6 replies to this topic

[Jill-O]

Had a great weekend in Tacoma (Museum of Glass, Olympus women's spa, Pt. Defiance Park) but, oddly, ended up eating all of our meals in Fife...go figure.

Did some looking online before going and read that a CIA grad (culinary, not intelligence...that anyone knows of, anyway...;o) opened the Fife Bar and Grill in a motel restaurant. Saw some good reviews, and we decided to take a chance. Be glad we did, we are saving you from the bad-mediocre meal we had. The place was run-down and seriously ugly, and had the feel of a place going down the tubes...the food supported this. We both got pot roast, I started with a smoked fish and corn chowder, VJ started with a caesar salad. The salad was OK, nothing exciting, the soup was OK but very heavy on corn, light on fish (so light there was no smokey flavor at all from it). The mashed potatoes were gluey and the pot roast was mediocre, at best. VJ ordered a sundae for dessert and the brownie in it was old and barely thawed, the ice cream old tasting and crystallized...definitely cried: "I don't want to throw this food out although I know better and should not have served it!" All the plates, it bears mentioning, looked like someone filled them by tossing the food from a distance...messy and un-appetizing. Blech, don't go, let it die a slow and agonizing death. No pics, no way...too scary.

A great find, though, was the cutest little burger drive-in that time forgot. I give you, the Pick Quick Drive In in lovely Fife, WA:

 Fife_2010_Pick_Quick_Drive_Inn.jpg   347.01K   1 downloads

You can't miss it, it's on S. Pacific, just across from the Norman Bates Motel:

 Fife_2010_Bates_Motel.jpg   365.15K   1 downloads

They have burgers, coneys, fries, etc. and awesome shakes in lots of flavors. Thin, dive joint patties on buns w/lettuce, tomato, onions, mustard and mayo. I got a double cheeseburger no onions no mustard, fries, and a fresh banana shake. The burger was very good for a dive, fries were OK (thin, crisp but not potato-ey), but the shake, OMG, it was awesome. Like a drinking a frozen banana, it tasted great and was super-thick.

Menu shots:

 Fife_2010_PQDI_menu_1.jpg   339.77K   1 downloads

 Fife_2010_PQDI_menu_2.jpg   336.94K   1 downloads

 Fife_2010_PQDI_menu_shakes.jpg   380.58K   1 downloads


We saw this awesome neon sign the first night we were in the area on the way to the Fife Bar and Grill:

 Fife_2010_Poodle_neon_night.jpg   315.35K   1 downloads

Also there that night was a duck boat full of Pirates in the parking lot...no pics of them, sorry, though they were a very amusing bunch and having a great time. We decided that we needed to support the place that keeps that sign going, so we went to breakfast there on Sunday.

Well, we found out that The Poodle Dog has been in business since 1933! It was a great diner-ish breakfast and they even kept counter service in part of the restaurant. Older waitresses (no, not servers, waitresses) who call you "Hon" and stuff coming like you ordered it...and folks constantly circling with coffee pots refilling cups and bussing plates simultaneously. It was awesome, a trip back in time. No pics of the food...c'mon, you know what eggs over easy, bacon and pancakes look like, no surprises. But I have to say, VJ's hash browns were beautiful - very browned and crispy looking...the kind you want but rarely get. They do B,L,D...nothing fancy, but I'd go back in a heartbeat.

I leave you with that fabulous sign in daylight:

 Fife_2010_Poodle_sign_day.jpg   334.53K   1 downloads

OK, and here's a close-up:

 Fife_2010_Poodle_sign_day_close.jpg   335.71K   1 downloads

BTW, the Museum of Glass (http://www.museumofglass.org/); Olympus Spa - women only (http://olympusspa.ne...coma/index.aspx); and Pt. Defiance Park (http://www.metropark.../page.php?id=24) were all great too. A very nice Tacoma weekend!

P.S. - The Chicky Pub in both the Lakewood and Federal Way Pal-Do World Markets have closed. We were told by some guy selling cell phone stuff by the food court that the place to go for Korean Fried Chicken in Lakewood is Kko-Kko Place on Pacific Hwy SW at 112th. They are open 4pm-2am, which did not work for us, so we will have to try it another time. If anyone gets up there first, please try it and let us all know how it is!

P.P.S. - Any folks with dogs going to Pt. Defiance Park, on the way in Ruston is a store called Secondhand Hound (5609 N. 51st St, Ruston, WA) which has all kinds of re-sale dog stuff: clothes, leashes/collars, bags, houses, car/travel stuff, etc. Just opened a few weeks ago and the folks are really nice. Cute stuff, great prices.

[vj]

It should be noted that we tried to find Korean Fried Chicken.

Jill had heard of a Chicky Pub at the Pal-do Market, so we went there with the usual enthusiasm. Pal-Do was very busily open, but Chicky Pub was not. We strolled over to the cell phone stand and asked the proprietor, who told us that Chicky Pub had gone out of business about a year before, but he thought there was still one in Federal Way. He then asked someone else, or googled it, and assertained that it was no longer in business either.

Well, where should we go for KFC, we asked -- and he very kindly replied that he knew just the place, and it was just down S. Tacoma Ave, he just didn't know the english name. The name in Korean is KoKoMa, and he very helpfully wrote down the Korean vernacular for it.

So after exploring Pal-Do market --kim chi refrigerators!! -- we went on our goose chase. And found it.

The name in English is CcoCco Place, and it's at the corner of 112th. It opens at 4 pm, so we weren't actually able to try the KFC. Next time!

[egor]

Quick Pick also has a little grassy area with picnic tables it seems. This little joint kind of puts the humanity back into burgers places again. Caveman Kitchens in Kent is like this, too.
Also in Tacoma is the Brown and Haley little, round , pink candy store by their factory. No substitute for Lindt though.
I was talking with a woman recently about Tacoma, Ruston and the waterfront. She told about a little beach house community that can only be accessed by steps down the cliff. I think it is called Sunset Beach.

[Denise]

Oh Jill-O,

I do so love Pick-Quick. My dh grew up in Fife and whenever we go visiting we always make a Pick-Quick run.

It does close down in the winter from approx. December- February.

[Jill-O]

Oh Jill-O,

I do so love Pick-Quick. My dh grew up in Fife and whenever we go visiting we always make a Pick-Quick run.

It does close down in the winter from approx. December- February.

That is good to know! Thank you Denise!

It was really windy and chilly though sunny when we were there...but it didn't stop me from ordering that banana shake (YUM!). And we weren't the only ones sitting at a table on the grassy area.

Oh, btw, they have kiddie-sized picnic tables next to a few of the regular-sized ones. Too cute.

[BaconLuv]

That burger joint sounds good.

Is Johnny's at Fife still open? It was another old-school menu/old-school service diner joint last time I was there (probably at least 10 years ago). Still have my Johnny's at Fife coffee mug.

[vj]

Their neon is still lit up, BaconLuv. That's always how I know I'm going through Fife.