Jaime Beltran the owner of Taqueria La Fondita holds a plate of pork tacos in front of his taco truck on the corner of South 38th and South G Streets in Tacoma. Janet Jensen/The News Tribune

Editors note: Come along as we eat our way through the heart of Tacoma’s Mexican food neighborhood in another installment of our 10 restaurants-in-1-mile series where we visit 10 restaurants in a compact area. This week, we eat our way around McKinley and Pacific.

By Sue Kidd and Craig Sailor
sue.kidd@thenewstribune.com
craig.sailor@thenewstribune.com

Over the years, we’ve beaten a well-worn path from The News Tribune headquarters to Mexican eateries, such as Vuelve a la Vida on Pacific Avenue, the taco truck on South 38th Street and the old El Compadre on McKinley Avenue.

After countless burritos we began to notice something: When we said, “Let’s get Mexican!” we always headed to the same places. That’s not to say you can’t get a good south-of-the-border meal elsewhere in our area, but there is a clear concentration of Mexican restaurants in East Tacoma.

For this edition of our 10-in-one restaurant series, we look at Mexican eateries in the area from South 38th to South 56 streets, and from Pacific Avenue to McKinley Avenue. Okay, we had to stretch our 1-mile radius to snag a couple of other restaurants, but we’re hoping you won’t call us on that.

(Read our last installment of Meals by the Mile, the South Tacoma Way edition, published in October)

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Starbucks was handing out free packets of its new instant coffee, dubbed Via. I’m a caffeine addict and coffee snob, eager to try any new variation of the sacred bean.

The packet is tiny, not really feeling like a dollar’s worth of coffee. Dumping it into my favorite ceramic mug, it looked like finely ground coffee. Not Folgers-crystally at all. It had a very nice coffee aroma and dissolved instantly (!) after adding hot water from the office water station.

I did add more than the recommended 8 ounces. It was bulletproof with that little water. A full mug of water produced a delightfully nice cup of Joe. I’d say it was much better than a lot of the office coffee pots, but not nearly the fresh Americano that normally results from my coffee runs. For a quick coffee fix, I’d say not bad but a little spendy. While backpacking, this would be heaven.

Laura Adams with Cuban Black Bean(big cup), Senegal Stew(medium), and Ajiaco(small).Infinite Soups is located in downtown Tacoma. Lui Kit Wong/The News Tribune

Happy birthday to Infinite Soups, which marks its second year in business Saturday.

They've got plans to celebrate. “Come get a cupcake,” said Wendy Clapp, who owns the Tacoma takeout soup restaurant with husband Todd DeShazo and Clapp’s daughter Laura Adams.

Last year, they gave away 60 Corina cupcakes to mark their first anniversary and ran out of the cupcakes quickly. This year, they ordered 150 – although Clapp and DeShazo just realized the anniversary falls on a Saturday, a typically slower day for the small restaurant that only sells soup. Clapp says come one, come all for soup this Saturday. They offer more than a dozen kinds of soup every day –in fact, that’s all they sell is soup. Although it's a micro-focused concept to sell soup and only soup, the business has become successful enough that the three now plan to expand.

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Bad news for Tacoma, good news for Aaron Valimont, executive chef for Pacific Grill.

I got an e-mail from him this morning saying that he has given his notice at Pacific Grill and is leaving to become the executive chef of Seattle's Oceanaire, a high concept seafood restaurant owned by a Minneapolis corporation.

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Jake Hathcock, owner of Jake's Bistro in Steilacoom enjoys micro brews and good food including appetizers crab artichoke dip, left, and sundried tomato pesto tenderloin tips, center. Dean J. Koepfler / The News Tribune.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Drop-In Dining is a restaurant dining report where reporters drop in unannounced and sample the food, on TNT’s dime, then report what the scene and the food were like. Have a suggestion for a Drop-In Dining feature? E-mail us at tntdiner@thenewstribune.com.

Jake’s Bar and Bistro
WHERE: 215 Wilkes St., Steilacoom
HOURS: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.
CONTACT: 253-581-3300, www.jakesbarandbistro.comcq
PRICES: $-$$ (entrees under $30)

By Sue Kidd
sue.kidd@thenewstribune.com

Jake Hathcock knows that spending $10 or $12 on a single bottle of extreme beer at a bottle shop can give some beer fans pause. Will they like it? Is it worth the price?

His advice: Come to his upscale beer pub in Steilacoom – Jake’s Bar and Bistro – and plop down $5 or $6 to taste and decide for yourself.

Hathcock is a fan of extreme beers – those flavor-packed high-octane beers (sometimes with elevated alcohol content) that appeal to beer enthusiasts. Extreme beer has a cult following, with the trend capturing national attention. As Beer Advocate magazine describes it, extreme beer “exceeds the ordinary, usual or expected.”

Extreme beer is full of flavor and it makes sense to pair the big-taste beers with upscale eats. Beer-centric pubs around the country are doing it, and so is Hathcock.

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Friendly Foods on Center Street in Tacoma sells three or four different kinds of pirozhky.

I caught just a brief mention of pierogi on a food show a month or so ago. It was enough to get me intrigued with making that at home.

And so I launched Project Pierogi. Or Project Piroshky. Or Project Piroghi. There are a lot of ways to spell and make meat and vegetable stuffed vessels. Update alert! Until recently, ahem, I knew little about the differences between all these meat-filled vessels. Readers have told me about the difference between pierogi (boiled meat vessels, dumpling like) and piroshky (fried meat vessels, turnover like), and have given me a big list of all the versions of all kinds of Eastern European meat vessels (there are many). A dozen readers have offered me recipes for pierogi, piroshky, piroghi and __ (insert various names and variations there) and I intend to share them with you in a story. I love that when you know little about something, TNT readers line up to tell you what you need to know. And give recipes for it. Lots of recipes. I love recipes. Please send me recipes.

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First, Sonic – now Burgerville. The burger scene in South Sound is about to get really meaty.

TNT business columnist Dan Voelpel reports today that Burgerville is the latest burger chain with a cult following (me included) to eye Tacoma for a location. No announcements yet on locations, but company officials said they are coming to the Tacoma-Olympia market this year.

Read it here in Voelpel's column in today's News Tribune.

If you've never made the 50-mile track to Centralia, where the closest Burgerville is located, you are missing out on burger joy. My menu favorites: sweet potato fries, seasonal shakes (ie: pumpkin and chocolate hazelnut) Tillamook cheeseburgers and Walla Walla Onion Cheeseburgers. It's a chain that locally sources much of its ingredients and uses antibiotic and hormone free beef. Gotta like those details.

Massimo Terracciano, owner and chef of Massimo Bar and Grill with a involtini marsala dish. Lui Kit Wong/The News Tribune

EDITOR’S NOTE: Drop-In Dining is a restaurant dining report where reporters drop in unannounced and sample the food, on TNT’s dime, then report what the scene and the food were like. Have a suggestion for a Drop-In Dining feature? E-mail us at tntdiner@thenewstribune.com.

Massimo Italian Bar and Grill
Where: 13802 Purdy Drive N.W., Gig Harbor; 253-514-6237
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to closing daily, twilight menu specials 3:30-5:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday
Prices: $-$$ (entrees under $30)

By Jeffrey P. Mayor
jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com

The scene: You have to start with the view, looking down Henderson Bay, when you visit Massimo Italian Bar and Grill. The row of red taillights from the steady stream of commuters heading out to the Key Peninsula helped highlight the Purdy Spit. The line of cars made us happy to be seated at our table and not behind the wheel.

Inside, the decor is neutral and understated, with tan walls and white trim offering a clean look. A gas fireplace gives one seating area an added touch. There are five high-definition TVs – two in the bar and three in one of the dining areas. We were seated in an area without a TV but could still hear its cheering soccer fans. Tables might be better option for larger patrons as our booth was tight.

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Everyone eats barbecue. People in suits, people in jeans, people in dresses. So says Gary Kurashima, Tacoma native and owner of Fife’s Warthog Barbeque Pit. It’s what drew him to barbecue – the everyman appeal of smoked meat.

He celebrates his 10th year in business this week. I asked Kurashima what keeps his business plugging along when other restaurants come and go. In one word, his answer: consistency. His recipes are the same as when he opened 10 years ago; and so is much of his staff.

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The economy bites. Many of us are looking to cut back. Our dining dollars are in jeopardy. Or at least mine are. I still want to dine well, but I have to spend wisely. Now, more than ever, I’m looking for a good bargain at good places to eat.

So today I launch a new thread called “Steals, Deals and Discounts.” Here, you’ll find continuing updates on dining bargains or discounts at all kinds of restaurants – from kid-friendly brewpubs to upscale restaurants. Click “read more” to see the running list.

You can contribute, too. Restaurant folks and diners: Post your comments about deals or discounts spotted about town, or e-mail them to me at tntdiner@thenewstribune.com

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The ginger martini at Indochine. It may look girly, but it doesn't taste like it.

I was researching cocktails at Indochine for a GO story on cocktail lounges that publishes next Friday. I brought along a co-worker who likes flavorful drinks, but has great disdain for anything cloying (or, as he calls it "gross girl drinks").

He likes flavor, though. We wondered if there were any flavor-punched savory cocktails on the menu (something besides a bloody mary). Indochine bartender Wesley McLain had an immediate suggestion: a ginger martini.

McLain muddled pieces of fresh ginger with a mixture of Yazi ginger flavored vodka and Level vodka (the ginger vodka alone, McLain said, was "too much" ginger). McLain added a squeeze of lime and served it in a martini glass. It was perfect – aromatic from the ginger, refreshingly tart from the lime, and not girly at all (except for the flower on the rim, which we ditched).

The ginger martini is not on the menu at Indochine, but McLain or another Indochine bartender will mix it up for you. Your price for ginger goodness: $8.50.

Indochine
1924 Pacific Ave., Tacoma; 253-272-8200
Website here.

In case you missed it, TNT business columnist Dan Voelpel reported in today's paper that Sonic Drive-In will open its South Hill Puyallup location in April. Read the story here.

Disclosure: I've never been to a Sonic and I don't understand (yet) its burger-slash-soda lure. I do, however, get fast food burger enthusiasm as a general culinary obsession. Don't get me started on Friesenburgers by the Tacoma Dome. I am an official "fan" of Burgerville on my Facebook page. I routinely trek to Seattle's Crown Hill neighborhood for a Dick's Deluxe (followed by a trip to the toy store Archie McPhee). I know why people line up at In-n-Out (and I have been among them). While I'll have to wait until April to explore Sonic's appeal, I do know a LOT of people love Sonic.

Case in point on cult fanaticism: TNT diner reader Eric Thompson, a self described foodist, sent me a detailed list of why the good people of South Sound should be culinarily curious about the coming of the burger chain. His list of Sonic favorites: pellet ice, four kinds of diet soda, crunchy onion rings, stellar snack items and, oh, about 20 other reasons. Click "read more" to see Thompson's ode to Sonic (and, no, he does not work for Sonic, just a diehard fan).

Now your turn: Your thoughts on Sonic please. What's the big deal about the food there? And if you have a dissenting Sonic opinion, I'd like to hear it.

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Michele Simone, left, and wife Azusa Hirasawa are co-owners of ll Lucano. They're pictured here with a plate of scaloppine gorgonzola at their Gig Harbor restaurant. Lui Kit Wong/The News Tribune

EDITOR’S NOTE: Drop-In Dining is a restaurant dining report where reporters drop in unannounced and sample the food, on TNT’s dime, then report what the scene and the food were like. Have a suggestion for a Drop-In Dining feature? E-mail us at tntdiner@thenewstribune.com.

Il Lucano Italian Restaurant
Where: 3119 Judson Street, Gig Harbor; 253-514-8945; www.illucanoristorante.comcq
Hours: Lunch served 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Dinner served 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 4 p.m.-9 p.m. Sunday
Price range: $-$$ (Entrees under $30)

By Sue Kidd
sue.kidd@thenewstribune.com

Il Lucano in Gig Harbor is just a few months old, but the story of the restaurant started about five years ago when chef-owner Massimo Terracciano hired Michele Simone to help run the kitchen at Terracciano.

Flash forward five years: Terracciano was bustling and outgrowing its 50-seat space. At the same time, Simone was looking for his own restaurant to open.

Terracciano made Simone an offer: How about you open your restaurant here when I find my bigger place?
How could Simone refuse?

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The Pink Pussycat at Tempest Lounge. Where would you go for a romantic cocktail?

I stopped in at Tempest Lounge Tuesday night for a GO section story about romantic cocktailing.

Co-owner Denise Tempest said she expects the Pink Pussycat to be the popular cocktail choice leading up to Valentine's Day next weekend. The Pussycat is a tart drink with gin, freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and pineapple juice.

I'm also planning cocktail excursions to Indochine and El Gaucho this week for research.

A question: Where do you go for a romantic cocktail with a sweetie? Anywhere else I should pay a visit?

I passed along our list of recommended South Sound chefs to the 'Top Chef' producers. Click this link to see which South Sound chefs TNT Diner readers recommended for the show. Thanks readers for giving your suggestions. Let's see if we can't get a Tacoma chef on the show.

Donna Lee, the casting associate with "Top Chef" who called me Monday about the BRAVO show coming to town, told me that the open audition for chefs takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday Feb. 11 at Canlis in Seattle.

Chefs, get your resumes ready. Attention publicity hounds: If you plan to audition, let me know, I'd like to follow you along and do a story about your experience. E-mail me directly at sue.kidd@thenewstribune.com or call me at 253-597-8270. Hope to hear from you.

Donna Lee, a casting associate for the television show "Top Chef," just called to ask which Tacoma chefs should be solicited for an audition when the show's producers are in Seattle next week (more info on the open casting call when I get details). She specifically wanted to know which "inventive Tacoma chefs should be on our list" (gotta love those words together).

I gave Lee a partial list of Tacoma toques who fit the show's criteria: chef-owners or executive chefs with cooking credentials that lean to the impressive side.

These chefs immediately came to mind: Diana Prine (Fife City Bar & Grill), Charlie McManus (Primo Grill), Gordon Naccarato (Pacific Grill), Jeff Bishop (Merende) and Matt Brandsey (Sea Grill).

I know I missed many. Which Tacoma chefs do you think producers should ask to come audition? Comment here, please. I'll send our list to Lee.

More info on the Bravo show "Top Chef" here.
More info here on Zoi Antonitsas, the Seattle native who appeared on Season 4 of "Top Chef."

The parking lot was full last week, but Olympia's Ranch House BBQ Restaurant wasn't open -- not quite yet. Contractors were the ones taking up the parking spaces, but by next week, customers will flood the parking lot.

"We're opening February 9," said an elated Ranch House co-owner Melanie Tapia. She sounded far less stressed than when I last spoke with her in December. At that time, the popular barbecue restaurant was to have opened Jan. 2, but the snow dump delayed that by a month.

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The rainbow roll, A.S. roll and lobster roll at Osaka Sushi Bistro.

This is the seventh and final installment of South Sound maki sushi.

Osaka Sushi Bistro
Where: 3806 Bridgeport Way W., University Place; 253-564-3300
Price: $ (Entrees under $14)

You might drive right past Osaka Sushi Bistro without taking notice. It's tucked into the corner of the same strip mall as Trader Joe's and Cake, an arty home and apparel store.

Osaka came recommended as a place for good sushi, but the menu is as much noodles and Japanese entrees -sukiyaki, teriyaki, katsu and donburi - as it is a restaurant for sushi. The maki menu is straightforward and there are about 30 rolls divided into chef's specials, tempura rolls and standard rolls that also can be served as hand rolls.

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