Category Archives: Sit Down Establishments

Stink

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I was beginning to feel like I was the only person in Tacoma that hadn’t been to Stink at 628 St Helens Ave, Tacoma, WA 98402. But dear husband and I were back at the new art supply store, Artist and Craftsman (yes, that is going to be a problem), and Stink was open and we were hungry, so off we went. I had the Five Mushroom Soup and he had the Italian Mac and Cheese and both were yummy. The service was fast and friendly and the décor is quirky since they use box springs as wine holders. For more information, check out their website.

Potato Chip Nachos at Southern Pacific, Tacoma

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So a while back Buzzfeed proclaimed that Pacific Southern at 3832 S. Pine Street Tacoma, WA 98409 had one of the best nachos in America. It was one of only thirty restaurants to get this honor and the only restaurant in Washington State.  I made a note to go try them sometime. The Buzzfeed link is here and the Facebook Page for the restaurant is here.  All we ordered for two of us for dinner was the nachos and we ate about 1/2 of them (all the pulled pork). They were delicious and very filling. I hadn’t realized that the nachos themselves were potato chips, so that was a first for us.  I didn’t think to take a picture until we were part way through, but there is a better photo on the Buzzfeed link. Other dishes of note included Waffles and Chicken, catfish, grits and cinnamon roll French Toast.

The service was great. This restaurant had previously been known as the Pinecone and it is across the street from the Tacoma Mall.

Art House Cafe

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I’ve been meaning to visit Art House Café at 111 North Tacoma Avenue in Tacoma’s Stadium District for ages. And this weekend I finally got around to it. The service was pitch perfect and the food was amazing. I had a bacon and onion stuffed bisquit with an egg on top, It didn’t look huge, but it was so rich and filling that I didn’t finish. The restaurant has charming space with featured art on the walls and an unexpected upstairs with a meeting room. Their website is here.

 

The lunch view at Marketplace Grille in Gig Harbor

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The Marketplace Grille at 8825 North Harborview Drive in Gig Harbor has been in place for 16 years, but dear husband and I just discovered it and we are glad we did. The reasonably priced restaurant has a quirky layout with seating on either side of an open air hallway. We arrive at about 2:30 for a late lunch and were seated at a table for two with an impressive view of the harbor (see photo). Marketplace Grille is known for its clam chowder, made without bacon, and it was indeed delectable. We each had our own chowder and then we shared the three piece halibut and chips. There was enough left over that we got a to go box. Our server, Carline, was professional, warm and upbeat. I felt like I made a friend! Afterward dear husband drove off to a bookstore and I took a chilly, but stunning, walk into town. As you can see with the last photo, the mountain (Mt. Rainer) was out.

More information, including a menu, can be found here.

 

Elemental Wood Fired Pizza, University Village

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Dear daughter wanted to see the Amazon Bookstore and I needed somethings up in the north land also so we went to University Village yesterday. Although I love Delfino’s Chicago Style Pizza, we decided to branch out and try Elemental Wood Fired Pizza this time. It wasn’t until I was seated that it occurred to me that I had been in an Elemental Pizza before, the one in Tacoma. It was a good experience with friendly service and tasty individual pizzas (really they could have been shared). Mine was the Truffled Mushroom pizza and hers was the Green Goddess. We each a drink (ice tea for me and raspberry lemonade for her). With the tax and tip it came to just under $50, so this isn’t going to become our everyday pizza place. But it was fun to watch them make the pizza with quality ingredients, so we will consider it as a special treat. I see there is one more location that opened in April 2016 in the Columbia Tower in downtown Seattle.

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Wild Fin Restaurant

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One of the joys of Spring Break is going out to eat and see a movie during the day. I guess it wasn’t an original idea because I ran into not one, but two tables of school friends and then after the movie, yet another friend from school! It was so fun!

Wild Fin is a chain of three seafood restaurants and this location is at 5115 Grand Loop, Tacoma at Point Ruston.  Dear husband and I stopped in before our movie and had very yummy and filling appetizers. I’m looking forward to evenings on the patio which features a marine view and summer days on the beach eating fried fish from the fish bar which will open soon.

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McMenamins’ Anderson School, Bothel

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imageI was pretty excited to hear that the newest McMenamins had recently opened in Bothell. It is known as the Anderson School and is located at 18607 Bothell Way NE, Bothell. So dear husband, dear daughter and dear daughter’s friend went to explore it this weekend. The complex includes a restaurant/tavern, several small bars, a lovely heated saltwater pool, a movie theater (in the previous gym), an area for a reception, a small store, outdoor areas with fire pits and of course, the hotel which is in the original junior high school which has 72 rooms located in the original classrooms.

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Naked Pizza

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imageNaked Pizza at 417 Ramsey Way (Kent Station), was a takeout stop for me after my dentist appointment today.  It is part of a small chain that has 7 US locations (this one, 4 in Virgina, one in New Jersey and one in New Orleans, LA) and one location in Kenya. I really enjoyed the mason jar lighting system over the largest table in the restaurant. When I finally got home almost an hour later (I5 traffic is crazy!) the pizza had to be reheated, but it was very good. Their website tells me that the pizza is made with an abundance of good stuff.

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Salty’s at Redondo Beach

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Dear husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary at Salty’s at Redondo Beach at 28201 Redondo Beach Drive South, Des Moines. There are three Salty’s locations (here, Aliki Point and near Portland on the Columbia River) and this was our first time at any of them.  It was altogether a lovely lunch. The restaurant extends over the water and has a comfortable, but sophisticated feel to it. Dear husband had the Dungenous Crab Melt and I had the Cod Fish & Chips. Both were excellent. My only sadness is that I had no room for dessert since I was excited to see that they served Winegars Ice Cream. Their website has full menus and their Facebook Page has a chance to win gift certicates. They even have an instagram feed.

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Bonnie and Clyde are rumored to have been here

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imageThe story is that Bonnie and Clyde’s car was in need of repair and they stopped at the service station on the town square in Granbury, TX. While it was being fixed, they had a picnic on the lawn of the courthouse. The local law recognized them, but decided to leave well enough alone since they did have a reputation! They finished their lunch, picked up their car and skedaddled out of there. I’m not sure if that is true, but the building is certainly there.

The Baker-Rylee Building at 100 North Crockett Street in Granbury, TX was built in 1895 as a hardware store and has a limestone construction which is typical of the area. The Transcontinental Company bought the building in 1929 and removed two walls to make it into a service station. When my folks first moved to Granbury in 1981, it was still a service station though sometime in the early 1980s that use ceased. I remember going to it when it was an Italian Restaurant and now it is delightful restaurant called The Fillin’ Station. My swiss mushroom burger was one of the best that I’ve ever had and the fries and onion rings were also outstanding. The folks that work there are so very nice.

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