Features
The Northwest is a weird, weird place. It's how things were meant to be up here; normalcy is highly discouraged in every aspect of life. Different cities love to fly their freak flag in different ways, however, and Tacoma embraces its inner crazy in a few different ways. If you
Music
Puget Sound Pizza and The Mix are intertwined in more ways than just the fact that they share a building: the popular pizza place and the celebrated queer bar have long been fighting each other for the Weekly Volcano's readers' favor when it comes to deciding who has the best
Music
Since the Weekly Volcano began our annual Best of Tacoma issue in 2009, one thing has always been a given: Kry will win Best Cover Band. It's always been a foregone conclusion that the longtime cover band staple would take the honors. Consider it the biggest upset of the Best
Features
When it comes to Mexican cuisine in our country, a few places usually rise above the rest: Santa Fe; San Antonio; Phoenix; the entire state of California. See any similarities between those areas? Yes, logic states that typically, the best Mexican food in the U.S. would come from cities next
Features
Ah, the joys of a sunny day at a marina: the smell of the water, the sounds of the seagulls, the sight of the water. That appealing atmosphere is bound to draw appealing people, right? Apparently that's the case at Boathouse 19, voted Best Place to Meet Someone in the Volcano's Best
Arts
For the be-inked among us, Flaming Dragon needs no introduction. This South Sound fixture will celebrate 20 years of tattooing Tacoma next month. Don't let the taxidermy tarantulas, oni masks or the cell phone impaled to the wall with a butcher knife scare you away; these are two of the
Features
When you consider that Gordon Naccarato, owner and chef at Pacific Grill, has been listed among Food and Wine magazine's "Top Ten Best New Chefs" and has made the occasional appearance on the PBS cooking show Great Chefs of the West, it should come as no surprise that, once again,
Features
If you've ever been to a Disney theme park, then you know what Heaven smells like. That was no accident. Disney's Imagineers invented a device called the Smellitzer, which pumps the scent of vanilla from the ice cream shop onto guests stampeding up Main Street, U.S.A. Not only does that
Outdoors
Cushman runs for over six miles through Gig Harbor, from the very south end by the Narrows Bridge, all the way up to the north point of Gig Harbor on Borgen Boulevard. Unlike many "trails," Cushman is completely paved, and even has a dividing line, making it essentially a regular
Online Interactive Guides
Ask any local about Old Cannery, and you're bound to get a flurry of fond praise. Not only is the Old Cannery known for its outstanding selection of home furnishings, but its layout and presentation turns furniture shopping into a truly unique experience. Given its distinguished reputation, it is only
Stage
A balanced mixture of comedy, drama, musicals, old favorites, modern classics and cutting-edge new theater - truly everything a theater can possibly pack into a single season - makes Lakewood Playhouse's 2015-16 season a natural choice for our readers' pick for Best Local Theater Group. "We are so honored to have
Online Interactive Guides
One of the more marginalized groups today are individuals with disabilities, both physical and mental. Luckily, despite the fact that people keep pushing them to the margins, there are many groups around the country that help those who are disabled obtain jobs and contribute to society. In fact, one of
Features
It can be hard to find great Italian food in the Northwest. Compared to Italian-American meccas like New York and New Jersey, the Puget Sound's dominant cuisine focuses more on smoked salmon and hot dogs with cream cheese than boscaiola or picatta. And no, Olive Garden doesn't count. Still, there
Features
Walking into Legendary Doughnuts' main store on 6th Avenue, you really don't notice anything too unique at first. It appears no different than any other millennial-baiting hipster donut store, with its "wacky" offerings and retro-cool design. Don't be fooled, Legendary is the real deal, and unlike the other trendy donut
Features
Cupcakes, a treat once reserved for elementary-school birthday parties, have undergone a bit of a renaissance as of late. All of a sudden, the small pastries are on nearly equal footing with ice cream in the dessert field, and in Tacoma, one reason for this surge might be Hello Cupcake. Hello
Bars & Clubs
Tacoma Boys has been a South Sound staple since 1985, known for their fresh produce, wide organic selection and quirky atmosphere. Essentially, they were Trader Joe's before Trader Joe's came, and the fact that they're still thriving despite TJ and Whole Foods' arrival is a testament to their quality and
Bars & Clubs
Microbreweries are really having a moment, aren't they? Twenty-five years ago, the average American was likely not even aware that there was beer outside of Budweiser, Coors, Miller, and maybe one or two local favorites, perhaps Rainier and/or Red Hook in the Puget Sound's case. But today? Seemingly everyone and
Arts
The "Colored Pencil Society of America's 24 International Exhibition" at American Art Company is surprising on many levels. For starters, the 119 works of art that crowd the gallery walls are really paintings, not drawings, by almost any criteria, despite being done with pencils. Second, the detailed technical expertise and
Arts
Tacoma has become increasingly artsy over the past 15 or 20 years, but long before T-Town was known for its museums and galleries galore, it was an industrial city that also happened to be the hometown to world-class glass artist, Dale Chihuly. Chihuly lived his young years in Tacoma and
Music
My dad sat me down and showed me The Rocky Horror Picture Show on an old VHS tape when I was 12 years old. This is a fact that I love to throw in his face every time he questions any odd behavior. Still, as much as I lovingly tease
