The weekend is and we don't want you caught on the couch. Prior planning is key, so here are a few dining and drinking suggestions around the South Sound this Labor Day Weekend.

Billed as "a world of flavors," Babblin' Babs Bistro doesn't disappoint. William and Shannon Mueller fuse French techniques with a casual flair, crafting exquisite breakfast dishes from locally sourced and organic (when possible) products.  Gracing BBB's menu are two must-eat dishes. The small Manhattan Pizza dons fresh Chelan cherries bathed in Bourbon with thyme, basil and fresh orange juice. Baked on Babblin' Babs Bistro's famous flambe tart crust and finished with goat cheese, orange segments and extra virgin olive oil, the flavors are amazing. The True Grits with Shrimp dish features shrimp marinated in olive oil and Savannah's Chill 'n' lime seasoning, oven roasted with double thick hickory bacon and placed on a bed of hominy style stone ground grits cooked up rich, buttery, and thick (not to thick). 2724 N. Proctor St., Tacoma

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LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

The Embers at Indian Summer Olympia. Tarik Bentlemsani. 6 pm. NC.

Emerald Downs Racetrack Auburn. China Davis. All Ages. 6-9 pm.

Le Voyeur Café and Lounge Olympia - Downtown. Rose Gold. 9 pm.

• Hailing from Bozeman, Mont., Rose Gold make uniquely difficult music to anticipate or describe. What generally starts as sort of the fuzzy, meek alt-rock songs tend to descend into howling madness without much notice. Much of this is due to lead singer and bassist Birdie Bowie. Her voice has a vulnerability to it that intensifies into strikingly emotional shrieks. At times, Rose Gold are quite reminiscent of Hole, an observation that their blood-curdling cover of Hole's "Retard Boy" confirms. If you were to ask Rose Gold to describe themselves, though, they'd probably use the term "nightmare-pop," which is their self-defined descriptor. It's a provocative notion, nightmare-pop, and I think it does well to describe the shaky beauty of Rose Gold - that prettiness that always teeters on the verge of dread. - Rev. Adam McKinney
  

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SATURDAY, AUG. 31 2013 >>>

1. Ahhh yeah! It's that time of year! Time for getting it on! That's why Northwest Trek invites you to its "Get Out of the Rut Weekend," your chance to play peeping Tom on the breeding habits of moose, elk, deer and even sheep. You see, the "rut," refers to the breeding habits of hooved animals - and we all know hooved animals are the hottest of all! According to hype, "Watch and listen as they grunt, snort, bugle and spar. From wild romance to turbulent action, you won't want to miss this three-day kickoff to the most dramatic time of year at Northwest Trek." So hot.

2. It's been said the quickest way to a geek's heart is through his or her USB 3.0 port, but that's not true. We pop-cultural enthusiasts occasionally do take a break from mainlining second breakfast, Hot Pockets, and fourthmeal to eat real food-by which, of course, we mean good old (Mexican-)American barbecue. A sustainable solutions group called Americans for a Better World, or AFABWorld for short, has been pitting pitmaster against pitmaster in runoff events all summer long. Now the time has come to step into the hickory-scented culinary Octagon and see whose cuisine reigns supreme. Four tongs enter! Two tongs leave! Beginning with a chili cookoff at 11 a.m., Columbus Park will host a saucy, porcine Labor Day massacre. There's plenty of live entertainment, and yes, there will be tastings until 5 p.m.

3. The Tacoma/Pierce County hip-hop community and the Z53 Zulu Nation (Tacoma Chapter) host a Back 2 School Jam from noon to 5 p.m. at the D.A.S.H. Center in recognition of education and community. Today is an opportunity to learn about the Z53 Chapter and Zulu Nation, donate food and clothing, experience live graffiti, live DJs, live B-Boys/Girls, live open-mic along with haircuts, face-painting, free school supplies - all for free.

4. The Black Door Wine Company in Tacoma's Proctor District will be hosting a wine tasting from 4-6 p.m. Featured wines will include flavors from the Greek, Santorinian, Macedonian and Cretian regions. Sip and smell like you have travel plans. Bottles will be onsite to purchase and the Black Door team is delightfully knowledgeable when it comes to wine. Tickets are $5 to attend.

5. From the Lindbergs to O.J. Simpson, America loves a high-profile murder trial. And why not? What could be more theatrical than a gruesome case presented by suave attorneys with celebrity witnesses? Such a trial is satirized in the steamy award-winning musical Chicago, which kicks off its national tour Saturday in Tacoma at 7:30 p.m. You've seen the movie, but do you really need to experience a touring musical production of Chicago? The deal-clincher could be the presence of the one and only John O'Hurley - known to many as the catalog-company entrepreneur J. Peterman on Seinfeld - in the role of Billy Flynn. Even if you didn't know he won on the television show Dancing with the Stars, the mental image of Peterman belting "All I Care About Is Love" from behind his corporate desk is too sweet. Before catching the vaudevillian circus of greed, corruption and violence, be sure to join the Broadway Sizzle, a communal table dinner in the heart of Tacoma on Broadway before the show.

LINK: Saturday, Aug. 31 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE GREATER SOUTH SOUND >>>

Bob's Java Jive Tacoma - Central. Vanguard, Sei Hexe, Tummler & Solomon. 9 pm. $5.

• I love it when Olympia and Tacoma music blends. It's like Korean barbecue washed down with PBR. Saturday, Vanguard, a favorite Olympia band, is playing at Bob's Java Jive, a favorite Tacoma venue. Vanguard's lo-fi punk metal sound use to be the work of an octopus for a drummer and a diddler of thrash metal guitar. Now, Vanguard is even more sexy and sophisticated with the addition of a backbone bass player and a vamped up sound - think early Metallica with that raw punk-garage that feels specific to Olympia. Rounding off the bill are Sei Hexe, an all girl metal band touring from Portland, and Tummler & Solomon, sludge rockers from T-town. - Nikki McCoy
  

Doyle's Public House Tacoma - Stadium District. Industrial Revolution, with D'Vonne Lewis, Evan Flory Barnes. 9 pm. NC.

Harmon Tap Room Tacoma - Stadium District. Autumn Electric, Cloud Chowder, The Past Impending. 9 pm.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. E. Pruit Band, Shyan Selah and the Republic of Sound, Klyntel. 8 pm.

Le Voyeur Café and Lounge Olympia - Downtown. Hot Hoodoo, Lit End, Direct Divide. 9 pm.

Louie G's Pizza Fife. BlackLine. All Ages. 8 pm.

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. Palmer Junction. 8 pm.

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Crosswalk. 9 pm.

LINK: More live music tonight in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area