There's a new coffee house in downtown Tacoma that goes by the name True North Coffee House. Having opened last month off 11th Street on Broadway, the little joint offers a cozy space to sip coffee concoctions created with roasted beans from Olympia Coffee Roasting Company, plus sammies and salads from Molly's Grown To Eat - a wholesale space based in Seattle specializing in "grown to eat" fresh and organic products.

True North only thinks, and sells, Western Washington goods - even their syrups are local, save for the vanilla used in their vanilla syrup, which is from Madagascar.

My Eat This Now recommendation is True North's Mountain Goat Salad. Though all meals are prepared and packaged by Molly's, everything is über fresh and beautiful. The Mountain Goat is a savory salad featuring loads of organic quinoa and spinach topped with goat cheese crumbles, tart dried cranberries, aromatic green onion, sliced almonds with a side of super tasty mustard thyme vinaigrette. POW! It's healthy, fulfilling and tasty. A solid lunchtime option, whether eaten in or taken out.

True North's charming ambiance and intimate space invites conversation over coffee or enjoying open mic night, which occurs every Saturday afternoon.

TRUE NORTH COFFEE HOUSE, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 1127 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.353.7322

Every week we swap out the Served banner art above, introducing you to the people who serve food and drinks in the South Sound. This week, meet Cathy Marcotte.

Server Banner Girl, Nov. 3-9, 2014

Cathy Marcotte

Cathy Marcotte has been serving at Happy Belly since its opening in downtown Tacoma a month ago. She is a real geek for fresh produce and whole food, which means she has quickly found herself at home in her new position. Before creating and serving vegetarian meals, juices and smoothies at Happy Belly, Marcotte served local, organic fruit and vegetables at Terry's Berries Farm Store in the Puyallup Valley as well as at the farm's market booth at the Thursday Broadway Farmers Market.

Why do you serve?

"Introducing people to healthy food options that are unique and delicious is a passion of mine. ‘Eating your veggies' can be incredibly exciting and much more fulfilling than your typical burger and fries. It does take a change of mindset and a few ideas to start with, but I love providing people with the inspiration to make those food choices."

Who is your favorite server in the South Sound?

"It's a tie between the vendors you find at farmers markets around here. They have such an intimate knowledge of the products they sell and it's amazing how much you can learn about where your food comes from just by asking a few questions. Great recipe ideas have come from my farmers market times as well."

What are you most proud to serve?

"Anything with greens, and lots of them, so good thing we have plenty of options at Happy Belly. Greens are versatile, nutritious and grow like weeds - which can be tasty too - around here in most seasons. We should always eat more."

What is your current drink of choice?

"Our Green Sunrise Smoothie. Kale blended with bright orange and ginger for a zing, I could have one everyday."

Favorite movie?

"I don't watch a lot of movies, but if I'm going to it better be about the end of the world. Or, when I'm feeling less apocalyptic, I like to revisit movies for nostalgia's sake. The Never Ending Story and The Last Unicorn are recent views."

What don't you serve?

"Food that isn't really food. Energy drinks. Anything super processed or that makes you crash or feel lousy shortly after. I serve food that compliments an active lifestyle where there just isn't room for that."

What's on your radar at Happy Belly?

"New seasonal items. My own personal diet and cravings really depend upon the time of year so I'm excited to see what the brilliant minds behind Happy Belly will come up with."

LINK: Meet other South Sound servers

You don't hear it, do you? Bend an ear. No pitter-patter on the tin roof. Look outside. For a brief moment, it's not chilly or drizzling. It's not foggy or sleeting. The flagrantly unpleasant winter weather outside, weather that has slammed the South Sound since you kissed that stranger at First Night, is on hold for a brief second.

It's 57 degrees outside Walkie Talkie World Headquarters. Beach day! Let's grab a sixer and head to the beach.

Since weather and beer in on the brain, let me relay that Harmon Brewing Company announced it is one of the first brewers in the U.S. with an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) label for its beer, issued through the Institute for Environmental Research and Education's (IERE) Earthsure program. According to a news release, "Earthsure, the first EPD program in North America, worked with five Pacific Northwest breweries last year to develop automated software for this science based eco-labeling for the beer industry. Partial funding for the project was provided by the city of Tacoma - the first Life Cycle City in America. Much like a nutrition label, the beer EPD is a disclosure of product data and analyzed the following impacts: Climate change, Stratospheric ozone depletion, Acidification, Eutrophication, Smog Profile Toxicity, Water Consumption and Land Use."

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