SUNDAY, MARCH 20: GREATER DOWNTOWN TACOMA, FIRST ROUND >>>

Let's see, your boss is on vacation next week, meaning there's no need to actually show up on time to work Monday morning, meaning the party train should continue to chug through the wee hours of today. Everybody all aboard!

However, you need to check off a couple items first. Number one: check out yesterday's Tournament of Pizza winners below. Number two: Vote on the eight pizza joints battling it out today - also below. Number three: Scroll to the very bottom, examine the eight pizza places that will compete in the tournament Monday and go grab a pizza from one of them.

After you have completed those three tasks, head off into the night as the boss will be on a plane tomorrow morning.

Yesterday's Results

Spud's Pizza Parlor grabbed 74 percent of the votes over Papa Murphy's Take ‘N' Bake. If we had to guess the reason for Spud's dominance, it would have to be Spud's reputation of being "like a mullet: business in the front and party in the back." It's true. The front half of Spud's is a pizza parlor/family restaurant complete with video games for restless little kids. The back half holds a lounge/large sports bar with a big-screen television for catching sports games for restless big kids. It's a good choice for grabbing a cocktail and pulling up a seat to watch a game with friends, or vote in the Tournament of Pizza on your smart phone.

Family time bores you. Graveyards are damp. Starbucks stains you, and drugs cause cramp. Booze is not lawful, malls are awful ... . Umm, the Weekly Volcano can't rhyme anything else, and apologize to Dorothy Parker. Basically, being "not of age" can suck.  The Weekly Volcano remembers. We have hung out at McDonald's. Browns Point Pizzeria and Louie G's Pizzeria both make awesome pizza pies. However, Louie G's hosts all-ages live music shows. Could that be why the G pulled in 62 percent of the votes over Browns Point?  What kid doesn't enjoy pizza with their rock and roll?

You sneer at things like that. You snigger. But deep down, underneath it all, you know who you are. And you know you secretly crave (crave, we say, crave!) any sort of association with a group or event that has the words "Long Dogs" in the title. You can practically see it emblazoned on the back of a motorcycle jacket. Or... on a menu as the name of an 8-inch by 24-inch pizza size option. Whatever. The Milton Tavern has tagged their largest pizza option with the words "Long Dogs." That's fine by you. You order a Long Dogs sized "Gut Buster" - mozzarella, smoked bacon bits, ham, sausage and salami - and don't care what people think. The Milton Tavern grabbed 59 percent of the votes over Neo Wood Fired Pizza yesterday. You will celebrate that victory with another Long Dogs pizza today. That's the kind of person you are.

Trackside Pizza titles their pizzas with names associated with trains, which by the way chug by the downtown Puyallup pizza joint on a regular basis. One of their pizzas is titled "The B & O," not "B.O." Twice we've heard folks order the "B.O." at Trackside. Black Forest ham, pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushroom, black olive does not smell like B.O. It smells - and tastes - delicious. So does the "Grand Trunk Express," which is basically the B & O but with green pepper, tomato, oregano and garlic added. That's Grand Trunk Express" not "Grand Funk Express." Whatever you decide to call Trackside's pizzas, you can still keep track of them in the Tournament of Pizza as Trackside pulled in 65 percent of the votes over Round Table Pizza.

The following four pizza joints will advance to the next round:

• Spud's Pizza Parlor
• Louie G's Pizzeria
• The Milton Tavern
• Trackside Pizza

Today's Competition

Sponsored by al Forno Ferruzza Traditional Sicilian Cuisine

OK, time to move on to today's pizza battles.

(CONTEST CLOSED: CHECK MONDAY'S SPEW POSTS FOR WINNERS)

Primo Grill vs. The New Frontier Lounge

Primo Grill's menu is a wonderful blend of Mediterranean and Northwest cuisine. And one of many items that you may order is delicious wood-fired pizza baked in an oven averaging 624 degrees. After the thin crust is delicately topped with caramelized onions, pancetta, house smoked salmon or some other gourmet treat, the concoction slides into the oven for roughly five minutes until the crust develops that irresistible char and crunchiness.  The New Frontier Lounge is a Tacoma Dome District hangout that hosts live music, as well as the awesome Wednesday night Rock & Roll Bingo. Their pizza seems to be their most popular food item. Has anyone tried their chicken finger pizza?

• Primo Grill (601 S. Pine)
• The New Frontier Lounge (301 E. 25th St.)

Upper Crust Bistro vs. Adriatic Grill

Upper Crust knows how to bake. They excel at it. Their breadsticks are the best in all of the land. Their scones are to die for. And their pizza crust is amazing. If you love pasta, garlic and the aromas, the flavors and the global influence of food from Italy and the Mediterranean, then you'll enjoy Chef Bill and Monique Trudnowski's restaurant, The Adriatic Grill. Their sevens pizzas offer a combination of thin, fire-toasted crust with just enough oil, spicy sauce and creamy cheese.

• Upper Crust Bistro (2714 N. 21st St.)
• Adriatic Grill (4201 S. Steele St.)

Harmon Tap Room vs. Ravenous

Harmon Brewery Company has built a space where folks can gather to drink beer, eat pizza, watch the game and gab away. During breaks in conversation or the game, patrons may watch brewers craft beer through huge windows. The Tap Room pizza with spicy sausage, black olives, red onions and a delicious buttery crust is our game buddy.  Ravenous is an intimate Italian restaurant in Tacoma's Theater District that serves delicious Italian dishes including pizzas - our favorite being a zippy little number with fennel sausage, sun-dried tomatoes and mozzarella with a mild jalapeño white sauce. 

• Harmon Tap Room (208 St. Helens Ave.)
• Ravenous (785 Broadway)

The Rock Wood Fired Pizza vs. Meconi's Pub & Eatery

The rock and roll themed Rock serves red and white sauce pizzas with tons of toppings and lots of mozzarella for a hearty meal. The Rock Wood Fired Pizza piles the cheese on to the point of perfection. Do not order extra cheese; you will create a super-saturated slice.  Meconi's sports a classic pub-like environment in a Pacific Avenue storefront. Its medium-sized menu includes burgers, salads, sandwiches, and, of course, pizza. They offer seven, 12-inch Italian-style pizzas with additional toppings for variations. It's an inviting place to hang out with friends.

• The Rock Wood Fired Pizza (1920 S. Jefferson Ave.)
• Meconi's Pub & Eatery (709 Pacific Ave.)

Tomorrow's Pizza Battles: West Region

Game 1: Tides Tavern (2925 Harborview Dr., Gig Harbor) vs. Terry's Office Tavern (3410 N. Proctor St., Tacoma)

Game 2: Nick-N-Willy's Pizza (2602 N. Proctor, Tacoma)vs. Fondi Pizzeria (4621 Point Fosdick Dr. NW, Gig Harbor) 

Game 3: Blue Cannon Pizza Co. (4726 Borgen Blvd. NW, Gig Harbor) vs. Lakewood Pub & Grill (7505 Steilacoom Blvd. SW, Lakewood)

Game 4: Stonegate Pizza (5419 South Tacoma Way) vs. The Fan Club (8315 83rd Ave SW, Lakewood)

LINK: What's up with this pizza tournament?

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