Hello! My name is Drake Birnbaum. I'm a runner, dancer and a Jew. I prefer my pizza cold and my hair styled. As the newest member of team Volcano, I'm like the communal sidekick. This is my first article, and I gotta say, I think I did great.

Some places hold memories. For me, one of those places is the Puyallup coffee shop Anthem Beverage and Bistro. It was a Forza back then, yet equally wonderful for enjoying gelato with my mom and brother. Suddenly, it was called Anthem Coffee & Tea, but that didn't stop me from painting on Buddha Board with family and friends. Before I knew it, another Anthem had opened on Pacific Avenue in downtown Tacoma.

Read more...

With the recent news that TWOKOI Japanese Cuisine and Steel Creek American Whiskey Co. cut back their lunch service, thoughts of employees huddled in their cubicles during the noon hour sent shivers down my spine. Downtown Tacoma certainly doesn't need less people walking the streets. And what of a domino effect? One restaurant closes mid-day, then another, and suddenly every restaurateur want to sleep in wants.

Good news. Downtown Tacoma's new Parisian dinner, Aviateur, has been opened for lunch the last two weeks.

Weekly Volcano food critic Jackie Fender says the French restaurant is worthy.

Several weeks ago Weekly Volcano food critic Jackie Fender gushed over Maxwell's Restaurant & Lounge's head chef, Hudson Slater. Deservedly so - the man is on culinary fire.

Today, The Grand Cinema couldn't hold back its love for Slater any longer. The Grand announced it has invited the chef to host a post-film discussion after the 3:10 p.m. screening of Chef, Saturday, May 24. Let's read The Grand's handiwork:

Read more...

When I heard rumor of a Seinfeld-inspired establishment serving up breakfast and burgers, my interest was piqued. Though I'm by no means a Seinfeld fan, the idea of good grub and sitcom kitsch matrimony was something I simply needed to check out. And boy, I'm glad I did.

Little Jerry's Breakfast and Burgers is an intimate little greasy spoon tucked away in a small strip mall in the Fern Hill district. By intimate, I mean it is tiny - and on my most recent visit, it was packed. This means one of two things, 1. Seinfeld groupies are aplenty in Tacoma, or 2. Little Jerry's serves up delicious breakfast and lunch fare. Both may be accurate, but judging by my own experience, number two is likely the case.

What do I think you should Eat Now? The Kramerica ($9.95).

Though many cleverly monikered plates caught my eye, the Kramerica featured a favorite breakfast staple of mine in the hollandaise sauce.

Let's break it down. Your choice of hash browns or home fries are topped with your choice of biscuit or English muffin -I opted for the browns with biscuit. The hash browns were golden brown and the biscuit fluffy and filling. This foundation is topped with two eggs your way, though poached only seems natural and a wise decision with yolk oozing out when you cut into it. Add gratuitous amounts of crisp slices of bacon, sliced tomato, fresh spinach all smothered with hollandaise and oh, em, gee, you got yourself a winner. The trick is to get a little bit of every ingredient onto your fork with each bite, and maybe a spattering of Tabasco. The crunch from the bacon, creamy decadence from the hollandaise and fresh veggies to boot makes the Kramerica a balanced breakfast dish.

Little Jerry's is a must for Seinfeld fans and casual curious diners alike. Large groups may have difficulty dining here due to space constraints, but the mismatched mugs, Seinfeld-themed decor and unique menu are worth a visit.

LITTLE JERRY'S BREAKFAST AND BURGERS, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, 8233 South Park Ave., Tacoma, 253.474.2435

Using a 100-year-old secret family recipe, Lynnae's Gourmet Pickles has not only taken Tacoma by storm, but also has infiltrated the nation. Lynnae Schneller and Aly Cullinane launched their pickle business in 2011, becoming a hot item in the South Sound with their Mrs. Pickles, a sweet and sour pickle, and the Hot Mama, where jalapeno, garlic and pimento swim next to dill spears. Oh, Mama, what a bold, vibrant flavor and nice low burn!

The word got out, and Lynnae's Gourmet Pickles found space in such media as iOprah, Wall Street Journal, Reader's Digest, Ladies Home Journal, USA Today andCNN. In 2013, the duo stood before the sharks on the TV show Shark Tank, but didn't find funding.

Lynnae's Gourmet Pickles are headed back to national television.Wednesday, May 21, Schneller will be featured on QVC at 4 p.m. ET on a new show Gourmet Nation with the Food Dudes, hosted by Dick Domeier and Dan Wheeler.

Lynnae's Gourmet Pickles are available in select stores, including Kroger stores, and are priced at $7-$9 a jar.

Welcome to Served in the South Sound - the Weekly Volcano's new food and drink blog. This blog will continue to host our thoughts on the South Sound food and drink scene, but now with fewer Howitzers. Military news and event coverage, as well as South Sound music, arts and wackiness will remain on our Walkie Talkie blog. On our new blog, we'll serve up a feedbag of fresh chow daily, with local restaurant news, the New Beer Column, bar and restaurant openings and closings, breaking culinary news and breaking culinary ground - all brought to the table with a dollop of Internet frivolity on top. We've moved all the New Beer Column and Mac and Cheese Madness posts to this blog. The food and drink posts from 2006 through last Friday will remain on Walkie Talkie.

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

Server Banner Girl, May 19-25, 2014

Rose Peterson

General manager, bartender and server

1022 South J, a craft cocktail lounge and locally-source food, 1022 South J on Tacoma's Hilltop

Why do you serve?

"I started in the bar business as a part-time job for extra cash. I soon found out I didn't want to work behind a desk. I enjoy the conversations I have with strangers, as well as my regulars."

Who is your favorite server in the South Sound?

"Right now, I'm digging Will over at Asado."

What are you most proud to serve?

"The Hazelnut Old Fashioned"

What's your current drink of choice?

"I'll pour a Bastille Whiskey at home, but I'm also on the cider wagon right now."

Favorite movie?

"Die Hard, in fact all of the Die Hard flicks are my favorites."

What don't you serve?

"I don't have anything blue."

What's on your radar at 1022 South J?

"Summer nights on our kickass patio. Bring on the warm weather!"

Back in the 1970s, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company was born in Chico, Calif. In 1982, San Francisco Examiner published an article praising Sierra Nevada's beers, which in turn led to pioneering chef Alice Waters including the brewery's flagship Pale Ale on her menu at her Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley. Bam! The brewery was off and running. Today, the business is the seventh-highest-selling brewery overall in America, and the No. 2 American craft brewer behind only Boston Beer Co., makers of Samuel Adams. The brewery's output has increased so steadily in the last 26 years so much so that Sierra Nevada erected another brewery outside of Asheville, N.C., in 2012 to meet the demands of the growing East Coast and European markets for its beers.Saturday, May 31, The Bayview School of Cooking will host a Sierra Nevada Brewing dinner. Chefs Barb Agee and Leanne Willard will team up with a SNBC rep for a five-course meal with beers paired with each course:

1. Brie Quesadillas with Bacon and Beer-Glazed Onions paired with the new Southern Hemisphere;
2. Thai Red Curry and Beef Soup paired with Sierra Nevada's famous Pale Ale;
3. A Salad of Baby Lettuce with Feta, Strawberries and Smoked Almonds paired with Kellerweis;
4. Grilled Chicken with Lemon-Cucumber Relish and Chinese Sesame Noodles paired with Summerfest;
5. Chocolate Chip Shortbread with a Raspberry Drizzle served with Ovila Abbey Quad with Plums.

The dinner will be held in the BSC demo kitchen on the second floor of Bayview Thriftway, 516 W. Fourth Ave. in downtown Olympia. The cost is $65 per person. To reserve your spot, call 360.754.1448

Read more...

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 No. 9 into Tacoma's first brewpub in 1995, he and Douglas McDonnell brewed the Tacoma Brew, a salute to the original Puget Sound Brewing beer. Trail and McDonnell researched, tinkered and trademarked the beer, producing apparently a more pale ale version of the original recipe. Dick Dickens bought E-9 in 2002 and resident head brewer Doug Tiede used two hops in the Tacoma Brew formula: Czech Saaz hops, the variety used in the original pilsener, and Hallertau, found in Bavarian-style lagers. In 2011, X group (Asado, Masa) purchased E-9, with Shane Johns running the kettles. For several years Johns asked ownership to steer away from the current ale yeast and convert Tacoma Brew to the pilsener recipe of Tacoma's past.

At noon today, Johns' dream came true. The new Tacoma Brew is on tap at E-9, as a Bohemian-style Pilsener.

"We're happy with this first batch," said E-9 bartender Todd McLaughlin, who knows his beer. "It's a bit too sweet for our liking. We'll have it dialed in by the second batch."

Tacoma Brew is now crisp and bitter, with a dry to medium-dry finish and yes, a Pils malt sweetness. It's also bubbly in the back of the mouth.

It's perfect for warm days on E-9's front porch.

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, Lit'l Smokiesaren't necessarily so bad on their own. What's not to like about a bite-sized pellet of sodium and grease from various protein sources after all? Where Smokies take the step from kitschy tooth-picked to awesome is when a cheese sauce starts to get involved.

Read more...

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 up with the Tacoma Art Museum on a new beer.

Well, Harmon is freakin' in the news, again.

As part of Seattle Beer Week, the Beveridge Place Pub held its annual Iron Brewer Competition May 11. Like television's Iron Chef, brewers are challenged to create something tasty using a set group of ingredients. Then, the resulting beers go head-to-head in a blind tasting.

Yes, Harmon won. In fact, it's Harmon's second Iron Brewer Competition win.

Read more...