Seafood At Steamers in Tacoma

Today Tacoma started out gloomy, wet and cold. By mid-day the gloom had lifted. By late afternoon summer had returned. By 6pm I was in a restaurant looking out at blue sky blue water splendor in a part of Tacoma I'd not been to before. Titlow beach.

I don't know why this beach has such a name. You'd think this would be the name of a nude beach. But at Titlow beach there are a couple places to eat, among other things, like hiking trails, parks and a big public swimming pool.

My mom and dad have been wanting Pacific Northwest type seafood. That usually means dungeness crab, clams (either horseshoe or razor), clam chowder and cod or halibut.

So, tonight my sister and Kristin took me and Mom and Dad to a place called Steamers. It was right at sea level with good views of the water and the Tacoma Narrows Bridges. The tide was changing so we got to watch boats struggle against the current.

Steamers is one of those order at the front, find a seat and the food is delivered to you type places. We got halibut and chips, cod and chips, coconut shrimp with Caesar salad and clam chowder.

It was the best seafood I've had since August of 2004, when Lulu and I went out to Ocean Shores, on the Pacific, and had really good cod and razor clam chowder. Steamers cup of chowder comes in an actual cup. That's the coffee cup looking thing you see in the photo.

Steamers was very busy. And it was early. There is an outdoor dining area that looked inviting. But my mom thought she'd get cold. She was wrong. I don't recollect food arriving so quickly as it did tonight at Steamers. I'm telling you it was only a couple minutes. It was all good, totally non-greasy.

I'd go back. I don't often say that.

After Steamers my sister drove us across the Tacoma Narrows to Gig Harbor. Gig Harbor has grown a lot since I last saw it. They are very particular in Gig Harbor. All the new development is very well designed and has to meet exacting standards, as in it blends in with the trees, has a matching look and the roads are all heavily landscaped with elaborate round-about traffic circles to make it all flow easy. No garish signs. As in the McDonald's has no golden arches and is very very muted with a woodsy style of architecture. Would you guess that's a McDonald's in the photo?