Johnny’s Seafood Market & Bistro

Johnny’s Seafood Co. has reopened as Johnny’s Seafood Market & Bistro after a top to bottom remodel that now features a cafe in addition to their longstanding seafood counter. Diners can sit at the bar, inside near the seafood counter or on the outdoor patio on the Thea Foss Waterway. There’s even a great view of Mt. Rainier.

Tacoma has needed another casual waterfront seafood restaurant, and I was eager to check it out. There’s Steamers Seafood Cafe on Titlow Beach, but I’ve never found the quality or portion size to be good for the price.

We stopped at Johnny’s for dinner tonight, and I wasn’t really planning on blogging about it, so I didn’t take any photos of our food…and I’m not seeing the menu anywhere online at the moment, but the food was generally really good, so I thought I’d share our experience.

It’s a little awkward walking into Johnny’s because the seafood counter is to your right, and the tables are to the left — which isn’t really the problem. I know they just reopened, but while watching numerous people come in and try to purchase seafood at the counter, there was a lot of confusion with the process, and there wasn’t always a staff person to help people at the seafood counter. Once they get the hang of it, hopefully it’ll go more smoothly. The staff was very friendly and the food was served very quickly after ordering, but the seating and general entrance was a little odd.

We ordered the bay shrimp cocktail ($5.95), and though the shrimp were fresh and sweet, the plating (in a little cup, topped with sauce atop a salad of lettuce and celery), was a little different than I’m used to.

The Caesar salad ($8.95) has lightly grilled romaine with options such as adding crab, shrimp or blackened salmon or chicken for an additional reasonable fee. The blackened salmon was high-quality, well cooked and flavored with a nice kick from the blackening spice, and the crab was fresh and pJohnny's Seafood Tacomalentiful atop the salad.

We’ll definitely be back for either a quick lunch or easy dinner. The menu features favorites like clam chowder, fish and chips (including gluten free fish and chips!), Copper River salmon, prime ribeye steak, lots of sandwiches, cioppino, salads, fish tacos, crab and shrimp cocktail, beer and wine.

I also glanced at the seafood counter and noticed they had fresh whole trout, which I haven’t seen anywhere else in Tacoma. In addition to seafood, they also sell beef and pork from Snake River Farms.

The prices were generally reasonable and it seemed like it would be family-friendly. It’s definitely worth checking out.

Johnny’s Seafood Market & Bistro | 1199 Dock Street, Tacoma | 253.627.2158
Open 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. daily

Olympia’s Award-Winning Ranch House BBQ

My brother Jeff’s birthday was this past weekend, and he had one request: Good barbeque. To be honest, I haven’t had any local BBQ I’ve been wowed over, until now.

I come from a family of food lovers, and we all have our own opinions when it comes to choosing a restaurant for a family dinner. Doing as brothers do, Jeff reminded me I don’t know everything about everything, even restaurants, and he did a little research on his own, finding Ranch House BBQ and Steakhouse in Olympia. I took to Twitter and asked folks what they thought. From the unanimously positive responses I received, it seemed like a good idea to check out what people were calling the best BBQ in the South Puget Sound.

The drive to Ranch House is scenic, and while it is a bit out of town, it’s worth the drive down the tree-lined highway. Just when we thought we were lost or must have passed the restaurant, we spotted it on the side of the road, right alongside Kennedy Creek. The giant smokers outside were a good sign.

When we stepped through the doors, the first thing I noticed were the walls lined with awards. There are trophies on the window, banners and plaques everywhere you look.

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Order This Now: Royal Thai Bistro’s Beef Noodle Soup

I recently went to Royal Thai Bistro for the first time, at the recommendation of some of my Twitter buddies. Feeling a little peaky, I really was in the mood for pho, but didn’t want to drive all the way to my favorite pho spots (Pho V&V or Pho King).

Browsing their menu online, I saw they had beef noodle soup. Consider me intrigued. I’d never seen beef noodle soup on a Thai restaurant’s menu before.

I ordered it take-out, brought it home and was pleasantly surprised. First of all, it’s a huge portion if you order it take-out. I’ve since been back to the restaurant and ordered it eating in, and it was probably half the size. When you order it take-out, you get a full soup container of broth and herbs, and a full container of noodles. Let’s just say I ate it out of a mixing bowl, and it was a good four servings.

The soup has a deep, rich beef broth — more unctuous and flavorful than any pho I’ve ever had. I keep comparing the soup to pho, but it really isn’t the same thing. The noodles in Royal Thai Bistro’s soup are more akin to the rice noodles in pad Thai. When you order, they ask you the level of spice you’d like (as opposed to pho, where you add your own). The broth is laden with cilantro, crushed peanuts, some bean sprouts and lots of quality beef. I’m not entirely sure the exact cut of beef they use, but it’s a higher quality than you’d normally get in pho. It’s more of a tender steak.

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Breakfast at Art House Cafe

Art House Cafe in Tacoma’s Stadium District has been open since April of this year, and I haven’t been in since my first bite a week after their opening. I was due for a visit for breakfast, and this was the perfect morning to check it out. With the rain coming down, Art House Cafe made a cozy refuge from the weather on this lazy Sunday morning.

All of the new restaurant kinks I experienced when I first visited for dinner were gone. Our server was knowledgeable, helpful and made a mean latte and hot chocolate.

The fresh, airy cafe was bustling with couples sipping espresso, friends meeting for breakfast and my disheveled “I’m not doing my hair and I’m going to wear yoga pants” self. That’s what weekend breakfasts are for, right?

Actually, Art House Cafe serves a daily breakfast, meaning weekdays included, which is different from most Tacoma restaurants. Tacomans are hard-pressed to find a restaurant that serves breakfast on weekdays, and I’m thrilled Art House serves such a great one.

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Soul Tacoma’s Breakfast and Dinner Menus

New restaurants don’t often pop up in the Proctor neighborhood of Tacoma, especially those of the Latin American/soul food variety. Soul has opened in the former Old House Cafe location, dishing up favorites like fried chicken, amazing sweet potatoes, fried okra, mofongo, jambalaya, fried catfish…and much more.

Menus for both breakfast and dinner read of classic comfort food favorites with a dose of Cuban, Puerto Rican, Peruvian and soul food flavors.

When I first heard about Soul’s opening, I was really excited, not just for a new dining option with food I couldn’t get anywhere else nearby, but because of one thing: BREAKFAST. Tacoma is notoriously short on breakfast restaurants, so any and all are welcome.

Fried okra appetizer at Soul Tacoma

Fried okra

Soul Tacoma Dining Room

Soul Tacoma Dining Room

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My recent visit for dinner was full of delicious flavors and textures. Go for dinner during their daily happy hour, from 4 to 7 p.m. and all day Monday that gets diners 20 percent off their final bill — an excellent deal.

Read my full review of Soul in the Weekly Volcano and Northwest Military.com.

From what I gather, the menus aren’t online anywhere else at the moment, so I thought I’d share them with you. Click the links below to check them out.

Soul Tacoma dinner menu | Soul Tacoma breakfast menu

Soul | 2717 N. Proctor St., Tacoma | 253-761-7685 | Open Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday 11 a.m.-10 p.m.,  Saturday 8 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Breakfast available on the weekends only.