RON SWARNER: PLUS THIS WEEK'S WEEKLY VOLCANO DISH SECTION >>>

This time of year is pure murder in the restaurant industry. Summer menus have grown stale, and business is glacial when there's any at all. Then add this year’s special treat â€" poor economy.

Restauranteurs are frantically poring over their paperwork, trying to figure out how to keep the lights before the first Thanksgiving and Christmas parties go on the books. And the chefs are just hanging out: the rookies complaining about the short nights, the slow services, amusing themselves with the cooking wine and waitresses, the veterans knowing all too well that this is a time for resting, for pacing themselves and conserving energy for the push that will come as soon as the temperatures start dipping below broil.

Pour at Four wine bar in Tacoma Proctor District knows this and has announced its fall menu will hit their tables Wednesday, Oct. 22. Owners Susan and Mark Merrill will add 20 new menu items and 50 new wines.

Wow.

To lazy and poor to try all the new additions, I asked Mark what his favorites are on his new menu.

“We excited with the new fall menu,” explains Merrill. “We feel that it has a great ‘Fall Feel’ as well as fits our small plate format and wine pairings.”

Here are the highlights he mention:

“And we never put a ‘bad’ wine on the menu,” add Merrill.

Of course.

[Pour at Four, 3814 N. 26th St., Tacoma, 253.761.8015]

This week’s Weekly Volcano Dish section

Steve Dunkelberger discusses Halloween beers.

Jake and Jason de Paul review Top of Tacoma Bar and Café.

Sandee Glib can’t wait for the grocery store wine tastings.

And Tacoma Art Museum Third Thursday Happy Hour menu, wine tastings and more in Bite Us.

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide