Latest news with #TNTDiner
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fried bologna to espresso martinis. TNT staff's best eats and drinks of late
Chasing down the news leaves us with a powerful thirst and a gnawing hunger. Here's what we at The News Tribune have eaten and imbibed the past few weeks to take the edge off. Reminder that this best eats column will run monthly. If you haven't already, please sign up for the TNT Diner newsletter by staff writer Kristine Sherred. She's got the weekly skinny on the Pierce County dining and food scene. Cheers! The best bite I've had recently was from a fluffy cinnamon roll at Meridian Cafe in downtown Puyallup, an old favorite. Warning: These rolls fill up the entire plate. Share one with a friend or four. The diner's historic Puyallup decor makes it a fun place to take visitors for a casual brunch. Honorable mention goes to the scoops of honey lavender and grasshopper pie (think mint chip on steroids) that I had in downtown Puyallup at Lick Homemade Ice Cream. I see they have Girl Scout cookie ice cream this week. Yum. Alexis Krell, communities editor The black pepper strawberry and fennel Danish from Three Hearts wasn't the afternoon carb-kick I expected, but it's the one I'm glad I found. The flaky dough cradles a vanilla pastry cream specked with black pepper – I initially thought it was flecks of vanilla bean – vibrant strawberries and licoricey fennel. Everything works great together. The tang of the fennel/strawberries combo bounces off the richness of the cream, and the black pepper gives a little warmth to the back end. Brian Hayes, visual journalist Growing up fried bologna was a delicacy: two slices of thin, pan-seared mystery meat with melted American cheese – you know exactly the kind I'm talking about – on untoasted white bread with a smear of Miracle Whip. On the first Friday of the month, The Red Hot does a fried-bologna sandwich special. If you grew up eating them like I did, get it. Their take on the southern specialty is zhuzhed up to the max. Two thick pieces of well-seared bologna on top of pimento cheese, with grilled onions, Carolina Gold BBQ sauce, pickles and coleslaw all on a structurally sound brioche bun that can support this hefty sandwich. Brian Hayes, visual journalist My favorite drink in the Harbor recently has been this super creamy espresso martini at Greenhouse in Uptown Gig Harbor. If you haven't been, Greenhouse has a great bar that's the main focus of the restaurant. There are no TVs if that's your vibe. Their seasonal cocktail list is full of fun names like 'Fig Around and Find Out' and 'Millions of Peaches, Peaches For Me.' I'm one of those weird creatures who can drink caffeine at any hour, so I always gravitate towards their espresso martini with the housemade whip. Stephanie Pedersen, editor
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Corned beef or pastrami? Marbled rye? Help us find best Reuben sandwich in Pierce County
Tacoma is a sandwich town, and Reubens are perhaps the most prolific. Restaurants of varying size and style serve the meat-and-cheese-on-rye classic, and most variations read similarly on paper: Corned beef or pastrami. Swiss, but sometimes provolone or havarti, an underrated grassy cheese that's a darn fine melter. Sauerkraut, always. Thousand island or Russian dressing, which are almost the same thing but not quite — the latter zings with horseradish and, originally, called for caviar. Rye, often marbled but occasionally dark or, less commonly, light. The Reuben is so iconic that many restaurants stock rye bread exclusively for it and it alone. That might be why a couple of Pierce County spots opt for wheat, which might stir some controversy. Why is the Reuben so beloved? An OK sandwich has stuff on it; a great sandwich, like any great dish, has fat and acid, salt and flavor, texture and bite-ability. The harmony of earthy rye, roasty-toasty, slow-cooked beef (pastrami is extra-spiced and typically a different, chubbier cut of the belly than the standard brisket for boiled corned beef), crunchy, sour kraut and creamy, rich yet tart sauce elevates this American invention. Like most great foods, its origins are contested. Was it Nebraska or New York? For St. Patrick's Day, we rounded up 35 restaurants and bars around Pierce County with a Reuben on the menu. One is technically a slider, one adds fried jalapenos and subs coconut tartar (?!), another includes curds and pickles, and two use wheat. Most are classic, but only one can be the best. Vote for your pick in the survey below. If we missed yours, select 'somewhere else' and type the name of the restaurant. If you'd like to share more detail, please also complete the Google form. TNT Diner may contact you for a future story. We won't share your information with anyone, and we won't publish your name without permission. Thanks for participating!
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Yahoo
Mulitas to Manhattans. Here are good eats and drinks from the staff of The News Tribune
One thing about the staff at The News Tribune: We like to eat and drink. In an effort to bring you even more great local food-and-drink content, we are compiling a monthly column dedicated to what we've consumed at the restaurants, bars, food trucks, gas stations and other settings in the greater Tacoma area. If you haven't already, please sign up for the TNT Diner newsletter by staff writer Kristine Sherred. She's got the weekly skinny on the Pierce County dining and food scene. Cheers! The shredded beef mulitas, pork tamales and horchata at the La Esquina del Sabor food truck were show stoppers this month. The truck at 746 Cole St. in Enumclaw is in the parking lot by the NAPA Auto Parts store. The woman who took our order told us we wanted the handmade flour tortillas, not corn. She also said sour cream on top of the tamales was the way to go. The results were delicious, and the portions seemed bigger than other mulitas and tamales I've ordered at local food trucks. The tamales disappeared before I could get a picture. Here's what the mulitas looked like. Alexis Krell, communities editor Sad to say I went into a Tacoma bar that shall not be named not long ago and ordered a Manhattan. The bartender looked at me for half a beat before saying, 'How do you make one of those?' Sigh. I had a different experience last month at Busy Body on Sixth Avenue, where the person behind the bar whipped up this magnificent beast without a question, other than would I prefer rye or bourbon. I went with rye, because tradition. Cool vibe there, too, with lots of local music memorabilia. Adam Lynn, local news editor If you find yourself on South Tacoma Way and spot Howdy Bagel without a line, it's a must-stop. The rosemary sea salt bagel with a smear of chili crisp cream cheese, paired with a pistachio espresso tonic from Bluebeard Coffee Roasters right across the street, makes for the perfect mid-morning treat. The combination of salty, spicy, and savory flavors in the bagel, alongside the refreshing richness of the espresso tonic, creates a great bite that hits. Brian Hayes, visual journalist One of my favorite things about living in Tacoma's Stadium District is that it's walking distance to some great restaurants, including Moshi Ramen Bar. Tuesdays are discount days for its signature Tonkotsu Ramen (just the description is making my mouth water: silky pork broth with thin straight noodles topped with melt-in-your-mouth pork belly, black garlic oil, scallion and a soy marinated soft boiled egg). I went on a limb and tried their Ordochimaru cocktail (made with espadin mezcal, coconut cream, lime, agave, cilantro and cucumber) — creamy, refreshing and slightly smoky. Becca Most, Pierce County reporter Whenever I want to make my Sunday mornings a little bit better, I drive to Beware Coffee on McKinley Avenue to sip a drink called The Partridge. When I first went to Beware Coffee after moving to Tacoma, one of the friendly baristas recommended The Partridge, which consists of cardamom, espresso, white chocolate and pear juice. I was skeptical about the pear juice, but once I tried it, I was immediately met with so many flavors, most importantly the cardamom. The coffee shop is unique-looking with its yellow interiors, and it has other specialty drinks that look just as enjoyable. Puneet Bsanti, breaking news reporter
