Walkie Talkie Blog
What's old is new again. In March, I mentioned Engine House No. 9 was in the process of changing its historical Tacoma Brew formula back to the original recipe created in 1888 by the Puget Sound Brewing and Malting Co. in Tacoma. After Dusty Trail, the man, converted the landmark Engine House
Walkie Talkie Blog
It's Friday, which means I tempt you with another South Sound mac and cheese dish I believe is worthy of the Tournament of Mac and Cheese next spring. Of course, you, the reader, will ultimately decided the fate of the dish when nominations open in February 2015. Wildly annoying name aside,
Walkie Talkie Blog
No, I'm not on Harmon Brewing Co.'s payroll. The Tacoma brewery is making news left and right. I reported its Harmon Tap Room is integrating with its neighboring Hub restaurant. Then, I mention the Harmon Brewery & Eatery was part of the Tacoma Brewery Walk. Yesterday, I announced Harmon has, once again, teamed
Walkie Talkie Blog
Letterpress and craft beer. These two artistries are at the forefront of the South Sound's creative scene. Over the last decade, the area has become a magnet for creative types of every stripe - especially letterpress artists and craft brewers. Chandler O'Leary, Jessica Spring, Chris Sharp, Beautiful Angle's Tom Llewellyn
Walkie Talkie Blog
Columbia Brewing Co. first occupied the building along the 2100 block of South C Street in 1900. Beer made at the facility gained national attention for its flavor and smooth aftertaste in the early 1920s, prompting the brewery to double in size and increase capacity by the mid-1930s. Success at the
Walkie Talkie Blog
They called out to ye faithful, and all ye faithful answered. Saturday, at the third annual Gig Harbor Beer Festival, I watched the gigantic beer garden in the middle of the posh Uptown Gig Harbor retail hub slowly but surely fill up with the most faithful of beer-goers. Let me
Walkie Talkie Blog
While many people who head to the newly opened Smoke + Cedar are looking for the slow-roasted prime rib, the half-pound chuck burger, Team Dino's cocktails and the awesome happy hour, I drive up the hill for the mac and cheese. An order brings the perfect amount of orecchiette pasta
Walkie Talkie Blog
Whatever you do, don't call the Harmon Brewing Company's Stadium District restaurants "McMenamins." I made the mistake of dropping that term during a conversation with co-owner Pat Nagle about his remodel plans to make the Harmon Tap Room and The Hub more of a destination. "It's not McMenamins," he shot back.
Walkie Talkie Blog
The arrival of spring at the RAM Restaurant and Brewery marks the return of its 2010 Great American Beer Festival bronze medal winner, Maibock. "The RAM's traditional Heller Bock combines toasty malt richness and a refreshing hop character to deliver a bold kick," says Dave Leonard, director of Brewery Operations for
Walkie Talkie Blog
It's Friday, which means I tempt you with another South Sound mac and cheese dish I believe is worthy of the Tournament of Mac and Cheese next spring. Of course, you, the reader, will ultimately decided the fate of the dish when nominations open in February 2015. First, a touch of
Walkie Talkie Blog
"Cinco de Mayo," Spanish for "the sink is full of mayonnaise." OK, not really. I made that up, which is only fitting, because the idea that May 5 is a big holiday celebrated throughout Mexico is also made up. This yarn was spun by some PR hack for Corona beer
Walkie Talkie Blog
Harmon Brewing Company announced today that on May Day, Thursday May 1, all four HBC locations will donate 10 percent of food sales to the American Red Cross in support of disaster relief for the OSO community. Those locations are: Harmon Brewing Company at South 19th and Pacific Avenue downtown
Walkie Talkie Blog
You'd best prep your favorite Barry Manilow, Nelly and Journey songs, because you're entrenched in National Karaoke Week. Seriously, this is a thing. National Karaoke Week happens through Saturday, and it's a BFD in some parts of the country. Wait, scratch that - it's apparently a BFD in Tacoma, if
Walkie Talkie Blog
Following on the successful heels of the Weekly Volcano's Tournament of Burgers, our editorial staff will present a new NCAA Basketball tournament-like event next spring. Once again we'll host a number of daily games that pit one restaurant against another, leaving it to the readers to decide the final outcomes
Walkie Talkie Blog
Dedicated South Sound craft beer fans are no strangers to closed gates. The Tacoma Craft Beer Festival and the Tacoma Big Beer Festival had to shut doors on beer drinkers due to capacity crowds. Last year, the Gig Harbor Beer Festival sold out in just over an hour after the
Walkie Talkie Blog
Beer is delicious on its own. But when infused with coffee grinds, citrus fruits and hell - even doughnuts - it's that much better. That's why a Randall might be the best thing ever. A Randall is a ridiculously awesome filter system that runs beer through any number of flavorful
Walkie Talkie Blog
After the grain has been shoveled from the mash tun, after yeast has been pitched, after the farmer has hauled away the trailer, there is water everywhere, and a half hour more of work to do before they can go fight fires. Yes, they woke up at 4:30 a.m., it's
Walkie Talkie Blog
I haven't worked off the 20 pounds of weight gained during the Tournament of Burgers. In fact, the extra weight has become my friend. The fat and I reminisce about each burger joint, becoming all mushy and nostalgic over a last call burger at Shake Shake Shake, pairing Manhattans with
Walkie Talkie Blog
Toward the beginning of last night's Georgetown Brewing Company beer dinner at The Swiss Restaurant and Pub, Manny Chao, Georgetown's co-owner and brewmaster, explained why it was an honor that his company be the first brewery Swiss owner Jack McQuade invited to dinner. The two go way back. Chao met McQuade
Walkie Talkie Blog
Pasties and butt cheeks and hip-hop Toto, oh my! The setup Expect all three - and more titillating fun - in The Gritty City Sirens' Adventures in Oz, a Wizard of Oz-inspired burlesque production at the Temple Theater Ballroom Saturday, April 19. I caught a full dress run of Tacoma's burlesque troupe's largest