“Liven” up your nights with Bellevue’s hottest entertainment
Parlor Live is wired with great entertainment all month long. Each Tuesday and Wednesday brings hilarious and highly engaging dueling pianos with Jeff and Rhiannon from 7 to 11 p.m.; followed by hot national headlining comedy acts on Thursday, and two performances nightly Friday and Saturday. There are still tickets available to Comedy Central’s funnyman, and Tacoma native, Jo Koy “Don’t Make Him Angry” performance (Feb. 26-28, $25). Look for more top-billing national comedy acts coming your way by visiting the web site.

Upcoming National Headlining Comedians:

March 5-7: Dennis Regan (“A Pair of Jokers” and over a dozen appearances on Late Show with David Letterman)

March 19-21: Don Barnhart (Opening act for Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, Robin Williams, Dennis Miller, Jim Carrey, and many more)

Lincoln Square, 700 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue. 425-289-7000. www.ParlorCollection.com for additional information, tickets, and performance schedule.

Il Fornaio celebrates the region of Calabria with Festa Regionale, March 2-15
The foot of the boot must be symbolic for the spicy “kick” that Calabrians love in their cuisine, along with abundant swordfish and game. Your chance to taste Calabria arrives in March at Il Fornaio. Try the Agnello Arrustutu, a roasted boneless leg of lamb marinated with parsley, thyme, roasted garlic and shallot white wine sauce; served with wilted spinach and Calabrian-style spicy potatoes, eggplant and peppers. Then there’s the Festa Regionale bread, Pagnota Calabrese, made with spicy peperoncinos to “boot!”

Care to cook? Saturday, March 2, Don’t mist the Ya Just Gotta’ Risotto cooking class that will take you through the nuances of getting that rich, Il Fornaio-quality texture and just-right doneness. Held 9-10:30 a.m. in the Risotteria’s exhibition kitchen, with freshly baked pastries, coffee and juice included, each 90-minute class is $50, or $70 with the hardcover bound Il Fornaio Pasta Book. Space is limited so reserve yours today.

600 Pine Street, Seattle. 206-264-0994. www.ilfornaio.com.

Menu prices now a “tidbit” lower!
All of the entrees at Tidbit bistro are now priced at $20 and under including their Cordero a la Plancha a marinated leg of lamb with herbed potato cake, whole grain mustard allioli and olive tapenade; was $23 now $20. Also included is the Spezzato Marengo, a classic comfort food with natural beef, mushrooms and pearl onions in a rich red wine, thyme and tomato stew; now $19. All of tidbit’s other menu items including an impressive selection of tapas, along with first courses, soups and salads are all priced under $16. Mangia!

2359 10th Avenue East, Seattle. 206-323-0840. www.tidbitbistro.com.

Carrie Fisher in “Wishful Drinking” April 2- May 3, 2009
Hollywood legend Carrie Fisher takes you on a hilarious, shocking (and totally true!) ride through her own Hollywood party….and hangover. With the same unflinching wit that made her book Postcards from the Edge a bestseller, Fisher dishes on her unbelievable life: Debbie Reynolds is her mother, Paul Simon was her husband (for a while), and in between battling addiction and vacationing in various mental institutions, she happened to star in a little film called Star Wars. Fisher’s tale is a tabloid vivant the Los Angeles Times calls a “Beverly Hills yard sale of juicy anecdotes.”

Visit www.seattlerep.org for ticket information.

The Home Owners Club Fosters Peace of Mind
for Local Home Owners
In a market where real estate sales are sagging and home owners are staying put, the trend of modest home improvement has trumped new construction. With wallets held closely, consumers demand and deserve to have their jobs done right the first time. The Home Owners Club has heeded the call as the Seattle area’s go-to home improvement resource for 50 years, helping residents find competent, licensed contractors, with the added assurance of a follow up process for consumer confidence. For a $48 annual membership, The Home Owners Club brings just that, guaranteeing customer satisfaction.

Visit www.homeownersclub.org for more information.

Get Bronzed in Ballard; now open!
While the real rays are still at bay, we suggest you hit these tanning bays! Seattle Sun Tan, now open in Ballard, brings a clean, private, and controlled environment from which to get a quick, epidermal hit of Vitamin D and an all over, healthy-looking glow. Battle the grey-weather blah, savor the setting (like a spa) and feel great in minutes. With up to two dozen beds per location, no appointment needed, and daily hours from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., we predict the Ballard masses will soon be basking in these beds. Visit Seattle Sun Tan’s Smart Tan-Certified tanning consultants and get glowing!

1416 NW 46th Street, Suite #100, Ballard.
Visit www.seattlesuntan.com for locations and information.

Discover your “altar ego”; March 1 Bridal Open House
From playlist beats to ice-sculpting feats, photos you’ll take or that wedding cake, cruise and peruse Seattle's most trusted service providers at Palisade’s Bridal Open House, set for Sunday March 1, 1 to 4 p.m. in Palisade’s dedicated, waterfront private facility, The Alani Room. At this free, reserve-ahead event, guests will savor bubbly and enjoy Chef de Cuisine Robin Uyeda's decadent appetizers on a tour through Palisade's nuptial-worthy, all-waterfront-view private dining rooms, and get some pre-planning face time with a variety of wedding pros to make your event seamless. RSVP through Palisade’s Catering Department, 206-285-5865.

2601 W. Marina Place, Seattle. For general reservations 206-285-1000. www.Palisaderestaurant.com.

Northwest Seafood Favorites Pair Up with Washington Wine Month

Ivar’s Salmon House: 2nd Annual Washington Wine Month Celebration
Wednesday, March 18, 6-8 p.m., Potlach Room
Sumptuous seafood pairs perfectly on a Washington wine taste tour that will take you to the fertile, lush cascade foothills and back through the verdant central and eastern basins of the state. Among the featured wineries: Cougar Crest of Walla Walla, Townshend Cellars of Colbert, Legoe Bay Winery of Lummi Island, Hedges Family Estate of Benton City and much more.

Ivar’s Salmon House: 401 NE Northlake Way, Seattle. (206) 632-0767.

Ivar’s Mukilteo Landing, Half Price Washington Bottles - Mondays through March:
Stop in Mondays, behold that wine list and let your eyes fall upon Washington wines. These bottles are reduced to half off with your $25 minimum food purchase, which, depending on your tastes, could mean a huge chunk off of your normal dining tab. Cheers!

Ivar’s Mukilteo Landing: 710 Front St., Mukilteo. (425) 742-6180.

For a full list of locations and information visit www.ivars.net.

Embracing the new. Fresh products, from Girvin.
Girvin's strategy and brand design group have always been called "agents of change"; and these days, they're doing more it than ever. They've created change for two of our clients, bringing them into the market, Calidora, Shenui and Pearl. In our new world, it's time to tell new stories, to speak in a new voice to the world, to look fresh and new — and for 35 years, that's just what Girvin's been doing. Listening to business owners, understanding their challenges, focusing on transforming strategies, and telling new stories, and designing new ways to engage their audiences. That's here — for their clients in the beautiful Northwest — or that's Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Whether you're large, or small — embrace change, with Girvin.

www.girvin.com

March 15 Barry Manilow to perform a benefit concert for CF
Barry Manilow belts it out in a Sunday, March 15, 2009 benefit concert at the Comcast Area in Everett for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, a non-profit group that raises funds to fight the life-threatening genetic disease Cystic Fibrosis that affects approximately 30,000 children and adults in the U.S. Tickets are on sale now from the best seats at $250, to $125, $85, $65 and $50 (plus service charges). A limited number of VIP packages are also available by calling the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation at: 800-647-7774. Purchase through the Comcast Arena Box Office (Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.) or at www.ComcastTIX.com.

Visit Cystic Fibrosis Foundation at www.cff.org to learn more and get involved.