SCENE OF THE CRIME by Natasha
I just had one of the best adventures of my life in this thing the Weekly Volcano calls the "(253) - all for me."
I had assembled a troop of six friends, all of whom are fine soldiers. Our goal was to unearth the scene on Tacoma's Hilltop and get pretty faded in doing so.
Our mission was more than accomplished thanks to Tempest Lounge and the Monsoon Room.
Now, I'll admit, some of the soldiers were a little shy on bravery, but I was able to convince them that there's nothing to be afraid of on Hilltop and that Tempest and the Monsoon Room are two of the best kept secrets in this fine city.
Modus operandi: Mister cab driver, take us to Ninth and MLK!
Tempest could quite possibly be my new home away from home. It's the epitome of urban hipster swank and charm. It reminds me a lot of my favorite rock 'n' roll bar in Seattle - Linda's.
The best table in the house is the mafia booth right by the bar. There are even cute little pillows with martini glasses on them.
There's a patio in the back for smokers and three funky bathrooms to pick from. My friends liked Marilyn. You'll have to see this for yourself. Choose wisely.
Everyone in the joint is uniquely gorgeous - some Weezer wannabes, knee-high socks with combat heels, thick rimmed glasses, gay men in expensive sweaters, goth, tattoo and piercing lovers, and me in my En Vogue Free your Mind black jacket and the red Jessica Rabbit stiletto heels. Yum.
The drinks at Tempest are wonderful. Four words: Fresh squeezed orange juice.
Our group had such a good time laughing and socializing in this dimly lit trove that each of them vowed to become a regular. As their tour guide, I was naturally of the same conviction.
Next we rolled a block down to the Monsoon Room.
Talk about smooth.
The Monsoon Room is an intimate place in size, but its character makes it seem larger than life. There's often a DJ spinning beats, and on our momentous visit, my homeboy Jason Diamond was mixing reggae.
The Monsoon Room was kind enough to let us take over the aisle and dance. Holy s@#%, that was fun, and I've been told that it was great entertainment. I probably should've paid more attention to the drink menu so I could tell you about it (I was just having Stella), but we couldn't stop dancing.
South Sounders, you need to break out of the ordinary and check out the Hilltop hay day for yourself. This area of Tacoma is rapidly changing, and if you blink, you might miss something.
My friends were so impressed with how fun it was; I bet you will be too.
A successful sting operation and a swerve.
Jungle love.

Tempest Lounge, 913 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma, (253) 272-4904
The Monsoon Room, 1022 S. J St., Tacoma, (253) 722-5075

Tell me where you like to party at Scene of the Crime.