RON SWARNER: K.Z.OH.K.>>>

KZOK 102.5FM DJ Bob Rivers and his morning crew will release their own wine, which will be produced by Barrage Cellars in Woodinville.

Tomorrow morning during the 9 o’clock hour, the radio show will host five or six volunteers for a blind tasting of several bottles of wine, including River’s concoction, to judge how their wine is progressing.

Scheduled to appear tomorrow: Tacoman Kris Blondin, beverage distributor and former owner of Vin Grotto Café and Wine Bar.

“I heard about the show having their own wine label produced and that they were looking for people to test taste it,” explains Blondin. “So I e-mailed them with my qualifications and they called the next day. They were looking for industry professionals and consumers, which I am both.”

Tune in tomorrow and listen to the taste.

MICHAEL SWAN: IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE ... >>>

Sunday I noticed the wood fencing for the annual Christmas tree lot next to Walmart on Sixth Avenue. This morning the Gig Harbor Visitor Information Center sent its first round of holiday events notices. Just a few minutes ago this popped in our e-mail.

Ready or not. ...

MICHAEL SWAN: TUESDAY, NOV. 3, 2009 >>>

1. Vote.

2. Mirka Hokkanen will teach Printmaking in the Sun, a four-week introductory class to printmaking with photopolymer plates from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. inside the F.S. Harmon Building at 2926 S. Steele St. For details e-mail Mirka.

3. The Garfield Book Company Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book Club will meet at 7 p.m. to discuss The Time Machine by H.G. Wells.


4. Jazzbones hosts Ha Ha Tuesdays, hosted by Ralph Porter, with guest comic D Lamont Hall at 8 p.m.

5. Saxophonist Kareem Kandi hosts a jazz open mic at 9 p.m. inside Sax on 6th.

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: Local movie starting times

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

RON SWARNER: FOOD MATTERS >>>

US Too Fundraiser: Joeseppi’s Italian Restaurant in Tacoma will donate 25 percent of its profits during its 4-8 p.m. dinner hour tonight to fight prostate cancer.

Half-price Wine: Tentwentytwo South and Maxwell’s Speakeasy offer discounted bottles of wine tonight.

Tightwad Tuesdays: It’s about $2 tacos, $2 beers, and $2 wells at Hell’s Kitchen tonight.

Plan Ahead: Classically-trained French Chef Thierry Liot teaches French Holiday Cuisine Tuesday, Nov. 24 at 6 p.m. inside the Bayview School of Cooking in Olympia. The class costs $45. Reserve your spot at 360.754.1448.

Food For Thought: What your taste in beer says about you.

LINK: Weekly Volcano’s Eat & Drink section

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

LINK: South Sound Happy Hours

LINK: Wine and beer tastings

ART: ONE CITY. 30 DAYS. WHAT WILL YOU DO? >>>

My name is Art. I'm the Weekly Volcano's janitor. Throughout November I will take time off from picking up after these slobs to post a daily review of a piece of art hanging inside a South Sound workplace. The Volcano thinks it's a clever take on the city's Art at Work: Tacoma Arts Month celebration as my name is Art and I work for a living â€" unlike the jokers I pick up after. It's a crap idea but I need the extra dough.

The Volcano sent me and photographer J.M. Simpson to the Lakewood home office of minister Ron Kearns who has played Santa for the last seven years. The minister of the New Hope Community Church and a former chaplain to the Steilacoom Department of Public Safety, Kearns’ white hair and beard, ample girth, twinkling blue eyes and hearty laugh personify the character of Santa.

SANTA CLAUS:  The painting of Santa Claus in Kearns home reminds me of the Santa images by artist Haddon Sundblom who drew advertising images of Santa and Coke beginning in the early ‘30s. Can't say for certain. Haven't been into Santa Claus since that crap Who Moved My Cheese? paperback he gave me back in the 90s.

Below are the Volcano’s Art at Work picks for the day:
 
Art at Work Month: Tuesday, Nov. 3

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:

Dr. Priti Joshi from the University of Puget Sound will discuss British Classics in the Franke Tobey Jones' parlor at 3 p.m.

You know it. You love it. The Victory Music Open Mic hits the Antique Sandwich Company's stage at 7 p.m. just as it has every Tuesday since Peter Puget sailed past Point Defiance Park.

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

JAKE DE PAUL: THE MUELLERS HAVE A NEW FALL BREAKFAST MENU >>>

The cold autumn air brings in the eating season. It�s that time of year when massive quantities of food are consumed with abandon.

However, thatââ?¬â?¢s not how Chef William Mueller and his wife, Shannon, view the fall season. Instead of mass quantities, they incorporate the autumn bounties into works of art as depicted in their new breakfast menu at their Babblinââ?¬â?¢ Babs Bistro in Tacomaââ?¬â?¢s Proctor District. 

ââ?¬Å?I will serve food that makes you smile, flavors that can surprise you and make you feel good,ââ?¬Â? explains Chef Mueller. ââ?¬Å?Nothing like a good jaw dropping, show stopping early morning delight to get your day off to a great start especially with blood orange mimosas (with or without chocolate). Who wants just eggs and bacon? Not here.ââ?¬Â?

Stacks of pancakes, giant waffles the size of your head, omelets you can ride don�t exist on Babblin� Babs Bistro's new breakfast menu. Here are a few highlights served at the Mueller�s breakfast tables:

Under the Sea Se�±or
This vessel starts with a corn "masa" boat sailing in a sea of drunken black beans filled with the jewels of the sea: lobster, sole, and shrimp in a creamy avocado sauce with hearts of artichokes and a ray of petite asparagus tips.
 
Coral's Chicken Raspberry Chipotle Crepes
Sweet, natural, spicy, and decadent dance on the plate. Their natural roast chicken marinated in a raspberry, sage, garlic, and chipotle pepper sauce all wrapped into a French style crepe. Then a Brie sauce with chardonnay and garlic is melted and gently laced over the top, with sweet southern potato hash, and fruit.

Gingerly Pear Oatmeal Brul�©e
Hearty steel cut oatmeal layered with Bartlett pears, candied, ginger, spices, and topped with sweet vanilla pan custard and a sweet layer of brown sugar and torched to crisp.

Caramel Apple Stuffed French Toast
Granny Smith Apples caramelized with handspun sugar, cinnamon, and spices are stuffed into La Brea French bread, dipped into eggnog custard, and grilled. Before served it�s drizzled with more caramel, maple butter, brandy whipped cream, and chopped peanuts.

I See Russia
An infusion of Tellicherry peppercorns and Russian Vodka is whipped into savory custard with dill weed, parsley, and more pepper. Then slices of smoked wild king salmon out of Bristol Bay are laced over the French toast and drizzled with sour cream, chives, and tomato concasse.

This is only a fifth of Babs� breakfast menu, but a good representation.

Babblin Babs Bistro is open for breakfast 8-11:30 a.m. Tuesday-Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Breakfast will be served from 8-10 a.m. Thanksgiving morning followed by a non-turkey dinner from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

[Babblin� Babs Bistro, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday, 2724 N. Proctor St., Tacoma, 253.761.9099]

RON SWARNER: TODAY’S MAN, TOMORROW’S STAR >>>

Dead Artist, Kulture Lab producer, and Tacoma man-about-town James Hume (pictured) is in the finals for a spot on the TODAY Show’s man panel.

What is the man panel?

“Funny, that's what I asked just before I shot my video entry,” explains Hume. Officially called Guys Tell All, it’s a panel of four dudes that answer â€" with humor â€" random questions from women on the streets of New York City.”

His buddy Steve Haverly, also from Tacoma, convinced Hume to enter the contest.

“Now were both in the finals competing against each other,” laughs Hume.

It’s true. Both Tacomans shot a video, worked their way through the system and ended up in the finals.

To view their videos and vote, click here.

The winner will be announced on air Monday, Nov. 9.

MICHAEL SWAN: ARTS - THE MARGARET K. WAY >>>

Pierce County Arts Commission sent us this reminder:

The 22nd annual presentation of the Margaret K. Williams Arts Awards, sponsored by the Pierce County Arts Commission and the Pierce County Arts & Cultural Services Division, will take place Thursday, Nov.5 at the Tacoma Art Museum. The reception will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony at 6:30 p.m.
 
Awards will be presented in four categories - Arts Education, Excellence in the Arts, Career, and the Jim Smith Award for Support of the Arts.  This year's recipients are David Craig for Excellence, Linda Danforth for the Jim Smith Award, Candi Hall for Arts Education, Barbara Lee Smith for Career and Lynn Di Nino for Excellence.
 

David W. Craig is a visual artist working out of his Four Winds Studio and Gallery in Eatonville.  Although he is best known for his watercolors, David also works in mixed media, sculpting, acrylics, charcoals, leatherwork and drum making.  He began private art lessons at the age of 9 and continued his passion for painting earning a degree from the Seattle Art Institute.  He recently designed the commemorative coin for the Eatonville Centennial.  His artwork can be seen in shows and galleries in the Western United States and Hawaii.  He also travels with his family throughout the Western states enjoying tribal gatherings, powwows, art shows, horseback riding, camping and fishing.
 
Linda Danforth is a jewelry artist who, in 2007, started the Jet Artist Cooperative and the Broadway Artist Cooperative, providing much needed affordable workspace and support for artists in Pierce County.  The same year she also founded Tacoma Art Place (TAP), a non-profit volunteer-run art facility which provides the community with affordable art instruction and access to art equipment including easels, sewing machines, kilns, dark room and more for creative pleasure and entrepreneurial endeavors.  In 2009, Linda founded the 253 Collective, a co-op retail gallery that allows artists to sell their works without paying a commission.
 
Candi Hall is the creator and Director of the D.A.S.H. Center for the Arts, a non-profit center dedicated to broadening the horizons on inner-city youth through the arts.  Candi, a formally trained singer and dancer, has been deeply involved in providing artistic opportunities to underprivileged youth since she was in college. The DASH Center offers young people the opportunity to take classes in many areas, including ballet, jazz and hip-hop, singing, poetry, computer design, graffiti art, yoga and emceeing.  The students also make trips to area theatres, dance companies, musicians and museums.  They also perform plays, enter dance competitions and write and perform songs.  Candi teaches them that they can achieve anything they put their mind, body and sweat into.
 
Barbara Lee Smith is an internationally recognized contemporary textile artist, teacher and author.  Her richly layered landscapes and seascapes are created using a variety of media and processes.  Works are painted, printed, collaged, fused, stitched and sometimes even melted.  She has combined techniques from the field of crafts, machine embroidery on fabric, with those of fine arts, collage and painting, to create a her own form.  Over the past 40 years, Barbara has participated in solo and group exhibitions around the United States and all over the world.  She has written books and articles for numerous publications, taught workshops and given lectures internationally.  Her works are held in museums, corporate and private collections in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and around the world.
 

Lynn Di Nino has been a freelance artist, teacher and entrepreneur for over thirty years.  In recent years, she has specialized in concrete sculpture and in collaborative performance art.  Her stylized animal sculptures feature a welded steel skeleton finished with concrete veneer, and may include household objects as body parts. She says "My goal is to capture the essence of the animal through its recognizable silhouette and thereby convey its beauty and global significance with a humor that honors its spirit." She has also become well-known for her spirited performance pieces for such occasions as New Year's Eve, the Glass Roots Festival, and the Fremont Solstice Parade among many others, which engage large groups of people to become part of the art experience.

Reserve your spot at the ceremony here.

MICHAEL SWAN: WEDNESDAY, NOV. 4, 2009 >>>

1. Ski and snowboard season is nearly upon us. Time to start breaking out the snow pants and those long underwear with the hole in the crotch that you’ve worn for the last eight seasons. But before any of that, it’s time to head to the Top of Tacoma Bar and Cafe tonight to check out the second annual “Gnar Ball” featuring shred films, music by Mike from Neutralboy, plenty of booze specials and even some giveaway prizes beginning at 7 p.m.

2. Following the eternal question asked by the great Louis Jordan’s song “Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby,” Blake Haygood’s drawings of disintegrating/reforming mechanical/organic objects into the space opens today from 6-9 p.m. at The Telephone Room Gallery.

3. City Club of Tacoma, 770 KTTH, and the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts host nationally syndicated radio talk-show host, film critic and author Michael Medved to the Theatre on the Square at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are still available.
 
4. Theater Arts Olympia presents the spooky The Uninvited at Washington Center for the Performing Arts at 8 p.m.

5. The WWE Smackdown Tour with Divide The Day, Atomic Outlaws, Grimmride, Alpha Hero, and Devils Of Loudon begins at 8 p.m. at Hell’s Kitchen.

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: Local movie starting times

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

RON SWARNER: FOOD MATTERS >>>

Sunset Dinner: Woody’s on the Water offers a Waterfront Sunset Dinner Special that includes three courses for $16.95 from 4-6 p.m. daily.

Christmas Arrives Early: The Washington State Liquor Control Board opened a Liquor and Wine holiday gift stores inside The Commons at Federal Way through Dec. 31.

Plan Ahead: The Puyallup/Sumner Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center is hosting its second annual Chefs’ Night Out from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7 at Pierce College in Puyallup. Nine local chefs will prepare a meal for two tables of 10 guests. Each chef will offer a different menu and the wines served are paired specifically with their menu. For tickets and more information click here.

Food For Thought: The recently-built world's largest cruise ship boasts over 24 restaurants, bars, and cafes.

LINK: Weekly Volcano’s Eat & Drink section

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

LINK: South Sound Happy Hours

LINK: Wine and beer tastings