Latest news with #CecileLahti
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
15 new restaurants, cafes and a food pod to try around Pierce County
An ambitious cafe has opened downtown, an experience chef has landed in McKinley with an all-day Filipino restaurant, and pizza has returned to Proctor. These are just a few of the new places to eat and drink around Tacoma and the South Sound this spring. In our last edition of recently opened restaurants, we highlighted a cocktail bar in a coffee shop, several fresh faces on Tacoma's evolving Sixth Avenue, and a few spots in Fife and Federal Way. As we look toward summer, here's a look at new restaurants and food trucks in Pierce County. ▪ 921 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253-797-8605, Kevin Lee has assuredly made a splash since announcing his new breakfast and lunch spot in downtown Tacoma and opening in April. You won't recognize the old Pita Pit, as the space now feels airy and bright, ready for you to dig into a biscuit sandwich, a slice of quiche, a salad, a pastry from the awesome Lobo Bakery or a fun flavor from The Common Cookie. Eggs are cracked fresh. Espresso hails from down the street at Naomi Joe Coffee Roasters. Folks have swung by and returned already for more. Let's hope this invigorating energy leads to more investment in this stretch of Pac Ave. Open Monday-Friday 7 a.m.- 3 p.m. ▪ 764 Broadway, Tacoma, 253-302-5296, Formerly Cremello Cafe, Bostwick Cafe's previous name has returned but again under new ownership. Cecile Lahti took over the downtown coffee shop in March and recently expanded to a full seven-day-a-week schedule. Find Caffe d'Arte coffee, pastries, light sandwiches, and lots of space and outlets to spread out and stay a while. ▪ 716 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253-327-1680, Under new ownership since January 2024, downtown Tacoma's only still-standing brewery (for the moment, perhaps) is now serving food. Former Grit City Greens co-owner Sean Guay spearheaded a new in-house food truck, from which taproom customers — or anyone in need of sustenance — can order paninis, sub-style sandwiches and brats. There's also charcuterie boards, potato salad and grilled cheese 'dunkers,' if you'd prefer a nibble during trivia or to accompany your beer. ▪ 3511 McKinley Ave., Tacoma, At his new McKinley Hill restaurant, chef Gerold Castro blends years of hospitality experience with his Filipino heritage while honoring the many Mexican cooks who keep America's kitchens running. Dishes range from lumpia and crispy pork belly with guava-chili jam to mahi mahi or lechon and braised-pork tacos, from chicken mole to Filipino-style beef caldereta and pancit. Breakfast is served all day, including a longanisa burrito, ube French toast and lechon benedict, plus coffee and a full bar. Open Wednesday-Friday 11 a.m-7 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. ▪ 2515 N. Proctor St., Tacoma, 253-301-2994, Fondi has been a well-loved name in Gig Harbor dating to the early 2000s and in 2019 became independently owned and operated. Chris Olson scooped up the former Millhouse (and before that, Europa Bistro) space in the heart of Tacoma's Proctor District for its second location of this new era, opening in April. Here a gas-powered oven churns out the same Neapolitan-style pies. The salads come in three generous sizes, there's a full bar and the place is family-friendly. Brisk business for dine-in and takeout is anticipated. Open Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. ▪ 11101 Pacific Highway, Lakewood, 253-302-4564, This space near the Lakewood train station has seemingly been cursed in recent years, but its neighbors, Kko Kko Chicken and Los Cuervos, are busy destinations. VK has attracted a loyal following in the Lincoln District since opening in 2019, especially for its Northern Vietnamese specialties. Maybe these owners have the goods to hold strong here in Lakewood, too, which they introduced in early April. Beyond the usual, try the cha ca la vong (halibut cooked in turmeric, scattered with dill and served with baguette), grilled whole squid and cold duck salad. Open Thursday-Tuesday 10 a.m.-9 p.m. (closed Wednesdays). ▪ 8408 Steilacoom Blvd., Lakewood, 253-495-5043, I Love Tacos first landed in Tacoma's East Side (716 E. 64th St.) and then added a second truck parked regularly in downtown Puyallup (203 W. Pioneer Ave.). This spring, co-owner Hugo Maldonado added a third truck in Lakewood, just east of Fort Steilacoom Park. Choose among asada, pastor, chorizo, pollo and tripe on tacos, quesadillas, mulitas and tortas. Other popular items include the classic California-style burrito, supreme nachos and the Love Asada fries. Open Tuesday-Sunday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. ▪ 2365 Tacoma Ave. S, Tacoma, The owners of two mobile restaurants have teamed up to offer their Caribbean food through a takeout-only kitchen near downtown Tacoma. Abby Woods of Trini Plate, which you can also find on Saturdays at Proctor Farmers Market, and Karen Stringer of Bajan Station are serving Trinidadian doubles (baras, or flatbreads, with channa and your choice of sauces, including a tamarind chutney and Scotch Bonnet pepper sauce), halal jerk wings, pigeon peas and rice cooked in coconut milk, salt-cod fritters, handpies and more. Orders preferred directly through Square online, but you can also use DoorDash — delivery is available for a fee, but you can also avoid extra costs by picking up at the commissary kitchen. Ordering open Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. ▪ Waterfront Market, 5101 Yacht Club Road, Tacoma, The Waterfront Market near Point Ruston has a new tenant in the anchor stall next to the main entrance. Belly Smoothie Co. opened in May with a menu of smoothies (Sunny Dee, Jelly Belly, Thin Mint and Get Nuts among them), fresh juices, espresso drinks and matcha lattes. It replaced Zaya, a Ukrainian bakery and cafe, which replaced Dancing Goats Coffee Bar. While at the market, you can also check out Bobaholic Cafe, Wild Sugar Gelato, Eco Purpose Boutique, The Kind Bee and Co., Shugie's Jewelry and Gifts, and more local businesses. The smoothie bar is open Tuesday-Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. ▪ Point Ruston, 5115 Grand Loop, Tacoma, 253-448-2145, The walk-up-only fish and chips counter from Wildfin American Grill is now open for the season. (Note that it sometimes closes in inclement weather.) Pick up a basket of Alaskan cod or halibut dipped to order in a beer batter, starting at two pieces for $15.59 or $19.48. The menu also features buttermilk-marinated, steak-cut fried calamari, crisp cod or banh mi-style seared cod tacos, and seafood chowder. Add a cup to any main for $3.99. Wash it down with a blackberry-basil milkshake or a soft-serve ice cream cone. Open Monday-Wednesday at 3 p.m. and Thursday-Sunday at 11:30 a.m., closing at dusk. ▪ Pind Kohala Food Pod, 1824 S. Meridian, Puyallup The owners of Little India and RJ's Burgers at Tacoma's Freighthouse Square have opened a food pod in Puyallup. Just south of MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital, the outdoor food court hosts three trucks: one with a similar menu to Raj Singh and Rajinder Kaur's original Indian restaurant, one serving pizza and burgers with an Indian twist, plus a coffee shop called Mocha Stop. Open daily 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m. ▪ 1128 E. 72nd St., Tacoma, Good Vibes Espresso added a seventh location to its series of coffee huts in Pierce County, joining three other Tacoma shops, two in Puyallup and one in Fife. Using Dillano's roasts, the shop offers your typical espresso drinks in many sizes — from a two-shot 12-ounce to a four-shot 24-ounce hot, and up to a whopping five shots and 32 ounces cold. Specialties include Hawaiian salted caramel with white chocolate, Lava Flow with strawberry and coconut, and Liquid Sunshine with pear, white peach and pineapple. Smoothies, energy spritzers and Italian sodas are available, as well as on-the-go food and pastries. Open weekdays at 4:30 a.m., Saturdays at 5:30 a.m. and Sundays at 6:30 a.m. ▪ 8825 N. Harborview Dr., Gig Harbor, 253-432-4211, Chili Thai, which operates five other restaurants in Pierce and Kitsap counties, took charge of Gig Harbor Thai Cuisine this spring. The owners had been seeking a restaurant on this side of the Narrows, but closer to the bridge than their existing Silverdale outpost, for about a year, manager Paul Tuncheleeporn told The Gateway in May. They decided in this case to keep the existing Gig Harbor moniker but have expanded the menu to match their other locations. Importantly for the summer months, they invested in air-conditioning! Open Monday-Saturday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at noon. ▪ 3550 Market Place W., University Place, 253-541-2744, This new shop from Wendy Schutzler and David Coldiron is a cook's delight in University Place and a great place to shop for anyone in your life who loves a good home-cooked meal. The Essential Pantry specializes in curated goods including a range of olive oils sourced from around the world, various vinegars for cooking and drizzling, and dried herbs and spices a-plenty. The shelves also are stocked with select kitchen goods like mugs, bowls, linens and cookbooks. Across from Whole Foods, next to Pearl Tea and Chambers Bay Distillery. Open Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Downtown coffee shop has changed hands again. It's now open 7 days a week
Café Bostwick is back in downtown Tacoma, although in some ways it never left. The coffee shop on the ground floor of the iconic flatiron-style building at 9th and Broadway changed hands again this spring. New owner Cecile Lahti bought the business from partners Rebecca Fintak and Anh Le earlier this year. Lathi, who has a guardianship business with her husband, also has past experience in the coffee world, including as a Starbucks manager. But it's long been on her mind to pursue her own shop. She was considering a smaller stand when, walking back to the car after dinner in the neighborhood, she noticed the for-lease sign at 764 Broadway. They finalized the sale in February, and the renewed Café Bostwick opened in early March. The space has been home to a coffee shop for more than 30 years, first as Grounds for Coffee, then Tully's. It took on the name of the building, Bostwick, in 2018, but since then has worn through four owners. The most recent couple infused some fresh air into it, painting the high walls a sage-green (the color remains), bringing in area rugs and plants, and focusing on a French café theme using organic milk from Smith Brothers Dairy. They also changed the name to Cremello Café. Like some of the owners before them, though, they had to manage a few misfortunes, including several broken windows, The News Tribune reported last year. Lathi, who recaptured the Bostwick Café name, sees opportunity in the prime location — in eyesight of the Theater District, the Thursday Tacoma Farmers Market on Broadway and Antique Row. It's also near the city's municipal building, and she hopes to capture some of that early-morning crowd, potentially opening by 7 a.m. She has applied for a beer and wine license, which at least one prior owner had also done, to provide a casual stop for a pre-show glass of wine. (Presuming that's approved by the state liquor board, extended hours, particularly during special events, are likely.) Café Bostwick continues to brew Caffe d'Arte espresso and drip coffee, and exclusively Mad Hat Tea (which recently relocated back to downtown after a stint in the Dome District, now at 924 Broadway). Pastries are largely sourced from Macrina Bakery, with breakfast and lunch sandwiches from Memoranda Kitchen. She also makes some sandwiches on site, with a curry chicken salad croissant in the works, she said. Notably, the coffee shop is open every day of the week. Lathi doesn't want you to have to wonder, 'Is it open right now?' 'I wanna be somewhere that people can just go,' she said. ▪ 764 Broadway, Tacoma, ▪ Current hours: Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Saturday-Sunday 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. ▪ Details: new owner for coffee shop in flatiron-style building downtown; look for extended hours and more updates in coming months
