JOHN SIMPSON: I LOVE THE SMELL OF ESPRESSO >>>

As a judge watches closely, Matt Longoria tamps his coffee during the Northwest Regional Barista Competition this weekend at the Temple Theater. There were 23 contestants in the three-day competition, which was sponsored by the Speciality Coffee Association of America and hosted by Dillanos Coffee Roasters. 

Jordan Barber pours his specialty drink during the Northwest Regional Barista Competition.  Twenty three baristas from the Pacific Northwest participated in the competition. Each barista had 15 minutes to make 12 drinks for four judges while three other judges watched.

By hosting the  Northwest Regional Barista Competition, Tacoma hopes to further establish itself as a coffee community.

LINK: Northwest Regional Barista Competition cover story

MICHAEL SWAN: THE WEEK THAT WAS JAN. 5-11, TWITTER STYLE >>>

Olympia Mayor Doug Mah urged the Olympia City Council to stop emailing each other during council meetings. … Weyerhaeuser's board of directors elected Charles Williamson, 60, to become non-executive chairman. … Former sheriff candidate Robert "The Traveller" Hill went to jail for displaying a weapon, fourth-degree assault, failing to appear in court for driving without a valid license and disrupting a Tacoma City Council meeting.  … The body of a baby boy was found by authorities combing through 60 tons of trash at a dump site near Tacoma, and a teenager believed to be the mother was held on $500,000 bail. … Brett M. Smith, 25, of Puyallup, the mastermind behind a $2.4 million embezzle scheme aimed at Manke Lumber Company pleaded guilty to Mail fraud. … Tacoma firefighters will receive a 6.2 percent. … The Tacoma City Council raised utilities by 5.4 percent. … The Lakewood City Council, by a 5-2 vote, adopted a six-month moratorium on building or expanding minicasinos. … Katie Blinn of University Place, J. Richard McEntee of University Place, and former state Rep. Jan Shabro of Lake Tapps were selected finalists Wednesday for the Pierce County auditor’s job. … More than 40,000 Pierce County residents were urged to get the hell out of their area when the weather went freakin’ nuts on our asses. … Boeing expects to trim its Puget Sound commercial airplane division payroll by 4,500 workers this year, but Boeing's largest unions are wondering why such cutbacks are necessary. … Plenty restaurant in downtown Olympia closed due to economy woes. … The News Tribune reported this morning that supporters of outgoing Judge Sergio Armijo allege that Pierce County Superior Court judge-elect Michael Hecht picks up male prostitutes near Tacoma’s Antique Row, including one that Hecht recently threatened to kill. State prosecutors will review allegations.

LINK: Weekly Volcano Mudroom

KRISTA CURRY: THIRD STOP, BROADWAY >>>

A couple comes into Orange on Broadway, the female half looking for a dress. She's not in there five minutes before she pulls a short, hot pink, spaghetti-strap leopard-print dress from the rack. $15, Guess brand. Owner Laurel Lawson agrees to hold it for her.

But don't be downhearted, dear bargain shoppers. Orange is chock-full of great finds like that hot pink leopard-print dress. Lawson shows me a beautiful vintage (1950s? 1960s?) white and yellow formal dress. "It's $30," she says apologetically, as if $30 is expensive for a vintage dress in that condition. Most of her dresses are about $15, some less, a few more. Only the coats were that much â€" a red leather-studded jacket that I would have died for when I went through my Michael Jackson phase is $15, and an absolutely unique green jacket with a boxy shape is $16. The tag reads, "Specially made for the Ryukyuan Gift Shop." I don't know what Ryukyuan is. But it's a pretty cool jacket.

Other items included a pair of Banana Republic wide-legged black slacks, size 8, for $8. Men's pants go for about $2.00, though a pair of pinstripe slacks, Kenneth Cole brand, are $10.

Lawson explains that she appeals "not just to the student hipsters, but anyone who wants to dress eclectic, to people who have a sense of style." It's one more store that I'm having a huge problem with walking out of empty-handed, and I might be going back for a particular item. And since all is fair in love and war, and clothes are certainly love and bargain shopping is certainly war, I'm not telling you what it is.

[Orange on Broadway, 739 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.970.7080, www.myspace.com/orangeonbroadway]

Bargain Guide Feb. 5

ANNOUNCER: Krista’s post on Orange is the third of many second-hand store reports she’ll be dropping on Spew in preparation for the Weekly Volcano’s Bargain Guide issue Feb. 5, 2009. The South Puget Sound is full of free and ridiculously cheap stuff â€" you just need to know where to look. Leave it to The Weekly Volcano to uncover all the ins and outs and exclusive bargains to be had.

To advertise in the section, call 253.584.1212 or email us at advertising@weeklyvolcano.com.

LINK: Previous bargains

NATASHA GORBACHEV: THIS JUST IN! >>>

Two local teens from Marysville will be featured on an upcoming episode of MTV's MADE - a show where dreams come true for today's youth. With the help of accomplished subject-matter experts and often celebrities, MADE turns tomboys into beauty pageant queens or jocks into figure skaters.

So, why should you give a rip about the two Marysville gals that will be featured on this show?

The episode will include Tacoma's very own Masa.

MTV was scouting the area, and they asked their confidants here about where they could find a cool restaurant with food that wasn't too terribly expensive. Whoever referred MTV to Tacoma and Masa, THANK YOU!

The filming took place this weekend, and included plenty of food and shots of the girls having fun - not to mention the front of the building. You can also expect to see some of the Masa servers that we all know and love.

MTV would kill me if I spilled the beans on what these girls are being "MADE" into, so instead I'll just say that you should keep an eye out for this episode that will be appearing in March. Very cool.

Until then, Masa has a big week ahead with events that you won't want to miss.

Wednesday: Captain Morgan's college night. The best gal and guy pirates will win prizes.

Thursday: Live music for a winter break and deejay sessions and crew will bust out the classics.

Friday: DJ Girl 6 from Las Vegas will be spinning (arrive early!).

Saturday: Masa Video Lounge upstairs with DJ Niros and crew spinning videos and tunes.

[Masa, 2811 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.254.0560]

LINK: MTV's MADE

STEPH DEROSA: CHOP CHOP SALAD >>>

Rating: Three out of four croutons

It was a hard decision at Joeseppi’s Italian Ristorante this past week as I scanned my salad options that lay before me on the menu. After immediately omitting the standard house, spinach and Caesar salad options, I was left with two very good and very different options. One was a salad, which included pineapple, gorgonzola cheese, and no meat with a price tag of $11.99. My other option was the typical chop chop salad most Italian restaurants are known for carrying on their menu. With two different meats and a cost of $12.99, it sounded as though I was getting more bang for the buck, so chop chop salad it was.

Description: Containing mainly greens from the Romaine lettuce family, each leaf was crisp and fresh leaving me with no complaints on the salad bed. Tossed evenly and thoroughly, strips of salami and pepperoni were plentiful and consistent in each and every bite. Mixed into this Italian array of preserved meat were tomatoes, garbanzo beans, bacon, eggs, and not just one but two (Yes, two!) kinds of cheeses. Joeseppi’s chop chop salad carried both mozzarella and gorgonzola cheeses in its entirety. Oh, c’mon, you knew it had to have mozzarella. What stereotypical Italian meal isn’t complete without mozzarella?

Taste: All of the aforementioned ingredients were delicately tossed in Joeseppi’s special house dressing made from a marriage between an Italian dressing and a cream gorgonzola dressing. This tart yet sweet and creamy European combination does nothing to overwhelm it’s little meaty friends, bacon, salami, and pepperoni. Thank goodness for that. Overpowering cured meat should be a crime suitable for corporal punishment.

Conclusion: The salad is pretty big, but of course I had no problem finishing it. It was delicious. My remarkably congenial server, Mr. J. Michael (son of Tacoma art gallery Seven Muses owner, Tom Michael) offered repeatedly to take the partially unfinished salad out of my way, but I refused. I think he underestimated my big-salad eating abilities, especially one this tastefully comforting. Joeseppi’s chop chop salad is undeniably an Italian meal within itself.

Dressing on the side
Speaking of overpowering and well-preserved Italian items, my lovely in-laws recently returned from their regular vacation destination of Phoenix, Ariz. Actually, my father-in-law had to make an unfortunate early return due to basement flooding issues last week, but on a fortunate note (for us) he returned bearing a sunny gift of citrus fruits. In my long, fruit-loving life I have never tasted an orange as sweet and firm as the one I had from the Messina’s house in Phoenix.

Apparently they were in rich abundance and literally overflowing on local trees, so much so that residents couldn’t keep up with production! Here’s where the question begs: Why can’t we buy this amazingly scrumptious citrus treat here in Washington? Because we get them from Florida? Heck, we even buy them from foreign countries! Why not Phoenix? Why in the hell do we have to go far for oranges? Wouldn’t it be cheaper and better to get them from Arizona? I know it’s just oranges and lemons I’m talking about, but I promise you, you’ve never tasted anything like a citrus fruit from Arizona. They grow so easily and plentiful there, why not make it happen? E-gads, these arguments sound eerily familiar … (oil, anyone?)

[Joeseppi’s Italian Ristorante, 2207 N. Pearl St., Tacoma, 253.761.5555]

LINK: Joeseppi’s provolone sticks

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide