When it comes to dining from the sea, one of my favorite spots here in Tacoma is Sea Grill. They do amazing things here with fish and shellfish, and the service is always top notch. I always walk out of here well fed and feeling like a million bucks. The Mackay Restaurant folks just took my brainstorm and decided to kick their Happy Hour menu up a notch or three with an all new menu that includes “Five items for $5”, plus a Bartender’s Choice martini for $5. Can’t beat that! And it’s just a three minute walk from the Hotel Murano. See you there!

–Dale

What could be more romantic: a zillion dollar view of the city, beautifully decorated art-filled rooms and a full staff waiting to cater to your every whim. Valentine’s Day is one of the best times to visit our (not-so-little) hotel. The key word is: celebrate!  Celebrate life, love and the little luxuries that make it special. Call us to put together a custom package to make your night one to remember!

–Dale

Here at the Hotel Murano, we love pets. (Check out our amazing pet food menus and other pooch-friendly details.) So, for all of you looking to feed your puppy addictions, take a look at DogFaceGirl’s work on Etsy.com.

This artisan hails from Tacoma, so not only will you get something that relates to your dog fancy, but you’ll be supporting a local business too. I’ll bark to that!

–Danielle

The Weekly Volcano’s Ken Swarner has been writing about food in Tacoma all year long, and then he hit the wall. He was reviewed out for a week, so he made a list of his top spots that he’d visited in the last year. Lucky for us, he made answering the question, “where should we eat tonight, honey?” a heck of a lot easier. You can get the full meal deal on his list here. But here are the highlights:

$    Tacoma Szechuan (9601 S. Tacoma Way, Lakewood)
$    Opa Greek Cuisine (6104 Sixth Ave., Tacoma)
$    QB (213 Fourth Ave. E.)
$    Hot Teriyaki near Oakbrook (8013 Steilacoom Blvd., Lakewood)
$    Maxwell’s Speakeasy + Lounge (454 St. Helens, Tacoma)
$    Red Hot (2914 Sixth Ave., Tacoma)
$    Meconi’s (5225A Lacey Blvd., Lacey)
$    L&L Hawaiian (10417 Gravelly Lake Dr., Lakewood)

–James

What is Tacoma, if not the sum of its cool architecture, funky shops, the arts scene, small businesses and other unique, local offerings? In any season, these things could be undermined by big corporate interests and developers. While we love big business too, let’s resolve to preserve that which keeps Tacoma unique. Let’s shop local. Let’s take a moment to look, really look, at the amazing buildings that populate our downtown. Let’s skip a night at the movies and go see a play. Let’s resolve to keep Tacoma unique.

–Dale

Yes, it’s true.  Our very own Hotel Murano was recently featured on the Today Show.  They were doing a show on art hotels and selected us as one of their top picks.  If you’re interested in watching the clip, we’ve posted a video of it right here.

In case you didn’t know and are new to the area, the Hotel Murano features all glass art throughout the entire hotel.  Each floor is dedicated to a different artist and best of all, you can buy any of it!  I’d say it’s time to start planning a trip to Tacoma.

- Danielle

Some of my friends are lamb fanatics. They’re always on the search for the next wild-tasting, deliciously oily kebab or rack or leg or whatever.  Lately, they’ve been talking up Pacific Grill. This is lamb that is sure to make the children (or, at least, the grownups) laugh and play.

–Dale

This could be one of the best graphics arts shows of the year. Handforth Gallery at Tacoma Public Library.  is showing 230 concert posters by the Ames Bros., who won awards for designing virtually every poster for Pearl Jam concerts. In addition, their work is highly sought after by Nike, MTV, Amazon.com, K2, Ride Snowboards and others. Very inspiring stuff.

–James

After winning the readers’ poll award for Tacoma’s Best Spa in the Weekly Volcano last summer,
Savi Day Spa continues to have a stellar 20th anniversary year. A couple of weeks ago, Victoria Becker, of the Tacoma Weekly came to Hotel Murano for a two-day “staycation.”  Ms. Becker liked what she saw in us: “When the doorman greeted us, an artistic vision presented itself ahead. Low, modern furniture punctuates the bar and fireplace. The effect is sort of floaty, giving a feeling of peace.” Nice words! And moving on to her spa experience at Savi day Spa, she said, “The foot massage was heavenly, and my neck spasm was relieved. The rest of the treatment took place in the Vichy steam room where several vertical showerheads bathed me while I laid down. All was well.” I’m thinking I’m due to make an appointment for myself.

–Danielle

He may be the biggest name in show business you’ve never heard of. Why? Because David Foster is the man behind the stars, writing hit after hit. Think: Chicago’s “Hard To Say I’m Sorry,” Peter Cetera’s “The Glory of Love,” and John Parr’s “Man in Motion” (the St. Elmo’s Fire soundtrack) and you’ll get the idea. He wrote all that and more. The CD to pick up right now (you can get it Costco and other places) is this gem: “David Foster & Friends.” He’s joined by a ton of his friends that he has either produced or written for. Better yet, get the DVD and watch him share the stage with Kenny G, Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion and more. Wow!

–Dale