27-03-2025
Fusion hot again at new Tacoma restaurant. Butter-chicken pasta, masala-spiced ribs await
The many scents of masala radiate from the revamped storefront at 2715 6th Ave., where Grann, one of Tacoma's most anticipated new restaurants, has begun serving its intriguing medley of Southern, Creole and Indian cooking.
After a few friends-and-family nights earlier this year, chefs Reginald Jacob Howell and Denzel Johnson soft-opened their first standalone spot in March. They anticipate hosting a casual grand opening party April 4, followed by a quick break, but reservations are now available for dinner Tuesday through Saturday.
The first edition of the menu kicks off with 'chaats and thangs,' referencing a variety of savory Indian snacks. Chicken skins are fried Southern-style with cornmeal, seasoned with chaat masala (a tangy, funky spice blend) and accompanied by wasakaka sauce, an herbaceous, citrusy, Caribbean mojo. Yams and potatoes, to scoop through spiced yogurt, get the barbecue treatment, while puri — the delicate semolina rice shell — can be popped with a classic-leaning masala tea, chickpea and potato filling or, in a Southern hat-tip, pimento cheese.
The curried Caesar with paneer and cornbread crumbles has stood out to customers in the first few weeks, said the chefs, as have the vegan coconut masala collards. That cruciferous green is cooked for several hours with Indian spices and spiked with coconut milk toward the end, explained Howell as he plated dishes for some early diners on a recent Wednesday.
Also among the sides: vegan black-eyed peas, baked in a smoked tomato 'gravy' that also stars in the signature butter chicken pasta.
'It's a simple dish,' said Howell of the original Indian iteration, whose (contested) origins date to the first half of the 20th century. 'But you can play with it and have fun.'
Grann marks Howell's return to Tacoma, his hometown, after several years cooking at several restaurants in Seattle. He led the kitchen at en Rama in downtown Tacoma, where he specialized in pasta-making and began experimenting with unexpected flavor combinations, encouraged in part by trips to visit his wife's family in India.
Johnson, an old friend and King County native with Southern roots, leads the smoked-meat charge. He had to get pretty creative within the confines of a modest kitchen, but the tandoori ribs develop nice flavor on the grill, enhanced by the more-masala mop sauce. Smoked beef also stars in the biryani, and a lamb-beef patty — the meat ground in-house — sits on a homemade coconut bun with mint chutney aioli, tamarind BBQ and American cheese.
The combo intends to provide what Johnson calls 'palate shocks,' like 'you're at the club dancing, but to your own rhythm.'
Cocktails, whose names honor prominent Black figures, also reach deep into spice world. The Beyhive blends curry with lemon and bourbon, the Love Jones tequila and cardamom-laced mango lassi, and the In Grann Fashion garam masala and overproof dark rum.
The Table occupied this space for almost a decade, closing just a few months after chef-owner Derek Bray was named a semifinalist in the prestigious James Beard Awards. (Much of the staff moved to Corbeau in the Proctor District.) Howell and Johnson purchased the business and most of the equipment from Bray, including the signature, 18-seat, high-top communal table that has anchored the room since 2014.
'It's like your grandma's table,' said Johnson. 'It's just kind of essential to what we're doing.'
They painted the walls rich hues of emerald green and rusty orange and wrapped the ceiling's sound panels with similar shades of velvet fabric, as well as a custom Indian-inspired print with the numbers '253' also used for staff aprons. The industrial-vibe ladder and other light fixtures have been updated and adorned with creamy-white mala, the flower garlands that often decorate Indian weddings.
The restaurant's name, pronounced as in 'granma,' hearkens to that sense of family and belonging, and the chefs often emerge from behind the open kitchen.
Near the host stand, a collage of picture frames shows Howell and Johnson with their families. In the center is a worn piece of paper with the 'Recipe for Grann': a bowl-full of family, care, community, creativity, hospitality, soul, and — this is Tacoma after all — grit:
'A pinch of the unexpected, a nod to tradition, a bite that lingers … best enjoyed at a full table, with hands reaching, stories flowing, and the promise that every guest leaves with more than just a meal.'
▪ 2715 6th Ave., Tacoma,
▪ Tuesday-Thursday 4-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 4-11 p.m.
▪ Details: new Indian, Creole & barbecue fusion restaurant; reservations recommended through Tock
▪ Grand opening planned for April 4, follow Instagram for updates
