MONDAY, MARCH 25 2013 >>>

1. The film Ocean Frontiers: The Dawn of a New Era in Ocean Stewardship takes viewers on an inspiring voyage to seaports and watersheds across the country where an intermingling of unlikely allies, of industrial shippers and whale biologists, pig farmers and wetland ecologists, sport and commercial fishermen, port operators, reef snorkelers and many more embark on a new course of cooperation, to sustain the sea and ocean economies. The will make its Tacoma premiere 6:45 p.m. at UWT's Phillips Hall as part of a symposium at University of Washington Tacoma.

2. George Smith, M.A., a state licensed mental health counselor, will offer a free training workshop on the Columbia University 30-second self-hypnosis method from 1-2 p.m. at the Lacey Timberland Library. This clinically tested and proven self-hypnosis system can be used to stop smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, resist 64 sandwiches, control anxiety, and much more.

3. Seattle-based world music ensemble The Kora Band will combine elements of jazz and West African music at 8 p.m. inside The Royal Lounge in Olympia.

4. Standup comedy hasn't evolved much since the glory days of ventriloquist and puppet. Every so often, there's a Gallagher smashing watermelons or a musical funnyman like Jack Black, but for the most part, comedy is a dude on a stage with a microphone, plodding through a joke-punchline-new-joke routine. You're funny. You need to change the course of comedy forever. Every Monday at 8 p.m. the Grit City Comedy Club opens its stage to the public for a comedy open mic. Explore the space. Head for space.

5. Every Monday at 9 p.m. Jazzbones is packed to the brim with college kids. Party types. The type that wear tight shirts and trucker hats. Throngs of Chad Fratguys and Sarah Sororitysisters swarm the bar, line up for the bathroom and dance to the Rockaraoke - live band karaoke. The Rockaraoke band is skilled, too. Expect $2 PBR drafts, $3 Sinfire shots, $4 Smirnoff flavor vodka bombs.

LINK: Monday, March 25 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

<<< VOTING CLOSED FOR MONDAY, MARCH 25 2013 >>>

Sixty-four South Sound sandwiches were selected and seeded by readers throughout February for the Tournament of Sandwiches, which is now five days into the competition. Brackets don refrigerators, break rooms, restaurant hallways and birdcages. Birthday parties have been moved to delis. Everyone is discussing tempeh and bread thickness. It's crazy fun.

Yesterday's Results

GAME ONE: Ricky J's Philly Cheesesteak and Farrelli's Pizza's 3 Sauce Italian Meatball Sandwich battled back and forth all day, changing leads several times. It's our guess that Ricky J's Sunday night "Spin The Wheel Drink Specials" made the difference as the Puyallup restaurant ended up edging out the local pizza chain's tasty meatball sandwich with 54 percent of the votes.

GAME TWO: The blowout of the day happened in the matchup between Pacific Coffee House's Big Tacoma and The Office Bar & Grill's California Club, each anchoring the current Pacific Avenue Streetscape Project construction. The new coffee joint on the ground floor of the Wells Fargo Building grabbed the most votes of the day, smoking the sports bar that is The Office with 91 percent of the votes. The Big Tacoma sandwich moves on to the Second Round to face Ricky J's Cheesesteak March 30.

GAME THREE: "If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you." That famous quote comes from the beloved Winnie the Pooh. That quote could have easily comes from a regular at Legendz on Spraque Avenue speaking on his or her love for the drive-thru joint on the edge of Hilltop Tacoma. It doesn't matter that Engine House No. 9 is historically famous, and its Baked Italian sandwich has an amazing garlic pesto spread. Legendz's Lamb Beef Gyro looked in great shape as its edged out the Baked Italian with 53 percent of the votes.

GAME FOUR: The other blowout really wasn't a surprise. Meconi's Italian Subs in Lacey was born to make great sandwiches. Its Italian Sub put the hurt on Little Da Nang's Prok Banh Mi beating it by 60 votes, and moves on to face Legendz's Lamb Beef Gyro in Second Round action March 30.

Stick a toothpick in them! The following are advancing to the next round:

• Ricky J's Philly Cheesesteak
• Pacific Coffee House's Big Tacoma
• Legendz's Lamb Beef Gyro
• Meconi's Italian Subs' Italian Sub

The daily sandwich battles here on Spew are sponsored by Subway in Orting, Puyallup, Tacoma, Spanaway and Lakewood.

OK, let's check out today's First Round sandwich battles. Vote for one sandwich per battle. Voting for today's sandwich battles ends at 11:45 p.m.

FUTURE THINGS ARE COMING >>>

Last December, right after Christmas, Tacoma lost a whole lot of awesomeness when Tricky's Pop Culture Emporium closed down after six years of ensuring Tacomans had plenty of pop culture goodies to purchase. Hair was torn with great sorrow. Tears were shed.

But ... Tricky's is coming back! Next Monday, April 1, Tricky's will reopen at 17 Tacoma Ave. - a mere few blocks from the old location, but now with no leaks and with much more space. Tricky's will have twice the space to be exact, which means twice the awesome.

"I'm right there on North Tacoma Avenue so I'm right on the street, as opposed to the armpit of Tacoma where I used to be," says owner Eugene Kirk. "In addition to more stuff, I have partnered with Northwestshirts.com to be Tacoma's exclusive provider of the coolest new T-shirts and apparel. The additional space means that Tricky's will get just a little bit weirder."

The new Tricky's - trickier? - will have more wall space where Kirk intends to highlight local pop culture artists.

"I'll have a marvelous window display with which to delight and confuse Tacomans," he adds. "New to this location will be a toy boneyard, where random toy parts and accessories will be located."

Expect a soft opening April 1. Kirk doesn't expect to be all the way ready, but will be ready enough to take your money.

ANOTHER REASON TO LOVE SPRING >>>

Friday, March 29, 1022 South - the craft cocktail lounge in Tacoma's Hilltop neighborhood - will throw a party to celebrate its fourth anniversary and spring menu release. Beginning at 4 p.m., patrons will be able to sip the new concoctions for $6 a pop, as well as taste new treats out of the kitchen.

Since this lounge opened in March 2009, then bar manager now owner Chris Kiel,bartender Corey Lund and crew have entertained drinkers with discussions ranging from fermentation yeasts to ice density - offering a vibe and drink menu that suggests a throwback to the pre-Prohibition era when tempting cocktails and stimulating conversation highlighted a cosmopolitan American nightlife. With ingredients such as housemade bitters, botanical infusions and herbs including yohimbe, damiana and tulsi gracing the stemware, it's safe to tag the folks behind 1022's bar as apothecary rather than bartenders.

Kiel says the new menu will be a lot lighter and more refreshing that the current winter menu, which leans toward the spirit-driven - boozy - and comforting.

"Unlike previous years, we've changed the entire menu with only three favorites coming back," says Kiel. "We also dug deeper into the classic cocktail books to showcase more obscure or overlooked drinks.

"A couple of the new ones that I'm really excited about are the Tarragon Rickey, which is gin, yellow chartreuse, lime, tarragon, goji berry and soda water, and the classic De Rigueur, which we're making with blended scotch, blackberry honey and grapefruit," adds Kiel.

The food menu will be tweaked a little bit as well. Expect a few more sandwiches, including a vegan option and a couple more salads.

1022 SOUTH: Maria Jost's collage-drawings of 1022's botanical ingredients now hang at in the Hilltop Tacoma bar.

Those who haven't attended past menu release parties at 1022 South should know the cozy, handsome joint will be a popular spot Friday. While waiting for your craft cocktails, be sure to browse Maria Jost's seven permanent collage-drawings paying homage to 1022 South's botanical ingredients.

Also, 1022 South's Beet and Blue Sandwich is currently competing in the Tournament of Sandwiches. It squares off with Darby's Café's Tempeh Reuben Saturday, March 30.

1022 SOUTH, SPRING MENU DEBUT, FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 4 P.M. TO CLOSE, 1022 S. J ST., TACOMA, 253.627.8588

CRITICAL MASS >>>

Spew sifts through the Internets for local arts stories so you don't have to.

The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame's children's classic about the adventures of four animal friends was hit the stage at the South Puget Sound Community College, as part of the Olympia Family Theater season. In late 2012, OFT captured the 1908 novel's whimsical charm and injected just enough cheek and gentle satire to keep the grownups along for the ride. OFT turned it into a musical with 11 songs, but the group also sought to bring Grahame's classic into modern day a bit. This included adding in more relevant female characters - in Grahame's original, only three out of 60 characters were female. They also softened up Mr. Toad's character, giving him more of a connection to his friends. Now, the original four Olympia-based artists who readapted the play are teaming up with a sound engineer to create an audio version. Weekly Volcano scribe Kristin Kendle has the scoop on the recording, including details on its Kickstarter.

It is no easy feat to bring the naturalistic violence and dialog cadences of Quentin Tarantino from screen to stage. His films are masterpieces of jangly editing and shocking violence in the tradition of Peckinpah and Scorsese. Theater Artists Olympia and director Pug Bujeaud will give it a shot, opening Reservoir Dogs Friday, April 5 at The Midnight Sun in downtown Olympia. "I have always loved words. Quentin Tarantino is one of modern American cinema's greatest wordsmiths. I love the movie, but more than the cinematic reality of the thing it is it's bones that compel me. As iconic as the performances of Keitel, Roth, Buscemi et al have become, strip it all away and you have one hell of a script," writes Bujeaud on the blog, One Heist Told Twice. Jump on the blog for profiles of the actors, behind the scenes shots and more.

News Tribune arts critic Rosemary Ponnekanti reports Dance Theatre Northwest is taking its Swan Lake on the road.

Yesterday afternoon the Weekly Volcano attended the artist reception for Maria Jost at 1022 South. Jost's seven permanent collage-drawings paying homage to 1022 South's botanical ingredients are stunning. Post Defiance has the scoop on the show, as well as what makes Jost tick.

PLUS: Weekly Volcano theater critics review The Joy Luck Club, Philadelphia Story and Oliver!

TUESDAY, MARCH 26 2013 >>>

1. The village of Bakhtia sits on the Yenisei River in the Siberian taiga, a vast sub-Arctic ecosystem larger than the continental United States. No roads or train lines traverse the region. Bakhtia, a community of 300, is reachable only by helicopter or boat, and is completely isolated during the long winter when the north-flowing Yenisei freezes solid. In Bakhtia there are no Link light rail expansion meetings, gunfire near malls or baristas. Also, no telephone, running water or medical aid. And yet residents and their families make a living there in a way that prompts documentary filmmaker Werner Herzog to declare them "happy people" in his film Happy People: A Year in the Taiga, screening at 2:15 and 6:55 p.m. at The Grand Cinema.

2. Tacoma native Diane Bonciolini and her husband Greg Messmer have been known for generations for their functional dishware and art glass. Working with techniques of slumped and fused glass, their repertoire ranges from condiment trays to bird houses to architectural installations. See their new works and their old favorites from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. inside The Art Stop.

3. Every Tuesday, Maxwell's Speakeasy in Tacoma serves two chef's choice appetizers and two house wines or draft beers for $15.

4. Good news. There's a Japanese movie series going down in Wyatt Hall on the University of Puget Sound campus. At 6 p.m. catch the drama/mystery Dear Doctor.

5. Singer/songwriter Dyllan Hersey was born in Marin County, Calif. She tried to live in Portland, Ore. but has since returned to California and now lives just north of San Francisco. She joins New Slang at 9 p.m. inside Le Voyeur.

LINK: Tuesday, March 25 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

<<< VOTING CLOSED FOR TUESDAY, MARCH 26 >>>

Favorites or underdogs, fancy restaurants or dive bars, it's all the same. In the end, they all have one chance to put some tasty morsels between two slices of bread that can take the prize. Sixty-four South Sound sandwiches were selected and seeded by readers throughout February for the Tournament of Sandwiches, which is now six days into the competition. Apparently sandwiches were on the minds of South Sounders yesterday as it was the second largest voting day for the Tournament of Sandwiches behind Thursday's opening bell.

Yesterday's Results

GAME ONE: TLT (Quickie Too, 1324 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma) vs. Fishwich (Spar Tavern, 2121 N. 30th St., Tacoma)

Cod filet rolled in crispy panko breading served on a Kaiser roll: The Fishwich at The Spar sound easy enough, but alas, it's not. Coddies - those who live for cod filets - claim The Spar has one of the best fish sandwiches in the South Sound. Yesterday, voters agreed. Tacoma's oldest tavern moves into the Second Round after beating Hilltop's beloved Quickie Too by 20 votes.

GAME TWO: Catfish Sandwich (Fish House Café, Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma) vs. Lobster Sandwich (Oliver's Sandwiches, 900 Meridian Ave. E., Milton)

Oliver's Sandwiches turned out the troops to propel it into the next round of the tournament, despite Fish House Café's exceptional Catfish Sandwich. Although it's what sandwich experts call a "hidden gem," Oliver's Sandwiches treats diners like family, and that had to be a factor against the Hilltop Tacoma cafe. With 93 percent of the vote, Oliver's moves on.

GAME THREE: The All Star Grilled Frenchy Cheese and Ham (Babblin' Babs Bistro, 2724 N. Proctor St., Tacoma) vs. Nutty Chicken Sandwich (Varsity Grill, 1114 Broadway, Tacoma)

Babblin' Babs Bistro doesn't have a mini theater in the middle of its restaurant. It doesn't have a huge happy hour menu. And kids don't eat free. Those are the attributes of the Varsity Grill sports bar in downtown Tacoma. What Babs does have are gourmet sandwiches and an ownership that can squeeze ever bit of goodness out of a Chardonnay seed. Babblin' Babs and its famous All Star Grilled Frenchy Cheese and Ham moves into the Second Round after grabbing 64 percent of the votes over the Varsity Grill.

GAME FOUR: Stinker (STINK - Cheese & Meat, 628 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma) vs. Papa Bair (Bair Bistro, 1617 Lafayette St., Steilacoom)

STINK owner Kris Blondin has found the perfect formula. Create gourmet comfort food recipes, teach hip kids how to recreate them, play kick ass music and serve big beers and soft wines to movers and shakers in Tacoma. Yesterday, this formula paid off when STINK's famous Stinker sandwich beat Bair Bistro's delicious Papa Bair - and all the history the town of Steilacoom could muster up - by 70 votes.

Stick a toothpick in them! The following are advancing to the next round:

• The Spar's Fishwich
• Oliver's Sandwiches' Lobster Sandwich
• Babblin' Babs Bistro's All Star Grilled Frenchy Cheese and Ham
• STINK Cheese & Meat's Stinker

The daily sandwich battles here on Spew are sponsored by Subway in Orting, Puyallup, Tacoma, Spanaway and Lakewood.

OK, let's check out today's First Round sandwich battles. Vote for one sandwich per battle. Voting for today's sandwich battles ends at 11:45 p.m.

The Museum of Glass Slider Cook-Off Saturday night, with nine local restaurants competing for titles of best slider and people's choice, yielded big satisfaction for the winner of both awards, Boathouse 19. Their team, headed by chef Charles Dobbins, led the restaurant to victory in both categories with their bright, fresh interpretation of a slider - an intensely flavorful charbroiled house-cured salmon with rhubarb relish, wild arugula and mint yogurt on grilled ciabatta.

The 550 attendees of the sold-out event brought their appetites to the table. While Boathouse 19 swept the awards, each restaurant's slider showed creativity and demonstrated their unique perspectives. From Asado came a nicely spiced braised lamb slider with the flavors of Argentina. BITE Restaurant's chicken and waffle slider with bacon aioli embodied their playful spirit. A "Cubano roulado," a pork lover's dream with mustard and pickle relish from Maxwell's showed skill. Brix 25 demonstrated their ability to execute simple food well with a traditional grilled beef patty with gorgonzola sauce. A play on the banh mi sandwich from Dirty Oscars was light and fresh. Marrow's rich, savory beef cheek bulgogi with crispy tripe was one of the more creative options, and was well balanced with kimchi aioli. From the Social Bar and Grill came a pork belly slider topped with a quail egg and a kick of sambal chili. To finish it all off, Art House Café's dessert slider, an orange creamsicle spice cake concoction, finished things on a sweet note.

Will Boathouse 19's winning slider make it on their menu? We'll have to wait and see. If it does, I'll be the first in line.

Photo Credit: Steve Dunkelberger

LOCAL SHOW PREVIEW >>>

Brooks Dental Studio at 732 Broadway, Suite 101 in Tacoma's Theater District may be an unusual venue for an art exhibition, but it is a stylish space in a converted garage where they have been showing art for the past five years. Dentist Dr. Jamie Brooks says she started showing art as a way of promoting her aunt, Lisa Kinoshita (Foundation of Art Award nominee and former owner of Mineral Gallery). The clinic has a new revolving show every six months. They can't make the art accessible on a regular schedule but they have an opening celebration with drinks and refreshments for each new show, and Dr. Brooks (or Dr. Jamie as everyone there calls her) promotes the artists in other ways, such as on Facebook and the TacomaArt listserv.

Brooks' latest show is called Five. It is a celebration of its five years in operation with eight local artists showing various artistic interpretations on the number five. The show opens March 28 from 5-7 p.m. and will continue through June 30. Some of Tacoma's best-known artists are included in the show. Kinoshita is included with a piece from last year's "Bridle" show at Fulcrum - bridles made in collaboration with inmates at the Montana State Prison. She is showing a traditional horse's bridle with spiral-pattern horsehair reins and an original drawing.

Also included are works by Mindy Barker, Jeremy Gregory, Lance Kagey from the guerilla poster outfit Beautiful Angle, Maureen McHugh, Juliette Ricci, Chris Sharp and Jessica Spring. No slouches here. These are among Tacoma's art elite, many of whom are also former Foundation nominees.

The theme is set by Kagey's "Deconstructing Demuth" a version of Charles Demuth's "The Figure 5 in Gold," inspired by a poem by William Carlos Williams.

Barker is represented by four large circular rounds containing trapped frolicking creatures within boldly colored strata.

Gregory has included "Piper the Puppet," one of his popular dolls, this one with four (why not five?) arms and hands. Piper is attached to an old violin case and inside the case are Piper's drawings.

Sharp is showing a painting in sign paint on plywood. McHugh, co-owner of Mad Hat Tea Company, makes her presence known with "An Inking of the five W's of life. Who What Where When Why."

Spring has included a series of framed prints incorporating found objects, Japanese and handmade papers and dental floss with collage and letterpress printing. And Ricci has a group of photographs on canvas, reflections of things that happen in the everyday.

The grouping provides a range of art from the funky to the beautiful in an unusual setting. Unless you need dental work, the opening reception Thursday evening may provide your only change to see it. As an added treat, Dr. Jamie says the graffiti garage across the street is going to unveil new work just in time for the opening.

MOVING ALONG >>>

Lisa David, owner of the Nineveh Assyrian food truck on the corner of Plum and Fourth in Olympia is about to go national. Yes, the local bartender, DJ and artist - who serves outstanding Fattoush and fried cauliflower from Nineveh - will star in a web series based out of Chicago. The interactive cooking talk show Assyrian Kitchen launches Wednesday, March 27 as an eight-part series featuring David cooking 10 popular Middle Eastern appetizers.

David has been working with Assyrian Kitchen over the last year, flying out to Chicago for live and taped shows.

"The taped version is for a greater audience that can't make it to the live shows. The Assyrian community is spread out all over the world, so this will reach out to many of them this way. On top of that it crosses over well to a general audience who is genuinely interested in our Assyrian cuisine."

This opportunity puts David in a unique position to share a passion.

"Many of the participants in the live demonstration are non-Assyrians with a love for good food," she says. "I think that has been a major part that is really exciting for me, reaching out to people and introducing them to the food I grew up with and love so dearly. Seeing the enjoyment they get from tasting it and the satisfaction they get from learning to make it. This is an aspect of what makes our Nineveh Assyrian food truck so dear to me, that feedback you get from someone who has never tried something like a shawarma before and who is truly tasting something unique for the first time."

David is also excited to preserve her culture.

"Assyrians are a very small indigenous minority in the Middle East and are spread out wide in a Diaspora due to political persecution and ethnic cleansing in our homelands," she explains. "Any culture that is so spread apart is bound to assimilate into the adopted countries where people have settled. I think an effort like Assyrian Kitchen will help preserve an important aspect of being Assyrian, and that is the food we eat. Creating these videos, doing the live shows, and posting recipes online will go a long way in helping people, especially so many young people who were born or raised outside of our traditional native lands, to maintain this part of our cultural identity. That is something that brings me great satisfaction."