Nightlife in Tacoma

The café's eclectic menu offers vegetarian and vegan-friendly fare alongside classic carnivorous creations with fresh twists. Share an order of the green planet dip ($8), or opt for the moonscape bruschetta, a decadent goat-cheese and caramelized-onion-topped option ($8). Daily soups and fresh-made salads entice the veggie-inclined, and a selection of plentiful sandwiches, such as the hummus-based Vega’s vegan love ($8.50) or the big-bang pulled-pork barbecue sandwich ($9), offer handy options for bread enthusiasts. Pastas and personal pizza rounds round out the menu. The baconaut pizza ($8.50) boasts a bounty of fresh bacon, avocado, and cheese, and the mars mac ‘n’ cheese ($10.50) updates classic cheesy fare with a saffron-cheddar sauce. Cleanse the stomach's lining with a freshly mixed Italian soda topped with whipped cream ($3.50), one of the café’s espresso creations ($2.75 and up), or a Tazo tea ($2 and up).

Amid exposed-brick and wooden walls, barkeeps at The Living Room blend libations such as Templeton Rye and St. Germain with sodas, fruits, and foams. Chefs whip up light bites, cheese plates, and bocadillo sandwiches to sop up the signature cocktails.

The Living Room's rotating contemporary-art exhibitions add intrigue to the downstairs bar and the upstairs fireplace, where a retired FDR still delivers his fireside chats to anyone who will listen. In addition to hosting Sunday-night trivia, The Living Room makes good on its title as "a beacon of eclectic sonic delights," according to (The Stranger), with a roster of DJs and electronic musicians.

Owner Steve Olson added Parlor Live to the Parlor complex in 2008 as a way to bring big city-caliber evening entertainment to suburban Bellevue. National comedians take the stage in a wide, shallow room with seating that wraps around three sides of the action as colored shapes produced by a sophisticated lighting system dance across the walls. A globally inspired menu introduces the agonizing dilemma of whether to laugh, fill one’s mouth, or mold little edible hearts to toss toward the performer with shareable dishes that include garlic-gorgonzola waffle fries and coconut prawns. The drink menu, too, aims to surprise with complex cocktails that range from a classic old-fashioned to a sparkling rosemary potion with Aperol.

Before it became a hotspot for wine enthusiasts, In The Red Wine Bar's space sheltered a Hansen Lamp & Shade starting in 1937. Its nostalgia-tinged decor—mix-matched wares and antique furniture—carries the tradition first set by the furniture store and complements the aging red, white, and sparkling wines that rotate through the menu on a regular basis. Local and independent craft beers round out the beverage supply, and the bar's edibles include bacon-wrapped dates and four types of mac 'n' cheese, all made with local, sustainable ingredients. Along with stocking a wealth of varietals, the bar's staff dispenses wine knowledge during classes with topics ranging from the fundamentals of tasting to tips for pairing wine with the appropriate horror flick.

Some of comedy’s most seasoned veterans and next big things wring laughs from audiences during standup performances at Tacoma Comedy Club. Now in its third year of tickling ribs, the venue stuffs its calendar with a slew of popular faces from TV. On Wednesday, open-mic night brings emerging voices to the stage to test out fresh material so that audiences can get a sneak peek at the laugh-masters of tomorrow and the microphone models of today.