BENEFIT FOR A GYMNASTICS SUPERSTAR >>>

I'm going to start St. Patrick's Day off right this year. Before heading out to drink gawd-awful green beer, I'm going to load up on delicious Irish-ish food at Babblin' Babs Bistro. As you know, the break and lunch spot in Tacoma's Proctor District periodically hosts a chef's dinner or themed dinner. Owners Chef William and Shannon Mueller open the door between their Secret café and the main dining room for guests to enjoy a prix-fixe dinner of gourmet dishes. it's a treat, to say th eleast.

The Weekly Volcano just received word that the Mueller's will serve an early St. Patrick's Day dinner. The dinner is a reservation only affair. All proceeds form the dinner will go toward sending their daughter, Savannah, to Ireland and Scotland for a major gymnastics competition.

Let's look at the menu:

Guinness Onion Soup - Slowly cooked sweet onions until dark carmel color, then deglazed with Guinness stout beer with sherry wine, thyme, and reduced to a rich thick stock. Topped with a crouton and torched Irish cheddar cheese.

Bacon Salad with Farmhouse Cheese - Thick stripes of pancetta crisped up with Northwest pears and cooked golden, then tossed in organic assorted greens with herbs. Then drizzled with a creamy cider and Cooleeney cheese dressing

Entrée Choice One: Duo of Lamb - Natural baby lamb chop crusted in a light bread and herb crumb of rosemary, garlic, mustard and parsley. Oven roasted to perfection, then served on a mound of harvest lamb stew with potatoes, carrots, celery, turnips, braised in red wine and herbs. Brittany style vegetables with a dill butter. 

Entrée Choice Two: Dublin Shrimp Dingle Pie - Large succulent shrimpmarried with carrots, celery, mushrooms, and spices. Pulled all together in a white wine sauce and all put into a buttery crust baked to a bubbly golden brown. 

Granny Smith Apple and NW Berries - Northwest blueberries, blackberries and raspberries tossed with Granny Smith apples. Topped with a crumble top of oatmeal, butter, brown sugar, baked and served piping hot!

[Babblin' Babs Bistro, Saturday, March 17, 4-7 p.m., $65 per person, 2724 N. Proctor, Tacoma, reservations at 253.761.9099]