Tacoma Restaurant Week, held April 15-26, offers diners a $25 three-course dinner menu and optional $15 three-course lunch, Sunday through Thursday at 25 participating area restaurants. For complete details, click here.

It's highly recommended diners reserve tables in advance.

For a list of participating restaurants, and their phone numbers for reservations, click here.

With homemade s'mores, peanut butter and banana hamburgers, and moonshine lemonade on the menu, you might think you're having supper at Graceland.

But Dirty Oscar's Annex is way less Memphis and far more Tacoma. Known for being the city's only moonshine bar, D.O.A. serves 21 and older, but the crowd is as diverse as it is loyal. Locals, late night snackers, scenesters, and senior citizens are all loyal patrons in awe of the handcrafted moonshine cocktails, casual bar environment and the sumptuous breakfast, lunch and dinner choices.

Inspired by farm-to-table cooking and food designing. Chef Aaron Grissom cooks up ambitious yet substantive culinary creations for his version of pub grub. He puts deliciously unique ingredients together in unexpected combinations-like the popular Dead Elvis Burger. This stacked sandwich has guests swooning over the uniquely delicious pairing of peanut butter, fried egg, juicy beef, and fried banana.

Grissom also chose dishes to feature for Tacoma Restaurant Week that are a combination of a preview of their upcoming Mid Spring menu.  The Porchetta Panino announces the coming of lighter dishes for the season, and the Smoked Salmon Sopa is served on made-to-order fry bread.

Dirty Oscar's Annex might be a mouthful to say, but they sure know how to put delicious on the tip of your tongue.

[Dirty Oscar's Annex, 2309 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.572.0588]

Tacoma Restaurant Week, held April 15-26, offers diners a $25 three-course dinner menu and optional $15 three-course lunch, Sunday through Thursday at 25 participating area restaurants. For complete details, click here.

LINK: Tacoma Restaurant Week Reservations Headquarters

Dirty Oscar's Annex Three-Course Dinner Menu

Appetizers

1. Tempura Asparagus: Lemon aioli and brown sugar balsamic drizzle

2. Arugula Blueberry Salad: Goat cheese vinaigrette, orange flower honey, Marcona almonds.

3. Zucchini Cups: Chevre spiked tomato chutney.

Entrees
1. Porchetta Panino: Roast pork loin, thyme pesto and provolone on pressed focaccia.

2. Smoked Salmon Sopa: Cold smoked Pacific salmon, pickled radish and tart apple and cilantro julienne salad, manchego powder, cilantro oil and green chili cremation with pepper curls.

3. Dead Elvis Burger: Candied peppered bacon, fried banana, sunny side egg, peanut butter and mayo on brioche bun.

Dessert
1. Housemade S'mores: Cinnamon graham cracker, toasted almond chocolate ganache, salted soy infused caramel, and Madagascar vanilla.

2. Peanut Butter Cheesecake: Rolled in chocolate graham cracker dust drizzled with white chocolate cream.

3. PB&J: Spiced cherry jalapeno jam, roasted cashew butter, marion berry cream and blackberry balsamic on toasted brioche rounds with candied jalapeno pebbles.

As you know by now the inaugural Tacoma Restaurant Week is on. Don't let the name fool you, it's actually two weeks long (April 15-19 and 22-26) and there are 25 participating restaurants from Tacoma and Gig Harbor. It's an opportunity for diners to try new restaurants, so take a look at the list and find somewhere you haven't visited. Word out of the El Gaucho camp is new faces popped in last night for the three-course $25 deal, and apparently many will return during the two-week run. Nice.

As an added bonus, Tacoma Restaurant Week diners will be entered into daily drawings for $50 gift cards at participating TRW restaurants. When your bill arrives, an entry form will also be presented. Simply fill in your email, and leave it for your server. We'll announce a winner daily ... like we'll do right now:

Congratulations Drew Anderson. You dined at The Melting Pot last night, you filled out the entry form and you just scored a $50 gift card. We'll contact you by email.

Tacoma mainstay offers all-American, quality cuisine with a view

Since 1981, Stanley & Seafort's has been serving up classic, grilled fare with an unbeatable panoramic view of downtown Tacoma and Commencement Bay. Against a unique Pacific Northwest backdrop, guests experience gracious hospitality and gratifying cuisine - including USDA prime-aged steak and fresh seafood - to ensure a one-of-a-kind experience. 

Executive Chef Bo Newcomber creates innovative offerings each season, including the Pan Seared Chicken Breast, which will be available during Tacoma Restaurant Week. Stuffed with spinach, roasted mushrooms and cream cheese, rolled in grated parmesan, pan seared and drizzled with butter cream sauce, this mouth-watering dish is served with Yukon potatoes and fresh, grilled asparagus.

Below are the $15 and $25 three-course dinner menus (three options per course) Stanley & Seafort's will be serving during Tacoma Restaurant Week April 15-19, 22-26.

[Stanley & Seafort's, 115 E. 34th, Tacoma, RSVP at 253.473.7300]

Tacoma Restaurant Week, held April 15-26, offers diners a $25 three-course dinner menu and optional $15 three-course lunch, Sunday through Thursday at 25 participating area restaurants. For complete details, click here.

LINK: Tacoma Restaurant Week Reservations Headquarters

Tacoma Restaurant Week, held April 15-26, offers diners a $25 three-course dinner menu and optional $15 three-course lunch, Sunday through Thursday at 25 participating area restaurants. For complete details, click here.

It's highly recommended diners reserve tables in advance.

For a list of participating restaurants, and their phone numbers for reservations, click here.

TRIPLE SHOT >>>

For obvious reasons, we're extremely excited Tacoma Restaurant Week kicks off today. There really is no better (or cheaper) way to enjoy the best of Pierce County's food scene, and with deals like three courses for 25 bucks at a place where you'd usually spend over $100, it's pretty hard for us to resist dining out every night. Although each one of the 25 restaurants participating is offering up great food for great prices, we'd like to give a shout out to Gig Harbor.

When the Weekly Volcano and the Tacoma Restaurant Week committee approached restaurants in Pierce County to form the initial 25 participants (we expect many more for the next Tacoma Restaurant Week), Gig Harbor stepped up, when other Pierce County regions passed. Brix 25, JW Restaurant And Morso will offer three course dinners for $25 Sunday-Thursday for the next two weeks as part of Tacoma Restaurant Week. All three Gig Harbor restaurants have receive high praise from Weekly Volcano food critics.

Brix 25

Chef/Owner Thad Lyman crafts a menu of hearty and flavorful American cuisine with a Northwest influenced style.
7707 Pioneer Way, Gig Harbor, WA 98335
253.858.6626
WEBSITE
>>> Dinner menu, expanded restaurant description & map

JW Restaurant

Familiar American food with a sophisticated spin.
4107 Harborview Dr., Gig Harbor WA 98332
253.858.3529
WEBSITE
>>> Dinner menu, expanded restaurant description & map

Morso

Morso is a casual drop-in wine bar that serves wine discoveries paired with flavors of the season.
9014 Peacock Hill Ave., # 100B, Gig Harbor, WA 98332
253.530.3463
WEBSITE
>>> Dinner menu, expanded restaurant description & map

It's highly recommended diners reserve tables in advance.

For a list of participating restaurants, and their phone numbers for reservations, click here.

And remember, many dishes will be offered only during Restaurant Week, so don't do let it pass you by - we promise, you'll regret it.

Tacoma Restaurant Week, held April 15-26, offers diners a $25 three-course dinner menu and optional $15 three-course lunch, Sunday through Thursday at 25 participating area restaurants. For complete details, click here.

It's highly recommended diners reserve tables in advance.

For a list of participating restaurants, and their phone numbers for reservations, click here. 

Adriatic Grill Italian Cuisine & Wine Bar's Mediterranean delights are served in a dining room that is at once romantic and casual, a bistro in every sense, with the colors of Provence and Tuscany mixing with the smells of the sea. And with a staff as accommodating as a Greek family at their daughter's wedding, this is one club Med we recommend you vacation at regularly.

We had the chance to sample two dishes Adriatic Grill will have on its Tacoma restaurant Week menu: roasted chicken cannelloni and the grilled prawns with spaghetti squash

Cannelloni are Italian crepes wrapped around savory fillings such as meat purée or spiced cheese. They look just like an enchilada. As we all know, we Americans will turn any food into a wrap.

Adriatic Grill's cannelloni is the real deal. We were most impressed with the fresh pasta. It was toothsome and chewy, not crispy nor over-baked. The filling had much less ricotta and much more ground meat - roasted chicken. On top was a creamy garlic sauce, pine nuts, fontina and mozzarella. The fresh basil provided aromatic notes.

The huge, garlic-seasoned prawns' sweet flesh pops in your mouth like segments of ripe grapefruit. The sautéed spaghetti sauce was magical.  

[Adriatic Grill Italian Cuisine & Wine Bar, 4201 S. Steel St., Tacoma, 253.475.6000]

Tacoma Restaurant Week, held April 15-26, offers diners a $25 three-course dinner menu and optional $15 three-course lunch, Sunday through Thursday at 25 participating area restaurants. For complete details, click here.

LINK: Tacoma Restaurant Week Reservations Headquarters

Adriatic Grill Tacoma Restaurant Week Menu

Starters

CREAMY PORCINI MUSHROOM SOUP Italian porcinis, cremini and shiitake mushrooms are simmered in a rich vegetable stock with cream and fresh Italian herbs.

FIELD GREENS SALAD A medley of baby greens tossed in balsamic vinaigrette and topped with sun dried cranberries, crumbled feta cheese and toasted sliced almonds. Dressing contains pasteurized eggs. Contains nut product.

LENTIL AND ITALIAN SAUSAGE SOUP Tender lentils, Italian sausage, garlic, carrots, celery, tomato, spinach and a touch of cream.

SKEWERED CAPRESE SALAD Fresh ciliengini mozzarella skewered with baby grape tomatoes and fresh basil. Drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sweet balsamic reduction.

Entrees

SMOKED SALMON PENNE Apple wood smoked salmon tossed in cream sauce With fresh garlic, roasted scallions, penne pasta, Parmigiano-Reggiano and fresh dill.

GRILLED PRAWNS WITH SPAGHETTI SQUASH *Garlic seasoned prawns are grilled and served atop sautéed spaghetti squash(vegetable pasta) with red bell peppers, grilled herb-zucchini and pesto butter sauce. Cooked to order. Contains nut product.

BALSAMIC BARBEQUE PORK CHOP *Bone-in pork loin chop seasoned with fresh rosemary and roasted garlic, smoked, fire-grilled and served atop sweet corn risotto with zesty balsamic barbeque sauce. Cooked to order.

ROASTED CHICKEN CANNELLONI Thin crepes filled with roasted chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, scallions, baked in garlic cream sauce, pine nuts, fontina and mozzarella. Contains nut product.

Desserts

SPUMONI An Italian favorite with cherry-rum, pistachio and chocolate-chocolate chunk. It’s rich and full of flavor. And ours is the best! Contains nut product.

ITALIAN TRUFFLES Chef Bill’s triple chocolate and almond infused truffles are hand rolled in cocoa powder, crushed almonds and grated chocolate. Served 2 of each truffle on top of fresh vanilla whipped cream. Contains nut product.

AFFOGATO AL CAFE Silky white chocolate ice cream drizzled with illy espresso and topped with fresh vanilla whipped cream and chocolate covered espresso beans.

*Consuming raw or uncooked meat, poultry, fish, seafood or eggs may increase your risk of foorborne illness.

Tacoma Restaurant Week, held April 15-26, offers diners a $25 three-course dinner menu and optional $15 three-course lunch, Sunday through Thursday at participating area restaurants. For complete details, click here.

It's highly recommended diners reserve tables in advance.

For a list of participating restaurants, and their phone numbers for reservations, click here.

Craving luscious comfort food, but don't feel like cooking? Feast your eyes on BITE Restaurant.

Located on the fourth floor of the elegant Hotel Murano, amidst edgy glass objets d'art, cool, contemporary colors and geometrical design lines, there's a certain snob appeal that BITE Restaurant brings to the table. But, before you get overwhelmed by any shi-shi foo-foo fine dining airs, BITE's menu keeps guests grounded and gets total braggin' rights for serving up traditional, hearty American diner favorites with flair.

Executive Chef Matt Stickle prepares your favorite foods with passion - adding new twists to cuisine classics.  In the mood for a plump, juicy pork chop served with a side of smashed red potatoes? How about indulging in a pile of warm garlic herb fries, or a rich, velvety dish of mac and cheese made with three creamy cheeses and white truffle oil? Try the fried green tomatoes, inspired by a recipe from Stickle's mother, with aioli and Kalamata olives added to his new culinary interpretation. Even dessert gets down home delicious with BITE's peanut butter and jelly bread pudding.

BITE is a destination restaurant in Tacoma that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner made from scratch daily. Other appetite-appealing attributes include menus built from fresh, local produce and farm-fresh meats that change seasonally, a full service bar, hand-crafted cocktails and an excellent wine list worth tipping back your glass to praise.

Below are BITE Restaurant's three-course lunch and dinner menus being served during Tacoma Restaurant Week.

[BITE Restaurant, 1320 Broadway Place, Tacoma, RSVP at 253.591.4151]

Tacoma Restaurant Week, held April 15-26, offers diners a $25 three-course dinner menu and optional $15 three-course lunch, Sunday through Thursday at participating area restaurants. For complete details, click here.

LINK: Tacoma Restaurant Week Reservations Headquarters