LOCALLY-SHOT WEB SERIES GOES GLOBAL THIS FALL >>>

It was the young man lying on the street with a bullet in his belly that got us laughing.

I hadn't been on set of the upcoming web series Look Up in the Sky an hour, and already I could spot little annoyances slowing down the shoot. Sunday's late-morning sun kept ducking in and out of clouds and messing with the cameraman's exposure. And so many cars drove through that seemingly quiet Northeast Tacoma neighborhood, it felt like the "Game on!" scene in Wayne's World.

At some point a film crew needs to collectively release built-up frustration by getting a bit silly. The moment came when the prostrate actor with a prosthetic stomach wound went into a none-too-shabby Schwarzenegger impersonation. The effects artist and another actor joined in with their own renditions, and I soon began warming up to this small batch of strangers.

Just as with making a movie, the plot behind Look Up involves different people coming together for a common goal - in this case, 12 acquaintances reunite seven years after high school to try and save the world from an alien invasion. Or, as producer Ashley Cozine describes it to an elderly passerby, think "Cloverfield or Lost...meets Indian Summer meets Battlestar Galactica."

Cozine also has an on-camera role in this season, which has very nearly wrapped shooting and consists of ten two-minute episodes. (And we'll see even more of Cozine this fall at the Tacoma Film Festival, in director Chad Ruin's homegrown feature A Perfect Life.)

Cozine expects to release the first episode online in September or October, with subsequent episodes distributed each week or so after. Joe Shapiro, who directed this season's last five segments and edited the controversial 2007 Seattle doc Zoo, will also handle post-production on Look Up in the Sky. Though Cozine hasn't yet decided on a precise online location for her project, she may not limit the series to only the Web. "I'm looking for all sorts of outlets for it," she says.

As producer she scouted for shooting locations and handpicked her cast and crew, the majority of whom live in the Seattle area. This dream team has pleased her immensely: "I'm just really lucky that I got such a positive, professional group of people on board. It's really been one of the nicest independent sets that I've worked on. They are people that you look forward to coming to set to work with."

Look out for Look Up release dates on Facebook.

WHERE TO EAT BONES IN TACOMA >>>

Seattle has Quinn's. Olympia has Swing. Tacoma now has Marrow.

Marrow is legally considered a lounge, albeit one that's very food-focused. Only those over the age of 21 can enter and experience the artful creations coming from the hands of three culinary wise men. With Chef Kyle Wnuk leading, he, Chris Lyons and Will Gomez Garciaturn a mere bar menu into so much more. With the exception of tableside gravity bong-smoked scallops, most of what I'd heard hyped about Marrow seems to have become a reality.

With the first full week of business behind it, the staff and owners of Marrow have seen many to-go boxes leave in the hands of dreamy eyed guests. I myself observed a woman wrangle a stack of four.

Inside, an interior palette of bold red, warm cream and dove gray somehow manages to feel muted and calm. Hanging clusters of light bulbs form large individual lights reflected softly in mirrors. Custom butcher-block tables, undefeatable aluminum chairs, bottles strung with wire, menus tacked to individual cork board - all of it mimics elements of a kitchen. These touches at Marrow are creative without demanding too much attention. The décor is uncluttered, and intentionally so. The artwork is edible and appears on angular white plates and in cocktail and martini glasses. A huge front window keeps an eye on the Ave.

Vegetarian and meat-focused dishes are shareable; some are meant as single person entrees though the menu does not indicate such. Wait staff is fairly knowledgeable. Not surprising, the Marrow drink menu does not disappoint; a martini and cocktails with cilantro, ginger, fresh fruit purees and ginger beer made in-house and turn out concoctions like the "Lola," a refreshing palette cleanser of Hendrick's gin, Absolut Pears vodka, lemon with the added niceness of a fresh pear slice as garnish. Beers on draft, meats for charcuterie, soup du jour, desserts and available cheeses are written on two large blackboards near the bar.

Guests seated in the dining area are greeted with menus and table service including glasses of cucumber-optional water. Seating is also available at the bar and at a long, high-top "community table."

On opening day last Tuesday, my tablemates Donna Herren of Tacoma Boys, wine smarty-pants Mick Wilcox and Ty Cline and I employed a shotgun blast approach to ordering. Server Matt took it in stride and returned with bread and butter spiked with Hawaiian black sea salt.

The much anticipated dish of oxtail and bone marrow arrived with three bones of descending size arranged next to pile of oxtail meat and toasted potato bread slices. My first impression: upside down bone lollipop. I wiggled the stick protruding from a bone and giggled. Bones were very hot to handle in my little hands; I wussed out and bestowed the duty of being marrow master to Wilcox. Knife in hand, he went to town scrapping every last bit out - though he even had to take breaks due to the bone heat. The resulting puddle of gray globular bone marrow and ultra rich, herb-flecked oil became a wading pool for bread.

"This is as close to being dairy as it gets," says Wilcox with a happy, marrow-oil sheen on his lips. I agree. Marrow is divine and very much like melted herb butter. Oxtail was fatty in all the right ways. Skip the bitter dressed greens.

Hip-hop artist and producer Todd Sykes joined our merry party and was handed the bone marrow platter with instructions from Marrow Master Mick, "Drop bread on it and eat it all." Like a champ, Sykes dug in as though he gets down on bone marrow every day.

Taking bites of the watermelon salad gave a respite from earthy meat overload. Sweet, clear melon flavor and cherry balsamic vinaigrette walked hand-in-hand with subtly salty goat cheese and pistachio puree.

Charcuterie was as expected: three meats, three cheeses, nuts, bread and fruit. Mustardo base raspberry chipotle mousse spiced things up.

Avocado and honeydew melon done in an Olympia Beer batter ($9) does a lovely play on sweet-salty, soft-crunchy and spicy-cool. Chipotle raspberry mousse brought needed spice to the dish. Cilantro pumpkin seed aioli felt flat. "What does this taste like?" I asked Cline. Without missing a beat, he took a bite and replied, "Like nothing." Oddly, all flavor points had cancelled each other out.

We were all sold on the dauphine potato doughnuts ($7). Think three amazing mashed potato wheels breaded and then fried. The bacon beer dip should be served with a spoon.

Seared on one side only, scallops were tender ($17). Carrot jus with quinoa and shaved celery and fennel salad lent balance the act.

The crowing dish was an oxtail cake ($10); layered with slivered carrot and potato, the exterior meat has a mild crispness I enjoyed. Over-easy duck egg was laid across. Fried basil leaves were an added champagne pop of flavor. The combination of mingled yolk, oxtail, basil is as rich, meaty and earthy as it sounds. "Oxtail just replaced scallops as my favorite," says a grinning Sykes.

Time will certainly tell if Tacoma and surrounding area residents can and will consistently support a brave endeavor like Marrow. A mere five years ago I would have said no. But with the massive onslaught of food-focused reality shows, web content, and Twitter and blogosphere hype, raising chefs to rock-star status and bringing the general population face-to-face with dishes, food styles and ingredients far beyond its comfort zone or natural exposure, I'd put my betting dollar on a yes.

Last Saturday night a weary yet happy-looking chef Kyle Wnuk perched on Marrow's front brickwork. "I've been surprised by people asking me were the weird stuff is," he says. He takes a drag of his cigarette and talks as he exhales, "I mean, come on, I just fed you a plate of bones. On the next menu, we're not holding back. It's gonna get weird. We're just going for it."  We talk about ostrich, or rather the lack of it, on the menu as being a tough call. "It's the cost," he says. Wnuk explains they can't affordably offer it at a customer-friendly price.

"Price is very important. We want to keep it so people can try a few new things when they come," says Jaime Kay Jones. She runs the front while Wnuk handles the back.  Jaime, husband Jason Jones and Wnuk are the trifecta behind Marrow.

The plan for Marrow is to constantly evolve based on customer feedback - a sure way to keep seats full with returning guests and newcomers.

[Marrow Kitchen and Bar, 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., kitchen open until midnight at least, Tuesday-Saturday, late night happy hour starts at 10 p.m., 2717 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.267.5299]

LINK: Interior photos of Marrow

IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT ... >>

So, you want to tell your story. OK, write. Go on. Don't worry about it being smooth.  Just write. Right? Right. Buy yourself a black beret and head right on down to your local friendly coffee shop for some existential inspiration. That should help you write. Can't go to a coffee shop? Don't drink coffee? You're LDS? Well, you, my friend, have a problem. But there is a way you can get your story out there.

StoryCorps invites people to come into one of their sound booths for a 40-minute chat with anyone they choose. What? Here's what StoryCorps says:

StoryCorps, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to recording, preserving, and sharing the stories of Americans from all backgrounds and beliefs, will record interviews in Tacoma from September 8 - October 3 as part of its cross-country MobileBooth tour. StoryCorps' MobileBooth-an Airstream trailer outfitted with a recording studio-will be parked at the Museum of Glass (1801 Dock Street, Tacoma, WA). Reservations will be available beginning at 10 a.m. on August 25^th and can be made by calling StoryCorps' 24-hour toll-free reservation line at 1-800-850-4406 or visiting storycorps.org. Additional appointments will be made available on September 9^th.

Tell your story. Right? Right.

GOOEY THE PUYALLUP >>>

Ah, summer. A chance to take a drive, pitch a tent and start a fire.  My summer nights of youth meant sitting on a log and enjoying the scent of burning wood mingling with the sweet aroma of roasting marshmallows. I peeled the golden outer crust off, ate it and stuck that marshmallow back in the flame for more - before grabbing chunks of chocolate bar and graham crackers for the final s'mores act.

As an adult, I still love a gooey delicious treat (probably more than the next girl). Especially where chocolate and fire are in play.

Dreamt up by HG Bistro owner Tim Hall, the Bistro S'more is a gooey creation worthy of a trip to Puyallup.

Presentation is half the fun, and this tabletop flaming treat is quite a lovely show. A buttery puff pastry filled with Lindor chocolate truffle and marshmallows is served on a cedar plank strewn with crushed graham cracker and Ghirardelli chocolate drizzle. A Bacardi 151-fueled flame gently scorches the cedar producing campfire smell and instant nostalgia. The dessert is definitely large enough to share. A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream sends my taste buds over the edge.

While you may not be able to go camping, in Puyallup you can have your s'more and eat it, too.

[HG Bistro, 1618 E Main, Puyallup, 253.845.5747]

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL COVERAGE AS DRUNK AS YOU >>>

Woah, Nelly. We've been off for almost two weeks here at the Rainiers Minute. And in Minor League baseball, a lot can happen in two weeks.  A hell of a lot.

In the time we've been away, the Tacoma Rainiers (60-59) have crawled up from the depths of Nowheresville to find themselves somewhere near contention. The Rainiers now sit 6.5 games behind the PCL Pacific North Division leading Reno Aces with 25 games left in the season, not to mention an upcoming four-game serious against the Aces. 

This rise in the standings for the Rainiers has had more to do with the Aces' nosedive than Tacoma's recent play. The Aces have lost four in a row and an outstanding 14 out of the last 19. This may not immediately jump out to Pacific Northwest readers as a bad slide, but that's only because we're accustomed to worse. 

Twenty-five games isn't much time to make up 6.5 in the standings. But if the Aces continue to tank, there's no telling what could happen. Plus, the Rainiers head to Reno next week, giving the team an opportunity to pick up some serious ground.

- Thursday night, Mariners' insider Shannon Drayer reported on the Seattle Mariners' post game show that former Tacoma Rainier Mike Carp keeps a lucky plastic rat in his locker. Apparently, Carp believes the plastic rat, or El Raton as he calls it, brings the team good luck. According to Drayer, Carp kept the rat with him last year when the Rainiers went on to win the PCL Championship.

By the time this reporter got around to writing today's Rainiers Minute, this piece of journalistic gold had already been snatched up.  Damn you, Seattle media. You always get the best stories first.

-In a rather presumptuous move, the Reno Aces have already put playoff tickets on sale on their website. Lets hope the Aces eat some serious humble pie when this season is all said and done. Not the awesome rock band kind of Humble Pie, either.  

-Rainiers' infielder Alex Liddi set the Rainiers' franchise single season scoring record Tuesday night. So far this season, Liddi has scored 109 runs, breaking the old record of 107. Liddi has some work to do if he hopes to break the Pacific Coast League's all-time record of 141 runs scored, set by a Tucson outfielder named Billy Sample in 1978.

-In more Rainiers' media news, it was announced today that News Tribune baseball writer Ryan Divish will no longer cover the Rainiers or the Mariners.  Divish is switching to the University of Washington football and basketball beat. But never fear, Rainiers' fans. You can always turn to the weekly Rainiers Minute for hard-hitting, fact-checked, reliable Rainiers' coverage. Isn't that right?

Tonight's Rainiers' game against the Iowa Cubs marks the start of Key Bank's Stand of Summer celebration.  Kicking off tonight with Friday Night Fireworks, Key Bank is sponsoring a special event for each game of the team's current home stand at Cheney Stadium.  Standout events include Hawaiian shirt giveaway night Aug. 15 and ‘80s night Aug. 16.

Rumor has it Rhubarb has been spotted at a local grocery store stocking up on Aqua Net in anticipation of Tuesday's ‘80s night. But that's Rhubarb for you, always full of spirit ...

LINK: The "Rainiers Minute" collection

ONLINE CHATTER >>>

Today's comment comes from Melissa, in response to Volcano food writer Jennifer Johnson's SPEW account of her first time dining at newly opened Marrow Kitchen and Bar on Sixth Avenue in Tacoma.

Melissa writes,

Well I have had the privilege of eating at Marrow, and the food was DIVINE, the drinks MAGNIFICENT, and the staff AWESOME. This is definitely one of my favorite places now and will continue to go there.

SATURDAY, AUG. 13, 2011 >>>

1. For four years The Red Hot has served stellar craft beer and hefty, unique hot dogs from an intimate, red-walled space on Sixth Avenue. Today, beginning at 11 a.m. TRH celebrates its success with an outdoor beer garden, outdoor charcoal grilled hot dogs and 7 Seas Bloody Seas Bloody Mary-infused Beer, Snoqualmie Falls pub-only keg of Little Si Kolsch, Cascade Brewing Test Drive IPA and Cascade Lime/Ginger/Honey Sour, and Two Beers Heart of Darkness Imperial CDA.

2. The D.A.S.H. Center's Hip-Hop In the Park will go down in People's Park from noon to 8 p.m., filling the bowled grass and surrounding streets with all things hip-hop: dancing, rapping, poetry, singing - including a Freestyle MC Battle. There will be food and merchandise vendors, a beer garden at the Tempest Lounge and more.

3. An artist reception for Bill Colby's Beta exhibit will take place from 2-5 p.m. at flow gallery. To read Weekly Volcano art critic Alec Clayton's review of the show, click here.

4. For the third year, Tacoma neon artist Galen McCarty Turner will throw on a funny helmet and jump his bicycle through glowing neon tubing sometime between 7 and 10 p.m. in the alley at Sixth and I Streets before a cheering crowd. The Weekly Volcano was there last year.

5. The Hollywood Kill Krew celebrates the release of their new album, Smoke Monster, with BooZ E CollinZ, Free Whiskey and host Tom Booze at 9 p.m. inside Le Voyeur in downtown Olympia.

PLUS: More events in our Weekend Hustle

LINK: More arts and entertainment events today in the South Sound

LINK: Wine tastings!

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

June will be A Barn Burner: Healthcare's next stop is the U.S. Supreme Court (The Atlantic Wire)

Complaint Dogpile: Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer Dale Washam faces some new shit. (News Tribune)

Get Off Our Lawn Too: Pierce County Council looks to protect kids and ban jumping from the Spanaway Lake bridge. Next on the Council's agenda: Banning kids from running sticks across picket fences. (News Tribune)

Dumb And Dumber: Dickheads who crashed racing over the Narrows Bridge causing injury are charged. We say their punishment should be mandatory Sunday driving along North Narrows Drive. (News Tribune)

Just How Close Are They?: Chicago man says it's time Bert and Ernie marry. Yeah, right. Dude, have you seen the way they dress? Have you checked out their apartment? They would have antiqued that long ago. (USA Today)

Speaking Of Roommates: Salon has put together a collection of TV's greatest roommates (Salon)

It's dumb to fight a boxing kangeroo

IT HAPPENED IN AND AROUND TACOMA THIS WEEK >>>

After months of debate, feet dragging and indecision the Tacoma City Council took action Tuesday evening, passing an ordinance requiring the hasty removal of roughly 190 Clear Channel billboards.

An army of volunteers has spanned the county, soliciting signatures and testifying to Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer Dale Washam's missteps.

27^th Legislative District Representative Jeannie Darneille announced this week she will attempt a move to the state Senate.

To read the full column by Zach Powers, click here.

SNIPPETS FROM OUR SUPER BEST OF TACOMA ISSUE >>>

Hey South Sound! Want to have the Super Best day ever? The Weekly Volcano has hand-crafted your day with picks and suggestions from this year's Super Best of Tacoma issue. Enjoy.

Let's begin the day with yoga

A dream come true for lovers of hot yoga, Expand Yoga in downtown Tacoma offers original, 26-pose hot yoga and hot Vinyasa yoga in a heated studio overlooking a tree-filled park. Bonus: the studio has shower facilities. The 60- to 90-minute classes are more than affordable. At $5 and $7 a pop, skip a latte or a cocktail and you've got the cash for a class. Sharing the belief that yoga changes people's lives, Expand Yoga's owners set a goal of providing  "awesome, affordable hot yoga to everyone and anyone who is interested." Goal achieved. - Jennifer Johnson

[Expand Yoga, 1015 Pacific Ave., 2nd Floor, Tacoma, 856.472.9642]

Then grab a late breakfast

Old Milwaukee Cafe on Sixth Ave is unassuming, tucked into a corner building just daring you to drive on by. But don't do it! Go inside and get the Wild Huckleberry Pancake; get two if you're feeling crazy. Each pancake takes up an entire plate and is just as much huckleberry as it is pancake, which just about made me bow down to worship this breakfast concoction. Each bite will make you swear increasing loyalty to all huckleberry kind. The pancake pairs nicely with a side of chicken sausage. One bite of pancake + one bite of sausage = breakfast bliss. - Kristin Kendle

[Old Milwaukee Cafe, 3102 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.761.2602]

Then go get a new hairdo

There aren't many hair salons where you can get a piercing or a tattoo the same day you get your faux hawk. You can do just that at Supernova Hair and Tattoo. Head hairstylist and owner Jana Lencioni has about two decades of hair mastery behind her, and other stylists specialize in cuts, color and the great hair beyond. While Supernova can do normie hair, this is especially the place to go if you want something unique and edgy. Kick back and enjoy the music (don't expect any elevator tunes here) and get ready to knock the socks off your hair salon expectations. - KK

[Supernova Hair and Tattoo, 817 Division Ave. #A, Tacoma, 253.428.8288]

Buy new old clothes

Your closet is full of amazing clothes you haven't worn in ages because, well, you're tired of them. UrbanXchange has a solution: its in-store buyer will pay you for unique, in-fashion-now clothing, shoes or accessories. It's how the store stocks its shelves with awesomeness. You get a voucher for store credit or cash. Shopping here means chances of someone wearing the same dress as you at a party are slim. True story: I once bought my own shirt back. - JJ

[UrbanXchange, 1932 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.572.2280]

Time for a late lunch

There. Now it's in print: STINK has the best restaurant name ever, so haters please move on. Stop writing nasty letters and spewing vicious comments about what has now been declared the best restaurant name ever. From this day forward, society will embrace what is delicious and delightful inside STINK and forgo the bitter jealousy that rages within over the fact that you didn't come up with an awesome name like STINK for your own imaginary cheese and meat restaurant. - Steph DeRosa

[STINK Cheese and Meat, 628 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.426.1347]

Kick back in a park

Built by Jacob Fjelde as a commissioned work for the Norwegians of Tacoma, this public sculpture was dedicated May 17, 1913, to commemorate the 99th anniversary of Norwegian Independence. Henrik Ibsen is most noted for his play A Doll House. He is also credited as a father of Modernism. His realism revolutionized theater, moving the medium from being purely entertainment to being regarded as art. Today the sculpture serves as a talking point for English and drama majors who happen by, or any transient sleeping in the park. - Joshua Swainston

[Wright Park, 316 S. G St., Tacoma]

Then hit a happy hour

How do you fill seats at a restaurant? Offer a creative, innovative menu with product-appropriate pricing. If there was a book on winning locally in the food game, Pacific Grill's owner, Chef Gordon Nacarrato, would be the author. The chapter on happy hour would consist of one page and one rule only: "Happy hour is about showing appreciation for your guests' patronage by giving something back; make the drinks less expensive and say ‘Thank you' with discounted menu items." Pacific Grill offers non-stop happy hour all day every day in the bar with 50 percent off the bar menu. That's one tasty thank you. - JJ

[Pacific Grill, 1502 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.627.3535]

Enjoy dinner with a view

With a sweeping view of our gritty city, Stanley and Seafort's is an ideal locale for romantic wining and dining. The twinkle of city lights, an illuminated view of the Dome and glimpses of the Puget Sound - a view doesn't get much better. But let's admit it: this glorious view is best seen from the lounge. Luckily, the vantage point is a perfectly good excuse to indulge in a happy hour beverage of the adult nature while you take it all in. Doesn't get much better than that, now does it? - Jackie Fender

[Stanley and Seafort's Steak, Chop & Fish House, 115 E. 34th St., Tacoma, 253.473.7300]

End the day rocking out to the Fucking Eagles

The evolution, over the past few years, of the basic punk-meets-old-school-rock of the Fucking Eagles into a many-limbed punk rock behemoth with members totaling at around eight, give or take, seems to have happened gradually and relatively organically. As I meet with the band at their practice space - all of the members and I crowded into a small room - the drummer, Stu Linkert, jokes that more members were added to fill out the stage and make the group seem more impressive. What with all the guitars, backup singers, tambourines and harmonica that now fill out the band, the Fucking Eagles have started to resemble a bastardized, incredibly noisy interpretation of Spector's Wall of Sound. Read the full story here. - Rev. Adam McKinney

[The New Frontier, Fucking Eagles, Girl Trouble, DJ Melodica, (happy birthday Wade!)Saturday, Aug. 13, 9 p.m., no cover, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020]

LINK: Super Best of Tacoma issue