Duchess of Downtown Tacoma

Hey all~~So what's the word on the streets? Anything new and exciting? Kicking off your Autumn with local events, eats and sights? Tell me about it!       Marrow Kitchen 2717 6th Avenue, Tacoma Connect on Facebook   I decided that Marrow was the next stop to my personal drinking experiment "The Manhattan Project". And boy, oh boy was I right. We wanted a nibble to enjoy with our cocktails and saddly the nibble list is slim pickins unless you're looking for a full on meal OR it's happy hour, which it wasn't. Our tender of bar recommended the cheese plate, so we went with that.     It was a delightful combination of cheeses with a smoked cheddar, bleu chees, pepper cheese and my favorite of the bunch a lavender soft cheese...and shame on me, I was so focused on reviewing the cocktail I didn't get the specific cheese types. But all 4 options were quality and stood alone for their type. There are also some amazing candied, spicy nuts.

Another un-themed version of some of what Tacoma has to offer. When it comes down to it, it's not all about talking about local shopping and business owners, it's about SUPPORTING them.     This last weekend Opera Alley hosted a magnificent gathering of local vendors and shop owners in a faux Paris Market. Among the tented goods you could find art, clothes, food and above all else good company with some of the brilliant minds in Tacoma. At one end, next to this mural was the great Eiffel Tower, park benches and nibbles and wine to be indulged in. Libertine Tacoma Connect on Facebook I was in need of some more salts from Libertine Tacoma! Christy Reedy manages some of the most tasty and magnificent salt blends. I have a modest collection compared to the 50+ blends and flavors Libertine Tacoma offers and can't get enough. While she includes information cards with suggestions on food and drink pairings for each flavor experimenting is encouraged and full of re

  Fall may very well be my favorite season of the year. Yes, I know it's not quite fall yet, but it's swiftly approaching and while I take in the last days of summer with 80 degree heat, I'm daydreaming of mild scarf weather, book clubs and journal writing. So I went shopping.     Culpepper Books, sellers of fine, used, rare and out of print books 2521 North Proctor, Tacoma Connect on Facebook   I ADORE, the smell, look and feel of a book. There's no e-book that will ever match the feeling of opening up a good read. Never, ever. Culpepper Books is a gem in the Proctor District FULL of books for all tastes and occassions (and the owners are delightful and knowledgable).  I've given a book club a good shot a couple different times and decided that with shorter days and cooler weather, it was time to give it another go with a focus on local authors. Tom Robbins is local and established and seemed a good starting point. Culpepper Books had Skinny

I thought I couldn't do this blog today because I didn't eat at any restaurants this week. Its kind of unusual for me since I am surrounded by great restaurants and most of my meetings take place in them but I was kind of reclusive this week. Then I remembered that I did get some butter chicken to go from India Mahal but since I ate it at home I didn't take any pictures. Here's a picture from a previous visit.   Look at those giant chunks of chicken! This butter chicken is the BEST!  On Thursday I visited Hotel Murano  to make arrangements for our visit there during the next ART BUS tour . I got a sneak peek at the new gift shop and was surprised by excellent parking spot this person was given. Right smack in the middle of the lobby! Talk about your VIP parking! :) What does this have to do with Menu Item Monday? If you ride the ART BUS in September you could win an overnight stay at Hotel Murano and breakfast at their restaurant ( BITE ) which is just up those st

I simply adore summer in Tacoma. So many wonderful events give me lots of opportunities to see my favorite people. I felt like I spent a lot of time at home working but looking back through my photos for the week I realized I was still quite social! Last Tuesday I visited 6th Avenue and had a lovely rooftop dinner with some of my favorite ladies. We feasted on Masa's delicious happy hour tacos. See pictures below:  Masa Restaurant 2811 6th Ave., Tacoma, WA http://www.masatacoma.com Connect on Facebook I can't remember which was which but everyone agreed they were scrumptious. And I'm sure that had nothing to do with the margaritas. :) Tacoma Farmers Market 6th & Pine St., Tacoma, WA http://www.tacomafarmersmarket.com Connect on Facebook I also snapped some shots of fresh produce at the Tacoma Farmers Market. Fresh rasberries ! Cucumber, blueberries, cherry tomatoes and more ... Peaches, plums, cherries - oh my!  This happened earlier

Hello My Thrift Seekers, Let's take a look see and see what thrifty finds I dug up.  Julie Luke Connect on Facebook The always fantastic Julie Luke of Luke Arts always has reasonable and stellar prices on art and prints. This can't always be said for artists....so it's nice to know that adornment for your walls are attainable. Art is good for the soul after all. Here are a few of her current pieces you can purchase.     "Illusions of Fear" 2012.She made three of these prints in  size 8x20 with custom hand made wood Luke frames (black) for 200.00 each (which includes shipping)VERY limited and one is already spoken for. "Fragments of Will and Flight" 2012 acrylic on vinyl lp 12 inch. "Layers of the Core" 2012 11x14 acrylic on Bristol Comes framed and matted(16x20 frame). Next month's ART BUS Riders will be in for a treat because Mrs. Luke will be including a little something special in the VIP gift bags.  Peace Out Connect