Restaurants in Downtown Tacoma ( 8. March 2006, 18:49 by Derek Young) ~ Why Should We Eat There?
The other day, as we were leaving the talk at UWT, I somehow found myself in a discussion about downtown redevelopment. Imagine that. I don’t remember what prompted the comment, but it got interesting when I said, “I want five more Primo Grills before I see another high end restaurant or thai place.” I very quickly heard a, “Why Primo?” from a gentleman associated with the downtown business district.
So I explained that what I meant by this is not that I want Primo specifically with its red and green logo and painted tables. What I want to see are more mid-range sit down restaurants that have a good variety of Pacific Northwest style food. Not Italian. Not American bar food with micro-brew beer. Not a ‘steak place.’ I’d accept a dim sum place, of course, but that’s different story entirely. I want to see more restaurants, like Primo, where two of us can sit down and just eat entrees and get out for less than $40. Or, if we want to, get wine, appetizers, entrees, deserts, and drinks and drop a decent amount of change – but not as much as if we ate like this at El Gaucho or Sea Grill. I can think of dozens of Seattle restaurants like this that would translate well to Tacoma. Imagine the Pink Door or any number of places on Capital Hill.
To this explanation I heard, “What about the Rock?” Ummm… that’s mostly pizza, an amazing family salad, and beer. “The Swiss?” That’s more bar food. Good, but bar food still. “Hal of a Sub?” Not exactly what I had in mind. “The Harmon?” More bar food. “Ravenous?” I asked if it had changed at all in the last few years to which he answered that he didn’t think so. “The Vault?” Like Ravenous I haven’t been there in years. Do they have a good story to tell I asked? I don’t know anybody that has been to these places in a long time. “Vin Grotto?” Yes, we go there!
Now it was his turn. He proceeded to tell me that new restaurants won’t happen until the old restaurants start to succeed. So if Tacoma isn’t supporting these restaurants, then we won’t get new ones. He accused me turning a blind eye to what we do have in order to promote my own vision of the city. Does he know me? Then I explained again, I’m looking for a mid-priced place with an interesting menu that doesn’t represent any particular ethnic group or country to supplement what we already have downtown. Food that is more fusion Northwest than old school American or Italian. Food that fills a niche not currently represented. “So what you want is something like the Harvester?” No. “Hob Nob?” No. “Well with these places you have already you have all the variety you could ever want.” Huh? Imagine the menu at Sea Grill, but down a click in price. Imagine the 5-Spot or Atlas in Seattle. Imagine the Beach House in Purdy. “So what you want is cheap fish or a steak?” Who said anything about cheap? The conversation was becoming less constructive and it trailed off as we headed toward our cars.
I do like to talk to people with opinions. It makes life more interesting.
If we aren’t hearing about the restaurants we have downtown then that’s a messaging problem for the restaurants. We can see by the apparent success of other restaurants in town that people are willing to eat out. Is it my job as a consumer to hunt down the old places and see if they are evolving and innovating? Besides, none of these restaurants represent to me the style of place I had described originally. New restaurants will come whether the old places innovate or not. I highly doubt that restaurateur are waiting to see if the old ones wither on the vine or flourish. Maybe there’s a story to be told in the established downtown restaurants. If there is, tell me about it. I’m not against these places. What I want is more variety and another reason to go downtown.
It’s nice to want things.
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$40???
As a poor college student, $40 for two is a little out of my range, but I understand what you mean. It would be great to have an affordable sit down place to eat that isn’t Olive Garden or TGIF or Ruby Tuesday’s (blech). And I don’t know if I buy the whole “They’ll build restaurants when people eat at them” argument. A good business person wouldn’t look at this town and say, “Oh, no one here eats at restaurants.” He/she’d look at the town and ask, “Why isn’t anyone eating at restaurants?” For example, prices, selection, atmosphere. I think there’s a lack of nice, independent, middle of the road restaurants.
Meanwhile, has anyone else tried All Star Burger on Center St (and Tyler, I think) yet? Inexpensive, great tasting burgers. Even better, dare I say, than Frisco Freeze. Oh yeah, I went there. Plus, the guy who owns it is always behind the counter, so you know you’re supporting a family business.
1 | Posted by Genevieve | Mar 8, 07:45 PM
Finally! Someone else who is bored and unimpressed with Tacoma eateries as I am! Are my expectations really that high? I don’t think so!
I think Tacoman’s have been locked up in their own world for so long that they have lost touch with innovative cooking AND innovative atmospheres in which to eat. This is the worst: If I go into another eatery with fluorescent lights, I swear I am going to barf!
Yes, we need more middle of the road eateries. But, even more so, we need more good quality AFFORDABLE eateries. Places where students and new fathers (me!) can go on a daily basis.
Having had the opportunity to live – and eat – in many great Seattle neighborhoods over 15 years, I am going through serious withdrawals after a reluctant move back to Tacoma two years ago. Just in the neighborhood of Fremont alone, there are probably over three dozen restaurants – nearly all of them great and many of them affordable enough to eat at on a daily basis – or at least once or twice a week. This is what vibrancy and sustainability is all about – and it is this combination that is greatly lacking in Tacoma… in my opinion.
ps- My wife and I went to Ravenous over the holidays. I really wanted to like it – really! The ambiance was nice, but all the food was so over spiced I couldn’t taste it! Do Italians really use that much cayenne pepper? And the sauces were… interesting. My fettuccine – I think that’s what it was – had a sauce that was borderline gummy. Not the best I’ve ever had
And I haven’t been to All Star burgers yet – but like on this website, I have heard good things about it.
Derek may want Dim Sum (I do too!) – but the food I miss most from Seattle, is Ethiopian.
Ethiopian would be good, but I consider it a choice from the ADVANCED options. In my opinion we need a greater ‘infrastructure’ of good eateries and a culture of eating out before Ethiopian would succeed. Maybe I’m wrong. I’ve heard from a few people that they wish we had a tapas place. Same thing. Advanced option. We have to master the basics first…
It is a sad commentary when ‘middle priced’ eateries come in at $40/couple without the alcohol. Could it be the property and business tax of downtown can only be made profitable by high end ‘El Gouge-Oh!’ types? There are some noteable exceptions to the bar scene food. The Parkway still whips up killer from-scratch soups reminiscent of McMinamins, and the remodel is looking great so far. They could close the deal with expanded fare beyond sandwiches… Maybe what’s needed at some of the tired old restaurants (are you listening Hob Nob?)is inovative young chefs willing to push the meatloaf off the menu?
5 | Posted by Les | Mar 9, 06:54 AM
Ooooo—McMinamins. Yummy.
I can’t tell you how many times I have complained about this very issue. High priced places all over, but not a decent mid-range sit down joint. I’d even accept chain restaurants if they taste good (bite me, Olive Garden).
Sick of fast food. Sick of paying one hundred bucks for a night out.
Where are Tacoma’s innovative entrepreneurs? Why are we not able to “grow our own”? Is it the blue collar, working class tradition that has locals ingrained with the idea that eating out is extravagant and only to be done occasionally? Is it that Tacoman’s are anti-social and would rather stay at home and get stoned?
I believe every city has its own spirit or personality. While Seattle’s screw you DIY attitude goes back to the beginning, Tacoma’s temperament has always been more passive. A couple cases in point: when the railroad chose Tacoma as its terminus in the 1800’s, Seattle said “Fine! We’ll build our own railroad!”
http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=922
More recently when Boeing pulled its headquarters out of Seattle- the response was “If you don’t want to be here then go – we’ll do fine without you.” Meanwhile, in Tacoma, we still don’t have a diverse economy and everyone got freaked out that a smelly pulp mill sitting on prime (but polluted) waterfront land, spewing hideous steam, swallowing up enormous amounts of city supplied fresh water, AND employing only a few hundred people might be threatened by a nearby condo project!
Tacoma likes to think of itself as progressive – and maybe at some point in the past it was. But from what I have seen, it is not – it is all about the status quo. And if the status quo is expected, that’s what we will get. Until we get enough Seattle ex-pats living down here, I don’t see anything changing for the better anytime soon…
I moved to Washington about 1.5 years ago from New Orleans, and while I occasionally yearn for even just a few morsels from some of my old favorite eateries that (used to?) spice the jasmine scented air of the big easy, I think Tacoma is doing pretty okay. Sure, there aren’t dining gems on every block or tucked around every corner, but there is some variety to be had for the determined diner. a few places have been mentioned on here. i agree that there are more that tend toward the spendy, but part of tacoma’s charm (at least for me) is that it is sort of a small sleepy city. the current explosion of condos, i fear, will erode that quality somewhat, and very likely will result in an expanded menu of restaurants. some of the complaints above about tacoma not being enough like seattle.. well.. be careful what you wish for.
I ate at Southern Kitchen tonight, and that place definitely falls in the middle-ground between the golden forked grills/steak shacks and the well represented bar food genre. the exterior is a little gritty, but the food is good.
8 | Posted by ben | Mar 12, 09:02 PM
I agree with Ben let the city grow organically I enjoy the grit…
9 | Posted by Patrick | Mar 13, 08:37 AM
I think we see more expensive restaurants in dt Tacoma because they have to be expensive to survive. Maybe with the lack of customers downtown they need to jack up the price to cover them. I think alot of the places are just opening to get heal in the door. I don’t think they are making money. They are most likely having their other locations subsidizing the dt Tacoma locations. Yes it would be nice to see more mid-price range eateries, but hey let take what we can get for now. If anyone has a $1 million + sitting around feel free to open a place!
10 | Posted by Jake | Mar 13, 08:45 AM
As the owner of Vin Grotto I know people are more inclined to head up to Proctor or 6th Sixth Ave. We still have image problems at the North end of Pacific. Until, that is fixed, its an uphill battle. My issues now are with the Club Friday hip-hop events. The kids take-up all the parking and stand in groups intimidating pedestrians.
Restaurants: The (High) Wave of the UW
Hey, we were in the “U- District” in 1969. Had great affordable eats and jazz clubs.
Are we catering to the Board of Regence or the locals and students? Take off the ties, get some good organic affordable food for the rest of the peasants around here. I am a previous restaurant owner and know what is needed other than fast food. Let’s open some arist’s showings in normal priced establishments. Get folks downtown on the weekends. Let’s “get real” in Tacoma. Start a new trend.
13 | Posted by Nancy H. | Mar 25, 01:30 PM
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