After false starts with previous buyers, Brix 25 in Gig Harbor officially has sold.

Partners Katie Doherty and Thad Lyman took over the restaurant Friday.

They'll keep general manager Jason Winniford on staff. Chef Bryce Lamb is staying for a few weeks to help through the transition, said Doherty.

Doherty and Lyman are partners in life and business -- and have a solid background in wine-centric restaurants. They formerly were partners in the Napa Valley Grille, a Yountville restaurant that features cuisine inspired by various wine countries throughout the world. They were partners in that restaurant from 2003 until January this year when they moved here to purchase Brix 25.

Both Doherty and Lyman grew up in the Northwest and started their careers in Tacoma.

=> Read more!

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.

=> Read more!

In case you missed it, John Gillie of our Business team wrote that Fujiya Japanese Restaurant is for sale.

Tacoma transplant Tina Kalinowski just couldn’t sit by and watch as her favorite neighborhood cafe went belly up.

So in late October, she rallied her husband, Caesar, and some friends – Jeff and Jayne Vanderstelt – and together they bought Shakabrah Java, a pioneer business that helped launch the revival of Tacoma’s Sixth Avenue business district in the early 1990s.

Kalinowski, who owned a banquet hall back in Illinois, moved to the Sixth Avenue neighborhood in 2004 and promptly fell in love with Shakabrah’s funky hippie-dippy atmosphere, blueberry pancakes and “magical” potatoes.

“We bought it because we didn’t want to see it close,” Kalinowski says. “We heard it was for sale and we were like, ‘My goodness. We gotta jump on that.’ ”

The new management asked previous owner Angel Stamborsky if she could stick around for a month or so, until they got the hang of things. But it turned into a great working relationship, and she’s still in the kitchen as an employee – which is where she started out 13 years ago.

Kalinowski has kept the menu largely the same, with breakfast served all day, along with lunch.

In the new year, she hopes to extend Shakabrah’s hours into the evening, and add live music and open mike nights into the mix. She’s applied for a beer and wine license, and is also working on a new menu item, to be titled “Sixth Avenue Breakfast.”

Shakabrah Java
2618 Sixth Ave., Tacoma
253-572-2787
Hours: 7 AM-4 PM Mon.-Sat. and 8 AM-4 PM Sun.

I was in Los Angeles last week (they now officially have more Vietnamese restaurants than we do, a change from my last trip there). I did a little trip to Disneyland with the family unit and found out, that, uh huh, just like last year's trip to Disneyland, the food at the park pretty much still sucks. I did eat a pretty good corndog in line for California Screamin', though. But enough about my trip southward.

Here's what I missed, and because I was gone, here's what you missed:

* The sad: Exit 133 reported a few days ago that Shakabrah Java is closing. Read it here. We're going to dig around a bit on the story, as well. Watch for a post later this week on that.

* The good: Brix 25 in Gig Harbor got a new top toque. His name is Bryce Lamb and he most recently was chef at La Fermata in Bremerton. Here are a few excerpts from a press release from Brix 25:

Chef Lamb is bringing almost two decades worth of culinary experience and travel to Gig Harbor. "My approach is to bring seasonal dishes with as many local ingredients as possible at the peak of their freshness," Chef Lamb said.

Chef Lamb's most recent tenure was at La Fermata where he served as the executive Chef for six years. La Fermata is an intimate seasonal Northwest restaurant with an Italian influence located in the Manette area
of Bremerton. "We are very fortunate to find a chef with this kind of talent and experience locally." said General Manager Jason Winniford.

Look for Chef Lamb's new seasonal menu to roll out toward the end of October. You can visit the Brix 25 website www.harborbrix.com for a full biography on Brix's new chef and his current menu when it is released.

So what else did I miss? Freeform, go ahead and post away dear readers.

Add Italy to the international mix of restaurants on that stretch of Pacific Avenue between South Ninth and South Seventh streets in downtown Tacoma.

Il Trattoria di Merende (merende means "small bite") is planning a soft opening Sept. 21. It will join India Mahal, Irish pub Paddy Coyne's and Tex-Mex restaurant Matador in what Merende co-owner Julia Lombardi calls a pocket neighborhood with "real European flair."

"I think we've all tried to engender that," Lombardi says. "This whole area has changed dramatically."

Lombardi, husband Kenneth and son Ian are co-owners of the new venture. Local favorite Jeff Bishop, formerly of Il Fiasco, will be doing his thing in the kitchen. Ian will be managing the restaurant, though he did his own chef training in Florence, Italy.

Merende will focus on small plates, priced between $10 and $12, along with larger entrées, small pizzas and a full bar. Said bar – of deep gray slate – was curing under fans Wednesday afternoon when I poked my head in.

The old Vin Grotto space has been transformed with exposed brick walls, slate floors, recycled-glass tile and industrial-style exposed ductwork overhead. (Pictures below.)

The Lombardis are shooting for an upscale feel that's still relaxed enough for families. By staying open until 11 p.m. or later, they'll offer a spot for theatergoers and UWT students looking for a late-night bite.

Check back for updates here when Merende opens its doors at 813 Pacific Ave.

The rumors of Brix 25's sale are not true. At least not anymore.

I spoke with Jason Winniford, general manager, of Brix 25 in Gig Harbor and he confirmed that there had been someone interested in buying the restaurant. They got so far as to apply for some licensing, which is probably why all the rumors have been circulating of the impending sale, Winniford noted.

But, no more.

"We have no intentions of selling the restaurant," said Winniford.

So what happened to the potential owner? "She couldn't afford it," said Winniford. They asked her to make a decision and her decision was to walk away.

Carry on people, nothing to see here.

East and West Cafe at the Tacoma Mall, which has been closed for remodeling, has set a date to re-open: Friday Sept. 5. The news comes from new manager Toi Britton, a former TNT staffer and a friend of East and West owner Vien Floyd.
Location:
East and West Cafe, 5319 Tacoma Mall Blvd., 253-475-7755

Back in May, the ownership of downtown Tacoma's sweet spot, Corina Bakery, changed hands.

Yes, it is still the Land of Cake. It is also becoming much more.

Seeing as how I'm fortunate enough to live a couple blocks away, I've popped in a few (OK, several) times to see the changes under new owners Mike and Molly Ott and baker Julie Rex.

I talked to Molly today, who ran down a list of new offerings at the bakery: a savory cheesecake with a walnut crust, olive tapenade and herbed cheese, to be spread on crackers or crostini; flaky butter croissants; rosemary sourdough loaves and French-style baguettes; and a savory bread pudding. Corina also can do special order gluten-free versions of most of its baked goods.

I can vouch for the huge muffins – my grandma would say Texas-size – with a puckery lemon glaze.

Julie says they're also working on a theme month for October showcasing the apples of the season, with a plan to feature similar seasonal ingredients a few times a year.

"We want to continue to expand the menu so it becomes more of a bistro," Molly adds. They're also hoping to acquire a beer and wine license. That way people who stop in for dessert could also have a bit of cheese and a glass of port for a change, Molly says.

But never fear, Julie says, the customer-favorite tall red velvet cake will stay. And her favorite?

"Asking if I have a favorite is like asking a parent if they favor one child over the other." she says with a laugh. "That's my diplomatic answer."

Fair enough. I, for one, am excited to see more locally made bread in Tacoma. Which brings me to a documentary freshly out on DVD that might be of interest to you all. It's about Edward Espe Brown, the Zen teacher and baker known for his groundbreaking "Tassajara Bread Book," which is nearly 40 years old.

I can't capture the charm of watching Ed hold forth on the enlightening pleasures of making a few loaves with your own hands. You'll have to rent it yourself.

Here's the trailer for a taste.

UPDATE: East and West Cafe at the Tacoma Mall, which has been closed for remodeling, has set a date to re-open: Friday Sept. 5. The news comes from new manager Toi Britton, a former TNT staffer and a friend of East and West owner Vien Floyd.

Fans of the East and West Cafe on Tacoma Mall Boulevard have been wondering why the Asian eatery has been closed this summer.

The answer: a back-to-the future change in management, and a remodel.

East and West founder Vien Floyd, 72, says she tried to retire, and turned the restaurant’s operation over to her son last year. But he decided the business wasn’t for him, and Floyd missed it.

So Floyd is coming back, with a new and improved kitchen and restaurant. She hopes to reopen some time in September.

A sign on the restaurant’s front door promises a return to “the same Vietnamese cooks and service you have come to expect over the past 15 years.”

Meanwhile, fans of the Proctor District East and West can enjoy Floyd-influenced cuisine. But the restaurant is now operated by a niece and her husband.

Restaurants located here:
Tacoma Mall location: 5319 Tacoma Mall Blvd
Tacoma web site here.
Proctor location: 2514 North Proctor St., 253-756-5092

There are some new faces behind the bar at what used to be Ida's Pub on St. Helens Avenue in Tacoma.

Brock Leach and Jonathan Rouse bought the space in mid-May and have been running their new bar, the Mix, for about a month and a half.

The two are teachers – Brock teaches math at community college, and Jonathan teaches French at Puyallup High School – and it's their first foray into bar ownership.

Though the two were regulars at Ida's.

"The whole idea behind the name was because we've been coming here for years and it's always been a mix of people from all walks of life: white collar/blue collar, young/old, gay/straight – and the fact we make mixed drinks," says Brock.

It's that same sort of diverse crowd that's still coming through the doors for weekend karaoke and a place to chill.
Jonathan says the pair would like to open up the space with new lighting and paint, but since they're leasing, they won't be making any structural changes.

Fair enough. The 1904 building that Mix shares with Puget Sound Pizza and the Webster Apartments, along with a handful of other small businesses, is regal indeed, which I can attest to. I lived above Ida's when I first moved to T-town, the clang of my old radiators adding a top note to the music downstairs.

The grand opening isn't till September, most likely, but you can try a Mix signature cocktail (vodka, cranberry, pineapple, OJ, grenadine and black raspberry liqueur) anytime.

The Mix
635 St. Helens Ave.
Tacoma

Leave it to a breed called the Golden 300 to lay the perfect egg.

A fat, orange, glossy duck egg.

Can't quite picture it? Allow me:

I've been on the hunt for these luscious specimens for a while. I see them often at the farmers markets in Seattle, but haven't found any in Tacoma. Sue tells me to check out Pal-Do World in Lakewood.

Meantime, I had to check in with one of my favorite little farms on Vashon Island, Sea Breeze. Their property sits next to a home belonging to a co-worker's sister, so I've admired their pigs from afar.

I chatted today with Charlie Rogers, who manages Sea Breeze's farmers market and kitchen operations. Turns out the farm opened a retail shop in downtown Vashon about two weeks ago. You can check them out at 17635 100th Ave. S.W. (it's one block west of the main highway).

They're offering ready-to-eat meals, with a rotating seasonal menu. On Wednesday, that meant rosemary lamb chops and pork-fried potatoes with aioli, among other bites.

Meanwhile, Sea Breeze also sells its rustic pork paté, lamb shanks, kielbasa, fresh ricotta and more products of what the farm calls its "beyond organic" approach. That means no pesticides, no antibiotics, no nothin'.

But back to those golden eggs. Rogers has no qualms about gilding the lily.

"I like to make brownies with them," he says. "They're like the pre-eminent eggs for baking. … Really rich."

He says they have more of a toothsome bite than chicken eggs when fried, but "beat up beautifully for omelets or scrambled eggs."

Give me that and a pinch of sea salt, and I'll be set.

Anyone else been smitten by duck eggs? Seen them on local menus? Share your finds.