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Sunday, December 20, 2009

Kim's List of South Sound Favorites and Not-so-Favorites 2009

This time of year I am positively obsessed with year end lists! Here is Kim's Favorites and Not-so-much Favorites for 2009 in the Tacoma-South Sound (Gritty style):

Favorite restaurant: Asado (always delivers)

Favorite Grocery Store: U.P. Fred Meyer, Trader Joes, Met Market at Proctor

Favorite Friendly stores: Posh Home, Envy, Trader Joes, Met Market at Proctor, Teaching Toys

Favorite Coffee Shop: Forza (West Side locations)

Favorite Health Food: Trader Joes in University Place

Favorite Women's Boutique: Jasminka (R.I.P.)

Favorite Pet Store: Wags, Pets 'n' Pals

Favorite Vet: Chambers Creek Vet, Lakewood

Favorite Fast Food: Taco Del Mar, Taco Time

Favorite Bars: Asado, Pacific Grill

Favorite Hairdresser: Aura Mae, Azarra Hair and Wine

Favorite Pub Grub: Harmon Brewery

Favorite Local Beer: Point Defiance IPA (at Harmon)

Favorite Parks: Point Defiance, Wright (urban parks at their best)

Favorite Streets: Pacific Avenue, 26th and Proctor, All of 6th Ave.

Favorite Museums: Museum of Glass, Tacoma

Favorite place to look at water: Chambers Bay, Ruston Way, the Purdy bridge

Favorite Downtown Views: The "glass" showcase bridge over the train tracks that connect from the Museum of Glass to Union Station

Favorite people watching place: La Fondita restaurant, window seats, on Proctor on Farmer's Market Saturday

Favorite Comeback Kid Restaurant: Maxwell's Speakeasy (you've been redeemed and I love you again).

Favorite Sunday drive: Key Pen Hwy to Longbranch

Okay, my pen's dipped in poison ink now. Here comes the Worsts.

Worst Restaurant: Primo Grill. I am still mad at you. A certain manager was very mean. I am not forgetting this.

Worst Streets: Old Town, your cobblestone streets are quaint looking, but they STINK. Bumpy, broken, narrow, and HELL on ice. Tacoma, you gotta fix these are we are going to break our cars!

Worst Stores: Big huge mega chains and Costco (can't stand Costco--it's overwhelming and harried).

Worst Season: November through January. It's all about the weather folks. My S.A.D. kicks in.

Worst part of downtown Tacoma: No freakin' grocery stores in the heart of downtown. Not cool for all the folks that live there that have to drive forever to get to one.

Worst Place for Litter: My own flippin' main street near my home in U.P. Pick up your trash and stop chucking stuff out of the window neighborhood! And clean up your dog doo!

Worst Place to get stuck in traffic: All entrances to Hwy 16 and I-5, S. 38th St. by the mall, Bridgeport Way, Pacific Avenue, and 56th St.

Worst feature at the local Farmer's markets: Folks that make balloon animals. Sorry, but these are a waste of money, last too short of a time and is a choking hazard for the littlest children.

Worst Local Event: The Puyallup Fair. I am a fair hater--too expensive for what you get and too crowded. Go ahead readers and feel free to rake me over the coals for that one--I expect it (and I won't change).

Worst Sad Looking place: Spots on South Tacoma Way. Seems, sad, worn-out gray, too much concrete, cheap signs, and boring stuff. I'll be curious to see how the S. Tacoma farmer's market coming this spring will perk the place up.

Worst Place to park: anywhere around TG and St. Joe's.

Worst and scariest hill: the twisty, can't see around the corner hill of about 49th and Ferdinand down to Ruston Way.

Worst hill for your car: 30th (a nightmare for your brakes)

Worst speed trap: 56th and Cedar, anywhere in Fircrest, select spots in Lakewood.

I am very certain that readers/bloggers, you have your own lists, can concur (or better disagree!) with mine, and can think of even more categories.

Tag, you guys are it! Let's hear it.

11 comments:

KR said...

Best Bookstore????

Patty Cake said...

Kim ... You are hilarious! I do not care for Primo Grill either..... OH! And I thought I was the ONLY one in the Northwest who doesn't like Costco! I do not belong and think the whole Costco concept is dumb... the CEO is a millionaire though heheeee. I really enjoyed reading your list and you inspire me to blog, always. I did not know there was so much litter in your street, but will look next time I stock your house LOL !

I MUST take you to the Fair, pay for your ticket and show you the Fair in an enlightened way : )

Kim Thompson said...

Patty; you are on. YOU are the only one that can change my mind. Seriously. Let's call it "mission impossible."

K: bookstore: NOTHING with a cat. NO cats. Me get sick.

I do all my book shopping online. Yes, I am lame.

Luke said...

I agree with you. Some of the places like the litter I'm not sue about.

Abby said...

Totally with you on Aura Mae. She rocks hair!

KR said...

Best school?

Stephanie Frieze said...

Great post, Kim! I don't agree about Costco. For a big family it save $--at least for us--and I like the fact that their employees are so well treated. As a matter of fact Dave will be applying there the first of Feb.

Tacoma Art Museum is WAY better than the Glass Museum. Glass is a waste of $. We took out of town guest there and were very disappointed. The walkway is the best part and it's free.

Our favorite fast food in Tacoma is it's Greek to Me and usually go when going to the Grand for better movies than you'll find elsewhere. Marlene's is another great fast food place and a great atmosphere. I like, but cannot afford Metropolitan Market and agree about the Proctor District.

Your post was perfect for this time of year. Keep writing, girl!

Kim Thompson said...

Thanks, Luke (I live in UP and the street close to me is nicknamed "poop street" because of all the dog doo and litter). Yes, Abby, you said it! I love my hair by Aura.

KR, best school is a wonderful category, but that's a tough one. My heart belongs to Lowell, Mason, and Wilson (because I went there).

Stephanie, I disagree about the glass museum. I love the hot shop experience and how they produce the art. And I like the open art room there for the kids (the open art room is terrific at the Tacoma Art Museum too).

Costco--now for a large family it does make sense and yes, it's a great company to work for. For us, a family of four, it doesn't work. We've had things go to waste because we can't eat it fast enough (this applies obviously to the perishable goods). I don't like the crowds there and the store layout. And for me, dollar for dollar, I've found that I've saved more money at Fred Meyers. You know I like Marlene's too, but i rarely get out there. You have inspired me to go again!

Good discussion all!

JoJo said...

I actually had to take that hairpin turn on 49th/Ferdinand for the first time today b/c of the construction on Ruston Way. I'd never gone that way before & I was following someone who seemed to know where they were going (I needed to get on 705) to get around the closure on Ruston.

Loved your list. :)

Lorraine Hart said...

Kim, would you recommend the same salon for a young man who is very particular about his haircut? Is there another one for guys? It's important!

Kim Thompson said...

JoJo--thanks for the kind words. Isn't that twisty hill awful. I did it once when it was icy (let's say I would never repeat the same mistake again!).

Lady Lorraine, I would recommend the same salon. They cut both men's and women's hair. Check out the website azzarasalonandwine.com and check out the part that reads, "Are we the right salon for you?" It's VERY honest. If that section meets "the young man's criteria" then go! The men's cuts are quite reasonable.