HAPPY BASTILLE DAY! >>>

On Bastille Day, local Frenchmen party like it’s 1789.

Yup, Francophiles of the South Sound unite on this day to celebrate the most important historical events for the French: the liberation of the Bastille prison and the end of the French monarchy.

The Weekly Volcano has never had anything against the French (even during those dark “Freedom Fries” days), so we will celebrate the day by showing you pictures of French toast (natch!).

Egg bread French toast at The Hub in the Stadium District

French toast stuffed with peanut butter at The Old House Café in Proctor

Late night French toast at Happy Days Casino in Lakewood

Orange infused egg battered Galway toast at Paddy Coyne's Irish Pub in downtown Tacoma.

For the morning sweet toothed-diner, the Hotel Murano serves gourmet gingerbread French toast.

And on special one day at The Spar in Old Town Tacoma: Banana cream stuffed French toast

THIS JUST IN >>>

This just in from Pierce Transit:

Lakewood, WA - The Pierce Transit Board of Commissioners on Monday evening selected a plan to preserve service levels with the goal of providing financially sustainable public transportation that area residents value and use.  The Board directed staff to put forward a ballot proposition for the February 8, 2011 election to exercise the final 0.3% sales tax authority available to Pierce Transit to provide funding to meet current service demands.

Over the last year, Pierce Transit has carefully developed and refined service plans centered on three rounds of extensive public input.  The final alternatives were based on two funding levels; one that reduces service while utilizing the current sales tax level of 0.6% (6 cents on a $10 purchase), and one that preserves service by exercising the remaining sales tax authority of 0.3% (an additional 3 cents on a $10 purchase).

Since the beginning of the recession, Pierce Transit has been actively addressing the impacts of sharp declines in sales tax revenue.  The agency was one of the first entities to experience a layoff of personnel -a five percent reduction.  Pierce Transit delayed or eliminated capital projects, reduced service by nearly six percent, and increased regular adult fares by 25 cents.   Those actions combined with employee identified operational efficiencies have saved over $72 million. 

The Pierce Transit Board also directed staff to continue to look for ways to cut more costs without impacting service until the voters have their say in February of 2011.

Updated maps and information for the adopted plan will be posted on www.pttomorrow.org on Friday, July 16.

LINK: Tacoma Tomorrow has been following the action

THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 2010 >>>

1. The 2010 Soul of the City Tacoma Poet Laureate Tammy Robacker will give her premiere reading since winning the title at 7 p.m. inside  the Tacoma Public Library Main Branch. The free event will also include readings by former Soul of the City Poet Laureates Antonio Edwards and William Kupinse, as well as three of this year's 2010 Poet Laureate contest candidates, Brittany Short, Deborah Renee Crespo, and Pamela McCauley.

2. Author James Clarkson explains why Roswell and UFOs in general are anything but case closed at 6 p.m. inside Orca Books in Olympia.

3. Second City Chamber Series kicks off its summer concerts at Lakewold Gardens with Russian music by Rachmanoninov and Shostakovich played by Brittany Boulding (violin), Julian Schwarz (cello) and Natalya Ageyeva (piano) during a picnic at 7:30 p.m.

4. Dreams Jaded, Rip Spacer, The Chelsea Speed Party, and The Endeavors play Hell's Kitchen at 9 p.m.

5. J-Fresh mixes hip-hop and Top 40 videos during ladies night at 10 p.m. inside The Gamers Lounge on South Hill Puyallup.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

DINING NEWS, NIBBLES AND BITS >>>

Tipsy Tuesday: Brix 25 in Gig Harbor hosts an all-day happy hour every Tuesday featuring $5 wine, $4 draft beers $5 specialty cocktails and half-priced appetizers. More South sound happy hours here.

Tuesday Deal: Goodfellas Italian Steakhouse inside the Great American Casino offers a four-course dinner every Tuesday from 5-7 p.m. for $20. Do it at 10117 S. Tacoma Way in Lakewood.

Nosh League: Join our foodie social conglomerate and attend our wine and cheese tasting July 8 at Cork!

Future things Are Coming: Wine Bank in University Place hosts Small Vineyards Italian wine tasting with appetizers Thursday, July 1 for $16.50 per person. Importer Tristan Ohms will lead the tasting, which sold out last year. Reserve your spot at 253.564.1101.

Food Matters: A list of LA's best Mexican popsicles

LINK: South Sound happy hours

LINK: Restaurant coupons

LINK: South Sound Restaurant Guide

TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 2010 >>>

1. The Lakewood Historical Society presents Steilacoom historian and author Joan Curtis, who will discuss "The Bad Boys of McNeil Island" - Robert Stroud, Roy Gardner, Alvin Karpis, Frederick Emerson Peters, Charles Manson, and others - at 7 p.m. inside the Lakewood Library.

2. The Tacoma Wheelmen's Bicycle Club hold their monthly meeting, which will include a presentation by the staff from Tacoma Bike about mandatory bike equipment, at 6 p.m. inside the Wild West VFW Post 91 at 2000 S. Union Ave. in Tacoma.

3. Does the idea of having a "Q" and no "U" give you the fantods? Do you know what it means to be greedy about triple-letter and double-word scores? Then the Scrabble Rousers have an event for you. Their "Schools Out" Scrabble competition pits adept, strategic descramblers of seven letters against each other, both competitively and socially, from 6:30-9:30 p.m. inside the Washington State History Museum. So put that Machiavellian plotting to capitalize on triple-word tiles to use for a great cause the $10 entrance fee goes directly top the Tacoma Community House Student Scholarship Fund, which assists students as they transfer from TCH to community college.

4. Banned Book Club - a book club reading books that have been banned or challenged - will discuss The Color Purple by Alice Walker over cocktails at 7 p.m. inside the Tempest Lounge.

5. Neutralboy, The Depths, Locke N Load, and Nothing You'd Like rock Hell's Kitchen beginning at 9 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

BIFF! POW! WOW! >>>

Word has been floating amid the circle of regulars for the past week, but today it is official: Comic Book Ink will no longer be Tacoma's largest comic retailer.

Proprietor John Munn this morning signed a fresh lease on a new storefront in the Lakewood Cinema Plaza (2510 84th St. S.), home of the 15 screen Regal movie theater, on Aug. 1, placing the shop just outside Tacoma's city limits for the first time in its eight-year history.

The new space will provide "500 more square feet of space, more interior space and more parking," according to Munn, for what is reportedly significantly less cost than their current location at 72nd Street's Johnsborough Station. The shop originally opened in the Proctor District in 2002, but was forced by construction to move to East Tacoma in 2005.

Comic Book Ink has also had a longstanding partnership with their new neighbor, manning a booth with giveaways at midnight premieres of comic-inspired films such as this Spring's Iron Man 2. Whether this will evolve into late-night openings and promotions for the shop itself remains to be seen.

MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2010 >>>

1. The Squeak and Squawk Music Festival wraps up tonight with Butts, The Drug Purse, and Wheelies rocking The New Frontier Lounge beginning at 9 p.m.

2. Erich Woll will be busy today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. exploring glass art in the Museum of Glass' Hot Shop as the featured artist of the day. Drop by and watch Woll work wonders.

3. Drumatic Innovation will be providing an introduction to facilitated drum circles at 7 p.m. at the Center in Tacoma - which happens to be at 6108 Mt. Tacoma Dr. in Lakewood

4. The Graphic Novel Book Club discusses The Complete Essex County by Jeff Lemire over craft cocktails at 7 p.m. inside the 1022 Lounge in Tacoma.

5. Loose Gravel & The Quarry will fill The Swiss with blues beginning at 8 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events today in the South Sound

DINING NEWS, NIBBLES AND BITS >>>

Market Time: You can find cut herbs, seasonal fruits and vegetables, fresh fish and baked goods along with live entertainment, free crafts for the kids and gardening advice from master gardeners from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Proctor Farmers Market.

Grand Re-Opening: The Safeway at 1112 S. M St. holds a grand re-opening party celebration today with discounts.

Wine Tasting: Water to Wine in Gig Harbor hosts a Graham Beck wine tasting today from 2-5 p.m. More wine tastings can be found here.

Happy Hour: GoodFella's Italian Steakhouse in Lakewood offers $5 appetizers and half-off drinks from 4-7 p.m. today. More South Sound happy hours can be found here.

Future Things Are Coming: Asado on Sixth Avenue in Tacoma will host a Peay/Failla/Turley wine dinner Thursday, June 24 at 6 p.m. The cost is $85 per person. Reserve your spot at 253.272.7770.

Food Matters: Backyard chickens deserve a taste of yuppie life, too. Designer coops start at only $440.

LINK: South Sound happy hours

LINK: Restaurant coupons

LINK: Join the Nosh League

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 2010 >>>

1. A Leaf, Zoo Animal, and The Reaching play at 9 p.m. inside Hell's Kitchen.

2. Meet with women-specific product vendors and community organizations, get tips from local experts on health, nutrition, fitness, and outdoor adventure during Diva Night from 6-8 p.m. at REI in Tacoma.

3. Tom Llewellyn, one half of the guerilla letterpress duo Beautiful Angle, celebrates the release of his debut young adult novel, The Tilting House, at 6:30 p.m. inside King's Books.

4. Sixties coffee house veteran (guitarist, not barista) J.W. McClure and jazz/blues guitarist Thaddeus Spae perform at 7 p.m. inside A Rhapsody in Bloom Florist and Café Latte on Sixth Avenue.

5. The Schooner Pub and Galley in Lakewood hosts a comedy night featuring seven comedians beginning at 8 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

TODAY'S HAPPY HOUR DISCUSSION TOPIC >>>

Discuss Lady Gaga's new video for "Alejandro" over happy hour at:

The Schooner Pub & Galley

5429 100th St. S.W.
Lakewood, WA 98499
(253) 584-1919

Hours: 3-7 p.m. Monday-Friday

Drinks: $2 domestics, $3 micros, $2.50 wells

Food: $4.65 mozzerella cheese sticks, $4.65 boneless hot wings, $3.85 deep-fried mushrooms, $3.65 onion rings, $3.96 gizzards, $3.95 steak bites, $3.35 chicken nuggets, $2.25 curly fries, and more.

By the way, Lady Gaga will perform Saturday, Aug. 21 inside the Tacoma Dome.

LINK: More South Sound happy hours