BECAUSE WE NOW HAVE A MILLION IN THE AREA >>>

Neightborhood: Korean Town, Lakewood

Address/phone: 3615 Steilacoom Blvd. SW, 253.584.0999

Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon to 9 p.m. Sunday

Noshing/Sipping: Five sandwiches including the delicious Rancho Californian with ham, precisely cut tomatoes, precisely cut cucumber and precisely torn lettuce stacked high between two slices of white bread. Other food items include frozen yogurt with choice of toppings and assorted bagged pastries. Typical espresso drinks represent plus frappe, Italian sodas, tea and Boba tea.

Standard Cup o' Joe: $1.70 for 12-ounce drip

Bean Source: Seattle's Best Coffee

Crowd: Mostly Korean including many Korean businessmen in suits

Soundtrack: Korean pop music including what sounded like the Korean Olivia Newton John

Bonus Points: Wacky Korean TV shows, assorted American games, assorted Korean magazines, and black mesh-like screens for privacy.

WiFi: Yes

The House:

Stepping inside Miro Café I'm immediately reminded of the coffeehouses in Vancouver, B.C. - that modern, international feel. Flip open a Dania catalog to the circular glass tables with black high-back chairs for an idea of Miro's furnishings. With the exception of the windows, the walls are completely covered in off-white protruding vinyl - think padded cells of a mental ward, only a modern take with patches of red surrounding coffee cup art. Low, square-cut velvet couches in front of coffee tables create two sitting areas.

After 10 visits to Miro Café, and even though I'm the center of attention until I sit down, I feel welcomed every time. And every time I step back outside, I dream of being on Robson Street.

MORE LIVE THAN YOU'LL EVER BE >>>

Cedarwood Dome Milton. A Tribute To Sublime. 21+. 8 pm. (The recent fire hasn't affected any off their operations.)

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. Church Of Hate, Koz Of Konfusion, Saydocarah, Jellyneck, The Curse Of Western Culture. 21+. 9 pm. $5.

HG Bistro Puyallup. Steve Stefanowicz. 21+. 8 pm. NC.

Le Voyeur Café and Lounge Olympia - Downtown. Stepkid. 21+. 9 pm.

Mandolin Cafe Tacoma - Central. Jam On My Muffin. All Ages. 6 pm. NC.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Save Sierra Benefit Show, with Basemint, Red Hex, Jason Freet. 21+. 9 pm.

• We take care of our own in Tacoma - or try to, at least. Last Wednesday, I was at The New Frontier when I heard that beloved Tacoma citizen, Sierra Venes, had just had her wallet stolen. She lost $400 in cash, and another $500 in checks. That's rent and then some, gone in a flash. Drinks were passed to her along with sympathetic pats on the back, and then Spencer Kelley of Basemint had an idea: a benefit show. And now - wouldn't you know it - that shit is happening. Tonight, get together in solidarity with a fellow Tacoman and watch as Basemint and Red Hex, Jason Freet (and perhaps more guests) assemble to rock your pants off. Have fun, have a drink and help someone out - a win-win-win. - Rev. Adam McKinney

Northern Olympia - Downtown. Christian Mistress, The Guild, Morgan & The Organ Donors. All Ages. 8 pm.

O'Malley's Irish Pub Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. One Up Two Down. 21+. 9 pm. NC.

SideBar Bistro Tacoma - Downtown. Saxophonist Michael Hershman. All Ages. 6-9 pm. NC.

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Michal Miller Band. 21+. 9 pm.

The Swiss Tacoma - Downtown. Kry. 21+. 9 pm. $8.

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. NW Harvest Benefit, with Prism (Pink Floyd tribute). 21+. 7 pm. $10.

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE BLINDFOLDED FOR THIS ONE >>>

Unlicensed radio broadcasts, popularly referred to as pirate radio, come and go by necessity. Stations surface only to disappear without notice, generally because operators get information that the authorities are closing in or the Federal Communications Commission has physically pulled the plug and seized their equipment. Somehow, though, Free Radio Olympia, an Olympia signal, has managed to remain a part of the landscape on and off since 2002, thanks to loyal listeners, frequency changes, benefit shows and weekly rag cover stories written by blindfolded writers.

Another benefit concert for Free Radio Olympia will be held tonight behind the Olympia Co-Op at 1426 Bowman Ave. Titled Fro-Fro-A-Go-Go, the hip-hop/rap show will feature Jahla, Dan Fajans, Junkyard Gang, Free Whiskey, Hollywood Kill Krew, Double B and La Swagga. $3-$5 donation is requested. The event begins at 8 p.m. with food, beverages and a merchandise table. A The first of the live music will hit the stage at 8:30 p.m., and according to a text, it will be "f'ing sick."

TOURNAMENT OF PIZZA PREP >>>

Farrelli's Wood Fire Pizza

Lacey, DuPont, Sumner, Tacoma and Parkland

Born: 1995

Pizza Style: Wood fired, whole wheat and gluten-free crusts available

Skinny: After owning several local restaurants – The Hob Nob, Engine House No. 9, John's Breakfast and others – Margaret and John Farrell, wife and husband, along with daughter Jacquelyn, opened Farrelli's Pizza and Pool Co. 15 years ago in Lacey. The Farrells interviewed potential employees for their first pizza joint on a card table where the Lacey store now stands. In 2007, they opened their fifth location at the Garfield Commons in Parkland, and in the same year was named "Independent Pizza Chain of the Year" by Pizza Today magazine. In article after article, the Farrells give recognition and accolades to their employees, many who have been with them since the card table.

Notes: The restaurants – especially DuPont and Tacoma locations - are full of character. Not so much the rooms, which are nicely appointed and clean, but rather the people that hang at the joints. The jovial bar crowd, many shooting stick, send a fun vibe throughout the restaurant. It's lively. And the service is uniformly good. On weekend nights, Farrelli's Tacoma location is packed — a press at the bar, the floor awash with families, the kitchen a riot of artigiani. On a Monday afternoon, the same Farrelli's is quiet, the service personal and personable. On a Sunday afternoon during the game, it's busy again and the service never misses a beat.

Farrelli's also serves calzones, lasagna, salads, appetizers, chocolate cake and a few more menu items.

Happy hours are top-notch with competitive drink specials and $.50-$6 food specials. Farrelli's also offers a $9.99 12-inch Late Night Pizza Special after 10 p.m.

The Pizza: Pushing The Rock Wood Fired Pizza aside for another day, the difference between the other pizza chains in the area and Farrelli's is like the difference between a kiss from your sister and a kiss from your lover. With the wood fired pizza ovens front and center – a show in itself - Farrelli's pies are hand-tossed, firm but chewy with a flop at the tip. I've never had an oily, runny, soagy, cardboard-tasting and/or burnt Farrelli's pizza. I have had a luke-warm undercooked Farrelli's pie, but only once.

My favorite Farrelli's wood fired pie, Jack & John Pizza (Italian sausage, Provolone/mozzarella blend, green and black olives, green onions, artichoke hearts, mushrooms - so yum!) slightly morphs at each location. It's what truly hooks me — minor notes of taste, of savor, of buttery goodness that seems to shift with the wind, with minute adjustments in the temperatures of the ovens, in the space, sometimes, of a breath. Each Jack & John pizza - loaded with cheese and a chewy thin crust that holds firm - is its own creation, possessed of its own character, absorbing down to each bite of buttery olive joy.

Hours: They vary per location, but basically they open at 11 a.m. and close at midnight Sunday through Tuesday, staying open to 2 a.m. during the party days.

The Weekly Volcano will host a South Sound Tournament of Pizza competition in March 2011, much like our Tournament of Tacos. Our readers will seed the tournament.

FORUM: Best pizza in the South Sound?

BRING ON THE WEEKEND >>>

Honestly, it would probably be best to let this week slide - to mysteriously (and probably unnoticed) duck out of my regular Prefunk obligations. The South Sound has already been forced to endure nearly 10,000 words from me this week (most with the expert help of Paul Schrag), and coming of that high of quasi-journalistic indulgence, a quick 500 words on ways you can get fucked up this weekend seems a little uncalled for.

But, shit.  We're almost halfway now there.  Might as well get rolling with another fine installment of The Prefunk, a weekend primer for you and your liver (with a picture of an alcoholic household pet thrown in for good measure).

110th U.S. Amateur Championship

Continues through Saturday and Sunday at Chamber's Bay Golf Course (Ladenburg Links)

So, Tiger Woods got a divorce and - by god! - golf is exciting again.  I don't follow golf religiously (as I think guys that do that are a little out there), but last I heard Tiger was tied for first place at Barclays, hitting the ball "flush" for the first time since, well, lots of broads were hitting his balls flush. (Oh snap!)

Now, don't get me wrong.  Tiger Woods will not be at finale of this week's 110th U.S. Amateur Championship, which has been going on all week at Chambers Bay Golf Course.  He wont be anywhere near it, in fact. Tiger woods hasn't been an amateur since...  Damn!  These jokes work a lot better when the precluding sentence includes the words "balls" and "flush."

Anyway, there will be plenty of uber-talented golfers at Chambers Bay for the culmination of what's been an impressive week of play - even if none of them are named Tiger Woods.  Much like catching the next big band in some small club before they break, you could find yourself watching the NEXT Tiger Woods tee off - young, innocent, not gross, golf yet to have scored them even one BJ. It's golf the way it was intended: pure, unadulterated, and largely unexciting. 

PREFUNK: Did someone say Perkins waitress!?!

Sadly, however, the closest Perkins restaurant is in Ellensburg.

In a pinch, though, I hear a Sharis waitress will do - and there's a Sharis at 3902 Bridgeport Way, W.

What!?! What!?! Just sayin'.

See you next week.

SATURDAY, AUG. 28, 2010 >>>

1. When it started in 2003 it was simply the Olympia Hempfest. Now, it's known as the Olympia Hemp, Love & Freedom Rally - a sign of progress, no doubt. According to hype, the new, improved Hemp, Love & Freedom Rally will be "striving to break down the barriers and remind people about our heritage and our responsibility to come together and be active citizens." Clinton Fearon, Tuff Lion and others will be there to jam on it. It runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Heritage Park.

2. Has there ever been a doubt Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway knows how to party? Of course not. Why would there be? BNSF-Tacoma will prove it with the much anticipated "Family and Community Day" - this year at Titlow Park from noon to 5 p.m. Officials say to expect plenty of food, games, "inflatables," giveaways and music - brought to you by none other than Tacoma's Apache Chief, an editor's pick for Best Young Band in this year's Weekly Volcano Best of Tacoma issue.

3. ArtPlus hosts an artist reception for Linda Solomon and Nancy Thompson at 2 p.m. inside the GreenSpot Tea House & Art Gallery in University Place.

4. Metro Parks is all about thinking outside the box, so when the tidal wave of creativity and inspiration flowed over them and created the summer long "Sounds + Cinema" franchise, which has paired musical offerings with outdoor showings of movies that don't feature Mel Gibson, it really came as no surprise. Beginning at 7 p.m., Metro Parks will rap up this year's Sounds + Cinema series at Vassault Park with a concert featuring jazz man Michael Powers, followed by a special screening of Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince. This one's going to make us nostalgic. The nice thing about Harry Potter was he wasn't a vampire and rarely took his shirt off. Those were the days.

5. The Legend of Bigfoot, Valis, Big Wheel Stunt Show, Blanco Bronco and Bandolier play an 8 p.m. show at Hell's Kitchen.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

THE WEEKLY VOLCANO SUGGESTS >>>

Bob's Java Jive Tacoma - Central. World History, Sugar Beats. 21+. 9 pm.

Cicada Restaurant Olympia. The Joe Baque Trio. All Ages. 8 pm. NC.

Doyle's Public House Tacoma - Stadium District. Big Friction Jam Re-Reunion, featuring members of Coldnote, Higher Vibes, All Night Yard Sale, Excellent Gentlemen. 21+. 9 pm.

Harbor Greens/Forza Wine Bar Gig Harbor. Jennifer Lind. 21+. 7 pm. NC.

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. The Legend Of Bigfoot CD Release Show, with Big Wheel Stunt Show, Valis, Blanco Bronco, Bandolier. 21+. 8 pm. NC.

• The Legend of Bigfoot have a comfy position in the Tacoma music scene. Segregated though this scene may sometimes be, the Legend of Bigfoot successfully split their time between heavier venues like Hell's Kitchen and comparably more indie places like The New Frontier. Their sound is loud, but not really metal; it's poppy, but not indie-rock-sappy. Rather, their devotion is to old-school hard rock behemoths like Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath. Read the full story here.

The Hub Tacoma - Stadium District. Kim Archer Band. 21+. 9 pm. NC.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Megan's Birthday Party, with The Raineros, James Hunnicutt, Slack Eyed Jim. 21+. 9 pm.

Northern Olympia - Downtown. Lower Dens. All Ages. 8 pm.

• Music critic Mike McGonigal once compared the start of My Bloody Valentine's "Loomer" to the sensation he felt every time he got high back in the days when he was hooked on speedballs. And though Baltimore's Lower Dens share the shoegaze deities' affinity for graceful, diaphanous sounds, their music is hardly appropriate for binging on mega-potent drug cocktails. As with fellow Marylanders (and sound-alikes) Beach House, Lower Dens' vibe is deeply narcotic. I'm reminded of the over-the-counter cold medicines that came - in the days before litigation intervened - packed with mind-numbing Dextromethorphan, and the crust punks I knew who took it regularly and copiously. If you're feeling the need to zone out on sprinkles of mellow guitar, muted percussion and drowsy pop melodies (as if they were being broadcast, somehow, from the bottom of a swimming pool), this is your ticket. Highs like this are hard to come by anymore. - Jason Baxter

O'Malley's Irish Pub Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Lauren Lively. 21+. 9 pm.

The Royal Lounge Olympia - Downtown. KAOS Reggae Benefit. 21+. 7 pm. $15.

Salty's at Redondo Beach Des Moines. Cory Wilds Band. 21+. 8 pm. NC.

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. Ron Rustad & The New Orleans Cafe Quintet. 21+. 8 pm.

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Perry Acker Band. 21+. 9 pm.

Uncle Sam's American Bar & Grill Spanaway. Molly Hatchet, Snootch, The Aury Moore Band. 21+. 7 pm. $24.50-$29.50.

• Bobble Tiki has the scoop on Molly in his Tiki Logic column.
  

The Vault Olympia - Downtown. Bow Wow Records present the Suite 420 Tour with Devin the Dude, Mr. D.O.G., Swag, Young Sash and more. 21+. 8:30 pm. $20 GA, $30 VIP.

• Jose Gutierrez has the scoop on Devon in his Non-Stop Hip-Hop column.
  

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound

NEWS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE >>>

This Japanese guy does not like us. Let's feed him to the Germans!

Oh, and tourism in Guam goes up.

Click here for that much needed happy hour.

A RETURN TO JOB CARR DAYS >>>

Strolling through Old Town Tacoma late afternoon yesterday, we came upon this scene at Carr and Tacoma Avenue. We tried to snap a closer shot but were charged by the chicken on the left. We were too chicken to try again.

We posted a story on urban chicken farming last month. You may read it here.

BECAUSE WE KNOW YOU CARE >>>

In April 2009, while throwing back a BBC sandwich in MSM Grocery & Deli II's parking lot, we snapped a shot of MSM's fucked up sign. We added it to our hugely popular Spew photo series "Miss Takes."

Since then, MSM II won the Sandwich Smackdown, and nabbed "Best Food on the Run" and "Best Sandwich" in the Best of Tacoma Readers' Poll for 2009 and 2010, respectively.

Today, driving past MSM II on Sixth Avenue, we snapped another shot of the sign. MSM II management and staff haven't let fame go to their heads. They're still keeping it real.

LINK: Do you like stories about grocery stores?