While chatting up Comfort Food Cafe's new breakfast menu items (waffles, breakfast sandwiches, cinnamon rolls) with owner Beti Tarantino, she indulges information about a fantastic program in Puyallup involving local businesses.  It's known as the "Puyallup Passport" and it's purpose is to help citizens explore businesses in their community.

For a $20 fee participants receive a passport booklet that includes fantastic specials and deals from Puyallup entities such as:

• Free yogurt from Elements Yogurt
• Free coffee from Anthem Coffee
• $1 of a pint at The Station U-Brew
• Free cupcake at Wanna Cupcake?
• Discounts at Stroller Strides, Dog Daze Pet Boutique, The Original Pancake House, Trackside Pizza, and Mazatlan...just to name a few
• Buy one get one free at Tiffany's Skate Inn, Daffodil Bowling, Comfort Food Cafe, Pho U, HG Bistro, and Twisted Kilt...again, just to name a few.

As participants discover said great specials, stamps are earned to fill their passport.  Once all stamps have been earned they are eligible to be turned in for entry to win a 2012 Ford Fiesta from Korum Ford in September.  Say what?  A car?!

Proceeds from the $20 book fee go to a local food bank and animal shelter, so this was put together out of one generous thought: To promote local businesses.

As if said discounts weren't enough, For every Puyallup Passport that is purchased and donated to "We Support Our Troops", Puyallup Passport will donate an additional booklet and be distributed on our very own JBLM military base.

Stop by any Puyallup business to purchase, or visit www.puyalluppassport.com.

(Photo credit: Steph DeRosa)

How do most parents keep up with their kids? With coffee, of course. This Saturday, celebrate both at the Kids Dance Party at Dino's Coffee Bar on Olympia's Westside. A benefit for the new Hand's On Children's Museum, set to open this Fall, the festivities run from 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. The afternoon will be filled with games, food, cupcakes, bubbles, face painting, and of course, dancing!

 Local musician, Melissa Suther of KAOS Radio's Cottleson Pie will play DJ, spinning kid-friendly jams, including cartoon themes. "I'm crossing my fingers for Ninja Turtles," says Dino's owner Joel Hart.

"I'm also looking forward to watching the parents have a great time with their kids and raising money for a deserving organization," he says. 

Dino's will be donating 50% of all proceeds taken during the event. Parking is limited, so South Sound Bank on the corner of Harrison and Division has agreed to use of their lot for extra parking during the event.  

Dino's Coffee Bar, 1822 Harrison Ave NW, Olympia, 360.489.0848

Tacoma's loudest rock club will go silent after this weekend.

On Tuesday, Hell's Kitchen owners announced they are closing the downtown nightclub - a pillar of the local hard rock scene for a decade - after Saturday night's show.

June was the rock venue's best month all year, according to booking agent Lonnie Reed. And the decision to shut down came down to costly maintenance - fixing shoddy plumbing, damaged sound boards, etc. - that made it untenable to keep going. 

"We've been on the cusp for a while," Reed said of the club, which is owned by Casey Kraft, Pat Dawson and Tiffany Barbee.

"Every penny they could have kept they put right back into the building. The owners all have second jobs. I have a second job. We put our heart and soul into that building for a long time. That's why it's so devastating."

Hell's Kitchen originally opened at 3829 Sixth Avenue in 2002. Over the next decade it was the proving ground for local punk and metal bands and the best place to catch surf-guitar legend Dick Dale, Canadian prog-punkers NoMeansNo or grunge godfather's the Melvins, among other touring cult acts.

This is not the first time the club has faced closure. It moved to its current location at 928 Pacific Ave. in 2009 as a way of skirting expenses related to Washington state sprinkler regulations.

Shows had been booked through the fall with Mayhem Tour vets 36 Crazy Fists, Nappy Roots and the Supersuckers among the biggest names on the way.

"That's a pretty long run for any live music venue, especially in Tacoma," said Jason McKibbin, a former employee who is also the mouthpiece of Tacoma punk band I Defy. "But it sucks. Hell's Kitchen did a lot for this town. And now it's gone."

The final show on Saturday will feature the Hardcount, Psycho 78, the Cottonwood Cutups and White Trash Whiplash.

The City of Neighborhoods 2012 conference, set for Saturday, will take aim at community and economic development with a ground-up, neighborhood-centric approach. Founded by Go Local and Local Life Tacoma, City of Neighborhoods is a nudge - a way to get the ball rolling so to speak - to kick-start the beginning of a beautiful friendship between Tacoma and its diverse neighborhoods.

City of Neighborhoods has not set out to change or improve any one thing, but rather to strengthen the city by strengthening the ties between Tacoma's people.

Neighborhood-centric means exactly what it sounds like - starting small, with discussions between community members. Inspired by about 1,000 cities the world over that are using this approach, City of Neighborhoods hopes to bring Tacoma into the ranks.

"The most important message from the City of Neighborhoods is that both community and economic development happen at the neighborhood level," said Derrick Rhayn, board president of Go Local. "And citizens can be a part of creating the community and economic drivers that make neighborhoods appealing places to live and work."

The conference will feature keynote speakers and about 20 workshops highlighting current issues in Tacoma. The more than 45 speakers and workshop presenters will range from nonprofits to grassroots groups to local businesses owners. Topics of discussion range from intersection repair to the arts; community gardens to local investing; churches as community centers to economic localization.

"One of the major themes of the conference is asset-based community development," said Rhayn, "which focuses on the assets that are embedded within a community and how those assets can be used to foster community connectivity and the right environment for businesses to thrive."

There will be two keynote speakers - Jim Diers, the former director of Seattle's Department of Neighborhoods, and Milenko Matanovic, director of the Pomegranate Center. Diers has become one of the top speakers in the world on bottom-up community development. Matanovic is both a leader in community development as well as a visual artist.

"Overall, the event aims to catalyze connections between the local thought leaders and activists that are working on a range of issues right here in Tacoma," Rhayn added. "These individuals and organizations are working on creating a sustainable, healthy, thriving, and vibrant city. Bringing these groups together will foster connections and collaborations that will directly benefit neighborhoods throughout Tacoma."

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Phillip Hall at University of Washington Tacoma. Tickets are available online or at the door. At the door, prices are $20 per person, or $10 per person for students. For those looking for a bit of a discount, purchase via BrownPaperTickets.com and use coupon code volcano15 for a 15 percent discount.

Registration Info: http://www.cityofneighborhoods2012.com/register/ 

School is out and some parents may already be hearing the dreaded "I'm bored" from their children. If this is the case or you want to avoid hearing it for a bit longer, plan on being at the main entrance of Point Defiance Park, 5400 N. Pearl St., Tacoma,from June 29 to July 1.

This is the 27^th year of the annual Taste of Tacoma weekend event organized by Festivals, Inc., which also puts on the Bite of Seattle and Oktoberfest at the Puyallup Fairgrounds. The Taste of Tacoma is sponsored by Emerald Queen Hotel & Casino, which is its 12^th year of title sponsorship.

While admission to the event is free, vendors and providers of entertainment may charge. Since you will already be at the park, a visit to the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium could be in order.  Please remember that normal admission fees will apply for entrance to the zoo.

This year's event proves to be a blast for all ages, as the weekend features everything from arts and crafts to good foods and fine wines.  Here are just a few things to look forward to during the weekend:

• 29 restaurants with food available for purchase with menu items not costing more than $8 each.
• Restaurants will be offering at least one heart-healthy menu item as part of the event's partnership with Hope Heart Right Bite.
• For those that enjoy beer, be sure to check out the beer gardens including one offering locally crafted beers.
• Enjoy wine tasting of Washington wines in the Taste Wine & Jazz Garden located in the park's rose garden.
• The Funtastic Carnival will be on location with their rides and games to help the kids not to be so bored.
• Six free entertainment stages featuring comedy acts, jazz, classic rock, country & blues, folk and more.
• Metro Parks Tacoma's Family Entertainment Zone will be showcasing its summer program offerings with activities including Rock the Bowl at Point D, an obstacle course, a zip line, rock climbing, hamster bowl, picnic areas and more. Some activities will require a pay-to-use pass available for purchase on site.

Grab the family, camera and sunscreen for a fun packed weekend. Event hours are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.  Free Taste Shuttles will be available at the Transit Center next to Tacoma Community College.

For more information, please visit their website at www.tasteoftacoma.com.

Lakewood SummerFEST takes over Fort Steilacoom Park, June 30 to July 1. While you may not generally choose Lakewood as your entertainment destination in the Northwest, SummerFEST is worthy of checking out.

SummerFEST has a little bit of everything for everyone. Live entertainment is on for both days of the festival, featuring local bands like Magic Bus and former Gentleman Juggler, Roberto the Magnificent. Over 150 food and arts vendors ensure you have plenty to explore.

SummerFEST includes bonus events, too. On Saturday, the Chalk Art Competition is an amazing contest to watch as chalk artists create murals before your very eyes. Saturday also brings in a car show and a movie at dusk, which you can vote on via the event's website. Current frontrunner is "Back to the Future."

On Sunday, the SummerFEST Triathlon pits athletes against a run, swim, and bike course. Compete yourself, or cheer the athletes on from the sidelines. If you want to join in, but aren't ready for a three-pronged athletic challenge, there is also a 5K Fun Run that day.

A great deal of the festival is family-centric, especially the Kidz Zone with bonus activities for smaller children available at $5/day. Entry to the fair is free for all!

Event Website: https://www.cityoflakewood.us/government/departments/parks-and-recreation/events/summerfest

Wanting to add a little sexy to your meal time?

Foxy Lady Cafe has recently expanded their bikini barista stands by opening the first sit down Foxy Lady Cafe. The Cafe serves both breakfast and lunch as well as baked goods and coffee. Their menu consists mostly of various sandwich's such as meatball subs, french dips, BLT, and other classics.

Lets be honest though, are you guys really wanting to hear about the daily specials from a bikini-clad server? Probably.  Each plate is served by a girl wearing a bikini or lingerie.

Let's just say the food isn't the only steamy thing at Foxy Lady Cafe.

Foxy Lady Cafe. 3926 100th St SW Lakewood. 253) 301-1086.