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Cozy, romantic restaurants in Tacoma & Pierce County
At the coziest restaurant in Pierce County, you can make new friends around a fire pit, roast marshmallows with a s’mores kit, and sip cider under a pavilion by a handcrafted water mill.
Mill Haus Cider Co., the expansive outdoor taproom and restaurant in Eatonville, won readers’ hearts in our TNT Diner poll. About 17 percent of more than 200 tallies went to this year-old destination not far from the Ashford entrance to Mount Rainier National Park.
A close runner-up, Marzano Italian Restaurant in Parkland garnered almost as many votes. In third place is Tacoma icon Over the Moon Cafe, commonly cited as the city’s most romantic restaurant.
A chunk of voters said their favorite was missing from the list. Shout-out to Cooks Tavern, which was nominated by a couple of readers. We tried to bring a wide variety of price points, cuisines and styles to the list of 40 choices.
Others that snagged several tallies: Bar Rosa, en Rama, Crudo & Cotto, Netshed No. 9 and Bourbon Street Creole Kitchen.
Read on for a look at the Top 5 and a few of TNT Diner’s favorites for all your cozy restaurant needs this winter and beyond.
MILL HAUS CIDER CO.
▪ 303 Center St. E, Eatonville, 253-487-7065, drinkmillhaus.com
▪ Wednesday 4-8 pm, Thursday 4-9 pm, Friday-Saturday noon-9 pm, Sunday noon-8 pm
Longtime Eatonville resident Steve Schmidt built much of the unique fixtures on the property, from that water mill to a steel chandelier and a steam donkey replica above a stovepipe fireplace in the equally cozy lodge. Outside, there are several pavilions, ample fire pits, picnic tables with umbrellas, a stage for live music and an area dedicated to lawn games.
Schmidt started the cidery several years ago with son Caleb and his childhood friends, brothers Nick and Justin Baublits. While the taproom is a great choice for a cold one after a day in the mountains, it has quickly become a beloved Eatonville gathering place — the parking lot is regularly filled up on most days for lunch and dinner.
In addition to house ciders, the bar offers local craft brews and wines, while the kitchen churns out highly shareable plates, including flatbreads and Hawaiian pork sliders.
MARZANO
▪ 516 Garfield St., Tacoma, 253-537-4191, dinemarzano.com
▪ Tuesday-Saturday 4-8 pm (8:30 pm weekend nights)
Elisa Marzano and her son Brian brought their seasonal Italian cooking to Parkland in 1998. Nearing its 25th birthday, the intimate restaurant inside a restored Craftsman house continues to hold the line as one of the region’s best.
Relish dishes like Northwest cioppino with Pacific clams, mussels, fin fish and prawns in a tomato-vermouth sauce; an assagi plate of homemade charcuterie and Sardinian-style crackers; classic spaghetti carbonara and “marvelous” meatballs. Pair with a glass of Rossa Toscana and finish with the light Swedish cream dessert. Reservations highly recommended.
OVER THE MOON CAFE
▪ 709 Opera Alley, Tacoma, 253-284-3722, overthemooncafe.net
▪ Tuesday-Thursday 4:30-9 pm, Friday-Saturday 4:30-10 pm
More than two decades later, chef Deanna Harris-Bender’s Opera Alley getaway continues to be a sought-after table for anniversaries, graduation dinners and everyday celebrations. Its speakeasy sensibility stems from its two-story dining room with plush chairs, white tablecloths, heavy curtains, dim lighting and complementary background music.
Order a classic cocktail from the short-but-sweet list and start with a wedge salad, share the duck and try the vegetarian butternut squash “lasagna.” Wrap with a slice of the unique berry dessert. Reservations highly recommended.
DUSTY’S HIDEAWAY
▪ 723 E 34th St., Tacoma, 253-292-0106, dustyshideaway.com
▪ Daily 11am-11pm (midnight Friday-Saturday)
Dusty’s website describes the McKinley Avenue pub as “a cozy little pit stop,” and how could you not agree? Owners Dana and Dave Verellen transformed this old Craftsman house into a kitschy desert oasis that feels like going to your friend’s place, where vintage trinkets mingle with plenty of houseplants in macrame hangers.
As a family-friendly restaurant, the menu features a few delicious burgers, fun sandwiches like the Sam Elliot with turkey, cream cheese and blackberry jam, and one of the best breakfast burritos in town. (Hint: Breakfast all day!) Cocktails are great here, too. When it’s not raining, find a seat in one
Three new restaurants serving Summerville customers in the former Sticky Fingers building
SUMMERVILLE, SC (WCBD) – A former Sticky Fingers restaurant is finding new life in Summerville.
The building on Main Street now offers three different new restaurants in one location.
You’ll find Azul Mexican restaurant at the front of the building, Kairos Mediterranean is located at the back, and right between you’ll find a new local business called Not Your Average Wings.
It was during the COVID-19 pandemic that Priscilla Bloedoorn and her best friend, Rachael Bailey, started thinking about opening a restaurant.
“Me and Priscilla [SIC] came up with the concept of having a wing spot here in the Summerville area,” said Bailey, who co-owns the wings restaurant. “We saw the need for it.”
All three of these restaurants recently opened for business. The ribbon was cut for Not Your Average Wings on October 14 and offers 30 flavors of wings along with waffles, grits, fries, fried okra, fried pickles, and onion rings… and the concept seems to be working.
“It’s amazing. Definitely aptly named not your average wings,” said happy customer Jordan Brown.
Brown stopped by to pick up an order on Tuesday afternoon. “Great food. I come here all the time. I tell everybody I know about this place,” Brown said.
“With everything that’s happened in the past couple of years, it’s nice to see that people who are local are still having the chance to, just put their feet into the soil.”
The Best Time Of Day To Drink That Sugary, Holiday-Themed Latte
Move over, pumpkin spice latte: ‘This is officially the season for peppermint mochas, gingerbread and eggnog lattes, and steaming mugs of hot chocolate. While we’re all for splurging on these beverages when the occasion calls for it ― which, in our opinion, should happen for the entirety of the holiday season ― the sugar crash that comes with these drinks isn’t exactly fun.
Because we don’t want to deprive you of these sweet sips, we talked with nutritionists to find out when to time your holiday-themed latte and hot chocolate consumption so you feel good all day long. Here’s everything you need to know.
Stick to mornings, but eat breakfast first.
Because these beverages are both sweet and caffeinated for the most part, you’ll want to try to consume them before noon, according to a registered dietitian Eleana Kaidanian. “Many of these festive drinks, in addition to the excessive sugar content, also contain caffeine and that duo is not a recipe for sleep,” she said. “Avoid having them later in the day unless they are caffeine-free and unsweetened.”
That being said, it’s not a good idea to drink them on an empty stomach, according to Mary Wirtzregistered dietitian and nutritional consultant at Mom Loves Best.
“Sugar-laden beverages, such as a holiday-themed latte, are best consumed with or just after a meal,” she explained. “The protein and fiber consumed at that meal will help to slow digestion of the sugars in the beverage and therefore leave an individual with more stable blood sugar and energy levels.”
More stable blood sugar in the morning means you’re less likely to crave sugary, unhealthy foods throughout the day — and the protein and fiber in your breakfast could also influence your holiday-themed drink order. For example, Wirtz says, you may be less likely to order a large beverage, or you may just not drink as much of it.
Consider having your latte before or after exercising.
Don’t think of a peppermint mocha as pre-workout fuel? It may be time to reconsider. Wirtz noted that you can actually see your sugary, caffeinated drink as pre-workout fuel. “It is best to have concentrated sugar sources, such as a holiday-themed latte, just before exercise, as glucose (sugar) is needed to fuel activities such as cardiovascular exercise or weightlifting,” she said, noting that there’s also strong research that shows that caffeine can help fuel workout performance.
And if you can’t quite get the timing to work, sipping on a sugary latte after a workout is fine, too. “The holiday-themed latte can also be enjoyed post-workout, combined with a protein source, to help speed up the muscle recovery process,” Wirtz said.
The same is true of non-caffeinated drinks, like hot chocolate: The sugar in hot chocolate can help fuel a hard workout and help you recover from it.
And of course, you always have the option to lighten up your drink.
If you want to avoid the possibility of a sugar crash altogether — or at least reduce it — you’d be hard-pressed to find a dietitian who isn’t ready with hacks to make this happen.
“You can skip the whipped cream, request half the sweetener, ask for a calorie-free sweetener, or flavor your beverage with cinnamon,” Wirtz says. “You can also order a black coffee or Americano with one pump or half a serving of holiday-themed flavoring.”
You can also get the thrill of a holiday-themed beverage with very minimal sugar, according to Kaidanian. “You can enjoy an unsweetened pumpkin chai latte that is packed with flavor, not sugar, from pumpkin and spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla,” she said. “You should also consider choosing nonfat milk, low-fat cow’s milk or unsweetened plant-based milk whenever possible. Ask for unsweetened beverages, or take control by specifically asking for how much flavoring you want to be used by the barista.”
While nutritionists aren’t crazy about the sugary caffeinated beverages that tend to be consumed around the holiday season, there are ways to time your consumption so it’s less detrimental to your energy levels and overall health. So order those eggnog lattes while you still can!
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