checked out a new Mercedes-Benz (I can dream!).

What was funny is that when I came home I took the Fife exit onto I-5 and pulled in right behind my husband’s blue truck. Really, what are the chances?

          

A little magic at Stonegate

After work my friends and I went to Stonegate Pizza and Rum Bar at 5421 South Tacoma Way  Tacoma, WA 98409. It had a comfortable feel, good food, friendly service and was reasonably priced. I didn’t haven rum, but apparently there are over 100 types. While we were enjoying our meal, a magician came to our table. How cool is that?! And he was great. Even up close, I couldn’t figure out how the magic was done.

The building was constructed in 1908 and renovated for its current use in 2007. Their Facebook Page is located here http://www.facebook.com/pages/STONEGATE-RESTAURANT-BAR/252566649502

 

 

Fred Meyer Market Place

Yesterday I ran into Fred Meyers Market Place at ., Tacoma. It was a quick stop brought on by the need for some allergy eye drops. Fred Meyers Market Place is a nice clean, well stocked store.  I’ve always thought it was interesting that there is a more traditional Fred Meyers right down the street at 4504  19th Street.

There web site is here www.fred  meyer.com

Tacoma Community College Library

Yesterday I had a meeting at Tacoma Community College (TCC) and while there I stopped at the library. It had a wonderful, comfortable ambiance with plenty of study carrels, tables and of course resources.

http://www.tacomacc.edu/library/

Hilltop Building with Murals

There is an apparently vacant building at 1214 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Tacoma, WA. Or maybe it is being used for storage. The public record indicates that a meat store (or facility) was or is in place. There are two murals on the storefront of animals eating spaghetti.

 

Hidden Treasures in the Old Trolly Building

Today we stopped at Hidden Treasures in The Old Trolley Building. The street address is 3902 South 12th.  The store’s space was larger than I first expected and includes a lovely tea room. Hidden Treasures really is packed full of interesting items — glassware, decorative items, vintage clothes, books, etc. And the owner’s (I think it was the owner) two darling dogs were there to interact with potential buyers. I’m thinking about going back for the rooster! More about Hidden Treasure here http://www.oldtrolleybuilding.com/hidden-treasures/index.html

The building was constructed in 1890 as the Steilacoom Line Powerhouse for the Tacoma & Steilacoom streetcar line. By 1896 it was being used for railroad car storage and in1912 it was being used for commercial fuel and feed storage.  In 1916 the railroad tracks were removed. In 1947 it was remodeled into the A-G Food Mart and Emmons Apartments. Other occupants have included a drugstore, meat market, salon, barbershop, paper products, hobby shop, furniture shop, lawn mower repair, sign maker, Radio & TV sales and repair, restaurant, carpet store and a preschool. More info about the building can be found here

http://www.oldtrolleybuilding.com/