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Sue Kidd is the Lifestyle Editor at The News Tribune and the ringleader for the Food and Home&Garden sections. She has worked as a food journalist at Northwest newspapers since 1993, most recently as a food writer, editor and restaurant reviewer in King County before joining The News Tribune in 2004. Her food obsessions at the moment are honey, cheese and oysters.

Craig Sailor is the Arts&Entertainment editor at The News Tribune. He grew up on a garlic farm near Gilroy, Calif. and now farms oysters in his spare time at Willapa Bay. He’s traveled the world from Kyoto/Kuala Lumpur/Hong Kong to Zanzibar in search of great food.

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Good eats and drinks around Tacoma, Pierce County and South Puget Sound
Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008
Posted by Debbie Cafazzo @ 06:00:00 am

Il Trattoria di Merende co-owner Julia Lombardi now says she’s hoping for a mid-December opening of the downtown Tacoma restaurant. Readers on TNT Diner have been wondering why the debut —at one time, promised in September – is taking so long. The answer is: they're still working on it.

Lombardi was hard at work recently getting ready for a health department inspection and putting last-minute touches on the restaurant, which is located in the spot that once housed Vin Grotto.

Merende means snack or small bite in Italian, and that's what they'll offer, along with full entrees. You can look forward to combinations like fig and prosciutto, or pasta with meat ragout, made with a touch of nutmeg.
Lombardi said the restaurant concept is based on an Italian tradition, in which farmers share small plates of food during the midday meal.

Merende will be open for lunch and dinner, and will offer a full bar.

Il Trattoria di Merende
813 Pacific Ave., Tacoma
253-722-1993
http://merenderestaurant.com