Friday, October 16, 2009

Why I love...happy hour


It's not because of the half-priced cocktails and well drinks.

I discovered the wonder of happy hour about two years ago. You see, it's not only dive bars that serve peanuts and all-you-can-eat fries participating in happy hour. Many a high end establishment offer a special menu as well. Sometimes the menu is completely different than the regular menu, sometimes it is the same but at a discount, but more often than not it's smaller portions of the menu plus a few extras. Fried calamari seems to show up at nearly every happy hour (Those squid must like the house wines....zing!) . I like it because more often than not restaurant portions are too big for me, and I haaate wasting half of a $30 plate if it's something that cannot be taken to go, or we won't be on our way to a fridge any time soon. Raj likes it, because he can order plate after plate of food and not worry about the bill climbing sky high.

One problem Raj and I both have is that neither of us gets off work early enough to enjoy the before 6:00 on weekdays happy hours. I really appreciate and want to acknowledge restaurants that get creative with their happy hour times.

Without further ado:

Dragonfish Cafe- 3-6 pm, 9-1 am daily, and 3pm-1am Mondays(!)
$2 and $3 half rolls of sushi (good sushi), and $4 and $5 small plates such as Sesame Soy Tuna and Lime Rickey Shrimp.

Coastal Kitchen- 9pm-11pm daily
Everything is three bucks, including house wines and beers. The Arepas and fish tacos are both awesome and filling.

Boka Kitchen and Bar-Sunday and Monday, 3:30 to Close, Tuesday-Friday, 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to Close, Saturday, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. to Close
Everything on the bar menu is half off. 'Bar food' includes a sizable grilled Angus beef burger with truffle fries, pacific rockfish with summer succotash, and a charcuterie plate.

Tutta Bella Pizzeria
- 3-6pm Monday through Friday
I've never actually been to this happy hour, because 1. It's only at the Westlake location (MAJOR bummer) and 2. The hours are stingy (even bigger bummer). But I love Tutta Bella, so any kind of discount on their food needs to be noted. From what I've heard the "little plates" that are $3-$6 aren't actually that little.

1 comment:

natural selection said...

I love happy hour I know this is really going to sound snobby. I has an ex girlfriend and we would go to her parents twice a week sometimes for dinner although the food was much to be desired the part I loved was cocktail hour. they were retired and for them it started around 430pm no jeans no t-shirt.
Her father was "Old school" I loved it he would work in the garage come in take a shower come down with a blue blazer and tie kacky pants and start making cocktails. Her mother would dress up too and you could smell the chicken roasting in the oven. J&B Jack Daniels Beefeater London dry Gin all the old school booze civilized conversation, at least when the ladies were present when they were gone he had a mouth like a pirate. the whole thing about putting a suit and tie on I enjoyed and the dry martinis that went with it stirred not shaken.

Ciao Bella!