MATT DRISCOLL: CRAZY STUFF IS HAPPENING >>>

RR Anderson just clued me in to the fact that Dave Wickert over at the Trib has posted a link to - and an excerpt from - my cover story this week on the new Pierce County budget.

Needless to say I'm shocked and honored.

Check it out.

RON SWARNER: HAVING A COUPLE DRINKS AT THE CROWN BAR >>>

My plan for dinner was a quick in and out at The Crown Bar. Grab my typical zihua mushroom quesadilla with Serrano tomato salsa and bartender Dino’s drink of the day then call it good. A solid outing every time.

The quesadilla’s earthy goodness drew a smile as always. Dino’s Refresher â€" Tanqueray Rangpur Gin, Cointreau, ruby red grapefruit juice and soda water â€" was, well refreshing. Keep it on the list, Dino.

Then something went pleasantly awry. Favorite server Chelsea placed six colorful drinks in front of me.

“Dino wants your opinion on these,” she said with a smile.

Snug.

After tasting and re-tasting each drink (and re-tasting again), I rank the Metaxa Sidecar, Basil Gin Gimlet, Grape Nehi, Pink Lady with Rangpur Gin, Blood Orange Vodka concoction and a Sunset with Belvedere Vodka in descending order of goodness.

The Metaxa Sidecar is rumored to have been Hemingway’s favorite cocktail, but so are 10 to 30 other drinks, depending on what part of the world you find yourself. Good old Ernest was also a big fan of absinthe. Anybody who likes greenish blue hallucination inducing junk is cool in my book. (Yes, I’m glorifying alcohol as an avenue to being cool. So sue me.)

The Crown’s Sidecar features Metaxa Greek brandy, orange flavored Cointreau and a splash of sweet and sour with muddled Meyer lemons to create what could be an incredible base for a devastating margarita if you wanted to take it that far, but it also does just fine as is. Real fine.

By the way, four separate groups of mid-30-year-old MILFs came and went, each delivering scathing glances at the seven drinks followed by hushed one-liners and roars of laughter.

Nice.

[The Crown Bar, 2705 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.4177]

NATASHA GORBACHEV: SAD NEWS >>>

I'm incredibly sad to offer you readers the following news that I just received:

The Seven Muses gallery of contemporary craft will be closing its doors on May 31.

Dear Tacoma: Let's send Seven Muses off in fine fashion by frequenting their space until May 31.  Seven Muses is and always has been such an amazing downtown amenity that helped make Broadway so cool, and I'm very bummed to see it go.

LINK: Natasha has happy news, too.

MICHAEL SWAN: ON THE BIG SCREENS TOMORROW >>>

LAND OF THE LOST: Jesse Eisenberg is a junior intellectual with a minimum-wage summer job in Greg Mottola's Adventureland.

Opening tomorrow: Adventureland, Fast & Furious, Moscow, Belgium and Sunshine Cleaning
Discover what they hell these films are about and when they screen here.

NEWS TEAM: GOOD MORNING SOUTH SOUND >>>

Sen. Dale Brandland, R-Bellingham, wants his insurance lower … ya know, for all state employees.

University Place cancels golf tournament at Chambers Bay Golf Course due to, ya know, the economy.

We're ready for this to come down: U.S. jobless rate hits 8.5 percent as more than 600,000 jobs are lost in March.

Does this mean we can call them french fries again?

Unlucky Star: Madonna’s attempt to adopt a second child from the African nation of Malawi blocked by court.

Pepa of Salt N Pepa pitches a reality show. We weep for the future.

Hey Google! Over here!

Hey Google! Never mind.

NEWS TEAM: WANKERS OF THE DAY >>>

Clifford “Not The Bomb” Colon

Guv. Blago

Don “Not Falling” Walling

Nebraska neighborhood

JAKE DE PAUL: FRIDAY FOOD LINKS >>>

Minoela to open in former One Heart Cafe location at the Merlino Arts Center.

Pacific Grill’s Events Center makes Trib.

River of coffee?

In classier circles, this drink is referred to as a Bearded Clam. Thirsty yet? Didn’t think so.

Today’s South Sound Specials

Fridays Uncorked featuring wineries from Puget Sound, 5-7:30 p.m., $12, Bayview School of Cooking, 516 Fourth Ave. W., Olympia, 360.754.1448.

Wine tasting, 6-8 p.m., $7.50-$10, WineStyles Wine & Gifts, 2665 N. Pearl St., Tacoma, 253.756.1922.

Future Things Are Coming

Primo Grill hosts an Easter brunch Sunday, April 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Smoked salmon eggs Benedicts, grilled beef tenderloin, Dungeness crab frittatas, wood roasted halibut are a few treats on the Easter menu.

Beer Wars screens April 16 at Century Theatres in Federal Way and the Regal Stadium 17 at the Auburn SuperMall. Check it:

LINK: South Sound happy hours

TAMMY ROBACKER: SOUL OF THE CITY >>>

There’s no denying the soul of Tacoma is truly poetic. How many other surrounding cities can brag up the fact that they offer ambitious local poets an annual opportunity to earn a citywide poet laureateship title to share their craft and passion with the public?

That’s the dedicated spirit I’m talking about.

Urban Grace’s Soul of the City 2nd annual call for Poet Laureate of Tacoma is well underway. The deadline for local poetry applicants was Friday, March 27.  I imagine the judges are going through applicant packets to officiously determine who will be designated Urban Grace Poet Laureate of Tacoma for 2009-2010. Current Urban Grace Poet Laureate, William Kupinse, will be hosting an event Thursday, April 30 with poet Hans Ostrom at the University of Puget Sound to announce the winner of this year’s competition.

Stay tuned for more information on this celebration as it becomes available.

Urban Grace’s current pastor, Tad Monroe, is also a lover of poetry and a writer. I have had the great opportunity to hear him read his own work while attending some of last year’s Soul of the City poetry events. He makes his home in Tacoma and his business the activity of loving the soul of his city. Born in Montana but raised in Yakima, Monroe has spent the last 16 years in Tacoma. A graduate of Pacific Lutheran University in 1997, Fuller Theological Seminary in 2003, Monroe admits the first poem he fell in love with was the Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot. Here is a free-verse poem he penned and shared so generously with us:

That’s it for today. I'll bring you more poetry ditties Monday.

Poem-A-Tacoma is sponsored by Embellish Multispace Salon in downtown Tacoma.

TAMMY ROBACKER is a poet and writer living, breathing, typing and spitting words in Tacoma. She owns a freelance writing and marketing communications company called Pearle Publications. Her poetry has appeared in Plazm, Women's Work, The Wild Goose Poetry Review, and the Allegheny Review. A recent recipient of the 2009/10 TAIP grant, she will be publishing her first book of poetry, The Vicissitudes, through the generous support of this funding made possible by the City of Tacoma and the Tacoma Arts Commission.

MICHAEL SWAN: TODAY IS THE DAY >>>

Friday, April 3
12 noon to 1 p.m.
Larry Frost Memorial Park
Downtown Tacoma

LINK: More information here