BEGINNING ON THE RIGHT NOTE >>>

Sure, maybe you're accustomed to venturing to Lakewood Playhouse for theatrical performances. Maybe you even caught a recent production of Play It Again, Sam? But chances are you haven't seen a concert at Lakewood Playhouse - something that can change this week with the start of Lakewood Playhouse's Concert Series. According to hype, renowned Celtic singer Colleen Raney, billed as "among the best young Celtic singers of her generation," will perform at Lakewood Playhouse Thursday along with Colm MacCárthaigh and Christine Traxlerfor Traxler - offering an evening of musical enjoyment the likes of which are rarely seen in Lakewood Towne Center.

[Lakewood Playhouse, Thursday, Feb. 16, 8 p.m., $15, 5729 Lakewood Towne Center Blvd., Lakewood, 253.588.0042]

WE'RE SEEDING OUR TOURNAMENT OF BREAKFAST! >>>

In March, the Weekly Volcano will host the South Sound Tournament of Breakfast. Chosen through the nomination process below, the top 64 vote getters - the cream of the griddle - will compete daily on our blog - weeklyvolcanospew.com - March 15-April 2. Through online voting, readers will pick daily winners until the Best Breakfast in the South Sound is crowned. It's just like March Madness, only with way more syrup. The Tournament of Breakfast grand champion will be announced at our Tournament of Breakfast Party at 6 p.m. April 2 (details soon).

First, we need you to help select the 64 restaurants that should be included in the tournament. Who has the best breakfast in the South Sound? Vote for your favorite below.

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Break Out The Chanting: Committee OKs Senate Bill 6085 on religious permits for state Capitol grounds. (News Tribune)

Let's Head To Puyallup: Pierce County law enforcement officers will poke around Lakewood bars this weekend. (News Tribune)

Final Florida Push: Republican presidential hopefuls today head into the homestretch of the critical Florida primary campaign after a fractious debate. (CNN)

US Economy: Nice fourth quarter. (BBC)

Dig Experimental Filmmaking?: Start drooling. (Handmade Cinema)

Dig Moustache Filmmaking?: You're in luck. (Live Line)

Videos: Letterman's 10 most genuine moments with his guests. (Splitsider)

Question: Will a Dwight Schrute spinoff work? (Deadline)

Hey Ferris, How's Your Bod?

SO. MUCH. FOOD. >>>

On Thursday, Jan. 12, 25 dedicated foodies and Weekly Volcano peeps gathered at Café Banana in Lakewood to sample an eye-opening variety of curry dishes and colorful cocktails. From a Massaman lamb curry to roasted chicken Kulumar to classic Penang, green and red curries, the choices were diverse, ample and delicious. It was an enormous amount of food. Many Nosh Leaguers took home piles of curry.

Proprietor Tony Wen provided a curry history lesson, noting trade routes and spice variations.

Accompany the five curry dishes and curry puffs, Wen poured very strong mango vodka slushies and blue rum drinks.

As the gathering wound up, attendees signed up for their Nosh League newsletter, gathered their raffle prizes and slowly moved toward the door. We're talking a lot a food.

Keep your eye out for future Nosh League events organized by the Weekly Volcano. Also, please rate the restaurants in our South Sound Restaurant Guide.

[Cafe Banana, 10115 S. Tacoma way, Lakewood, 253.589.4678]

LINK: More photos from Café Banana Nosh League event

LINK: Learn about Nosh League

HOLIDAY HELPINGS >>>

Still reeling from New Year's Eve? Don't pack up the party just yet: The Year of the Dragon is on, kicking off 15 days of Chinese New Year festivities around the world. But it's not just an excuse to get drunk and make resolutions; this is also the most important Chinese holiday of the year, a period of purging, bonding and ritual tied to the lunar and solar cycles of the earth.

In honor of the holiday, let's eat Chinese today.

Happy Dragon Chinese Food

5104 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.0800
One of the oldest Chinese restaurants in Tacoma with some of the oldest Chinese servers in Tacoma - who happen to be very nice. The mango chicken, Mongolian beef and tangy eggplant are our go-to dishes. - Jake and Jason de Paul

Happy Teriyaki #4

2223 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.1544
The small franchise location specializes in fast, tasty and affordable Asian cuisine; Chinese teriyaki dishes dominate the menu with a smattering of Mongolian, Szechwan, Korean, Cantonese and Japanese dishes thrown in - sushi, sushi rolls, sashimi, bento box, tempura, chow mien, kimchi, soups, spring rolls, barbeque pork, yakisoba, katsu, almond chicken, fried rice, beef short ribs and stir-fry. The portions are generous and affordable. What stands out is the friendly attitude of the staff. On each visit, service has not only been efficient and swift but pleasantly provided. - Jennifer Johnson

K&C Burkie

12926 Bridgeport Way SW. Lakewood, 253.582.9250
Friendly faces serve standard American food alongside Korean, Chinese and Japanese dishes at K & C Burkie Burgers just outside McChord gates. The small, clean and casual eatery does a good job with both East and West offerings - corn dog or gyoza, California wrap or spicy tuna roll, chili cheese dog or chicken teriyaki, curly fries or scallop roll. - JJ

Lobster House

711 S. 38th St., Tacoma, 253.471.8982
At the Lobster House in Tacoma's International District a range of Chinese dishes can be had; radish cakes, congee (rice porridge), chicken feet, salt and pepper squid, chow mein, walnut prawns, hum bao, chow fun and the hot ticket item of the moment: dim sum. Think of dim sum as small meat and vegetable filled pouches, or even simpler as Chinese dumplings. - JJ

Macau Casino Restaurant

9811 South Tacoma Way, Lakewood, 253.983.1777
Chef King Heun Wai, who has won local and national awards, and who has repeatedly been distinguished as one of America's top 100 Chinese Chefs, and who has earned House of Hong in Seattle's Chinatown a place on King 5's Best of Western Washington list of the top five Chinese restaurants, now brings his talent and more than 30 years of experience to Lakewood's Macau Casino as executive chef. The Chinese menu has 87 different items. - JJ

The Green Coconut Tree

8813 Edgewater Dr. SW, Lakewood, 253.473.4444.\
The tiny joint serves Chinese, Vietnamese and ... yes a full complement of Jamaican cuisine. Green Coconut Tree is a casual restaurant with simple furnishings and minimal décor. Two flat screen televisions on either wall had me mesmerized like staring into a fire. The place was clean, and we were given cloth napkins - a nice, unexpected touch.  - JJ

Shanghai House

1126 Commerce St., Tacoma 253.627.1859
Shanghai House opened in April 2009. We give Shanghai big props on portion sizes, for sure. The food is average. Read our review here. - Jake and Jason de Pauls

Three Sisters Tacoma Szechuan

9601 South Tacoma Way, Lakewood, 253.581.0102
Folks, this is as real as it gets around here. Chinese (Sichuan) with a huge menu, well over a hundred options, and the portions are big and the flavors fresh. Their idea of a starter soup is more trough-like than cup. Crispy pork & tofu with hot tomato sauce, hot pepper fried shredded potato, eggplant in hot garlic sauce - they excel in hot and spicy. Thin, marinated lamb strips had a bit of fat, giving the dish a bump in richness. Quite tender meat gave easily at tooth touch. White onion and green and red bell peppers made up half the dish. Plentiful dried chili pepper pods were carefully avoided after a first blind forkful nearly made my head explode. - Ron Swarner

LINK: Eating in the Year of the Dragon

WHEN WEATHER REPORTS SCARE >>>

AccuWeather just dropped this on the Weekly Volcano World Headquarters:

January 16, 2012 – State College, PA – After a modest round of wintry weather over the weekend, more snow, including a potentially historic winter storm will target the Pacific Northwest this week, with heavy accumulations expected, even in Seattle.

In the Cascades of Washington and Oregon, snow will be measured in feet and along some western-facing slopes, it could take multiple yard sticks to total up the powder!

Read more...

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YEAR-END LIST OF A DIFFERENT SORT >>>

While most of you spent your post Christmas-Festivus-Hanukkah-holiday storing away fuzzy decorations or tyring to restore your belief that your children are the moons to your tides, Emergency Food Network Director Helen McGovern crunched numbers. From her Lakewood office, she threw some additional coal on the fire and compared this past year's bounty to 2010. Here is what she discovered:

In 2011, area food programs distributed 19,396,885 pounds of food, which equates to 15,517,664 meals - more than 1 million more meals than 2010.

Emergency Food Network provides 80 percent of Pierce County's emergency food. EFN distributes nutritious, staple food to 67 food banks, shelters, and hot meal sites in Pierce County.

Area food programs see an average of 147,000 visitors each month.

Demand for emergency food in our community increased 43 percent from 2008 to 2010, and then grew an additional 6 percent in 2011.

Total visits to food banks, meal sites and shelters topped 1,285,000 visits, an increase of 74,000 over 2010.

In 2011, the Gottfried and Mary Fuchs foundation contributed $100,000 to help EFN purchase food.

The Gary E. Milgard Foundation granted EFN $75,000 to support warehouse operations

Washington Women's Foundation contributed $50,000 towards food purchase.

EFN's Abundance charity auction raised mor ethan $200,000 for the organization

Pierce County Hunger Walk raised an additional $130,000.

EFN received $100,000 from the Murdoch Charitable Trust to help replace its roof, along with $50,000 from the Puyallup Tribe and $50,000 from an anonymous donor to help with roof construction.

EFN also receives funding totaling more than $400,000 from the federal government, the State of Washington, the City of Tacoma, the City of Lakewood and Pierce County.

Widows of the four fallen officers in Lakewood worked with the Lakewood Police Department to raise more than $40,000 and more than 40,000 pounds of food during the 2^nd annual Fallen Officers Food Drive.

Emergency Food Network received other gifts around the holidays, including $25,000 from the Walmart Foundation, $10,000 from the Safeco Insurance Foundation and $5,000 from the William Kilworth Foundation.

EFN also received $10,000 from the Hendrix Foundation and $5,000 from Quadrant Homes for Mother Earth Farm.

For information about the Emergency Food Network, to donate, or to learn about volunteer opportunities, visit www.efoodnet.org.

Nice work Helen.

LINK: Hey! Didn't she ...

LAKEWOOD BEAT >>>

The Moon Rise Café in Lakewood will be closed until further notice because a car crashed into it this morning around 8 a.m. No one was seriously hurt.

Updates are available at the Moon Rise Cafe's Facebook.

Every New Year's Eve we do it to ourselves. Why? Is it the sweet clink of the ice cubes? The exhilarating pop of the cork? Or just the way the night seems to open up into endless magical possibilities?

Whatever it is, things aren't so magical the next morning. There's nothing glamorous or exhilarating about bloodshot eyes swollen shut. Instead of trying to remember who dropped the poison into your eyeballs, soothe the savage orb with wikiHow's seven steps to cure puffy eyes. You're so welcome.

From everyone at the Weekly Volcano and Spew land, we wish you a happy new year!

LINK: 5 Ways to be a Better (cough) You!

HEAD INTO THE DARKNESS >>>

Gathering 'round the tree is all well and good on Christmas morn. But what do you do after the last shred of wrapping paper lands in a trash bag, the feast is demolished and you've tired of admiring – or deploring – your gifts?

Go to the movies!

Click here for a schedule of what's playing tonight.I