AT HOME IN TACOMA
A blog about all the little things that make Tacoma
home.
A Friday Night at Matriarch Lounge: Tacoma's Chic New Cocktail Lounge @ Alma Mater
Kelli Jo Hjalseth • November 27, 2018
Hot jazz played on Matriarch's speakers as we found our table; meanwhile, on the other side of the building, in the venue known as Fawcett Hall, dozens of partiers were taking in a show from Metalachi – a mariachi band that specializes in covers of Iron Maiden and other headbangers. Such is the vibe of any given Friday night at Alma Mater, Tacoma's buzzworthy new destination for trendy entrepreneurs, blossoming artists, and those interested in experiencing a jolt of adventure. In addition to Fawcett Hall and Matriarch, Alma Mater also houses the relaxed cafe Honey, at least one gallery (there's almost too much to explore in the enormous building!), and various incubators and studios for artists.
On this Friday night, though, we were only interested in Matriarch, Alma Mater's lounge that specializes in creative cocktails and vibrant, multicultural small plates. The menu is rich with experimentation, cribbing dishes from Peru, China, France, Portugal, the Mediterranean, and Africa, and presenting them in fun, innovative ways. For a cocktail, we landed on one called “A Bear Named Jack,” which blends whiskey, sweet vermouth, and orange bitters – a relatively tame choice from a group of cocktails that, at times, necessitates lighting shrubs of herbs on fire.
The setting is slightly upper-scale without any pretentious airs; soft lighting makes the green velvet-lined furniture very inviting, and the room is filled with people dressed well, but not to the nines. Those that still mourn the passing of the late, great Marrow on 6th Ave will find a kindred spirit in Matriarch. For dinner, we settled on an assortment to share: an earthy, punchy, and pleasantly sweet roasted beet salad; a dreamily succulent skewer of lobster tail, with a saffron butter sauce and some charred lemon for a touch of acid; and a cheese board as our centerpiece, featuring three cheeses, cornichons, raspberry mustard, Valencia almonds, and baguette to facilitate mixing and matching.
Nearby, a table of gal pals lost their minds when Whitney Houston's “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” starts playing on the stereo. Befitting Matriarch's hip, mysterious, deeply curated atmosphere, the music selection is eclectic and personal, like what you might put on for a dinner party, with laid-back hip hop blending with deep cut indie rock and mainstream favorites. The restaurant itself is reminiscent of a cool, chatty dinner party – this place has serious living room vibes, with hanging plants giving a homey feel. This is a great place to take a selfie, with nearly every square inch being Instagram-worthy, with no filter needed (for those going on a first date, the lighting is very flattering).
As we readied ourselves to leave, a group of guys wearing Metallica t-shirts took a seat at the bar, and the picture was complete: this place has something for just about everyone. If you have a taste for exotic flavor combinations, want a new hangout spot for you and your friends, are looking for a swanky locale for date night, or just want to grab an intriguing drink in between sets at a metal show, Matriarch will etch out a position on your list of places to be.
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