>>> VOTING CLOSED FOR MARCH 27 <<<

For the last two weeks we presented you with a compelling question: Who makes the best breakfast in the South Sound? And you have responded in droves. Sick days have been used. Friendships have fallen apart. Kellogg's is considering producing South Sound Mystery Crunch - mass hysteria!

The competition has been whittled down to the Scrambled 16. Yes, 16 South Sound breakfast joints are poised to make the final push to the Final Four, which will be held Friday.

So, read up on yesterday's action, and then vote on the first four games of the Scrambled 16. It’s in your hands, mouth, and stomach, folks. Do us proud.

Yesterday's Tournament of Breakfast Results

Here were the match-ups:

Fife City Bar & Grill (Fife) vs. Rock The Dock Pub & Grill (Tacoma)

Dixie's Home Cookin' (Sumner) vs. Boxcar Grill (Tacoma) 

Shakabrah Java (Tacoma) vs. C.I. Shenanigans (Tacoma)

Masa (Tacoma) vs. Hob Nob (Tacoma)

Fife City Bar & Grill figured its game against Rock The Dock Pub & Grill to be low scoring, a natural expectation with two of the Port of Tacoma area's best breakfasts butting heads. Dominating the griddle, Fife City delivered an amazing New York steak skillet breakfast - topping it with cheese - and pushed its Polish sausage to anchor a stifling defense that helped Fife City Bar & Grill knock off Rock The Dock and its deck with 53 percent of the votes. Fife City has one big advantage in the Tournament of Breakfast: Chef/owner Diana Prine and her Culinary Institute of American training.

Dixie's Home Cookin's friendly service gave Boxcar Grill fits all day. Instead of promoting the big-ticket items - The Caboose, The Boxcar Steak and Eggs and The Freight-Train - like it normally does, Boxcar Grill played a bait-and-switch game with the Build-Your Own Omelet, with the awesome combination of three category ingredients. The idea was to confuse Dixie's with the combinations and, hopefully, wear them out. It worked, in large part because corned beef was an omelet option - a move rarely seen in build-your-own-omelet offenses. Boxcar Grill, with the largest percentage point win of the day - 60 percent - moves on to the Scrambled 16.

Shakabrah Java shifted gears. It had to go big against Shenanigans big ol' brunch. To open this game, Shakabrah went to its four big Shaka-Combos players - all with its signature potatoes. Its quick breakfast sandwiches did the trick in earlier matches, but it needed more girth for this battle. Shenanigans followed pushing its in-house pastry chef hard, winning hearts with mini tarts, which countered its typical slow-down offense and ran Shakabrah reckless. Shakabrah gave in, and went to its quick The Brian breakfast sandwich with its French toast base. "He played an exceptional game," said Bob from Tacoma's Trafton Street. The Brian did indeed, and in the end, Shakabrah Java squeaked by 51.2 percent of the vote. Wow.

Masa co-owner John Xitco coaxed this win out of his breakfast by making his chefs pound Masa's huevos rancheros and insisting on the kind of defense that Masa played during this remarkable run, but which often got overshadowed by the Hob Nob's Side Door Lounge theatrics. Xitco's biggest offensive highlight: Probably when 10 Masa Smirnoff Jalapeno Marys hit the floor all at once. However, the Hob Nob's strawberry French toast was on fire, keeping the game close. In fact, Masa's 51 percent of the votes victory wasn't secured until the final 20 minutes of the game. Masa wins and will face Shakabrah Java in the Scrambled 16.

Let's take a look at the stack. The following are advancing to the next round:

• Fife City Bar and Grill
  
• Boxcar Grill
  
• Shakabrah Java
  
• Masa
  

The daily breakfast battles here on Spew are sponsored by Shakabrah Java on Tacoma's Sixth Avenue.

OK, let's check out today's Scrambled 16 breakfast battles. Vote for one breakfast joint per battle. Voting for today's breakfast battles ends at 11:45 p.m.

>>> VOTING CLOSED FOR MARCH 26 <<<

Laid-back is the essence of Sunday. That means a lazy mid-afternoon brunch, no work, phone off the hook, flip-flops ... you know the routine. The mere thought of lifting a finger to wash the mountain of dishes in the sink should make you shudder. Yesterday, a good chunk of the South Sound changed its Sunday routine. Voting in the Tournament of Breakfast was added to the mix. Yesterday's vote was the second hishest of the tournament.

But, it's Monday. You're still in chill mode. Your boss' view of what is priority is far from the top of your priority list. And there's four South Sound breakfast games to vote on today. Before you vote, take a gander at yesterday's results. Woah.

Yesterday's Tournament of Breakfast Results

Here were the match-ups:

Pine Cone Cafe (University Place) vs. Affairs Cafe & Bakery (University Place)

Moon Rise Cafe (Lakewood) vs. Old Milwaukee Cafe (Tacoma) 

Norma's Burgers (Olympia) vs. Sage's Brunch House (Tacoma)

Hawk's Prairie Restaurant (Lacey) vs. Black Bear Diner (Olympia)

Affairs Cafe started the game with a psychological ploy, as owner Gay Landry pushed her delicious strawberry crepes hard, while dropping the egg dishes back to set up its zone defense. Affairs veggie skillet was red hot yesterday. The Pine Cone Café, even with its malted Belgium waffle having a good day, couldn't keep up with Affairs. Affairs Cafe ended up with 58 percent of the vote, and a seat in the Scrambled 16.

The Moon Rise Cafe triple teamed Old Milwaukee Cafe for nearly the entire game, forcing owners Pat and Chad to rely on their powerhouse griddle. Old Milwaukee took an early lead due to Chad's handy work with four spatulas, before the Moon Rise would close the gap with a strong showing from its salmon scramble. The triple team worked, and the North End Tacoma favorite fell, with the Moon Rise Cafe capturing 55 percent of the votes and a spot in the Scrambled 16.

Norma's Burgers held an advantage in volume yesterday, turning tables with cat-like quickness. Sage's Brunch House worked the biscuits and gravy hard, shuffling in and out the Migas at opportune moments. In the end Norma's held on to a comfortable lead, ending up with 62 percent of the votes, and a seat in the Scrambled 16.

Hawk's Prairie cruised to an easy win yesterday over Black Bear Diner with 66 percent of the votes, largely due to its relentless bear traps. Analysts agreed it was wise for Hawk's to give its broiled pit ham steak a breather yesterday. It will need the power dish in the Scrambled 16 when it takes on Norma's Burgers.

Let's take a look at the stack. The following are advancing to the next round:

• Affairs Cafe and Bakery
  
• Moon Rise Cafe
  
• Norma's Burgers
  
• Hawk's Prairie Restaurant
  

The daily breakfast battles here on Spew are sponsored by Shakabrah Java on Tacoma's Sixth Avenue.

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

Q&A WITH THE MAN BEHIND BACONNAISE >>>

Did you think the era of bacon-mania was over?

Fat chance pork breath.

Justin Esch, co-founder of bacon-laced dressing Baconnaise and BaconSalt, will speak at the great American Casino Tuesday, March 20. The Tacoma-based speaker-series business IGNITE-U grabbed Esch and his bacon for the Lakewood engagement.

For $20, you may hear tales of bacon flavoring, and ask questions ... then go play cards.

[Great American Casino, Tuesday, May 20, 6-9 p.m., $20, 10117 South Tacoma Way, Lakewood, reserve your tickets on Facebook]

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Madame Slimball: Jacqueline Nicole Carr is in the Pierce County Jail after allowing awo 15-year-old girls to prostitute themselves in the home she shares with her two young sons. (News Tribune)

Mister Slimeball: Lakewood police are chasing a man suspected of sexually assaulting a woman at gunpoint inside her apartment. (News Tribune)

Afghan President To U.S.: Get the hell out. (CNN)

Senate Democrats Are Pissed: The Violence Against Women Act once enjoyed broad bipartisan support but now faces fierce opposition from Republicans. (The New York Times)

Business Advice: Twenty-two executives share the best advice they ever received. (Business Insider)

Circus Boost: Scientists plan to clone the Woolly Mammoth. (Time)

Incest?: Whitney Houston's daughter likely doing it with Whitney Houston's adopted son. (Gawker)

Out Of Luck: HBO has canceled Luck. (Yahoo)

Better Luck: Portlandia will return for a third season. (LaughSpin)

This Report Brought To You By Geritol: Rolling Stones push back its 50^th Anniversary Tour to 2013. (Rolling Stone)

Need Sleep?: Christopher Walken reads Where the Wild Things Are. (boingboing)

Put Some Clothes On Girls

>>> VOTING CLOSED FOR MARCH 15 <<<

Two years ago, the Weekly Volcano challenged 64 taco slingers to enter tournament-style culinary combat, shell versus shell, with Moctezuma's crowned best taco. Last year, pizza took center-stage in our quest for gustatory greatness, with Katie Downs pie reigning supreme. This year, the tradition continues.

It's breakfast time, baby!

Beginning today, 64 well-buttered competitors (for the most part) will tip off and do battle - working their way through the tediously constructed bracket and toward ultimate supremacy.

We speak, of course, of the Weekly Volcano's Tournament of Breakfast, which kicks off this morning right here on Spew. Sixty-four area breakfast joints were selected and seeded by readers throughout February, and now the time has come to see who's best. Only one can be crowned king - so vote early, and DAILY here on Spew. Use the bracket attached to his post to guide you through the daily matchups.

Then, on April 2, join us at the Meconi's Pub in downtown Tacoma for the Official Tournament of Breakfast Party - our winner will be announced during halftime of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship game.

The daily breakfast battles here on Spew are sponsored by Shakabrah Java on Tacoma's Sixth Avenue.

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

SPEND YOUR MORNINGS WISELY THIS WEEK >>>

It's March ... meaning Madness is once again in the air. Soon, 64 early risers will tip off and do battle in part of an annual South Sound tradition - working their way through a tediously-constructed bracket and toward ultimate supremacy.

We speak, of course, of the Weekly Volcano's Tournament of Breakfast, which kicks off March 15 right here on Spew. This year's Tournament of Breakfast marks the continuation of an epic winning streak that began in 2010 with the Volcano's Tournament of Tacos, and continued in 2011 with the Tournament of Pizza.

This year, the Volcano has the South Sound's best breakfast in its crosshairs, and it's up to readers to decide who walks away the winner.

Through the end of March, and keeping pace with the national excitement on the college basketball courts (though far more tasty), 64 area breakfast joints will compete in the Volcano's 2012 Tournament of Breakfast. These pancake-serving and egg-frying establishments were selected and seeded by readers throughout February, and now the time has come to see who's best. Marcia's Silver Spoon, Shakabrah or Old Milwaukee Cafe in Tacoma? Carrs or Burs? Darby's or the New Moon Cafe down south?

Only one can be crowned king - so vote early, often and DAILY on this blog. Use the bracket inside the print version of the Weekly Volcano to guide you through the matchups.

Then, on April 2, join us at the Meconi's Tacoma Pub & Eatery for the Official Tournament of Breakfast Party - our winner will be announced during halftime of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship game.

See you back here Thursday, March 15.

Sponsored by ...

APPLAUSE >>>

Hot off the news of John Munn's promotion from interim managing artistic director to managing artistic director, Lakewood Playhouse has seen fit to announce its 2012-2013 season.

Sherlock's Last Case by Charles Marowitz

If I recall correctly (and I frequently do), Sherlock's Last Case was the first show I ever saw at Lakewood Playhouse. Don't mistake it for a conventional murder mystery: Last Case is more a parody of Holmes than anything, and is a lot of fun for mystery-lovers and comedy-lovers alike.

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

I don't think I can say it much better than the press release: "Comedy, love, mistaken identities and mustaches ... who could ask for anything more?" One of more than a few mistaken-gender-identity Shakespeare shows. I shouldn't have to sell this. It's Shakespearian comedy, like it or not.

Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

I managed to miss this show when Lakewood put it on for the 2010 holiday season, but I presume it was well-received and successful, or they wouldn't be returning to it so soon. If nothing else, it'll be nice to have a local theatre doing a Christmas show that is not some version of A Christmas Carol.

The Children's Hour by Lillian Hellman

Once you're all comedied out, it'll be time for this still-relevant 1930s tale on the unpleasant consequences of false accusations and blind prejudice.

The Woman In Black by Stephen Malatratt

Having produced The Mousetrap recently, Lakewood has decided it's time to tackle London's next-in-line for longest running production with this English ghost story. Those who didn't catch it at Tacoma Little Theatre a couple years ago may also be familiar with the recent film starring Daniel Radcliffe.

The Rainmaker by N. Richard Nash

Nash's Rainmaker is the first show I clearly remember seeing new Lakewood boss John Munn act in, back at Tacoma Little Theatre. Apparently I've been on the Tacoma theater scene for a while, since all the shows I saw back when I first started seem to be coming around again. The Rainmaker is a funnily dramatic story of hard-luck farmers and a smooth con artist.

The Importance Of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

Wit, wit, wit and more wit. No, it's not another Aaron Sorkin play, it's Oscar Wilde's best-known farce, wherein most everyone seems to be called Ernest at some point, whether they really are or not, and a fitting close to a mostly comedic season.

LINK: Lakewood Playhouse season tickets form

IT'S PRESSURE, BUT NOT >>>

Community-wide book clubs are awesome. They get people reading and talking about literature.

The Pierce County Library System selected the New York Times Best Seller and award-winning Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by nationally known, prize-winning author Jamie Ford as the Pierce County READS book for 2012, which begins today and runs through April 13. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet tells a gripping account of the Japanese American internment during World War II, through the eyes and voice of a child as he matures through life.

Pierce County Library System has a packed menu full of 30 local events associated with the reading of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

4th Avenue Tavern Olympia - Downtown. The True Spokes. 9 pm.

• Flowmotion is now the True Spokes. Got it? Good. According to the band's website, the change was made at the beginning of the year to allow the Seattle-based quintet more artistic freedom and wiggle room when writing songs. "The music the band is writing and recording has reached a point where the name Flowmotion is an unsuitable description for who the band is now. With a solidified line up and many members writing material, transitioning to a new band name allows us to evolve into whatever it is we want to become," reads an ultimately reassuring letter to fans. And a letter was probably a good idea, considering Flowmotion had existed for a decade and built a fairly sizeable fanbase. Now that the band has a fresh start as the True Spokes, expect a new record by the same name in early March from a band striving for the same "post-jam" spotlight currently occupied by the likes of Dr. Dog, et al. - Matt Driscoll

Buzz's Tavern Olympia - Westside. Oly Mountain Boys CD Release Party. 9 pm. NC.

• Look, it wouldn't be fair for us to draw conclusions and/or reaffirm stereotypes about people who are big into bluegrass music just because the Oly Mountain Boys will celebrate the release of the band's new live CD at Buzz's Tavern on Mud Bay Road. No, that would not be fair and we will not partake in such blind musical bigotry. We'll tactfully avoid referencing the film Deliverance when discussing the musical genre, and we'll steer clear of family tree jokes that involve fans of bluegrass marrying cousins. Why? Because we're bigger than that. Plus, when the band proclaims its mission is to "reinvigorate the bluegrass genre by bringing the original bluegrass sound of the 1950s to a new generation of fans," we kind of believe them, especially after taking a listen to the passion guitarist Chris Rutledge, mandolin player Derek McSwain, banjo player Tye Menser, bassist Phil Post and fiddle player Josh Grice get down with. Yep, we're taking the high road on this one. As mentioned, Saturday's show will be a celebration for the release of a new Oly Mountain Boys live CD, recorded at the High and Dry Bluegrass Festival in Bend, Ore. - Weekly Volcano

Dorky's Arcade Tacoma - Downtown. Dungeon Science, Si Si Si, the Loose Buoys, the Triple Sixes. All Ages. 9 pm. $3.

• Dungeon Science are a part of the generation of garage rock bands being churned out of the factory that is Tacoma School of the Arts. Along with Apache Chief, they've started a collective not unlike the now mostly evaporated Team Unicorn Records from a few years back. Theirs is called Market Street Records, and their recruits are similarly fuzz-laden. Also like Apache Chief, Dungeon Science recently competed in EMP's underage battle of the bands, Sound Off!. What separates Dungeon Science from the rabble is the soulful lead vocals from Aaron Berryhill, which recalls the early days of garage rock when the main influence being called to the fore was blues and R&B. Hidden in the distorted guitars is a young voice, filled inordinately with passion and throaty yearning. - Rev. Adam McKinney
  

Eagle's Hall Olympia - Downtown. Mardi Gras Fundraiser, featuring Too Slim & The Taildraggers, Blues Attitude. Proceeds benefit The Partners in Prevention Education. All Ages. 8 pm.

Eastside Club Tavern Olympia - Downtown. The Blackberry Bushes Stringband, New Forge. 9:30 pm. $5-$10.

Forza Coffee LakeBridge Lakewood. Ben Potter. All Ages. 6 pm.

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. The #253 Party, featuring Mike "G," EMAC, South East Camp, Amber Red, P. Washington, DJ Midnight Grooves, hosted by Meechy La'Velle. 9 pm. $5.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Hell's Belles, Riot In Rhythm. All Ages. 5 pm. $10. Hell's Belles, Phasers on Kill, True Holland. 9 pm. $12-$15.

• Adrian Conner, her searing axe and her band, Hell's Belles, have been through a lot - having toured clubs and rocked the asses from coast to coast as the world's premier all-female AC/DC tribute act. In all honestly, Hell's Belles has been doing this for long enough, and with enough expertise, that one could accurately attribute the tribute band explosion to the influence of Hell's Belles and a handful of the band's contemporaries. These days comprised of Conner, bassist Mandy Reed, rhythm guitarist Lisa Brisbois, drummer Laura D and singer Amber Saxon this is still one balls-to-the-wall, all-girl rock-hard revue. Breasts, beer and head-bangin' - all of life's pleasures in one place. - WV
  

Mandolin Cafe Tacoma - Central. Josiah & Sam Bogle. All Ages. 8 pm.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Halcion Halo. 9 pm.

• It's hard to separate the music of Halcion Halo from the commanding voice that presides over it. Lead singer Jenson Charnell's voice can sometimes resemble the more mumbling, beat-poet-aspirations of Lou Reed - he never provides any release for the plodding, heavy alt-rock guitars, just ever-rising tension and downtrodden declarations. Musically, Halcion Halo sound similar to other hard-to-pin-down fixtures of those odd ‘90s negotiations between alternative rock and heavy metal. Bands like the Afghan Whigs and Queens of the Stone Age can't help but come to mind. But there is a minimalism that reigns at the heart of Halcion Halo - a minimalism that allows for creepy, little, stomping fuzz-bombs like "Someday I'll Learn to Put You Down." It's here where Halcion Halos weird ticks and affectations are most effectively put into sharp focus. - Rev AM

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. Kim Archer, Chris Hyde. 8 pm.

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Pisces Party, featuring K-Do, Killas Wit Kindness, Abom Kid, Shao Sosa, Gonzo Family, Josh Rizeberg, Dead In Vest, Blue Nose Music. 9 pm.

Tahoma Tea and Co. Tacoma - Downtown. Aleotrope and Rending Sinew. All Ages. 7 pm. NC.

• I will tell you all that I know about Aelotrope. What you do with that information is entirely up to you. May god have mercy on your soul. Here's what I know: the band is an experimental two-piece that utilizes drums, guitar and the didgeridoo. Ahem, again: THE MOTHERFUCKING DIDGERIDOO. Guess where they're from. HERE. Aelotrope hails from Tacoma, and yet the band harnesses the power of didgeridoo in a completely non-ironic (I assume) way. You know what? It kind of works. Vaguely metal-ish jams are accompanied by that familiar warbling drone, and it all manages to meld in some way into a cohesive unit of, er, something. Honestly, this is one of the more unique bands you'll find around here, and there's something to be said for being that, in and of itself. - Rev. AM

Traditions Cafe and World Folk Art Olympia - Downtown. The Downtown Mountain Boys. All Ages. 8 pm. $8-$12.

Waterstreet Cafe Olympia - Downtown. Carnival Celebration, featuring Ocho Pies. 9:30 pm.

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Not Good: 6.0 quake recorded off Oregon coast. (UPI)

Opening: After two decades of crap, the 5,000-acre Tehaleh planned community will open in Eats Pierce County. (News Tribune)

Closing: After years of crap, the Rainier Inn motel in Lakewood will close. (News Tribune)

It's ship Has Come In: Tacoma's J.M. Martinac Shipbuilding Co. will build a ship. (News Tribune)

In The Driver's Seat: GM posted record earnings in 2011, just two years after a federal bailout and bankruptcy reorganization. (CNN)

Bangkok Blast: A group of Iranians detained after prematurely exploding bombs in Bangkok on Tuesday planned to target two Israeli diplomats, Thai police believe. (BBC)

Rock And Roll Legends: Van Halen comes clean. (NPR)

Green Day: Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong tweets that recording sessions have begun in their new album. (NME)

In Honor Of The Simpsons 500th Episode This Weekend: Here is every single sentence Bart has ever written on Mrs. Krabappel's blackboard. (Buzz Feed)

Extreme Fashion: let's take a look. (Web Urbanist)

WTF