Southern Exposure Cafe coming to Sixth Avenue in Tacoma

Two sisters are bringing a Southern restaurant with Caribbean touches to the Sixth Avenue neighborhood in Tacoma. Southern Exposure will open in the space that previously held the wine bar It’s Amore, which closed in May.

Gloria Gentry and Angela Hernandez will operate the cafe that will serve lunch and dinner. Hernandez has lived in the South Sound area for 30 years. The sisters grew up in North Carolina. This is a first restaurant for both.

Expect a menu of Southern classics - shrimp and grits, fried fish, pulled pork, collard greens, black eyed peas and gumbo. Some of those dishes will be made with Caribbean seasonings and touches. Hernandez described by phone their blend of food as a merge of her Carolina roots with her husband’s Puerto Rican heritage. She’ll put his family's favorite dishes, such as pasteles, on the menu, too.

Expect prices to top out around $12-$14 for entrees. Hernandez described linen tablecloths, with table service. She said the dining area will be designed around a piano, which will be featured for live entertainment (for both professionals and amateurs).

There’s no opening date yet for the restaurant - that’s because of construction required in the kitchen. The small space was outfitted with a partial kitchen and Hernandez and Gentry are now working on a plan to upgrade the venting hood before they can plan the layout of the new kitchen.

The restaurant will be located at 2715 Sixth Ave., Tacoma. Find their Facebook page here.

This story was originally published November 5, 2013 at 7:27 AM with the headline "Southern Exposure Cafe coming to Sixth Avenue in Tacoma."