DINING NEWS, NIBBLES AND BITS >>>

French Wines In Tacoma: Mavi Contemporary Art opens for business tonight featuring the artwork of American/French artist William Quinn as their first show. In honor of its new neighbor, Minoela WineHouse will feature four French wines.

Smoothie Deal: Jamba Juice offers four coffee and tea smoothies for a $1 today. Find a local Jamba here.

Commercial break:

New Happy Hour: Morso in Gig Harbor has added a happy hour 4-6 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 9 p.m. to close Wednesday-Saturday. Expect discounts on wine by the glass and beers.

Future Things Are Coming: The Bayview School of Cooking in Olympia hosts an "Everyday Thai Vegetables Dishes" class Wednesday, Aug. 25 at 6 p.m. The cost is $50 per person. Register at 360.754.1448.

Food Matters: Recipes of the nerds

LINK: South Sound happy hours

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

DINING NEWS, NIBBLES AND BITS >>>

Open For Business: Beyond the Bridge Café has finally completed its transition from Sumner to Tacoma's Sixth Avenue and, for little over a week, has been serving tasty espresso drinks beginning at 6:30 a.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. on the weekend. Owners Ben and Trish Rubke have moved into the space formerly occupied by Il Fiasco (2717 Sixth Ave.), replaced the yellow-ish walls with dark colors and amazing hand-painted art and serve homemade soups, quiches, and the BBC's infamous and ever-popular bagel sandwiches. Next month the music shows kick in with the Warehouse folks hosting a show Sept. 13 followed by Vicci Martinez Sept. 24-25 (the final days of BBC's official grand opening party week).

Nice: Morso in Gig Harbor offers smoked trout crostini with a glass of Rodney Strong Chardonnay for $10 this week.

Future Things Are Coming: Speaking of Morso, the wine bar will host a Bisol Prosecco four-course lunch pairing on their patio Saturday, Aug. 21 at 1 p.m. The cost is $40. Reserve your spot at 253.530.3463.

Food Matters: An expert's theory of food television appeal.

LINK: South Sound happy hours

LINK: Lots of half-priced wine bottles tonight

RAMPING UP FOR OUR ANNUAL ARTS GUIDE >>>

Whoa, check out the calendar. Fall is on the way. And with the fall comes a slew of fun things to do, buy, eat, hear and more.

Our annual Fall Arts Guide will hit the South Sound streets Thursday, Sept. 9 chocked full of dance, theater, classical music, visual arts, literary suggestions - as well as where to eat and drink before and after the performances.

Added bonus: Tacoma artist Lance Kagey will design the guide's cover.

If you’re a South Sound arts organization, please send us your entire season's calendar here. We don’t want to leave anyone out. Please submit schedules by Friday, Aug. 27.

If you would like to support the Weekly Volcano's keepsake Fall Arts Guide, and reach our powerful, niche market, contact our advertising department at 253.584.1212 or by e-mail here.

Look for the Fall Arts Guide in the Weekly Volcano and at your favorite hangout Sept. 9.

FRIDAY, AUG. 6, 2010 >>>

1. Gig Harbor resident David DePatie created the Pink Panther cartoon character that starred in the opening credits of Blake Edwards' Pink Panther flicks. The opening was the perfect tip-off to the silliness that followed. At 8:30 p.m. DePatie will show two or three Pink Panther clips followed by the original 1963 Peter Sellers Pink Panther film as part of CinemaGig Outdoors, which takes place at Donkey Creek Park.

2. Ben Union performs at 5 p.m. inside the Harmon Brewery & Eatery in downtown Tacoma.

3. Tacoma's Telephone Room Gallery, the world's second smallest gallery, hosts an opening reception for talented painter and letterpress artist Chris Sharp from 6-9 p.m. Sharp's show, I don't hate anyone, runs through Aug. 29 at the very tiny gallery. You'll feel at ease during the reception as Sharp will take a liking to you. He doesn't hate anyone.

4. Ariel Zimmer will perform inside The Den Tea Bar at 7 p.m. as the featured poet for the Speak Your Soul open mic. You and your poem Let's Ruin Irony For Everyone will follow.

5. The Human jukebox Steve Stefanowicz performs at 7 p.m. inside the Harbor Greens/Forza Wine Bar in Gig Harbor.

LINK: New movies open today

LINK: Concerts go on sale today

DINING NEWS, NIBBLES AND BITS >>>

Hug A Farmer: Farmers markets across the state have gained recognition from Gov. Christine Gregoire, through her proclamation of Aug. 2-8 as Washington Farmers Market Week. The Tacoma Farmers Markets have supported local farmers and brought fresh produce to our community for the past 20 years. So visit the 6^th Avenue Farmers Market today from 3:30-7:30 p.m., rock out to Tommy Dean and hug a farmer.

Summer Booze: Bartender/Scientist Chris Langston of 1022 South suggests five bottles of booze to have in your home bar for the summer, as well as drink recipes for each bottle.

Deal: Every Tuesday night Harmon Brewery & Eatery serves a 6-ounce sirloin steak or half pound of rib tips - both on a bed of fries - for $5.

Deal: Every Tuesday beginning at 4 p.m. Hell's Kitchen serves $2 tacos, $2 wells and $2 beers. Get on it at 928 Pacific Ave. in Tacoma.

Future Things Are Coming: The Gig Harbor Wine and Food Festival featuring Top Chef Fabio Viviana battling a local chef in a cook-off, plus 35 wineries, local restaurants and food businesses will be held Saturday, Aug. 7 at the Harbor History Museum in Gig Harbor. Tickets are $75 a person. Grab yours at 253.858.6722.

Food Matters: Japanese turn miniature food into art, with Play Doh feasts of inch-wide pizza and dime-sized doughnuts.

LINK: South Sound happy hours

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

REPRESENT >>>

While preparing for my weekly disappoint where I attempt to find a wine bar in the South Sound open on a Sunday afternoon, I flipped through this month's Wine Spectator. And lo and behold, their "Best Restaurants For Wine Lovers" cover story includes a couple from the South Sound: Cicada Restaurant & Lounge (700 Fourth Ave. E) and Waterstreet Café & Bar (610 Water St. SW) in Olympia, and The Melting Pot (212 Pacific Ave.) in downtown Tacoma.

Three out of the 3,743 restaurants listed isn't bad.

Well, off to Morso in Gig Harbor. Have a great night.

DINING NEWS, NIBBLES AND BITS >>>

Grand Opening: Will there be one of those really absurd, super-sized pair of scissors at the official Amocat Café ribbon cutting ceremony tonight from 5-9 p.m.? Tough to tell, but there will be healthy doses of Valhalla Coffee, city Councilman David Boe, Mayor Marilyn Strickland, not to mention wine tasting and live music. Though folks have been enjoying Amocat for a while now, this will be a moment of triumph for Tacoma's coffee scene.

25 For $25: Stanley & Seaforts has introduced a new wine bottle list featuring 25 wines all priced at $25.

WTF: What's beefy, smothered in cheese, loaded with your favorite condiments and blended to creamy perfection?: Jamba Juice's new Cheeseburger Chill smoothie. Check it out here.

Future Things Are Coming: 7 Seas Brewing will celebrate its first year in business with a beer bash featuring brats, burgers, ribs, fish tacos, um, BEER!, and live music by China Davis, Perry Acker, and Black Market Revue Saturday, July 31, from noon to 8 p.m., at its brewery at 3207 57th St. Ct. NW in Gig Harbor. We have the scoop here.

Coffee Matters: Jittery America runs on espresso, soda, and Red Bull. Our most caffeinated cities are listed here.

LINK: Join our Nosh League

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

DINING NEWS, NIBBLES AND BITS >>>

Changes: Pacific Grill will now share its Thursday night Noodle Bar with the other days of the week, except when the restaurant is closed on Sundays.  The Noodle Bar will open after 2 p.m. Monday-Friday and after 5 p.m. on Saturday featuring Asian street food discounted 40 percent. Pacific Grill has posted its new summer menu on its website, too.

Tonight: The 20th annual black-tie gala Zoobilee, a major fundraiser for Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, consumes the zoo tonight with what seems like thousands of local restaurants, bars and wineries scattered about the zoo grounds. View the hoopla here.

Wine Dinner: Brix 25 restaurant in Gig Harbor hosts a Obelisco Estate Release Party and Dinner tonight at 4:30 p.m. Four new wines from Obelisco Estates will be introduced followed by a three-course dinner featuring Obelisco wines. The release party costs $25, the dinner is $65. Reserve your spot at 253.858.6626.

Food Matters: Speed eating pizza test

LINK: South Sound happy hours

LINK: Restaurant coupons

LINK: Wine and beer tastings today

THE LOWDOWN ON WHAT'S UP THIS WEEKEND >>>

WEATHER REPORT

Friday: Partly cloudy, hi 72, lo 52

Saturday: Partly cloudy, hi 70, lo 52

Sunday: Partly cloudy, hi 70, lo 52 ("Same as it ever was ...")

>>> FRIDAY, JULY 16: "DON'T NEED YOU"

Olympia plays a major roll in the story of the Riot Grrrl movement - a story brought to life and further light by the documentary Don't Need You: The Herstory of Riot Grrrl, which will be specially screened Friday at the Capitol Theater. The event is a benefit for Natalie Cox, a longtime member of the Olympia music scene currently battling a rare, aggressive form of cancer.  All proceeds from Friday's showing will go to help pay Cox's medical costs.

• Capitol Theater, 9:30 p.m. Fall ages, $5 and up, 206 Fifth Ave., SE, Olympia, 360.754.6670

>>> FRIDAY, JULY 16-SATURDAY, JULY 17: SCRAPBOOKING EXPO

What does everybody love? A birthday party!  What else does everybody love? Scrapbooking!  Isn't that the best thing in the world! If you love it as much as I do, take your scrappy self to the Scrapbooking Expo at the Puyallup Fairgrounds. It's a scrapbooking weekend with classes, workshops and uninterrupted time devoted to putting your precious photographs into cutesy albums – or just stay home with your cat and keep on shoving all your photos into unlabeled shoeboxes.

• Puyallup Fair & events Center, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, $8, 110 Ninth St SW, Puyallup, 253.845.1771
  

>>> SATURDAY, JULY 17-SUNDAY, JULY 18: GIG HARBOR SUMMER ARTS FESTIVAL

Often we try to bring you fun activities at a reasonable price. But it doesn't get any better than FREE! Of course most of the time, free isn't exactly free, that is just the sugar-coated packaging the really expensive activities come in. The Gig Harbor Summer Arts Festival is probably one of them. But it does sound pretty cool, and if you can abstain from buying anything, you might come out scotch free - unless you have a girlfriend. But ... what can be more romantic than taking a stroll along the beautiful Gig Harbor waterfront, hand-in-hand with your better-half, taking in beautiful art by 148 area artists. You will see stained glass, clothing, baskets and, of course, pastels and watercolors.

• Downtown Gig Harbor, all day, free, Judson Street, 253.265.8139

>>> WHERE OUR STAFF IS GOING

MATT DRISCOLL Editor and member of the Hilltop Elementary 1991 Recycling Team
My weekend will be all about preparing for the publication of the Weekly
Volcano's Best of Tacoma 2010 issue, to hit streets July 29. I'll be visiting our readers' pick for Tacoma's best donut shop and best "smoking accessories" shop  - not necessarily in that order. Oh yeah, as mentioned, I'll also be working on Best of Tacoma stuff.

JOE IZENMAN Music/Theater Critic
Saturday: playing concerts at 9 a.m., 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. in and around Tacoma. Sunday: sleeping the hell in.

NIKKI TALOTTA Feature Writer
My weekend consists of: Demo burgers and elephant ears to start, then serving sunburned Lakefairians their PBRs and cosmos. And repeat. Followed by a family reunion and a friends wedding. 'Tis the season!

PAUL SCHRAG Feature Writer
I'm recovering from one hell of a week. May be hosting Eprhyme the Humanimalien and wife, Chani, temporarily observing Shabbat, making some sort of feast with food from the garden, learning about sweet, mystical Jewish stuff.

JENNIFER JOHNSON Lifestyle/Leisure Writer
Going to Temple Square and downtown Salt Lake City today, fishing at Strawberry Friday with family, fish-fry/BBQ with 30 relatives Saturday and church Sunday. Wooo hooo!

KRIS BLONDIN Food/Wine Writer
I will get gussied up for Zoobilee on Friday, and then summer cleaning at the lake place. A modest amount of fun may happen, but I'll have to earn it.

ALEC CLAYTON Visual Arts Critic
I'll be checking out the new show at Fulcrum Gallery plus going to two plays: Withering Heights at Breeders Theatre in Burien (no, that's not a typo, it's Withering with an "i") and Fiddler on the Roof at ASTRA in Puyallup.

CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL Theater Critic
This would be the perfect weekend for Shakespeare in the park, don't you think? Animal Fire Theatre thought so, too. It's a new group that's staging that ominous Scottish play at Priest Point this weekend, and I'll be there with a cooler and Deep Woods Off.

LOOKING FOR MORE IDEAS? CHECK OUT THE WEEKLY VOLCANO'S LISTINGS FOR:

Events

Concerts

Restaurants

Movies

DINING NEWS, NIBBLES AND BITS >>>

Dip It: The Melting Pot in downtown Tacoma offers three courses and a bottle of wine for $35 a person, Sunday through Thursday in July.

Thrilling News: Thrill of the Grill, the burger shack at 14^th and Tacoma Avenue South, has applied for a beer and wine license.

Future Things Are Coming: Brix 25 restaurant in Gig Harbor hosts a Obelisco Estate Release Party and Dinner Friday, July 16 beginning at 4:30 p.m. Four new wines from Obelisco Estates will be introduced followed by a three-course dinner featuring Obelisco wines. The release party costs $25; the dinner is $65. Reserve your spot at 253.858.6626.

Food Matters: Former McDonald's execs trade Big Macs for McHealthy chain Stephanie's.

LINK: South Sound happy hours

LINK: Restaurant coupons

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide