New restaurants: Waterfront Thai, skateboarding meets coffee, a brewery moves downtown
Summer is in full swing, and delays in construction, equipment supply and more continue to slow down openings. Nonetheless, the South Sound has welcomed several new destinations for food and drink in recent weeks.
In downtown Tacoma, skate your heart out and have a Manifesto Coffee while you’re at it.
Other openings include a Thai restaurant at none other than Point Ruston, barbecue and ice cream near Joint Base Lewis-McChord and a playful Asian bakery in Federal Way. One Pierce County town now has bubble tea, too.
A couple of spots updated or moved, including a Tacoma brewpub and a longtime Sumner bistro.
As the weather has warmed, the area has gained another ghost kitchen from a venerable chef, a wine tasting room, and a coffee and chai shop.
Read on for a look at recently opened restaurants in Tacoma and Pierce County.
THE METHOD 253
822 Court A, Tacoma, themethod253.com
Kick back at unique new business The Method in downtown Tacoma. Skateboarder Aaron Artis teamed up with coffee fiend who also skates Jack Saffle to open a shop that combines both of their passions. With the help of friend and co-owner Stein Hansen, you also can buy custom boards here. The guys have been out and about at local events since last year, often rolling on mini, pop-up skate parks — follow along at instagram.com/themethod253. Head to Pacific Avenue and 7th, then to the semi-secret nook that is Court A for a house Manifesto Coffee roast, weekdays 7 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
PINT AND PIE - TACOMA
610 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253-244-7943, tacoma.pintnpie.com
Pint & Pie is not new, but it moved to a new location in June. Some background: In 2020, the team behind Northwest Brewing opened its original Tacoma taproom in the Stadium District, below Odin Brewing. Last year, Mother Fern Brewing opened in this space — home to Pacific Brewing from 2014-2020 — but that, too, closed. Enter Pint & Pie, now serving cold beer and hot pies (also, dessert pies) in bright, brick-walled environs. Stay tuned for what an Instagram post promised would become “Holy Smoke Brewing Co.” If you’re confused, all you really need to know is that every day at noon, you can come here to drink beer and eat pie.
BO RAN ROYAL THAI CUISINE
5108 Grand Loop, Ruston, 253-212-9545, boranroyalthai.com
Another restaurant has landed at Point Ruston. BoRan Royal Thai opened earlier this summer in a space that has seemed to be cursed — three previous endeavors here struggled (for a host of reasons). The menu includes Thai staples such as fish cakes, crunchy-spicy wings, curries and a house special mieng kham: a platter of coconut, peanuts, red onions, ginger and dried shrimp to be rolled by you into cha plu leaves, often found in curries. Fried rice features Dungeness crab or black pepper short ribs, and other house specials focus on Northern Thai dishes of sausage and “3D” noodles with a trio of seafood. Cocktails ($14-$16) range from a lychee martini to hibiscus mojito, and beer from Singha to Stoup. Open daily at noon for lunch and 4 p.m. for dinner. On weekdays, the restaurant takes an hour break at 3 p.m. Save a few bucks on select cocktails and appetizers at happy hour, 4-6 p.m.
BLISS ICE CREAM - DUPONT
1520 Wilmington Dr., DuPont, 253-765-5483, icecreambliss.com
Sisters Theresa Fouquette and Stacie Leaf unveiled their fourth scoop shop in the Puget Sound. The DuPont location follows one in Snohomish, Tacoma’s Proctor District and the original in University Place. Bliss also has an ice cream truck, popping up at events including Tuesday nights this summer at Dune Peninsula and a few farmers markets. It was at the nearby market at Ross Park Plaza that the duo found this storefront, near Mince Mercantile and next to Koko Teriyaki. Expect the same fun flavors — try the summertime Cantaloupe Smile for melon in a cone or the vegan Strawberry Shortcake — plus fresh waffle cones, shakes and sundaes. Open daily 1-10 p.m.
TIN HUT BBQ - DUPONT
1175 Center Dr., DuPont, 253-325-8868, tinhutbbq.com
Veteran and barbecue maestro Frank Diaz has been serving his smoked meats to the South Sound as a food truck and catering business for a minute, and he recently added a brick-and-mortar. Find it across the street from McNamara’s and Farrelli’s. For under $15, pick a protein — Carolina-style pulled pork, St. Louis-style ribs, brisket, tri-tip, smoked sausage — and two house sides, including smoked BBQ beans, bacon green beans, Spanish rice and pineapple slaw. Try the signature grilled cheese with brisket or pork, and consider meats by the pound for your next gathering. Diaz launched his food-truck business in Hawaii, where he still operates Aloha Gourmet Food Trucks, which includes a Tin Hut BBQ.
THE WINDMILL BISTRO - SUMNER
16009 60th St. E, Sumner, 253-826-7897, windmillbistro.com
Sumner mainstay The Windmill Bistro underwent an extensive remodel this spring. Owners Bruce and Barb Patterson have operated the restaurant since 2011, and in January they announced it would close for several months. The result is a contemporary destination with a fresh dining room, cocktail bar featuring custom and classic drinks, a lofted wine lounge — choose among two dozen glass pours — and an idyllic patio, currently in bloom. On the menu, new dishes include flatbreads with seasonal toppings — blueberries, feta and ricotta with caramelized onions — and an array of sandwiches, from grilled chicken and pear to barbecue brisket. At dinner, share crab cakes, calamari and a charcuterie board in the garden, or opt for the signature Salmon BLT salad, chicken roasted with olives or panko-crusted cod and housemade fries. Open Wednesday-Friday 11 a.m.-3 p.m. for lunch and 5-9 p.m. for dinner. On weekends, brunch starts at 8:30 a.m. with dinner service on Saturdays. Reservations (by phone) generally recommended but required for dinner.
WODO BAKERY - FEDERAL WAY
31406 Pacific Highway, Federal Way, 253-677-6604, instagram.com/wodo.seattle
Look for Shabu Shabuya in this wonderful culinary stretch in Federal Way and you’ll find WODO, a “megaron and bakery” that began as a pop-up in and around Seattle a couple of years ago. A Megaron is a macaron, but the style here boasts more of a bite-sized situation — sometimes in fun shapes that resembled cutout cookies — with flavors like matcha, corn, yam and potato cheese (yes indeed!). The bakery also conjures madeleines (Earl grey, tiramisu) and cakes (carrot, Oreo crumble), cookies (coconut macadamia, chocolate cream cheese) and more. It’s a counter-serve operation only, so fill a box and take plenty home for later. Open Thursday-Sunday at 11 a.m.
TEA GARDEN - EATONVILLE
212 WA-161 (Washington Ave. N), Eatonville, 360-832-6483, yellowteagarden.com
Billing itself as Eatonville’s first bubble tea shop, Tea Garden replaces Cottage Bakery & Cafe, which closed last fall when the building was sold. Kim Southisone opened the cafe, her first, this summer, with a goal of using real fruit and no artificial sweeteners. Signature drinks ($6.50-$7.75) include a classic Brown Sugar milk boba, Foam of the Tea and Sweet Peaches, while the rest of the manageable menu adds espresso, teas and smoothies. A modest food menu features a few sandwiches and paninis, such as a turkey avocado or satisfying banana and peanut butter, as well as sweet treats, from cupcakes to matcha tiramisu. Look for monthly drink specials and ask about the secret menu! Open every day but Wednesday, 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
COMING SOON
▪ After the surprise debut of Dusty’s Downtown, new owners of The Pine Cone in University Place Dana and Dave Verellen are working on updating the classic diner. The couple, also behind Hilltop’s Zodiac Supper Club, hopes to unveil its fresh face before summer’s end, but time will tell. Follow progress at instagram.com/thepineconeup, where the most recent post showed off croque madames, biscuits and gravy, breakfast potatoes and more future tastes. Did we mention there will be cocktails?
▪ Delays have plagued Gig Harbor’s new fast-casual seafood spot, but proprietor Dave Montoure told The News Tribune in early July that they are “in the final stages.” When Kettlefish opens in the old Kelly’s Cafe space, look for made-to-order bouillabaisse, cioppino and Pacific pan roast from steaming-hot kettles, as the name implies.
This story was originally published July 21, 2022 at 5:00 AM.