MICHAEL SWAN: ONE CITY. 30 DAYS. WHAT WILL YOU DO? >>>
 
Art at Work Month: Monday, Nov. 16

November 2009 marks the eighth anniversary of Art at Work: Tacoma Arts Month. There is something for everyone to enjoy throughout the month: lectures, music, dance performances, readings, workshops, theater performances, visual art exhibits and more.

Here are today’s highlights:

Amy Reeves leads an enameled jewelry workshop from 6-9 p.m. at the Tacoma School of the Arts at 1950 Pacific Ave. The cost is $30 plus $10 for materials.

MLKBallet hosts a free Open Adult Ballet class at 7:15 p.m. inside the Urban Grace Church at 902 Market St. in Tacoma.

Manitou Art Center offers a Holiday Glass Works class at 6:30 p.m.

There are many more events today. For a complete Art at Work schedule, click here.

JENNIFER JOHNSON: HECKLE AND JECKLE’S CHICKEN SHACK >>>

Sister to the original Bremerton location, Heckle and Jeckle’s Chicken Shack opened Oct. 1 inside the Caballeros Club, which anchors a dead end Tacoma Hilltop street. Heckle and Jeckle’s, a soul food restaurant, is open even when the nightclub isn't pulsating music.

Heckle and Jeckle’s menu swells with Southern cookin’ favorites such as hickory smoked barbeque ribs, brisket, seasoned pork chops, snapper, catfish and prawns, cornbread, collard greens, red beans and rice and macaroni and cheese. Most are made from scratch â€" like Sunday dinner at mama’s house.

Guilty pleasures include tangy sweet and tart blackberry lemonade topped with whipped cream made by co-owner Tonita “LuLu” Naylor. Along with her sister Nanette Lewis they cook up a storm, and are quietly gaining a loyal customer base thanks to quality ingredients and creative recipes.

Check out LuLu’s sweet potato puffs and her hot lick on a stick â€" similar to a corn dog it’s a spicy sausage hand dipped and deep-fried.

Heckle and Jeckle’s is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, until 2 a.m. Friday and 9 p.m. Saturday.

[Heckle and Jeckle’s Chicken Shack, 1516 S. 28th St., Tacoma 253.573.1778]

MICHAEL SWAN: TODAY’S HAPPY HOUR DISCUSSION TOPIC >>>

Discuss the above video over happy hour at:

Doyle’s Public House
208 Saint Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.7468
Happy Hour: 4-6 p.m. Monday-Friday
Food Specials: $4 menu, includes bacon & bleu potatoes, pork sliders, olive tapenade with naan bread, chicken skewers with curried honey mustard sauce, shrimp & tomatillo quesadilla, garlic & sage marinated antipasto

Doyle’s offers free samples of its happy hour menu all week. Today, they offer free samples of the olive tapenade with naan bread. The rest of the free sample schedule: garlic sage Tuesday, pork sliders Wednesday, bacon & bleu potatoes Thursday and chicken skewers Friday.

LINK: More South Sound happy hours

MICHAEL SWAN: NEW LUNCH IN TACOMA >>>

As we reported last week The New Frontier Lounge jumped into the daytime game with new a lunch menu, which begins weekdays at 11 a.m.

I snagged their lunch menu. It’s a reasonably priced lunch as you can see after the jump below (we left their creative touches alone).  The New Frontier is also running a two for one coupon in the print version of the Volcano.

I highly recommend the chicken pesto sandwich. It has wonderful flavors.

RON SWARNER: PULL OUT YOUR CALENDAR >>>

Here are two events happening down the road at the Mandolin Café:

1. The Mandolin Café will host “Remembering Phil Wood, His Music, His Life,” a spoken word and musical tribute to the beloved Tacoma musician lost his life to cancer a year ago. The tribute will be held Sunday, Nov. 29 from 3-6 p.m., which would naturally flow into the Mandolin’s 6-9 p.m. Open Mic.
2. Steve Stefanowicz, the human jukebox, will perform Saturday, Dec. 5, from noon to 8 p.m. â€" at least eight hours â€" to help raise money for St. Leo’s Food Connection. Stefanowicz says he’ll go longer than eight hours if people keep bring in non-perishable food for the Food Connection.

MICHAEL SWAN: YOU'VE BEEN WARNED >>>

Use of red light cameras - which advocates say promotes safety, but is really just another way of shaking down motorists for money - will grow in Tacoma tonight after the clock ticks past midnight.

The Tacoma Police Department sent us this warning:

The City of Tacoma's two new speed cameras are scheduled to go live at 12:01 A.M. on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009.  One of the cameras has been placed along the Bay Street curve (2900 E Bay St) in an area difficult to enforce by traditional means and with an above average number of accidents each year.  The second camera has been installed near the intersection of 26th and North Orchard Street in Tacoma's north end.  This is near Downing Elementary School and the camera will be used to assist with school zone enforcement when children are present.
 
After the cameras go live the first two weeks will be a warning period.  Owners of the offending vehicle will receive a letter in the mail but no fine.  Beginning December 2nd, 2009 owners of offending vehicles will receive a letter in the mail and a citation for $101.  The speeding citation will be treated the same as a parking ticket, just as the red light camera tickets have been.  These tickets do not go on your driving record.

MICHAEL SWAN: TUESDAY, NOV. 17, 2009 >>>

1. The Banned Book Club discusses Give a Boy a Gun by Todd Strasser over drinks at the Tempest Lounge on Hilltop Tacoma beginning at 7 p.m.

2. The Port of Tacoma is hosting the last bus tour of the port area for this year at 10:30 a.m.

3. The Hub’s Trivia Night featuring cash prizes begins at 6 p.m.

4. Theatre Northwest invites the public to hug them during its on-stage “social” from 6-8 p.m. at Theatre on the Square. 

5. Parley, Pity, Mourn The Dead, King Of Tyrus, Ridgeway perform inside the all-ages Viaduct at 7 p.m.

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: Local movie starting times

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

JAKE DE PAUL: FOOD MATTERS >>>

Cheap Pints: Northern Pacific Coffee Company offers $2.50 pints every Tuesday and Saturday. Grab one at 401 Garfield St. S. in the Parkland neighborhood by Pacific Lutheran University.

Cutters Cares: Downtown Tacoma Cutters Point coffee house is so excited that one of its favorite baristas, Katelyn, is back that it will offer a dollar off its 16 ounce or larger PB & J lattes through Sunday. Try one at 1936 Pacific Ave.

Free Lunch: Today Jamba Juice will be offering its new California Flatbreads at their flattest price ever â€" free.  Starting at 2 p.m., the first 150 customers can dig in to these puppies without even opening their wallets. Find the nearest Jamba Juice here.

Plan Ahead: Minoela Wine House will host a Sokol Blosser Winery wine tasting Thursday, Nov. 19 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. for $5.

Food For Thought: Can canned foods cause sex problems?

LINK: Weekly Volcano’s Eat & Drink section

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

LINK: South Sound Happy Hours

LINK: Wine and beer tastings

MICHAEL SWAN: ONE CITY. 30 DAYS. WHAT WILL YOU DO? >>>
 
Art at Work Month: Tuesday, Nov. 17

November 2009 marks the eighth anniversary of Art at Work: Tacoma Arts Month. There is something for everyone to enjoy throughout the month: lectures, music, dance performances, readings, workshops, theater performances, visual art exhibits and more.

Here are today’s highlights:

The Rainier League of Arts Monthly Meeting goes down at 7 p.m. inside the Pierce County Library Processing & Administration Building.

The Percussion and Steel Pan Ensembles pick up the beat at 8 p.m. inside the Mary Baker Russell Music Center at PLU.

There are many more events today. For a complete Art at Work schedule, click here.

SUZY STUMP: NO COVER AT THE DOOR >>>

With fall upon us and Turkey Day fast approaching, I've started to think of some of my favorite, festive holiday treats. Candy canes? Sure. Pumpkin pie? Love it. Pecan pie? Yum. Truffles? Bingo!

The queen of South Sound truffles Gay Landry has created three new truffles in her Affairs Chocolate & Desserts laboratory in University Place: Bourbon Spice, Cabernet and Tiramisu. Hmmm, these seem to fall under the same theme.

Landry will unveil the new truffles in a party setting Saturday, Nov. 21 from 3:30-5 p.m. She’ll have her famous hot chocolate on hand just in case you need more chocolate after sampling the truffles.

[Affairs Chocolate & Desserts, Saturday, Nov. 21, 3:30-5 p.m., no cover, 2811 Bridgeport Way W., University Place, 253.565.8604]

LINK: Previously in the Weekly Volcano

Photo courtesy of Affairs Chcoclate & Desserts