Eat good food, raise money. Dining Out for Life is Thursday

Dining Out For Life, the annual fundraiser for the Pierce County AIDS Foundation, is Thursday.

Donating is easy. All a diner has to do is eat at a participating restaurant April 28, 2016. That’s it.

A full list of participating restaurants in Pierce and Thurston counties can be found here.

Restaurants, about 48 of them, will donate at least 25 percent of ticket sales (with some restrictions) to the foundation. Breweries and distilleries also are participating. In fact, 7 Seas Brewing is teaming up with Tacoma’s Jonz Catering for a $50 fixed menu dinner. Read details here. Because this is a large, regional event, it’s a good idea to make reservations if a restaurant takes them.

Here are my top 5 pics of the participating Pierce County restaurants, and what you should order when you get there.

There’s one common theme. They all have terrific Mediterranean fare.

Primo Grill: This dinner-only restaurant on Sixth Avenue is owned by chef Charlie McManus and his wife, Jacqueline Plattner. Don’t miss the smoked salmon with housemade fettuccini, if it’s on the menu. The prosciutto-fig pizza is another must order. Read this review.

Marzano: Head to this Parkland Italian eatery from Elisa Marzano for lunch or dinner, which includes the terrific house bread and a salad. Don’t miss the pork belly appetizer or the venison ragu. Read this review.

Adriatic Grill: This Tacoma Mall neighborhood Italian restaurant from Bill and Monique Trudnowski makes some of the best bolognese in the area, plus there’s pizza from the wood-fired oven. Read this review.

Toscanos: Tom Pantley’s downtown Puyallup restaurant is known for its giant clam martini appetizer, but also its martinis. And steak. Don’t forget steak. There are three cuts on the menu now. Read this review.

Pomodoro: I know this is an Italian restaurant and I should be praising the penne, but here’s what I love about Pomodoro: the house-made blue cheese dressing. There, I said it. It’s a fun neighborhood restaurant in Proctor.

Any questions? Contact the Pierce County AIDS Foundation.

This story was originally published April 26, 2016 at 7:01 AM with the headline "Eat good food, raise money. Dining Out for Life is Thursday."