Archive | September, 2011

Valhalla Coffee

26 Sep GCF_metronomeTTT-11

In this latest video cast: Derrick has a moment with a cup of coffee, we explore one of the premiere roasters in Tacoma, and we present the first ever GCF interview!

I can’t quite remember exactly when coffee transitioned from mid-day luxury to morning necessity, but sometime in college I began relying on my morning cup of coffee like a paratrooper relies on air resistance. It keeps me up…and prevents me from plummeting a great many leagues to certain doom. Coffee is an essential part of my morning, but is far from a mindless item on my to-do list, it is something I love so very dearly.

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T Town Taster: Medi’s Pizza and Pasta

23 Sep

Another GCF Quickie, this time about Medi’s, a new pizza and pasta joint on 6th Ave which will be celebrating its grand opening this weekend.

What a crappy picture of a tasty thin crust pizza

I’m not sure how this is even possible, but it’s taken more years than I have Tacoma living experience for an inexpensive by-the-slice pizza joint to grace 6th Avenue. UPS students, your brain food has arrived. Medi’s Pizza and Pasta opened its doors a couple weeks ago under a soft opening in the old Sluggo Music location next to Six Olives and across from Pastiche. The short menu includes $2 slices and $10 16″ 2-topping pizzas, $6 calzones, and some basic pasta dishes. The atmosphere is family-friendly without being a kid zoo, and the stereotypical vintage arcade games actually work.

This post will almost immediately become obsolete, as Medi’s grand opening is slated for this weekend (Saturday, Sept.24) according to our friendly waiter. The new menu is rumored to have up to 15 specialty pizzas, including some with white sauce, but perhaps some slightly increased prices as well. The place is under the same owners as O’Malley’s Irish Pub down the street, and the bar is evidence of that as it is fully loaded with a large assortment of liquor and quite a few taps. There is no happy hour as of yet, and the micros are a bit steep at $4-5, but the quality inexpensive food should settle the score for most.

The pizza comes on a fresh crispy thin crust, the cheese is extra gooey, and the ingredients generous. The calzones are large and equally loaded with your favorite goodies. Medi’s has a ways to go before they become my favorite pizza joint, but at these prices and this location it should become an easy hit for 6th Ave.

Medi’s Pizza and Pasta

2710 6th Ave 
Tacoma, WA 98406

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T Town Taster: Taqueria El Antojo

21 Sep

Another Mexican quickie, this time Taqeuria El Antojo on 38th and McKinley

For a mere $4.99 you too can eat delicious Mole Enchiladas at Taqueria El Antojo in South Tacoma. Kiddy Corner to the now defunct McKinley Elementary, the little taco and burrito joint is bursting with deals and traditional Mexican goodness. You can easily spot it. It’s the one with the slightly disenfranchised looking guy out front with the iPod spinning the $4.99 lunch special sign. What’s with those guys anyway? The Little Caesars guys kill me. I like to imagine they’re listening to something completely opposite to their appearance, maybe some Carpenters or Bread.

The special seems to rotate through different delicious offerings, but incase it’s not up to your standards you can always pony up for some $.50 tacos or $1.99 burritos. The place is interesting, having the appearance of an airport fast food counter: big lcd screens displaying brightly colored menus hang above the long multi-register counter, full sized posters on every window, orders spoken over an intercom system to the chefs working their asses off in the back. It is a small chain with restaurants in Tacoma, Lakewood, Lynwood, and a truck in Birmingham, but it totally feels corporate. Needless to say, I was leery. I was however comforted somewhat by the big round tortilla baking stone up front.

The food is fresh, flavor packed and surprisingly fast. I recommend you ignore the wild sign spinner gesticulating on the corner and head in as if this were a typical mom and pop shop. It’s almost as good.

Taqueria El Antojo
3801 Mckinley Ave, Tacoma -
(253) 475-0375
Taqueria El Antojo on Urbanspoon

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GRITTY CITY SHOWDOWN: Reubens

17 Sep

Our first ever showdown! For this maiden voyage, our mission is to find the best reuben in Tacoma, and we think we did. Hit “continue reading” to read the full write up!


This post has been a long time in the making. The brilliant idea of a showdown-style no-holds-barred food battle struck us very early on, we just wanted to wait for the right moment to tackle such an epic undertaking. We settled on the reuben partly from an earlier post about the MSM Deli, in which I get carried away about the reuben, suggesting that maybe it was one of the best in town other than perhaps The Swiss. I spent some time thinking about that statement, and realized how incredibly naive I was being. I hadn’t tried every reuben in Tacoma.  How could I even begin to suggest it might be one of the best? Turns out it’s not. I am a dick. Simple solution: we needed to find the best. Ladies and gentlemen, this post is my redemption.

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T Town Taster: Vuelve a la Vida’s Tres Taco Platter

16 Sep

A short write up about a tall lunch order

Vuelve a la Vida, or “The Purple Octopus” as it is lovingly referred to by us here at GCF, is a fabulous authentic Mexican joint in the South end at 53rd and Pac Ave. It is a great place for slow roasted meats, killer horchata, and hand made tortillas. Although the place is well deserving of a full write-up, this is just a quick look at one of our favorites here: the Tres Taco Platter.

The Tres Taco Platter is one of the more delicious and inexpensive lunch specials on the South side. For around five bucks, you can get three massive tacos overflowing with any assortment of traditionally cooked meats and accented with fresh onion and cilantro. Be sure to quickly smother them in the two salsas provided by your waitress though, because she’ll no doubt take them from you as fast as she brought them. They must be in short supply of squeezie bottles or something.

I recommend the carne asada, birria (goat), and luenga, by which I mean cow tongue. Tasting something which was once itself responsible for tasting is a bit complicated. Complicated but delicious. Yup.

As always, mention us and get…nothing! Maybe some tongue. That isn’t meant to sound dirty.

Vuelve a la Vida
5310 Pacific Ave
Tacoma, WA 98408

(253) 473-7068
Vuelve a la Vida on Urbanspoon

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Tacoma Craft Beer Festival

5 Sep

For those visual learners, we present our first ever video segment! Give us feedback. We are hoping to move the blog in this direction. To more of a vlog…If that’s even a thing. 

Write Up

September 3rd 2011 was a gorgeous day in Tacoma. The sun beat down on the new 21st street park as thirsty Tacomans gathered thick as ants to a ripe peach, all to sample an enormous selection of fine craft beers from over 40 different brewers. In addition to local brewers like E-9, Silver City, Harmon, M-T Head, Seven Seas, and newly unveiled Wingman Brewery, breweries came from California, Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, Alaska, even as far away as Alberta Canada (Unibroue) to help support the Boys and Girls club and our taste buds.

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Gibson’s Frozen Yogurt Shoppe

2 Sep

Bacon bits or kiwi????....these are the questions that haunt my dreams

Tacoma…your life just got a little harder. Perhaps my experiences will help you through this difficult time. I am not ashamed to admit the stress I underwent choosing my yogurt and toppings at Gibson’s this summer. I mean…we all know how well chocolate and vanilla sets the stage for all types of cookies, nuts, and sauces – it seemed like the perfect choice. But, a huge selection of delightfully tart yogurt and fresh fruit never failed to create a battle royale cage match between my mind and taste buds. Seriously. People were staring.

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