If you’re in one of those holiday shopping frenzies but are out of Valium and therefore can’t possibly walk into a mall, you’re in luck. Third Thursday Art Walk, Night on the Town and Art in the Alley grace downtown Tacoma tonight 5 to 9 p.m.  It’s a great place to shop and a great way to support local artists.  Kulture Lab serves wine, beer and Ding Dongs.

Art in the Alley is centered around the event room at Ruby Collection, a variety of artists’ creations will be on sale for that last-minute shopping rush. Ellen Miffitt will have collages and silk fiber art. Erika Ray will show and sell embellished hats. Amy Reeves will tempt with sterling silver jewelry. Mark Sigafoos will show off his glass creations, and Cheryl Williams Dolan will present her acrylic paintings.

And there are a few bars downtown too. Be there. â€" Suzy Stump and Jessica Corey-Butler

Photo: Diane Hansen opens her Suite B Studio behind the Black Water Café, 747 Fawcett Ave., tonight during Third Thursday Art Walk, 5-8 p.m.

Trib food critic Ed Murrieta kicked off a dialog on where to eat Christmas Eve on his blog.  Puget Sound Pizza and Pacific Grill gave Christmas Eve shout outs.  Several dream of dim sum.

Here is what the Weekly Volcano discovered open Sunday. 

Cheers! â€" Suzy Stump

Monsoon Room, Hilltop Tacoma, 253.722.5075
Open Dec. 24 and 25 at 8 p.m.
DJ Broam and new holiday cocktail Dec. 24.  "Holidays on Ice" by Jason Ganwich, The Moo Roo Trio and DJ Alspinski Dec. 25

Black Angus, Lakewood, 253.582.6900
Open until 9:30 p.m.
Reserv. Accepted

Olive Garden, Tacoma, 253.475.1771
Open until 8 p.m.
No Reserv.

Keg, Puyallup, 253.845.5400
Open until 11 p.m.
Reserv. Accepted

Stanley & Seaforts, Tacoma, 253.473.7300
Open until 8:30 p.m.
Reserv. for parties of 4 or less

Famous Dave's, 72nd St., Tacoma, 253.722.0500
Open until 6:30 p.m.

C.I. Shenanigan's, Tacoma, 253.752.8811
Buffet only until 6:45 p.m.
X-Mas Day - Buffet only from 11:00 a.m. - 6:45 p.m.

Anthony's at Point Defiance Park, Tacoma, 253.752.9700
Open until 7:30 PM
Reserv. for 6+

Lobster Shop, Tacoma, 253.759.2165
Open until 8 p.m.
Reserv. w/CC#

Outback Steakhouse, Tacoma, 253.473.3669
Open until 9 p.m.
Reserv. accepted

11 Day of Cookies: Day Eight

Large but delightfully lovely was my true love's eighth-day gift from Corina Bakery.  I shared, because the magic cookie bar was a formidable opponent. "Magic and love" held that cookie together, according to baker Casey Coen; the cookie started with a graham cracker crust and then heaped chocolate chips, pecans, coconut, and a drizzling of sweetened condensed milk to hold it together (lest love and magic fail). â€" Jessica Corey-Butler

James (JT) and Elsie Turner, owners of JT's Original Louisiana Bar-B-Que in Tacoma, have flown the coup.

Calm down.  They’re spending the holidays on the East Coast closing their popular Sixth Avenue barbecue joint through Dec. 29. 

JT’s?  You don’t know JT’s? 

Located at the far end of Sixth Avenue, this joint is small, comfortable and minimally decorated.  The popular dining room offers House Specialties with choice of two sides. Moist cornbread, lightly coated with butter, soaked up runaway juice from The ‘Porker’ platter. The mildly spiced baked beans with minced bacon and homemade coleslaw act as a palate cleanser between bites of catfish rolled in cornbread crumbs and then deep-fried and juicy pork. Sprinkled liberally with hot sauce and a squeeze of lemon juice, the catfish tenders are delightfully light and flaky. Save room for the creamy sweet potato pie.

Sorry, that was mean. Try to hold out until Dec. 30.  It's worth the wait. â€" Jake de Paul

Always a little hipper than she lets on (how many KEXP regulars have had a song on “Alias”?), Dar Williams knows when to pick your brain with insightful lyrics and when to strum on your heartstrings. Check her out Feb. 1 when she graces the Rialto Theater in downtown Tacoma.

Tickets are $29.50 and on sale Tuesday, Jan. 2, 11:30 a.m., at the Broadway Center’s Box Office or by phone at 253.591.5894. â€" Suzy Stump 

Don't mean to throw coal into your stocking, but the owners of the Blue Olive Ultra Lounge will shut down the restaurant/lounge after the last drink is served Saturday, Dec. 23.  Now where will I grab a Manhattan after cruising through the Museum of Glass? â€" Jake de Paul

11 Days of Cookies:  Blackwater Cafe

On the ninth day, my true love went spicy-sweet, with a molasses cookie from the Essential Baking Company, via the Black Water Café. This cookie was exactly as it should have been and, eaten with jasmine tea, proved to be an inspired gift. â€" Jessica Corey-Butler

The “holiday” famously fabricated on "Seinfeld" years ago finally distilled into Tacoma. Festivus involves a simple aluminum pole in place of a Christmas tree or Menorah, various “feats of strength,” Festivus Beer, mucho partying and a laissez-faire attitude toward gift-giving: “People have the right to purchase things if they want to,” writes "Seinfeld" costar Jerry Stiller in the foreword. “All I’m saying is if you celebrate Festivus, you may live a little longer.”

Exit133 discovered an aluminum pole in downtown Tacoma and applied impressive investigative work uncovering the details. â€" Brad Allen

Marty Campbell is a smart, smart man.  He knows altruism is cool, and he knows that he can create a community of altruistic people through greed.  To wit: he’s set up a canned food drive where Tacomans bring in cans of food which will be donated to St Leo’s Church and receive chances to win a 20 gig PlayStation 3, which may be pretty hard to buy this time of year.  For each can donated at either Stadium Video or Buzzard's CDs and Videos names are entered for multiple chances to win multiple prizes.

The official drawing will be held at Buzzard's tonight at 8 p.m. â€" Jessica Corey-Butler

Decorate, shop, wrap, bake, repeat.

Happy holidays everyone! â€" Suzy Stump