The Happy Hour Tour

Kuma Sushi

2012-02-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

3179 Los Feliz Blvd.

Atwater Village, CA 90039

(323) 661-5555

www.kumasushi.com

twitter.com/kumasushi

Parking: 2 hr. limit for metered street parking or free parking in the ‘hood

Days: Daily (except for holidays and Valentine’s Day (damn, this would be a great Valentine’s Day Happy Hour!)

Time: 3-7pm

Drink Deals: Hot Sake and Sapporo for $2; Cold Sake and House Red, White and Plum Wines for $4; Pomegranate Wine for $5

Food Deals: Lots of small plates and Sushi Rolls from $2-8

5th time was a charm for Kuma Sushi – seriously, I had tried to visit their Happy Hour no less than 4 times when somewhat minor and somewhat major emergencies took precedence and I had to ditch Happy Hour plans – most notably a very flooded Happy Hour Tour HQ (fret not, all is well now). JG and I finally broke the curse on a January Saturday mini-Happy Hour Tour in Atwater Village where we sandwiched a stop at Kuma Sushi between visiting the darling adoptable kitties at Santé D’or (we washed our hands for HH, ok?) and our 2nd stop at Bigfoot Lodge.

Modern Stylings inside Kuma Sushi

Kuma Sushi features a pretty rad daily Happy Hour, from 3-7pm with drinks from $2-5 and bites from $2-8. The space is very appealing and open with pretty natural light from that beautiful stretch of Los Feliz Blvd. and dark wood furnishings. The soundtrack during our visit was a great low-key indie mix; I recall a little Spoon and Arcade Fire.

Top Row: Edamame ($3), Crunchy Roll ($8)

Middle Row: Salmon Roll ($4), Albacore Scallion Roll ($4)

Bottom Row: Cucumber Salad ($3)

The drinks and bites were a-ok too. For our liquids, JG ordered a $2 Hot Sake (which I poured for luck!) and I went with two $2 Sapporo drafts – served in a decent size glass for $2. We shared a mix and match of edibles - $3 Edamame, $3 Cucumber Salad, $4 Salmon Roll, $5 Albacore Scallion Roll, and the $8 Crunchy Roll. Being a child of the Midwest, I like my sushi fried, what can I say? The $8 Crunchy Roll delivered on the fried front with shrimp tempura, crab, spicy tuna, and salmon with soy paper. Yum!

Sake it to me, baby! Hot Sake ($2)

Overall, Kuma Sushi is a great dinner and dinner-date Happy Hour, but it’s definitely more a restaurant than a bar. Not that we’re complaining; we love a 2-person dinner bill under $35 as much as the next Angeleno on a budget! Just don’t go expecting to meet your new best friend, Secret Agent Lover Man, etc. Save that for Bigfoot Lodge!

Your favorite Happy Hour Tourists!

--JB

Rating: 4 Martinis

Bigfoot Lodge

2012-01-31T10:00:00.000-08:00

3172 Los Feliz Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90039

323.662.9227

www.bigfootlodge.com

twitter.com/bigfootlodge

Parking: 2 hr. limit for metered street parking or freeparking in the ‘hood

Days: Daily

Time: 5-8pm

Drink Deals: $5 cocktails & cheap beer

Food Deals: None – no food at this joint

People are often surprised to learn that JB & I have notcovered happy hour at the east-side Bigfoot Lodge. We both have been ondifferent, non-happy hour occasions, but we’ve never set on a mission to coverit until after a weekend trip to the Glendale Galleria. After watching ashoplifter and a store clerk fight (we think!) and working our way through crazycrowds of tweens, a drink was much deserved.

Finally, a cocktail at Bigfoot's Happy Hour.

Bigfoot Lodge is a kitschy, lodge styled bar complete withwood décor, animal heads on the walls, and a sign that may or may not have camefrom an actual forest. It’s theeastside version & older brother of The Woods…or maybe The Woods is the Hollywood version of Bigfoot? The staff is friendly,the crowd is low-key, and the happy hour is daily. My only wish for Bigfoot is that they get a jukebox and a photobooth because it’s totally a bar thatlooks like it would have both. There was music playing from somewhere but wenever found the source. JB did find a DJ booth, but no DJ.

$5 Rude Beer float. Trust us, it's good.

The happy hour score is in the $5 rotating, but limited,cocktail menu. JB & I both had the Rude Bear float, a boozy root beer floatmade with root beer liquor, vanilla vodka, and topped with half & half. Itmay sound crazy, but it was actually kinda crazy good. It would have been nice if BigfootLodge had a larger cocktail menu like their westside alter-ego, Bigfoot West,but we made do. JB ordered a Jameson & Coke for round 2; it was a generouspour and a nice sipper drink for a lodge setting. There’s no food (or kitchen) but if you’re hungry, there’salways happy hour at Kuma Sushi (review coming soon!) across the street!

If you’re a single lady, it’s worth noting that the guysoutnumbered the ladies, which at one point was just us two chicks. At another point in the evening, allthe bar stools were occupied by guys without a TV with a sporting event in sight.We didn’t make any gentlemen friends on this visit. I’d like to think it was because we were occupied with happyhour business in our booth, but maybe some other time. Good luck, ladies!

Your future baby daddy awaits?

Rating: 3.5 Martinis

The Whisper Lounge

2012-01-26T10:00:00.000-08:00

The Grove

189 Grove Drive

Los Angeles, CA 90036

(323) 931-0202

whisperloungela.com

twitter.com/whisperloungela

Parking: Big (sometimes annoying) Parking Garage – 0-1 Hour = Free, 1-3 Hours = $3

Days: Daily

Time: 4-6pm

Drink Deals: $3 Beers, $6 Well Drinks, and $6 select wines by the glass

Food Deals: $5 Small Plates

There’s nothing quite like a bar that makes you feel like you’re in a Woody Allen movie – you know, one of the “Bougie in Manhattan” ones like HANNAH AND HER SISTERS where your cares and concerns are not life and death on the streets of New York, but of the kooky and bizarre, yet extremely intelligent family variety. Too bad Sunset Tower doesn’t have a Happy Hour; the Tower Bar always makes me feel ready for my close-up, Mr. Allen!

Luckily, there exists that same kinda “Bougie in the City” ambiance down at The Grove’s Whisper Lounge and it is way fun and maybe a little more WHEN HARRY MET SALLY with its ever-present jazz standards soundtrack and the feeling of a perennial autumn. I don’t know why it feels like Autumn there all the time, it just does!

The Whisper Lounge’s Non-Happy Hour prices might make for somewhat of a “Place for your Sugar-Daddy to Take You,” luckily their Happy Hour prices are pretty all right for a lazy afternoon at The Grove. For drinks, you’ve got $3 Beers, $6 Well Drinks, and 4 wines for $6 by the glass; pal TAG and I ordered a Chardonnay and a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (a fun red), respectively and I liked mine enough to have… 3!

Whisper Fries w/ Dipping Sauce ($5)

Crispy Calamari ($5)

Wild Mushroom and Truffle Flatbread ($5)

On the food side, they’ve got 5 food items for $5 each as well as a selection of 3 bar snacks for 2 for $5. Whoever created the food menu knows Happy Hour well! The bites are different enough (Crispy Calamari, Mac and Triple Cheese with Pancetta, Wild Mushroom and Truffle Flatbread, Whisper Fries, and Caesar Salad) that you could certainly make a nice meal out of the five options. And that’s what TAG and I did with the calamari (super tasty), flatbread (nice crisp crust with very rich toppings) and Whisper Fries (nice serving size and terrific dipping sauces). Very good and affordable food!

As stated earlier, the ambiance really is cool – there’s a nice patio (with a tent in the winter), a nice looking bar area, and then swank restaurant seating. The jazz soundtrack is way cool and makes you feel a little… well, fancy! It’s the kind of spot you could go on a kind of classy date, or just a spot to meet up with girlfriends, or somewhere to rest your bum heels before, during, or after an afternoon/evening of shopping at The Grove. Heaven knows you might need a cocktail for that!

Speaking of cocktails, my only complaint with Whisper Lounge is that they don’t offer any of their specialty cocktails in the Happy Hour drink line-up. And like I always say, if you serve specialty cocktails, why not include a rotating Happy Hour-priced specialty cocktail of the week? I’m going to start to get neurotic about this… like a Woody Allen character!As the French say, c’est la vie – it’s a fun Happy Hour that runs daily and I dig it!

--JB

Rating: 4 Martinis

Nobu

2012-01-24T10:25:00.000-08:00

903 N. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90069
310.657.5711
www.noburestaurants.com
twitter.com/NobuWeho

Parking: $8 Valet or Metered Street Parking w/ 2 hr. limit
Days: Daily
Time: 5:30-8pm
Drink Deals: $5 cocktails
Food Deals: $8-12 sushi & seafood bites

I’m always a bit skeptical when checking out a happy hour that falls under Places for Sugar Daddy to Take You. Do I need to be on The List? Will my server be rude because they are bitter about aspiring Hollywood Dreams? Is there really a happy hour there???

Despite my reservations, I went to Nobu’s happy hour anyway. I needed to meet up at a West Hollywood happy hour that worked well with my & my friend, Derek’s production schedules, and the 8pm end time was perfect. I was also impressed that a fancy establishment had a daily happy hour!

We give good smize.

Happy Hour takes place at the bar and in the very large lounge areas. The lounge area was so spacious that there was plenty of room for me, Derek, and his production friends that he introduced to The Happy Hour Tour movement.

There are 3 cocktails featured on the happy hour menu for $5. Whenever I check out a new place, I always try the specialty cocktails over my go-to glass of wine (that is, if they have a specialty cocktail that stands out from other other happy hours!), so I ordered the Champagne & Berries cocktail. The cocktail came served in a martini glass as opposed to a flute, with champagne mixed with berry juice. Due the red color, I was worried that the drink may be too sweet, but it actually had a nice crisp finish, so much so that I ordered it again. Unfortunately, the happy hour menu did not feature any beer or wines on my visit. However, the happy hour menu on the Nobu site does. Go figure. Without happy hour, a glass of wine may run you $10-18… and an $18 glass of wine is not something we support at the Happy Hour Tour headquarters.

I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of food offered for happy hour. When ordering food, it’s best to ask a lot of questions due to the fancy food descriptions and luckily, the servers are happy to answer them. I settled on the Nobu Style Sashimi Tacos with Tuna ($8) and the Salmon & Avocado roll ($8). The food is served tapas style so some plates may be smaller than expected if you don’t inquire first. I wasn’t crazy about the prices, but I was well aware of where I was. Plus, once I got well into my food, I had to hand it to Nobu, it was well worth it. I’m not sure when the last time I had sushi so good. Seriously.

Nobu Style Sashimi Tacos with Tuna ($8)

I would definitely return to Nobu for happy hour, but due to my budget for lattes, shoes, & magazines, it may not be any time soon. However, I would love to treat myself to a dinner at Nobu sooner than later!
-JG

Rating: 3 Martinis

Chevy’s

2012-01-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

701 N San Fernando Blvd

Burbank, CA 91502

(818) 846-6999

www.chevys.com

Parking: Free Parking Lot!

Days: Daily

Time: 2pm-close!

Drink Deals: $3 Margaritas, Draft Beers, Wines by the Glass, and Well Drinks

Food Deals: Appetizers from $3.99-$14.99

“Nothing to write home about.” The saying is old, but it’s not quite stale – it’s totally how I felt about the Happy Hour at Chevy’s in Burbank along that consumer alley featuring IKEA, Barnes and Noble, a mall, several movie theaters, etc. The area is actually pretty efficient to get some shopping done, especially if you get there early to beat the crowds, and I can’t tell you how nice it is to actually have a big old bookstore to browse – a real trip down memory lane!

In my hometown, there wasn’t too much for weirdo kids like me to do, so we usually found ourselves at Barnes and Noble looking up cuss-words in Spanish or finding diagrams of the esophagus, you know – totally normal stuff…

A bit of a digression, but that’s kind of what I love about Burbank – it reminds me of those days and that kind of community, a bit different from The Happy Hour Tour Headquarters in Hollywood. So after an afternoon of IKEA shopping for cheap, but cool home improvements, I found myself on a solo Happy Hour at Chevy’s!

Dos Equis Popcorn Shrimp - $7.99

Buffalo Chips - $3.99

The HH deals are pretty rad for a post shopping or movie cocktail and bite; you can get margaritas (original or fruit-flavored), domestic beer drafts, house wine, and well drinks for $3(!) all afternoon – seriously from 2pm to close! For food, they’ve got a selection of items ranging from $3.99-$14.99 (that’s the appetizer combo). I tried the $3 margarita and an order of Dos Equis Popcorn Shrimp ($7.99) and Buffalo Chips – chips with buffalo wing sauce and blue cheese dressing ($3.99).

$3 Margarita

Herein lies the rub – having visited so many fantastic gourmet-kinda Happy Hours with equally good prices, I was not totally impressed by the tastes of the mass-produced drink and grub at Chevy’s. It wasn’t bad by any means, but it just wasn’t great, kinda like something you could buy frozen and heat up at home… Nothing to write home about. Plus, I felt like my service was slow – I know I was dining alone and that might make time pass slower, but I really do think it took about 25 minutes to get my food order. Luckily, I had Entertainment Weekly’s Best of 2011 to keep me company!

Get yourself some chips & salsa, home slice!

Overall though, I think Chevy’s would be a fine to place to visit if you’re out and about in that area and want to chill out with a $3 cocktail and some complimentary chips and salsa and an appetizer or two, but I don’t think I’d ever make a special trip just to go there.

--JB

Rating: 3 Martinis

Gus’s BBQ

2012-01-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

808 Fair Oaks Ave.

South Pasadena, CA 91030

www.gussbbq.com

twitter.com/gussbbq

Parking: Metered Street Parking and Free Neighborhood Parking, also .5 miles from the Mission St. Stop on the Metro Gold Line

Days: Monday-Friday

Times: 3-6pm

Drink Deals: $3 Well Martinis, $1 off Wine, $2 off Draft Beer, $1 off Canned Beer, $1.50 off Well Drinks, $3 off Southern Sangria

Food Deals: $2 Fried Pickles, $3 Mini-BBQ Sandwiches, $5 1/3 Rack of Ribs w/ Fries or Cole Slaw

Have you ever been to South Pasadena? If not, you should get on the Gold Line Metro and get yourself there now. It is a quaint, quiet, cool area far enough from the madding crowds of Holly(cuckoo-bananas)Wood to feel like a whole ‘nother city. And I guess, technically it is :)!

Cool Rosebowl Float

Booze and I had just lined Sierra Madre Blvd. to watch the Rose Bowl Parade live in person, then saw THE MUPPETS (“Hilarious! Must see!”), and then found our way to South Pasadena to try Gus’s BBQ, a neighborhood restaurant which has been around since 1946 (though with new owners – a pair of cute young brothers whose dad opened the original Tops in Pasadena).

We loved the space right away – a cute diner in front with more restaurant like-seating and a sit-down bar in the back. Happy Hour is served on the front patio, at the diner or the bar. We arrived at 2:30 before Happy Hour even started and as it turns out, that was fine for the food deals since their HH bites are a little meaty for this vegetarian. I know, why is a vegetarian going to a BBQ joint? Because in SoCal, even BBQ joints have fantastic vegetarian options and here at Gus’s, I loved my homemade veggie burger) with arugula, tomato, red onion, smoked mozzarella, BBQ sauce and roasted garlic aioli! Served with a side of sweet potato fries, the meal was $10.95, which seems like a swell price for the deal.

Veggie Burger w/ Sweet Potato Fries ($10.95)

Anyhow, when Happy Hour finally hit – Booze and I tried an order of the Fried Pickle Chips w/ Ranch, and it was a huge serving size for $2! They were pretty tasty to boot, breaded with flour like fried chicken rather than the traditional cornmeal I’ve had on fried pickles before. What can I say? Just like our Memphis hometown hero, Mr. Elvis Presley himself, JG and I are suckers for fried pickles!

Yum, fried pickles!!

For drinks, we started with 16oz. of Gus’s Honey Blonde beer which ran us $3.50 during HH – nice price! For drink 2, I tried their famous Southern Sangria for $5 and it was delicious, a true sangria – more like a nice fruity wine than something too sweet. For her second drink, Booze went with the Stone Smoked Porter for $3.50 and that was a tasty light-dark beer.

Gus's Blonde Beer ($3.50) posed with homemade BBQ sauces;

Southern Sangria ($5)

Lots of drink choices (including JG’s and my favorite Red Blend, Red Velvet Cupcake Wine!!), but not as much on the food side. The small BBQ sandwiches did look good, but I didn’t see anyone ordering the ribs near me. Ribs – I do miss the smell and texture :). Also loved the music – a nice bluesy mix that made my Memphis-born self feel right at home!

A couple downside notes – of course I’m not crazy about the 3-6pm Monday-Friday Happy Hour, any Happy Hour that ends before 6pm in LA just ain’t cool! I was glad to have this particular Monday off to try out the HH, otherwise couldn’t have made it! Also, the bartender wasn’t that friendly – not mean by any means, just not that nice. Booze and I started feeling a little uncomfortable when the guys next to us received a full-size sandwich after ordering the HH small-sandwiches and there seemed to be a slight Mexican standoff as to whose fault it was. All worked out, but really – why would the guys have ordered a regular sandwich from the Happy Hour menu? Hopefully, the bartender was just having an off day.

I’m about to have a Mexican standoff with myself here – it’s hard when I love a place, but its Happy Hour could be better (in this case, better times and a couple more food options). Still, the positives outweigh the negative here and I really did enjoy this cute restaurant! So I recommend going anytime and if it’s Happy Hour – even better for your drink choices!!

Happy New Year!

--JB

Rating: 3.5 Martinis

What are you doing New Year's Eve?

2011-12-30T10:00:00.000-08:00

Really, Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt want to know!

If you're still not sure of your plans, check out some of these great listings of happenings in the greater Southland area!

Caroline on Crack's Guide to 2012 New Year's Eve Parties with Open Bars
Thirsty in LA's So Long 2011!
NBC 4's Celebrating 2011
LA Magazine's New Year's Round-up

Have buttloads of fun (from our inner Beavis & Butthead), but please don't drink and drive! Lots of other options - LA Metro is offering free rides from 9pm to 2am; AAA offers a Tipsy Tow program if you need it; and if all else fails, take a damn taxi! No excuses!

Happy New Year's!!!

And surely you'll buy your pint cup!
and surely I'll buy mine!
And we'll take a cup o' kindness yet,
for auld lang syne...
x's & o's -- JB & JG

JB’s Favorite Happy Hours of 2011

2011-12-29T10:00:00.000-08:00

As 2011 comes to a close and the Tupacalypse of 2012 nears (I don’t really believe the Tupacalypse is coming, though I highly recommend Daniel Pinchbeck’s awesome tome 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl to quit fearing and learn to love the changes that could be at hand) – I sit here drinking my Disarrono & Cranberry Juice and reflect over the year in Happy Hour Touring. 2011 saw us hit the LA Wine Festival and attempt our first at home Twitter Wine Tasting and it also saw us continue doing what we do... visiting lotsa Happy Hours!

We’ve seen favorites close (so long Mexico (the bar, not the country)!); relocate (hello Boho at Hollywood & Highland); and well… some just stay golden like Ponyboy (love our standards the Woods and Bodega Wine Bar) And then, there’s a whole new batch of favorites – new spots we first visited in 2011, of which I present a select few below:

In 7th grade, I was in a play called Tied to the Tracks; mercifully, it only had a 2-night run!

This sign reminds me of it.

Villains – Downtown (Arts District)

Technically not a Happy Hour, but homegirl (that’d be me) just loves this spot – Wild West saloon meets American Gothic in an off the beaten path location in a crazy cool (and slightly scary) part of the downtown Arts District. Like where you might film a post-apocalyptic movie in LA and not need to dress the set! I digress… While the $9 Sno-Cones are well worth their higher price tag, you can also get by on less with Villains’ $3 tall-boys of Schlitz & Bud Light. Yay for Villains (boo for superheroes?)!

Yxta, beautiful Yxta!

Yxta – Downtown

Much agreed with JG’s inclusion of Yxta on her Best of 2011 list. This beautiful space is also a little off the beaten path too – that is unless you find yourself in Skid Row often (no judgement!) – and has phenomenal food and beverage! The restaurant is a primo-supremo event space so be sure to follow Yxta on Facebook so you can keep track of when they’re hosting private events so you don’t miss the fantab Happy Hour.

$5 Chickpea Fritters @ Public Kitchen

Public Kitchen – Hollywood

How do I love the Hotel Roosevelt? Let me count the ways. 1) The beautiful pool and Tropicana bar with bathing beauties and casual celeb sightings (Colin Farrell on his phone near the entrance – My ma about shat her pants, I told her not to because that surely would not impress Colin Farrell). 2) 25 Degrees and their truly wonderful Happy Hour where I can get a glass of wine and more French fries & onion rings than anyone should eat for like $8. 3) Another new and terrific Happy Hour at Public Kitchen, that tres tres chic restaurant with $5 drinks and an appetizer of the week (alongside some swell side items). The food is delicious and the setting is… sublime.

JB & Matching Frosty Stella at Second Story

Second Story Restaurant – South Bay

Sometimes it takes a visiting friend to get you to visit another part of town and find a new great Happy Hour. Thankfully, pal & HHT-enthusiast AP was in town for work and we made our way to a couple South Bay Happy Hours, of which the bomb was Second Story Restaurant at the Belamar Hotel. With a daily 4-7pm Happy Hour, Second Story offers up $4 drink specials (including draft Stella in a frosty mug!) and an assortment of bites (starters, entrees, AND desserts) for half-off – all in a chill nouveau-retro lounge at a boutique hotel!

Blood Orange and White Peach & Hibiscus Margaritas ($4.50 each)

Blanco –Tucson

Sure, you’ve got to head west for this one, but what’s an 8-hour drive for a rad happy hour with the most delicious vanilla margarita you’ve ever had (and maybe the first you’ve ever tried)? Half-kidding aside, I loved checking out this Happy Hour with Tucson-local AP; Blanco is a beautiful light & airy bar-restaurant with fantastically priced gourmet eats and drinks (½ off margaritas, $2.50 bottles of beer, and ½ off starters & ceviche).

What new favorites will 2012 find for The Happy Hour Tour? We look forward to finding out!

Until then, wishing you all a wonderful new year full of good booze, good-er friends, and being a good person – all about the GOOD!

Oh and Happy Tupacalypse ;)!

JG’s Favorite Happy Hours of 2011

2011-12-27T10:00:00.000-08:00

I’m a big fan of year in review lists. If a magazine has “Best of (Insert year here)” on the cover, I am sold. These lists remind me of major news & pop culture moments and what TV shows, movies, & music I should be checking out. It’s also nice to walk down memory lane and remember where I was, who I was with, and what I was drinking during such momentous times. In the spirit of reminiscing, I was inspired to recap what happy hours I went to this year. There were some that were just ok, some I’d like to forget, and some that I loved so much that I talked about it for weeks after visiting.

Here’s to my favorite happy hours that I reviewed this year!

Barbrix – Silverlake

Twitter-turned-real-life-friend The Minty and I met up at this Mediterranean inspired restaurant in Silverlake in April. I was treated with such amazing service the second I walked in the door. I was pretty impressed considering they had no idea I was booze blogger. The great welcome was followed up with amazing wine, amazing food, and amazing dessert. I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t been to this place sooner. As I write this, I wonder why I’m not there right now.

Waterloo & City – Culver City

In late spring, I checked out the Culver City restaurant, Waterloo & City. I was amazed that they have more food options than any happy hour that I’ve ever checked out. They feature 19 – NINETEEN!!! – food options on the menu. My friend Kate & I only had a few things to eat, but I aspire to work my way through that happy hour menu because the mussels and the tuna tartar were so damn good. It was also a good sign to see all the regulars that the restaurant had made in the short time that it has been opened.

Saint Felix – Hollywood

Saint Felix opened a new location on the Cahuenga Corridor in June, and I checked it out with one of my favorite happy hour partners, June. Fate, right? Saint Felix quickly became a favorite happy hour of mine because they feature specialty cocktails half-off at happy hour, something few bars do. For $6.50, one can try my favorite, The Stockholm Syndrome, a refreshing cocktail made with gin, mint, and some other goodies. Non-booze related, I am also in love with the leg lamp on the bar.

Boneyard Bistro – Sherman Oaks
Sometimes food is just as important as booze when going to happy hour. Since most people are attending happy hour straight from work and in need of dinner, food deals are a must. Boneyard Bistro makes sure that your belly leaves happy with their spin on BBQ. To the Kobe Meatloaf Sliders: I heart you. Very much. My friend Arielle & I got adventurous and also tried the gator tacos. If that doesn’t make you feel warm & fuzzy, Boneyard Bistro also donates a percentage of alcohol sales to a different charitable organization every week.

Drinking for a good cause w/ Arielle at Boneyard Bistro

Yxta Cocina Mexicana – Downtown LA
In September, JB & I were invited to check out this somewhat hidden gem in downtown LA. It’s not so much that it is literally hidden, it’s just in a remote downtown neighborhood, so you have to be a little adventurous (for LA, anyway) to make it here. With all the different margaritas, tacos, salsas, & desserts that we enjoyed, I hope that we encouraged more people to go outside their regular neighborhood spots.

Fat Fish – West Hollywood
Fat Fish was not only one of my favorite happy hours of the year – but maybe ever. The drink and sushi deals were out of this world. I mean good sushi dishes too, not just the basics. My buddy Kyle introduced me to Fat Fish in February. A few weeks later, we ran into each other on a random happy hour visit and joined our tables. Sadly, the day after our feast there, Kyle emailed me that Fat Fish had suddenly closed. Hopefully, there is a plan for a new location in the New Year. It is missed.

The Last Sake-tinis at Fat Fish. Sad Face.

What were your favorite happy hours of this year? What memories do you have at these places?

Wishing everyone a safe & sexy New Year!!

Until 2012… JG

Overland Café

2011-12-22T10:00:00.000-08:00

3601 Overland Ave.
Culver City, CA 90034
(310) 559-9999
overlandcafe.com
twitter.com/overlandcafe

Parking: Free Neighborhood Parking (read the signs) and limited parking behind the restaurant
Days: Daily
Time: Saturday, Sunday, Monday – 4pm to close; Tuesday-Friday – 4-7pm
Drink Deals: Half-off all wines & beers
Food Deals: N/A

Overland Café is one of those fantastic neighborhood spots that are better known for its drink deals than the quality of its cuisine. That’s not to say the food isn’t good; it’s just that the drink deals are great!

Kitty Packard and I found our way to the café after a screening of THE DESCENDANTS at the holiday-shopping crazed Century City Mall and before a birthday party at Bigfoot West and we were totally excited about their ½ off all beers and wines – ALL day/night on the weekends!

Delerium beer & Cabernet Sauvignon (both $4)

This isn’t just Bud Light and house merlot – this is over 20 draught and bottled beers from $2 to $4 and 10 wines by the glass from $2.50 to $4.50. I’d never seen one of my favorite beers, Delerium Tremens for under $8, so was totally stoked to pay only $4 for it during Happy Hour! And it was draught to boot! KP went with a nice Cabernet Sauvignon for $4.

Cheeseless Vegetable Pizza ($9.49)

Gorgonzola Salad ($8.99)

And while the food isn’t on Happy Hour, the prices are a-ok. KP & I shared the Cheeseless Grilled Vegetable Pizza with yellow squash, basil, sun dried tomatoes, shitake, portobello & button mushrooms for $9.49 and the Gorgonzola Salad for $8.99. So together – a lot of food and drink only ran us $30 pre-tip. Pretty awesome!

You also have to love the scene – everything about the restaurant kind of reminds me of a neighborhood-bar restaurant from the Midwest, from its set-up in a converted ranch home to its fun music selection (two words: Christmas disco!!). I can see why the café is so popular during its Weekend Champagne Brunch which gets you all the champagne you can drink for $4.99 (with the purchase of an entrée, don’t be cheap!) – the space just lends itself to that lazy morning dining. Nothing fancy, just easy and fun.

--JB

Rating: 4.5 Martinis

The Churchill

2011-12-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

8384 W. 3rd St.

Los Angeles, CA 90048
323.655.8384
www.the-churchill.com
twitter.com/TheChurchillLA

Parking: Complimentary Valet w/ Validation or Metered Street Parking
Days: Daily
Time: 3-7pm, plus 10pm-close on Sundays & Mondays
Drink Deals: $4 Well Drinks, Select Wine & Craft Beer
Food Deals: $7 & $8 Bar Bites

To close out the year, JB & I decided to check out our last happy hour of the year together. We landed on The Churchill because it was new to both of us, and it looked quite cozy with its outside fireplace and all. Who doesn’t love a fireplace during the holiday season? The daily happy hour was a nice touch too.

A view from the top floor

The drinks prices were pretty spot on. JB & I ordered the select red wine of the day, a cabernet for $4. The pour was good and so was the taste. After seeing the cocktail menu with drinks priced at $12, it would have been nice to at least see one or two specialty cocktails featured for happy hour. JB eventually sprung for the Clementine cocktail, a delish rye cocktail with fresh lemon juice, honey syrup, Dolin Bianco, and Regans orange bitters.

$4 Cabernet

$12 Clementine cocktail

After a glass of wine, we decided to try the food. I ordered the Smoked Chicken Wings ($8). The wings were pretty damn good. It was the perfect balance of saucy and crispy that is hard to come by. I would definitely order them again. Not wanting something as heavy as Mac & Cheese ($8), JB opted for the other vegetarian option, the Churchill Fries ($7). JB asked what made the fries almost the same price as the other Happy Hour fare, and the server told us that they were really tasty, seasoned, and a good size. When they arrived, I thought they were just like fries at any other place, and not worth the $7. They were good, but it could have easily been priced for $4 - $5 max.

6 wings for $8

$7 Churchill Fries

While the food and drink were all right, the scene left something to be desired. The Churchill is owned by the same people that own The Hudson but the scene at The Churchill is a bit… sceney. The crowd at The Hudson is usually pretty diverse, and I’ve always had a good time and often chatted with other bar patrons. However during a Sunday afternoon at The Churchill, many looked like they were aspiring to be on the pages of Us Weekly. We were even subjected to a repeated announcement of a group of guys pimping out an after-party… at 4:30pm. Seriously. And that was after JB opened the bathroom door on one of them because they neglected to lock the easy-to-lock door... or aim properly. I felt like it was one drink away from being a scene out of Entourage. I’m not sure if that’s what the bar is going for, but at least the staff we encountered didn’t give off that vibe.

After this happy hour visit, I’m not completely sure how I feel about The Churchill. I’d return if someone else suggested it… during happy hour, but I don’t think I’d be up for the scensters who likely lurk this place at night. I do hope that the photo booth is fixed soon because anyone who reads this site knows that I’m a sucker for instant photography and may tempt me to return.

-JG

Rating: 3 Martinis

Johnny Carino’s

2011-12-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

147 N. Barranca
West Covina, CA 91791
(626) 966-9878
www.carinos.com

Parking: Free Lot!
Days: Daily
Time: Monday-Friday – 4pm to Close; Saturday & Sunday – ALL Day!
Drink Deals: $3 Large Beers (they were big!) & House Wines; $4 Bellini’s and Italian Margaritas
Food Deals: ½ off Appetizers and Pizzas

Here's something we'll drink to! HHT-regular Booze is starting a new website about doing good work – be it volunteering or donating your goods or money, etc and I’m excited to share more info about it when the site goes live in the new year! Until then, I can tease that we participated in a fun volunteer activity recently working on a Rose Parade float all the way out in Irwindale.

Where is Irwindale, you ask? You know, close to Azusa and West Covina – those suburban LA communities where bigger is better. Seriously, I’ve never seen a 30-screen movie theater before this trip! Anyhow, after a daytime shift at the Rose Parade HQ, we made our way to West Covina for a Happy Hour I’d found on where else – the internet.

Cute Happy Hour bar area

The joint is called Johnny Carino’s and I guess the So-Cal chain is best described as a cross between Olive Garden and Maria’s Italian Kitchen – big & roomy like the former, but more home-y and with more vintage decor like the latter. Plus, Johnny C’s has a better Happy Hour than both those restaurants combined (which makes sense because I don’t even think Olive Garden has one :). Although our bartender did tell us that JC’s Happy Hour will be changing soon – the deals are good now: $3 & $4 drinks and ½ off all pizzas and appetizers and this is from 4pm to close on Monday-Friday and ALL Day on the weekends! HH is served in the bar only.

Booze & her Bellini, JB & Italian Margarita ($4 - the drinks, not the girls - duh!)

Excited by the prospect of $4 bellinis, we made those our first drink order and oh were they good – especially after a day of light manual labor! I switched out for my 2nd drink, trying a $4 Italian Margarita, which was just a little too sweet & sour for my palate – I wish I’d stuck with the bellini!

I also wish the food menu had a description of the food items instead of just the names. Luckily, I’d done a little research on their website before and decided on the Italian Nachos (ordered without meat) with fried wonton like chips covered in black olives, pepporcinis, roma tomatoes, and 3 cheeses (including an Alfredo Sauce) – $4.50 during Happy Hour. Having started out with a slightly wonky stomach (winter bug?), I might have gone for another appetizer if I’d had the menu to remember the 3 cheeses. As it was, that was a bit decadent for my belly!

Italian Nachos ($4.50)

Booze fared slightly better with her Shrimp Scampi, deliciously pan-fried shrimp served on Garlic Toast with a white wine butter sauce and roasted tomatoes – $7 during Happy Hour (a deal at $7, not so much at the regular $14 price). Johnny Carino’s also serves complimentary freshly baked bread alongside olive oil infused with roasted minced garlic. Everything was very tasty; I just wish I’d practiced a little more moderation!

Shrimp Scampi ($7)

The scene was fine – I loved the swingin’ holiday tunes and the high chairs by the bar (though we wished there’d been purse hooks) and overall, it was pretty quiet until we left at 4:30 when several groups of people arrived. I did find it a little strange when the bartender disappeared for a seemingly long stretch, I’m still not sure if she was on break or it was a shift change; you do wish they’d let you know and ask if you need anything else before going, but as we often find on Happy Hour Tours, you can’t win everything!

At least the food & drink prices are so good you might consider making the jaunt to your nearest Johnny Carino’s!

--JB

Rating: 4.5 Martinis

Monsieur Marcel

2011-12-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

Farmer’s Market
6333 W. 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 939-7792
www.mrmarcel.com

Parking: 2 hours free validation with purchase from a Market merchant ($3 for the 3rd hour)
Days: Monday-Friday
Time: 3-7pm
Drink Deals: ½ off Wines by the Glass
Food Deals: Small Plates (Charcuterie & Crostini options and more) from $4.95 - $7.95

Happy Hour Tourists, take caution when planning your adventure and remember to check the weather report before heading out. I could have heeded my own advice this past Wednesday, the windiest day on record in LA in the last 10 years, when pal KR and I decided to meet up for Happy Hour at the Farmer’s Market with its wind tunnel outdoor aisles, blowing signs, plates, etc!

So darling and... French!

Despite the Kansas-to-Oz weather conditions, KR and I managed to have a fun, windy catch-up Happy Hour at the cozy and romantical Monsieur Marcel’s, a truly adorable Farmer’s Market restaurant with an adjacent gourmet store and featuring a killer wine list. With a couple bars offering Happy Hours at the Farmer’s Market (EB’s and 326), I figured the hearty wines of Monsieur Marcel might offer a little more warmth. Normally, I sweat like mad when drinking red wine, but that night, I welcomed any warmth!

Mendoza Solsticio ($5.50/glass)

Besides the heartwarming vino, I’ve always loved the candle-lit café setting of the restaurant and looked forward to finally trying out their Happy Hour. Our helpful waiter pointed us in the direction of a couple wines he thought we might like – all wines by the glass being half-off – and we ended up with an Over the Edge pinot noir from New Zealand for KR (at $5/glass on special) and an Argentinean wine, the Mendoza Solsticio, for me ($5.50/glass). I enjoyed the Solsticio which had a smoky and yet still fruity flavor and KR liked her pinot noir too.

Clockwise from top left: Salted Potatoes ($4.95); Tapenade Sampler ($7.95); St. Loup & Tomato Crostini ($4.95); Truffle Ham Charcuterie Plate ($4.95)

The restaurant also has a handy little Happy Hour menu with 5 charcuterie items, 5 crostini selections, along with truffle deviled eggs, and salted potatoes. Together, we sampled 4 of the bites – the truffle ham ($4.95); the St. Loup and Tomato Crostini – goat cheese with tomato preserves ($4.95); the Tapenade Sampler – sun-dried tomato pesto, Artichoke-lemon spread, and roasted red pepper tapenade ($7.95); and the Salted potatoes served with a salsa verde ($4.95). I think I enjoyed the potatoes best of all with their meaty texture and the St. Loup & Tomato Crostini a close second; I found the Tapenade Sampler a little bland and salty.

I’ve read that the French stay thin by taking the time to enjoy their food, which is served in smaller portions. Monsieur Marcel promotes that with their small plates and intimate environment that feels comfortable enough for an evening with friends – a nice counterpoint to some of the over-serving nearby Grove restaurants (no offense Cheesecake Factory!).

Our hair looks pretty good for the remarkably windy conditions!!

--JB

Rating: 4 Martinis

Fraiche

2011-11-28T10:00:00.000-08:00

9411 Culver Blvd.

Culver City, CA 90232
310.839.6800
www.fraicherestaurantla.com
twitter.com/fraichecuisine

Parking: $6.50 Valet & Public Parking Garage
Days: Daily
Time: 5- 10pm Sun-Thurs, 5-7pm Fri & Sat
Drink Deals: $5 Well Drinks, $6 select Wine & Beer
Food Deals: Appetizers, $4-$10

Why hello there, fellow Happy Hour enthusiasts! After a month hiatus of new happy hours, I am back and ready to report on all things happy hour.

Unfortunately, my first new-to-me happy hour fell flat.

After some research, I figured that it was finally time to check out Fraiche in Culver City. There was a time where other fellow bloggers were into it and I can’t help but wonder if they still are or maybe Fraiche was having an off night on my Saturday night visit.

I feel that Fraiche may be one of those nice restaurants that put all those efforts into the dinner patrons but give all happy hour patrons the leftovers. Seriously. On my visit, my friend June initially ordered a glass of the tempernillo wine ($6) but thought it did not taste fresh, like it was left out from another day so she sent it back for a well vodka tonic cocktail ($6). By the time I was ready to order, the bar got with the program and opened a new bottle of wine because I was served a better glass of tempernillo.

Prior to arriving, Junebug was excited about the happy hour food because the happy hour menu on the Fraiche website features mussels for $8. However, the menu in the restaurant does not. When asking the server about the inconsistent menus, she replied flatly with “That’s old.” We’re probably not the first ones to ask to about that, I guess. FYI - As of this posting the website still has the old menu.

For happy hour eats, I decided on a turkey burger ($7) and fries ($4) and June ordered the salmon tartar ($6). The turkey burger was decent but served so piping hot so I burned my tongue, even after letting it sit for a bit. June’s salmon tartar was quite the disappointment… and I eat almost everything, but in this case I was not able to eat it. The crostini was ROCK HARD. It was hard to break off a piece and it hurt both my tongue and the roof of my mouth. Plus, it took away from the taste of the main dish – the salmon tartar. When we told this to the server, she looked as us like we had never been to a restaurant before and explained to us what a crostini was. We explained that we know what it is and that’s why we ordered it. We even demonstrated how hard it was to break off a piece and banged it on the plate. I asked what day the crostini was toasted. Lucky for us, she took it away… and we weren’t the only ones since witnessed a neighboring table sending back food, as well.

Turkey Burger

The Salmon Tartar

While happy hour was a bust, the dinner scene was banging, which is why I figured that happy hour patrons must get the leftovers – old wine, old bread, etc. Unfortunately after my unappetizing experience, I doubt I will be returning to try dinner.

- JG

Rating: 2 Martinis

A Survival Guide: Black Friday

2011-11-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

If you’re a true American, then you know the real meaning of Thanksgiving is to stuff yourself with home cooked food on Thursday and then fight rabid consumers on Black Friday. Ok… not really, but it’s what a lot of people do, right?

We are forever thankful for our readers, facebook likes, & twitter followers! For that reason, we know the holidays can be stressful and what better way to relieve some of that stress than a happy hour! If you actually leave the house over the holiday weekend, it’s likely to work off that Thanksgiving meal in a Black Friday rush so we present a list of happy hours located in popular Los Angeles shopping areas.

Please feel free to buy us something to thank us!

Cheers!!

Jennie & Jessica

Happy Hours for East Side Shoppers – Pasadena & Glendale

Happy Hours for Mid-City Shoppers – Beverly Center, The Grove & Farmers Market

Happy Hours for West Side Shoppers – Santa Monica Place, 3rd Street Promenade & Westfield Century City Mall

If you’ve got some real cash money and shop in Beverly Hills 90210, stop by Taberna Mexicana for an ALL day Happy Hour featuring $3 drinks and eats!

TiroVino Wine Bar

2011-11-15T10:00:00.000-08:00

7166 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
tirovinowinebar.com
twitter.com/TiroVino

Parking: Metered Street Parking
Days: Daily
Times: 4-8pm
Drink Deals: $3.50 Beers, $5-$6 Select Wines by the Glass
Food Deals: Appetizers from $4-$7

After a nice Saturday afternoon Happy Hour at Bugatta, Kitty Packard and I stepped outside and happened upon another Happy Hour sign a couple buildings down. After peering in from the open patio and seeing a classy, yet cozy dining spot – we quickly added more change to our parking meter and headed over for Happy Hour #2!

Table for 8!

Tirovino is very classy and elegant, but it’s also got a very home-y vibe and that’s probably because it’s run by real, bona fide Italians who do their country proud. We loved the bar seating, the casual dining area, the patio with projected movies come nightfall, and the awesome 8-seat table with fancy chairs. We also dug the wall of wines serving as backdrop for the table-for-8!

Happy Hour drink options aren’t that varied –several $3.50 beers and a red (pinot noir this visit) for $6 and a white (chardonnay) for $5. KP and I went for the $6 Pinot Noir and it was good enough that they really didn’t need many more options.

Vino at TiroVino ($6 Pinot Noir)

For our food selection, we opted for a couple appetizers, starting with the $4 olives marinated with Italian spices. The olives were fresh and delicious and salty – a perfect complement to the hearty wine. After determining that the Eggplant Caviar was vegetarian :), we enjoyed a $4 order – served with their fantastic house bread, warm & crisp and drizzled with light olive oil and a little salt. Molto bene!

Olives w/ Italian Seasoning ($4)

Eggplant Caviar w/ House Bread ($4)

Kitty Packard loves old movies (really, check out her website!) and a classic vibe, so she was right at home at TiroVino. I loved it too, though I really loved the Happy Hour Tour combination of starting at Bugatta and ending up at TiroVino!

--JB

Rating: 4.5 Martinis

Bugatta

2011-11-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

7174 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 964-9494
www.thebungalowclub.com/bugatta

Parking: Metered Street Parking
Days: Daily
Times: 4-7pm
Drink Deals: $4-5 Beers, $6 House Wines, $6 10oz. Martinis (yeah!) and $6 Specialty Cocktails
Food Deals: Small plates from $6 to $8
Note: Photo is from Halloween ;)!

Bugatta's Bar

In the vein of re-purposed Happy Hour locales (think Evo Kitchen nee Pizza Fusion), we were excited to check out the former Bungalow Club's new incantation, Bugatta! On a recent pre-Halloween Saturday afternoon, Ms. Kitty Packard & I stepped out for a mini-Happy Hour Tour, starting at Bugatta. Already happy to see that they run Happy Hour 4-7pm daily – we were also impressed by the updated decor; featuring white walls, black bar, terrific natural lighting, gorgeous turquoise lounge sofas and lotsa-Halloween decorations :).

Gorgeous Turquoise Couches!

The outside patio wasn’t open yet – it appeared to still be undergoing some renovation, so we grabbed a seat at the bar, where we enjoyed perusing the variety of Happy Hour booze options – including a wide selection of $6 martinis and specialty cocktails , from the Elderflower Gimlet to the Dirty Hipster to the Jalapeno Twist. I very much enjoyed my Lavender Cosmo made with homemade lavender syrup; Ms. Kitty aptly named it “Summer on a Swing.” For her drink, she tried the Ward 8, which sounds like the wing of a mental institution – but it’s actually a delicious concoction that looks like a Bloody Mary Martini, but tastes like a nice sweet & sour cocktail made with bourbon. She called that one “Summer Barbeque!”

Miss Packard & her Ward 8 + Freddy Krueger; Muy Delicious $6 Martinis - Ward 8 & Lavender Cosmo

For vittles, I was at first a little depressed by the lack of vegetarian options amongst some nice meat selections on the Happy Hour menu…. But I was so impressed by the veggie options that they did have that I didn’t mind as much. LOVED the Bangkok Hummus, a hummus topped with something like teriyaki-glazed mushrooms and served with warm pita bread, and the delicious Apple Bruschetta, crusty bread topped with a sweet combination of finely chopped apples, balsamic vinegar, currants, and a honey goat cheese sauce! Both bites were $6 and well worth it for the taste and aiiight serving size!

Apple Bruschetta ($6) and Bangkok Hummus ($6)

I feel like Bungalow Club was probably doing fine as that bar, but I guess it was ready for renovations after being open for 10 years and the owner decided to go in a different direction with the décor and menu (apparently more tapas-oriented now). I can understand that – Melrose is a happening street, but this further-east location doesn’t see as much foot-traffic, so it’s always good to stay fresh and relevant!

Definitely liked the atmosphere and the nice Happy Hour times – would definitely recommend checking it out!

Or so they say!

--JB

Rating: 4.5 Martinis

Cha Cha Cha

2011-11-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

656 N Virgil Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(323) 664-7723
www.theoriginalchachacha.com

Parking: $5 Valet and neighborhood residential parking (read the signs, ya'll)
Days: Daily
Time: Sunday - Thursday – 4-10pm; Friday & Saturday – 4-7pm
Drink Deals: $2 Sangria by the glass; $3 Miller Light, Corona, Mojito, Margaritas, House Red & White Wine; $10 Sangria pitcher
Food Deals: Nice selection of bites from $2-5.95

Cha Cha Cha from Outside

As Sam Cooke once sang, “Everybody loves to Cha Cha Cha.” I think that sentiment is still living and breathing in Los Angeles – at least for the rest of the year as Cha Cha Cha restaurant celebrates its 25th anniversary by offering a daily Happy Hour that runs often and a lot and features terrific prices.

Inside Cha Cha Cha

The scene is cool too – a little restaurant at the corner of Virgil and Melrose on the slightly East side. It’s decorated with pink walls, pink-flowered tablecloths, religious iconography, and Christmas lights. Kitschy, retro, rad.

Happy Hour is served in a smaller room that’s just off the main dining room and features an assortment of tasty options. We started off with a $10 pitcher of sangria and I’ll be darned if that didn’t make 3 glasses each for Booze, our college pal, Kate & I.

Booze & Kate & glasses of Sangria ($3/glass or $10 for a pitcher!)

After we finished that and our delicious assortment of vittles (described below), we each tried some of the Happy Hour-priced cocktails – the $3 Corona for Booze, $3 margarita for Kate (prepared with fresh lime, no sour), and $3 mojito for me. For those latter drinks – the alcohol was strong and the drinks were pretty awesome. The sweet mojito was definitely my favorite of all sampled drinks from the evening.

Margarita & Mojito ($3 each)

For eats, we sampled mas from the HH menu :

Chips & Salsa ($2) and Chips & Guacamole ($4.95 – not on HH) -
Yummy chips with Island Seasoning

Plantains ($2) – served with a nice cream sauce & Guava & Goat Cheese Quesadilla ($3) –
as good as it sounds – phenomenal flavor!

Jerk Pork ($3.95) & Sopes de Pollo ($3.95) –
the girls enjoyed these meaty apps!

Jerk Chicken Pizza ($5.95) – I couldn’t resist, had to take the chicken off a piece and try the pizza – LOVED the jerk sauce!

When we arrived, we were the first group seated in the Happy Hour room and saw several other date night peeps come and go by the time we closed the joint down (it closes at 10pm on weeknights = nothing too crazy, sorry to report!). Not that we were kicked out or anything, our servers were all nice and helpful!

I’m not sure what the end of its 25th anniversary year will do the Happy Hour times & deals – hopefully not much. For now, the Happy Hour at Cha³ is downright brilliant. Don’t go changing, Cha Cha Cha.

Happy Tourist

--JB

Rating: 5 Martinis

EVO Kitchen

2011-10-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

7950 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
323-375-3390
www.evokitchenla.com
twitter.com/evokitchenla.com

Parking: 1-hr validated parking in Sunset & Hayworth complex
Days: Monday-Friday
Times: 4-7pm
Drink Deals: $4 Beers, $5 Wines & Sangria, $5-7 Soju drinks, $8 Beer Flight
Food Deals: Bites from $4-7

Having run this site for over 2 years now, we’ve seen a lot of turn-over with the bars & restaurants we’ve covered. Just check our “Reviews by JB” and “Reviews by JG” to see how many of the establishments are now closed. At least in LA, when a joint closes, there’s usually another in its place within the month – something not every city can boast in these trying economic times.

One of these spots is EVO Kitchen, which stands in the place of Pizza Fusion at Sunset and Hayworth. I’m not sure if this really counts as new though since EVO is run by the same family that owned the Pizza Fusion and I don’t even know if they were closed for a day during the transition! Whatever the case, EVO operates with the same concept as Pizza Fusion – environmentally friendly and locally grown eats with lots of options for vegan diners and foodies with gluten-allergies. Pretty cool.

Pizza Fusion was relatively new when I stopped by for a Happy Hour Tour review back in December 2009. I had given kudos for the dining experience, but complained that the Happy Hour food menu didn’t have enough variety and there weren’t enough drink options. Looking back – the options really weren’t so bad, especially considering that some Happy Hours don’t even offer food (we’re looking at you, Hard Rock Café!).

The Happy Hour deals must have been working for them at Pizza Fusion because EVO has kept the same deals – $4 beers (+$8 beer flight!); $5 house red & white wines and sangria; $5 Soju soda cocktails; and $7 Soju Martinis. There’s a little bit more on the food menu now – a mix of salads, pizzas, BBQ sliders, Veggies & Dip, and Garlic Cheese Bread from $4.50-$7.

P & T with $5 Cherry Pop's!

For this visit, I went with my work pals, P & T (who I’d actually covered Pizza Fusion with 2 years back), and we were of one mind to start off with the Cherry Pop ($5), Soju* mixed with natural Black Cherry soda. The drink was just sweet enough and very refreshing for a mid-October hot-spell.

For eats, we tried the BBQ Burgers (2 for $4.50) – 2 regular beef mini-burgers and 2 portobello sandwiches with Daiya (vegan) cheese; the Raw Veggies with Hummus & Fig Tapenade ($6); and when we were still hungry – the Garlic Cheese Bread with Marinara Dip ($4.50). Everything tasted pretty good – albeit a bit sweet. The burgers used the same sweet bread as the garlic cheese bread; then the Hummus & Fig Tapenade was sweet too. I really enjoyed the fig tapenade served with vegetables, but wasn’t as crazy about the sweet bread, which was also a little flakey for a sandwich.

Sliders (2 for $4.50)

Raw Veggies with Hummus & Fig Tapenade ($6)

Garlic Cheese Bread with Marinara Dip ($4.50)

Now back to the drinks… for our 2nd drink round – P & I shared the Beer Flight ($8 for four 5oz. glasses). We both selected the Chocolate Porter from Bayhawke Ale in Irvine (yum & rich and can be made into a beer float for $8!); and then P had the Napa Smith Organic IPA (traditionally hoppy), while I LOVED my Black Market Hefe-Weizen from Temecula. Of this flight, the Hefe-Weizen was the only beer on Happy Hour special – the other featured HH beers were the Scrimshaw Pilsner and Bards Gluten-Free.

$8 Beer Flight (Fly away beer, fly away home!)

Overall, my feeling is very similar to my original visit, though experience has taught me to never look a gift horse in the mouth and to take my good deals where I can get them – in this case, it’s in the swell drink selections from $4-8!

--JB

*For those of you who found the site by searching “what is soju?” :) – it’s a liquor often made with rice, that bars without hard liquor licenses can serve due to its lower alcohol content, usually around 20% as opposed to vodka’s average 40%.

Rating: 3.5 Martinis

Loteria Grill

2011-10-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

6627 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 465-2500
www.loteriagrill.com
twitter.com/loteriagrill

Parking: Metered Street Parking or Hollywood lots
Days: Daily
Times: 3-6pm
Drink Deals: Half-off all drinks!!!
Food Deals: Small Selection of Happy Hour Eats from $4-8

To put it in the simplest terms, I kinda loved Loteria Grill's Happy Hour! Sure, it's only 3-6pm, which is normally a no-go for the Happy Hour Tour – but at Loteria Grill, it’s DAILY from 3-6pm! Couple that with a drink menu that’s entirely ½-off (no joke!), a sampling of swell Happy Hour-priced eats, a very helpful and efficient wait staff, and a really beautiful space that feels like an oasis from the crazy Hollywood Blvd. foot traffic just outside – and you really do have a refreshing Happy Hour!!

Loteria Grill is a small LA chain with locations at the Farmer's Market, Studio City, and then the Hollywood location. It's more a restaurant with great cocktails than a bar, which can be a nice change of pace for Happy Hour Tourists. If you read this site often enough, you know I’m a huge fan of natural light and Loteria Grill’s natural lighting is pretty spectacular. It’s also a nice match for the décor, sort of a modern Mexican restaurant with white walls and an accent melon wall, a mixture of light & dark wood tables & chairs, inside trees (!), and giant decorative loteria cards at the top of the bar seating.

There’s also an outside patio, which looked quite nice too and probably pretty good for people-watching on Hollywood Blvd. For Nic & my small group’s Saturday afternoon visit, we decided to dine inside as I just loved that natural lighting :).

Clockwise from top left - Margarita de Loteria ($6), Margarita de Mango ($5.50), Tequila Martini de Tamarindo served as a Margarita ($6), Ms. Nic enjoying her margarita!

In my limited pre-visit research, I was never able to find Loteria’s Happy Hour deals on-line. So it was a terrific surprise to learn that their Happy Hour featured all drinks – from margaritas to martinis to sangria to tequila shots and beer – for ½ off! We started with the house specialty Margarita Loteria ($6). It was pretty tasty, but I was more into my next 2 margaritas – the Tequila Martini de Tamarindo ($6) that they served as a margarita. The perfect balance of sweet & sour, the drink is sometimes served in a glass rimmed with chili powder. That’s a bit much for Gringo JB, but I loved it as it was! The other gals ordered the Margarita de Mango (Mango Margarita for Gringo JB :) at $5.50 and that was nice as well! Besides tasting great, you also knew you were getting your Happy Hour’s $$ worth – the drinks were definitely well-liquored!

For food, the Happy Hour menu is a little more limited, but it’s still a very good small selection of Loteria’s eats.

Guacamole & Chips ($4)

We started off with the Guacamole & Chips ($4), the standout here was the complimentary salsa – a very delicious Chipotle Salsa. Our chips were re-filled several times without us even asking, sweet!

Trio de Nueces ($6)

We also enjoyed the Trio de Nueces ($6) – a plate with a trio of nuts – Roasted peanuts seasoned with lime & chile, and Spiced Pepitas and Pecans served warm. I think I embarrassed our cutie server when he asked “if we were done with our nuts” and I laughed uncontrollably for 3 minutes. I was also 3 margaritas deep at this point.

Crispy Potato Taquitos ($6)

For our final selection, we went with the Crispy Taquitos ($6) – any mix of Chicken, Shredded Beef, or Potato (guess which I had?!) served with Crema Mexicana, Queso Fresco, Lettuce & Guacamole. Again, delicious.

Rounding out the options were the Plato de Chalupas ($5), which sounded great, but had chicken; the Plato Botanero ($8) with a selection of appetizers; and theAguachile de Callo de Hacha ($8), a Mexican sea scallop dish.

All-in-all, I really enjoyed Loteria’s Happy Hour – if you couldn’t tell! It’s a great stop for an early dinner or on a Happy Hour Tour. You could got to Lucky Devils just down the street and then here and woah baby, you’d be set!

-- JB

Rating: 4.5 Margaritas

Gin & Tonic for the Soul: How Do People Find The Happy Hour Tour?

2011-10-11T09:30:00.000-07:00

Interesting Discussion Topics for Happy Hour

Statcounter is a valuable tool for any blogger - it's a tracking site that allows anyone with a website to see how many visitors check out their site, where they're from geographically, and how they found the page. For The Happy Hour Tour, it's a good resource to maximize our outreach by tracking which HHT plugs – be it from Urbanspoon or our friends at Uncouthed – draw the highest readership; it really is all about the cross-promotion!

Besides providing helpful feedback about where best to continue our efforts, Statcounter also supplies some serious laughs, interesting information, and many question marks. In short, we very much enjoy checking the searches that land visitors at our doorstep.

In totally random order, we’ve been found by users entering all of the following search terms at one time or another – snide comments are JB’s*:

• “Peace out phoenix hello oc” – Is this a long-lost 311 track?

• From Macedonia –“amstel beer decorations” – I’m picturing a Macedonian living room entirely filled with Amstel Beer decorations. My PBR bathroom won’t be outdone!

• “cheesecake didn’t rise” – Sorry to hear about that! Maybe our Cheesecake Factory reviews can help?

• From Greece – “we love gin tonic” – We love Hall Oates and almost as much as Captain Tenille. We really hope they’ll consider covering Ebony Ivory. (PS – I’m not saying my Greek is any better than their English)

• “WHAT IS THE PRICE OF DRINK AT TGIFRIDAYS” – Why is Kanye West looking for drink prices at Friday’s? Also, is he from Greece?

JB's Happy Hour Fan-Fiction Photoshop Skillz in Full Glory!

• “whoom the happy hour bar arrived on the 15th of the month” – Come again? Only thing I can figure is this could be the long-awaited (and wordier) follow-up to “Whoomp (There It Is!)”

• “Goat Insignia” – Smile if you love Satan. For real, why are you googling goat insignia?

True Happy Hour Tour "Goat Insignia" photo @ The Surly Goat

• Image search for “Nice Irish Man” – I’d like to find one of those as well!

• “robert mondavi discoer wine tour helpng people across the country get it” – It really does just help people “get it.”

• “what to wear on a wine tour” – Nothing.

Google truly is amazing sometimes. Found this image searching "Nude Wine Tour" from Winemag.com.

• “what types of people go to lucky strikes?” – Bad ones. And people that google what to wear on a wine tour.

• “christopher columbus compared to jack black” – Well, Christopher Columbus discovered America. So did Jack Black. Jack Black starred in SHALLOW HAL; Christopher Columbus was considered for the role. Totally apples to apples...

• My personal favorite – “cool bar” – so very specific; that reminds me, I need to search “fun people” and “good times”

* I’m just having fun of any of the above searches – half of my own searches are misspelled and probably just as bizarre (try "can humasn get fleas?"). And really, we don’t care how people find us; we’re just glad when they do and when they decide to come back!

--JB

Hard Rock Café

2011-10-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

6801 Hollywood Blvd. Ste 105
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323) 464-7625
Hard Rock Café in Hollywood
twitter.com/HRCHwdBlvd

Parking: Parking: Underground Parking at Hollywood & Highland – $2 for 4 hours with Validation
Days: Monday-Friday
Times: 4-7pm
Drink Deals: $3 Draft Beers; $4 Well Drinks; $5 Select Wines the Glass
Food Deals: N/A

A Hard Rock Café is a Hard Rock Café and that’s why they’re loved world-round. Or so work-buddy TAG tells me. Being from Mid-Size Midwest town, I only really thought of Hard Rock Café as a kind of pricey place to eat whenever we had Chicago field trips (and oh what fun those field trips were?!). However, TAG grew up going to Hard Rock Cafés in the various cities her family visited because the menu stayed the same and they knew they’d get the same quality-food. She admits now that’s not all too adventurous, but it did provide a good context for our Happy Hour visit.

Inside the Restaurant

See, JG and I have hit so many Happy Hours in the Hollywood-area that even with the openings and closings of lots of bars, we sometimes do run out of places to go. Still, there are un-tapped resources at Hollywood & Highland – but I often regard that whole scene as the part in PEE-WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE where the pet store is on fire and Pee-Wee keeps saving all the other animals before he saves the snakes. Hollywood & Highland with its crazy characters and many tourists is kind of like the snakes for me.

Enough on that tangent, but you catch my drift. Despite Hollywood & Highland being the last place I like to end up, I was happy to remember Hard Rock’s week-night Happy Hour when TAG and I were in need of a Friday-night Happy Hour that we could get to by 6:45 and still have time for a drink. And we did just that – got to Hard Rock in time for just one drink.

Happy Hour is served at the bar only

The drink deals are great (at the bar only) – a nice selection of $3 draft beers, $4 well drinks, and $5 select wines by the glass, but the food-deals are non-existent and on top of that, the food is pricey. Which suckeolis because you can go upstairs to BoHo and have some seriously good eats at a fraction of the price during Happy Hour. But since it’s at Hollywood & Highland and since it’s so touristy and because its part of a chain whose brand identity doesn’t include Happy Hour – it makes sense… I guess.

Nachos ($10.95 - not on Happy Hour)

So TAG & I ordered a beer each for $3 – Blue Moon for her, Shock Top for me – and we decided to split an order of the regular-priced nachos at a non-Happy Hour whopper-price (for what’s theoretically an appetizer) – $10.95! Our waitress was quite nice and pretty helpful and when we asked if she could come back before last call, she said she would. She didn’t make it back until 7:10pm and couldn’t even cheat the cost of my 2nd beer (it was $5.65) in the system because it automatically ended Happy Hour pricing at 7pm. Boo! Hiss (like our cat JJ says when we cut her nails)! I guess that’s a chain for you.

The space is probably like any Hard Rock Café that you’ve been to before – a great selection of loud music, fun memorabilia from folks I’ve heard of (Frank Zappa!) and those I haven’t (like Wisin & Yandel, a Puerto Rican Reggaetron duo), a wide floor plan full of pretty much non-locals.

Not a bad spot at all – and if you’re a fan of the chain, I think you’ll be totally at home at their Happy Hour. Or if you’re on a Happy Hour Tour in Hollywood, stop by for a beer. Just remember to save up for the 34oz. beer mugs for $7 at Snow White Café and some room in your belly for the delicious & more affordable BoHo.

Better deals (and self-portrait opportunities at 7-Eleven :)

--JB

Rating: 2.5 Martinis

Next Door Lounge

2011-10-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

1154 N. Highland Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
323.465.5500
www.nextdoorhollywood.com
twitter.com/nextdoorlounge

Parking: $6 Valet or Street Parking (check signs about towing before 7pm!)

Days: Tuesday – Saturday
Time: 5-8pm
Drink Deals: $4 Craft Beer, $6 Wine, $8 Cocktails

Food Deals: $3-6 Bar Bites

Looking for the bar? Look for this guy!

If you don’t know by now, Next Door Lounge is the hottest new bar in town. Seriously. You can’t swing a you-know-what without reading a post about this speakeasy themed bar in Hollywood. Now with head bartender, Joseph Brooke, named as People’s Choice Winner in Table 20’s Best Bartender contest, it’s clear where people like to go for a really good drink. On my recent visit to Next Door Lounge, I got lucky with a seat at the bar and cocktails made by the infamous bartender.

From sitting at the bar, I must say what I think makes Joseph Brooke so popular is his customer service. He takes his time to find out what patrons like and he checks in with them to make sure that they like their drink. Most bartenders find themselves too busy to care and who knows how they’d react if you asked them to make something over, but not Mr. Brooke. He’ll offer to remake it to your tastes… but don’t worry – his drinks are so great that it’s not necessary.

On my first visit to Next Door Lounge with my friend Kyle*, I had the French 75 cocktail ($8), a gin cocktail with lemon juice, sugar, and prosecco. I’m not much of a gin drinker, but the drink was so good that I ordered another. Unfortunately, for my second visit to the bar, the drink was no longer offered at happy hour price. It is regularly priced at $12 so I stuck with the happy hour menu and ordered the Tommy’s Margarita ($8). I’ve rarely met a margarita that I didn’t like. However, what makes this one stand out is the froth created from the cocktail being shaken, not stirred. Spoiled by the mixology movement, I just love a cocktail that’s taken a good shake.

French 75

Tommy’s Margarita

Thankfully, the happy hour food menu had no changes for my second visit. My friend Carrie & I had the Spinach & Goat Cheese pizza ($6) that I had on that first trip. It’s a nice, hearty eat that is fitting for dinner and perfect for sharing. We also ordered the Tostadas de Tinga de Pollo ($8), 4 mini chicken tostadas that are out of this world! They are not featured on the happy hour menu, but at $8 it’s a pretty good price and so good that you will not be sorry. In fact, it’s the type of dish where you’re sure to clean your plate and slap the hand of anyone who tries to take it before you’re done.

Spinach & Goat Cheese pizza

Tostada de Tinga de Pollo

I definitely would like to return to Next Door Lounge, but I just don’t know when. It’s a great spot for girls night out and an even more perfect place for a date. In fact, most, maybe all, of the tables were reserved on both of my visits. I prefer places that I can just walk right in and grab a seat, but with food, drink & service this great, I guess I can’t keep Next Door Lounge all to myself.

-JG

Rating: 4.5 Martinis

*Follow him on twitter. He’s HILARIOUS.

Media Event: Fresh & Easy Twitter Tasting

2011-09-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

As always, we are super-stoked whenever a company reaches out to The Happy Hour Tour to cover their events… and we both also like eating in bed (incongruous, but go with us on this). So we were beyond excited when Fresh & Easy reached out to the HHT to join their Twitter Tasting on Thursday, September 29th - where we tried 3 new wines while in the comfort of our own home. Pretty genius actually.

*You might note I pulled the wrong bottle of white out of the fridge for this glamour shot ;)!

JG & I both like the Fresh & Easy brand - not only because of their name is just like we like our call-girls, but also because it's a local market with good prices and an emphasis on saving its customers money "from the ground up" (cement floors instead of pricier tiles, energy efficient bulbs, etc). They also have a phenomenal wine selection, many exclusive to Fresh & Easy, at terrific prices. As gals on a budget, we're partial to the Big Kahuna family, which gives 2-buck-Chuck a run for its $2, with swell varietal offerings for under $3 a bottle. Plus, rumor has it they just added 6 new Kahuna wines!

As part of the Twitter* Tasting, Fresh & Easy mailed us a box of 3 different wines (normally priced from $5-11) to sample from. And then we logged onto TasteLive.com and here's what we tried and learned:

-- Dreamstone Pink Moscato – a Spanish wine; pink, delicious and fizzy! It was a JG favorite.

-- Ma Cherie White Cuvee – a French Chardonnay with a very basic taste, not buttery like my ma likes, but a nice basic white to pair with almost anything.

-- Doon Buggy Napa Valley Red Blend – a California red blend (my favorite!) with a very smoky and oak-y flavor, autumn-tinged perfect after fall day of raking leaves (not in LA though :)!

It was fun sampling the wines and trying to keep up with the live Twitter feed – favorite Tweet of the night from our Twitter-friend, TaraMetBlog – “My mother is also joining me in tonight's @freshandeasy twitter party. Although she calls it tweeter & thinks I know u all #freshandeasywine.” Sounds like my ma!

Thanks to Fresh & Easy for hosting the fun Twitter party and to Allison Osorio at RL Public Relations for reaching out to The Happy Hour Tour!

*Follow us on twitter for boozy tweets!

Bar Louie

2011-09-29T09:30:00.000-07:00

Westfield Santa Anita
400 S. Baldwin Avenue
Arcadia, CA 91007
(626) 241-1921
www.barlouieamerica.com
twitter.com/BarLouieArc
twitter.com/BarLouieArcadia
twitter.com/BarLouie

Parking: Free Mall Parking
Days: Monday-Friday
Times: 4-7pm
Drink Deals: $3 Draft Beers; $4 Wines the Glass; $5 Martinis
Food Deals: ½ off Appetizers

After hitting Wood Ranch and Cheesecake Factory on our Suburban Happy Hour Tour at the Santa Anita Mall, Booze and I had given our stomachs and livers a brief reprieve while as we scoured the going out of business sale at Borders (friends reading this – don’t be surprised if you get a book for the winter holidays). Sufficiently shopped out, we made our way back to the Tour for our final stop at Bar Louie.

You get the feeling about Bar Louie that it’s the kind of bar that the folks at the mall go to when they’re done with work. Well, I got that feeling from a) the clientele and b) a girl working at the Borders store who asked her friend, “So girl, you going to Bar Louie after work?” There were definitely other after-work people there as well and for good reason – Bar Louie has a smashin’ Happy Hour – ½ off all appetizers, $3 draft beers, $4 glasses of wine, and $5 for all their martinis.

"We're having the time of our lives!!!"

And Bar Louie does it big – the Happy Hour is made up of something like 15 Appetizers, over 25 beers, over 12 Martinis (I didn’t count the wine choices :). Normally, I’d be all about the variety – and I guess I am still (I mean I liked the Cheesecake Factory in my Tuesday review), but there’s something about Bar Louie… From its signage that looks a little too “we’re having the time of our lives” to be believable to its 2 Twitter accounts that haven’t been updated in over a year, it just feels like it’s trying too hard. Like a nerdy guy wearing all name brands to be cool, but as we should all know – being cool comes from within. Oh man, that’s some Stuart Smalley kind of shit!

Bruschetta ($3.75)

There really wasn’t anything wrong with the food & drink options whatsoever. We were pretty fooded out, but decided on the Bruschetta (a steal at $3.75), which included both dairy (parmesan cheese) and onions – which we’d successfully avoided up until that point! It was served in a mondo glass bowl with tasty toasts and even though I was pretty full – I ain’t gonna lie, I enjoyed dat dere bruschetta.

The Clover & Effen Good Martinis ($5 each)

For drinks, we were intrigued by the $5 (normally $10) martini menu; Booze ordered The Clover – Hennessy, Makers Mark, Agave Nectar, Fresh Lemon and Orange Juice, Orange Twist – and I The Effen Good – Effen Cucumber, Mint, Fresh Lime Juice, and Agave Nectar. However, Booze wasn’t crazy about the pretty liquor-y taste of hers and I found mine a little too sweet – so we switched and were both happy campers.

The scene

For general scene, the hostess and our waitress seemed nice enough and the Happy Hour was pretty happening – lots of dudes around the bar watching the multiple TV’s and a couple tables of colleagues that I hoped Michael Scott, Creed, and Stanley were a part of. No such luck. Still, sometimes we know that truth is stranger than fiction, I’m sure we could’ve heard some fun office stories if we’d listened close enough!

All-in-all, I really can’t hate on Bar Louie because I really dug the many choices and really good prices for its Happy Hour; I just think maybe I’m not the target audience. And as Stewart Smalley says, “that’s okay.” However, this could be the right place for younger folks looking to get an after-work drink and bite with colleagues.

Cheerio then!

--JB

Rating: 3.5 Martinis

The Cheesecake Factory

2011-09-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

Westfield Santa Anita
400 S. Baldwin Avenue
Arcadia, CA 91007
(626) 447-2800
www.thecheesecakefactory.com
twitter.com/cheesecake

Parking: Free Mall Parking
Days: Monday-Friday
Times: 4-6pm
Drink Deals: Five $5 Specialty Cocktails, $5 Select Well Drinks & Wines by the glass,$4 select Draft Beers (16oz)
Food Deals: $5 Appetizers and “Snacks & Small Plates” from $3.95-$6.95

You have got to love that American institution, the Cheesecake Factory. From its decadent meals and cheesecakes that I believe largely helped to mandate calorie counts on the menu (which is also half-full of advertisements, mind you) to its strange fall & rise of The Roman Empire* décor to its waitstaff dressed in all-white butcher-wear – it really is a weird slice of noveau Americana.

That’s not to say I don’t love their Happy Hour because it’s always great fun. I’ve covered the Pasadena Colorado Blvd. location for this site as well, and I’m happy to report that both locations – though visited a year apart, offered the same HH deals. I appreciate the consistency! They’ve got a standard set of tasty cocktails and appetizers at $5 each and additional “Small Plates & Snacks” from $3.95 - $6.95.

Now the good news for calorie counters is that Cheesecake Factory does have a “SkinnyLicious™” menu which is kind of funny – instead of revamping their entire menu, they just added a separate menu with lighter fare. That doesn’t go for the Happy Hour appetizers, BUT I was pleased to see that they offered “SkinnyLicious” versions of their cocktails, with 150 calories or less, during their Happy Hour.

Long Island Iced Tea & J.W.'s Pink Lemonade ($5 each)

Let me clarify, I was happy to see this “SkinnyLicious” special after going back through my pictures because I don’t remember seeing it on the menu when I was actually there :). Blame it on the 2 beers at Wood Ranch! So, for cocktails, I stuck with my favorite non-SkinnyLicious drink from their $5 menu, the Long Island Iced Tea, and Booze had J.W.’s Pink Lemonade (vodka w/ raspberry liqueur and lemonade). Next time I check out a Cheesecake Factory Happy Hour, I will be sure to try the lighter version!

For vittles, I stuck with my tried and true Avocado Eggrolls (with Avocado, Sun-Dried Tomato, Red Onion and Cilantro Fried in a Crisp Wrapper and Served with a Tamarind-Cashew Dipping Sauce) – so good and even at $5, enough food that you can save some for later! Booze enjoyed the Vietnamese Tacos (puffier than you’d expect – Steamed Asian Buns with Roasted Pork, Marinated Cucumbers, Carrots and Onion with Chiles, Cilantro and Sesame Seeds) for $5.95. Cheesecake worked with us both and my eggrolls were vegan (I didn’t say healthy!) and Booze’s Vietnamese Tacos were made without onion.

Vietnamese Tacos ($5.95)

Avocado Eggrolls ($5)

I actually liked this location better than the Pasadena one because the Happy Hour bar-area seemed much bigger – the bar sat at least 12, and the 7 or so high-top tables and maybe 10 lower tables with shared bench seating on one side – gosh the place sat a lot of people. It wasn’t crowded when we arrived, but the scene did pick up over the hour that we were there, so it was nice to have a little space.

*As far as the décor, I know the Roman Empire didn’t rise after the Fall, but it is kind of kooky if you really look at it – various sizes of columns with busts at the top, several ornate domes, tiled floors, decorative lamps. Reading the restaurant’s website, it makes sense – they say they created the “upscale casual dining segment” back when they originally opened in 1978 in Beverly Hills (they now have over 150 restaurants!).

All in all, I’m still not crazy about the hours of Happy Hour at The Cheesecake Factory (4-6pm Monday-Friday), but I’m glad to see that they’re offering lighter fares since it’s always a fun Happy Hour stop where you know you can count on tasty food and swell drinks.

--JB

Rating: 3.5 Martinis (again, the time kinda suckeolis!)

Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill

2011-09-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

Westfield Santa Anita
400 S. Baldwin Avenue
Arcadia, CA 91007
(626) 447-4745
www.woodranch.com

Parking: Free Mall Parking
Days: Monday-Friday
Times: 4-7pm
Drink Deals: $2 off Draft Beers, Cocktails, & Wines by the Glass
Food Deals: $2 off Starters & Small Plates

As our readers know, Jennie & I love good Happy Hours of any kind – from mom & pop stops to big old chain restaurants and everything in between. A couple Fridays back, I took advantage of an early dismissal and traveled to the suburbs with Booze, visiting the Santa Anita Mall in Arcadia to hit three Happy Hours of the chain variety – a bona fide Suburban Happy Hour Tour!

Our first stop was the Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill, part of a mid-sized California chain, where we’d lunched several weeks before for $60 w/ tip (that was 2 beers each, a lunch entrée for Booze, an appetizer and half-salad for me). And now you see why I prefer Happy Hour meals to regular meals; our Happy Hour meal was less than half the price of our lunch!

$2 off beers - Hefeweizen ($3) and Stella Artois ($3.50)

The food during our $60 lunch was delicious though and so we made a mental note to come back for Happy Hour, which… totally delivered! Besides nicely-priced beers ($2 off – so $3-3.50/pint), we had one of the best bartenders in recent memory with fantastic peace-brokering skills as she negotiated a win-win situation with Booze’s onion allergy and my vegan tendencies.

For Booze, we ended up ordering a half-order of the Spinach & Artichoke dip w/ chips for $5.95 ($2 off the $7.95 non-HH pricetag). That came with a complimentary side of salsa (for me) and the bartender added a not-on-the menu side of Guacamole ($2.50) and the promise of additional complimentary chips & salsa, which you bet we took her up on! Everything tasted great and the chips were served warm – so good!

Spinach Artichoke Dip (1/2 size= $5.95 during HH) w/ complimentary salsa and $2.50 side of Guacamole

Waitstaff of the world – I get that many patrons are probably picky beyond belief and often leave shitty tips, but as a regular Happy Hour-goer/swell tipper, I am always pleased when my bartender/server takes that extra minute or two extra to help get me exactly what I want. And hell – (vegan) butter me up right and I don’t even care if you up-sell me! This great bartender didn’t even take advantage of that and instead sold us our 2 beers apiece (Stella & Hef for me, 2 Hef’s for Booze). Applause.

Happy Hour is served at the bar area, which consists of a large oval bar and several tables in the area – the warm wood décor is in line with the wood/manly BBQ theme throughout the entire restaurant with its big, cozy booths, slate floors (although we loved the feminine touch of the lavender scented women’s restroom!). Several TV’s at the bar projected sports games to a not-quite happening Happy Hour scene, but it’s rare to see many people on the earlier side of Happy Hour – let alone a weekday at 4pm in Arcadia.

Not sure this is a great place to meet other Happy Hour folks, but if you’re in the area and want a cheap beer(s) and/or if you’re on your own Santa Anita Happy Hour Tour – we say head to Wood Ranch!

--JB

Rating: 4 Martinis

Buddha’s Belly

2011-09-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

7475 Beverly Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90036
323.931.8588
www.bbfood.com
twitter.com/BuddahsBelly1

Parking: Free lot til 5:30pm, $5 Valet after 5:30pm; 2 hr metered street parking til 8pm
Days: Monday-Friday
Time: 4-6:30pm
Drink Deals: $4 Beer, Wine, & Sake; $6.50-$7.50 Specialty Cocktails
Food Deals: $4 Appetizers

Two years ago, I spent quite a bit of time in New Zealand on business. While there, I fell in love with sauvignon blanc, discovered amazing fashion designers, and made great friends. When my Kiwi coworker, Roslyn, told me that she would be visiting Los Angeles, she was sure to let me know that she wanted to be taken out for happy hour. This is why we’re great friends.

I took her to The Happy Hour Tour favorites, The Woods and Bodega Wine Bar, but when she told me she wanted to hang out at The Grove on Labor Day, I looked into a happy hour that would be new for both of us. To my surprise the nearby Buddha’s Belly was having an extended happy hour that very day!

On Labor Day, Buddha’s Belly had happy hour from noon to 7pm – yes, noon! The regular happy hour schedule is Monday through Friday, 4-6:30pm. I’m not too crazy about happy hours that start or end on half-hours because I feel that customers may get cheated out of the 30 minutes with last calls and all. Luckily, the service at Buddha’s Belly was really good so I imagine that they make sure their customers get to enjoy the full 2 ½ hour happy hour.

Although, I tend to favor wine, I went out of my comfort zone to try one of their unique drinks on the happy hour menu. I went with the Sake Sangria ($7.50) because I had never seen it listed at any of the many Asian themed restaurants JB and I have reviewed. The sake sangria looked like your average red wine sangria, but definitely tasted a bit different due to the ginger aftertaste. The great & powerful Roz (because she was so awesome to work with!) ordered the Plum Wine ($6.50). It’s a white wine that smelled sweet but actually had a crisp bite. For the second round, I ordered a Lychee Martini ($6.50) and Roz ordered a Lemon Drop Martini ($6.50). Both drinks were made with a nice pour, and I liked that the martinis were served in stem-less glasses. Love martinis, but hate the splish splash brought on by balancing the drink on a stem.

Sake Sangria

Plum Wine

The happy hour food menu features 6 starters all priced at $4 each. We ordered the Chicken Pot Stickers and the Shrimp & Scallop Steamed Dumplings. I must say the Chicken Pot Stickers were the biggest I’d ever seen - so no complaint on the sharing size… or the taste. My favorite dish was the shrimp & scallop steamed dumplings. I like dumplings, but sometimes I feel like I’m only being served the flavor of the listed ingredient and the not the ingredient itself. I was definitely able to see nice-sized shrimp and scallops in each dumpling. They were very flavorful, especially with the addition of the green cilantro sauce that the dumplings sat atop.

Chicken Pot Stickers

Shrimp & Scallop Steamed Dumplings

I’ve always been a fan of Buddha’s Belly so I will definitely return for happy hour. However, because of the early start time, I’ll have to wait for another 3-day weekend!

-JG

Rating: 4 Martinis

Little Cave

2011-09-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

5922 North Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90042
(323) 255-6871
littlecavebar.com
twitter.com/TheLittleCave

Parking: Metered Street Parking (free after 8pm, but double-check signs)
Days: Thursday-Sunday
Times: 5-9pm
Drink Deals: $5 Jameson, Absolut, and Newcastle
Food Deals: N/A

You play Ritchie Valens at your Happy Hour? I will love you forever. Seriously, that simple. Little Cave apparently knew this key to my heart – playing some of the best 50’s ditties this side of 1978 (I don’t know what that means, but I’m going with it!).

After an afternoon and early evening of suburban Happy Hours at the Santa Anita Mall in Arcadia, Booze and I were headed back to her Highland Park hood when the Little Cave neon sign beckoned us from Figueroa. Going to so many Happy Hours, I often forget that the prime time to meet fun folk is not during HH when there are sometimes 1-2 other patrons, but the witching hours after 8/9pm. Unfortunately, not so many Happy Hours run that late, especially on a Friday night. Luckily Little Cave just happened to run a 5-9pm Happy Hour from Thursday-Sunday.

The deals are somewhat limited – basically $5 Jameson, Absolut, and Newcastle and no food specials. However, If you go on a Tuesday night, they take Taco Tuesday the extreme with FREE tacos! The vibe is totally chill. Its dark and not that big, a “little cave” if you will (har har), with a nice narrow patio; the bartender is very friendly; the other patrons were totally cool; and the sound system was seriously good – made all the better with the golden oldies.

Sheeet, give me $5 Newcastles from 5-9pm – all of the above makes it a good time for me!
Sitting at a high-top communal table, we made pals with the bartender who had us sign a petition to keep some planters that a good citizen had put out front (I wish good citizens would think about making Hollywood more beautiful – ha!). We also struck up a conversation with a couple interesting dudes – running the gamut of the Midnight Ridazz to the occult. For real. You’ve got to love a Witching Hour Happy Hour!

By the time we left around 9pm, Patsy Cline & Elvis had also serenaded us and the scene was picking up even more. Alas, it was time to head back to Booze’s for more at-home booze and to Google some of the occult shit we wanted to learn more about!

Looking forward to the next visit – where the Happy Hour may be different than this stop – looks like their website lists a couple different deals than what we had. Follow Little Cave on Twitter to stay up to date on their deals!

--JB

Rating: 3.75 Martinis (Limited deals on kind of limited days, but more than cool-enough scene and it goes til 9pm!)

How to make... Blue Sangria!

2011-09-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

As summer comes to an end, you've still got a couple good weeks to make this refreshing summer treat! Impress your friends; dazzle your dates, all that & more with...

Blue Sangria

Recipe from Bristol Farms Spring 2011 Magazine.

Ingredients

1 large orange

1 large lemon

1 large lime

3 large strawberries

3 large sprigs fresh mint

1 cinnamon stick

1/3 cup sugar

1 bottle (125 ml) dry white wine

2/3 cup blue curaçao

1/4 cup orange juice

2 cups seltzer

ice cubes

Directions

1. Wash fruit. Thinly slice orange, lemon, and lime and remove any seeds. Thinly slice strawberries. Place fruit in a large pitcher.

2. Add mint, cinnamon stick, sugar, and white wine. Stir until sugar dissolves. Pour in blue blue curaçao and orange juice and stir until combined.

3. Cover and refrigerate 6 to 8 hours.

4. Go to Happy Hour & get crunk. (not optional)

5. Add seltzer. Pour sangria into large wine glasses. Add ice cubes and marinated fruit.

6. Kick back, relax, share with your hoodrat friends, get more crunk. Enjoy!

The Parlour Room of Hollywood

2011-09-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

6423 Yucca Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90028
323.463.0609
www.vintagebargroup.com
twitter.com/vintagebargroup

Parking: $10 valet
Days: Daily
Time: 8pm-10pm, Sun-Thurs.; 7-10pm, Fri. & Sat.
Drink Deals: $3 Shot of the Day & Schlitz 16oz. can, $4-8 Beers, $5 Well Drinks & Wine
Food Deals: No food at this bar

First thing’s first: The Parlour Room of Hollywood is not to be confused with the The Parlor Hollywood. Both bars opened last year within a month or so of each other, but they have nothing to do with one another. The Parlor Hollywood is a sports bar on Melrose, while The Parlour Room of Hollywood is suave-looking bar that one may find in New York, Chicago, or downtown LA, but it is actually nestled in the heart of old Hollywood on Yucca Ave.

Last year, I celebrated my birthday at The Parlour Room of Hollywood. I had made a few visits before the event and even went a few times afterwards. I loved the bar, the drinks, the staff, and the jukebox, but one very important detail was missing – happy hour! Cut to many, many months later when a couple Vintage Bar Group friends at The Woods tell me that The Parlour Room finally has a happy hour. Naturally, I had to check it out.

Like other Vintage Bar Group bars, happy hour at The Parlour Room is every night until 10pm. If there’s one thing the bar group does well, it’s late night happy hour! Being a person that never gets off work until 7pm at the earliest, this is a very important happy hour detail. On a recent Friday night, my friend Brian & I arrived at around 8pm, already an hour into happy hour to find the place surprisingly pretty empty. There was no one at any of the tables or back patio and just a few people sitting at the bar with us. I didn’t hold this against the bar though. It was clear the people that were there were regulars. There’s many a night where JB & I are the one of the first ones at The Woods and before we know it, the place is packed.

Great space for a party. I speak from experience.

Sexy patio to cozy by the fire with a date!

The only thing I did hold against the bar is that none of the specialty cocktails were featured on the happy hour menu. This was particularly a sore point with me because I’m such a fan of their Metropolitan cocktail that is regularly priced at $10. The bartender was very friendly though and made me the fanciest well drink ($5) I ever had. I ordered an Effen cherry vodka & 7 Up cocktail, and the bartender put cherries in the bottom of the glass (nice touch!) and placed a cherry on a toothpick on top of the glass. I really appreciated the extra effort here since I really don’t like it when I order a sweet drink only to have it garnished with a tart lime garnish.

Great drink aside, we didn’t stay at happy hour for too long. We were starving as we were fresh off work and there’s no food served at the bar so we hightailed it to 25 Degrees. Hopefully, like other Vintage Bar Group bars, The Parlour Room will offer customers a menu of a nearby restaurant that will deliver. In the meantime, I know where to stop when I want a quick drink while listening to a great jukebox.

- JG

Rating: 3 Martinis

Yxta Cocina Mexicana

2011-09-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

601 S. Central Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90021
(213) 596-5579
yxta.net

Parking: Free on-site parking lot, can you believe that?!!
Days: Monday-Saturday
Times: Monday – 4-9pm; Tuesday-Friday – 4-7pm; Saturday – 5-7pm
Drink Deals: $3.50 Bottled and $4 draft beers; $5 margaritas; $6 Wines by the Glass; $8 Specialty Margaritas
Food Deals: Selection of $6-7 Appetizers and $2 Sides

You can say one thing about Yxta – it is a beautiful restaurant and event space. Well, you can say more than that because their food and drinks are phenomenal and they have a Saturday Happy Hour, which is pretty rare in downtown LA. The restaurant recently hosted JG and me for said Saturday Happy Hour, where we were able to sample from their terrific food & drink selections. I was stoked because I’d wanted to go ever since I tried to visit several months back with the bro & Booze, but ended up at Villains Tavern as Yxta was closed for an event.

Which makes perfect sense because again, Yxta is really nice for a reception – a hip, open space with beautiful natural lighting and exposed ceilings and brick walls, dark wooden tables, cool artwork (from Dios de Los Muertos iconography to an American Flag wall), a really neat sparkly mosaic behind the bar, and well-thought out details right down to the potted succulents at every table and the thoughtful presentation of food.

Jamaica Margarita ($8), La Fresca w/ Camarena Silver ($10) & Yxta Cadillac Margarita ($8)

We quickly set about ordering drinks – we both started with the Jamaica Margarita ($8) made with Centanario Rosangel (a hibiscus-flavored tequila), fresh sour, and Jamaica and then enjoyed a marathon Happy Hour sampling:

Complimentary Chips w/ Housemade Salsas

Guacamole – Topped w/ Pepitas ($6)

Squash Blossoms – Blossoms stuffed with cheese, breaded & fried (not on menu yet!)

Tacos de Papa - Spicy Mashed Potatoes, cabbage, crema fresca, queso fresco ($6)

Cilantro Lime Rice ($2) & Frijoles Negros ($2)

Taquitos de Camaron - Mexican Sweet Shrimp, Guacamole, Salsa Brava ($7)

Taco al Pastor (Marinated Pork, Pineapple, Red Onions, Cilantro) & Tacos de Carnitas (Slow-Cooked Pork, Guacamole, Onion-Cilantro Mix) ($6 for the pair)

Sometime during this delicious feast, we managed to find time to order our 2nd round of drinks – the Yxta Cadillac Margarita ($8) for me and for JG, the La Fresca w/ Camarena Silver, Muddled Strawberry, and Mint (not on HH, $10). And get this, after all that – we still had room for dessert, specifically because dessert was a favorite of both of ours, Bread Pudding served with Cinnamon ice cream ($7) – like everything else we ate, SOOOOOOOOOOOO good!

Bread Pudding w/ Cinnamon Ice Cream ($7)

There seemed to be a somewhat swell evening crowd for our visit that picked up over time – it looked like more people were enjoying dinner than Happy Hour items; of course we highly advocate the cheaper small plates :). Several of the other patrons looked like moms and dads and their hip kids, which makes a lot of sense – Yxta totally struck me as a place that I’d bring my parents or my pal, AP’s, Midwest Foodie folks!

Now, it wasn’t totally hip-hip-hipster, but the crowd was interesting – likely based on Yxta’s east-downtown location, bordering (almost) Skid Row, Little Tokyo, and the Arts District. Although I don’t find myself that way all too often, I would definitely come back for the great atmosphere and delicious food & beverage at pretty good prices for the taste/size/etc. Also, I look forward to checking out Yxta’s sister restaurant, the more traditional family restaurant – El Arco Isis - in my more visited hood of Highland Park!

Special thanks to Ralina Shaw at Spin Shoppe PR and to our hostess with the most-est, Evelyn, for sharing a terrific Happy Hour with us!

--JB

Rating: 5 Martinis

You Say It's Your Birthday!

2011-09-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

In the midst of our busy Happy Hour Tour-ing, our 2nd birthday snuck up on us and passed by without stopping to collect $200 (we wish!). We're thankful to still be working away at the site and finding the best deals we can!

Thanks for sticking by us as Twitter & Facebook followers, Yelp & Urban Spoon-buddies, and as the Golden Girls theme song said best - "Thank you for being a Friend!"

The Counter

2011-09-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

7919 Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles CA 90046
(323) 436-3844
www.thecounterburger.com
twitter.com/CounterBurger

Parking: 2-hours free parking w/ validation
Days: Monday-Friday
Times: 4-7pm
Drink Deals: $2 off Draft Beers & Wines
Food Deals: $2 Mini-Burgers and ½ off Starters
TUESDAY Night Deal: $14 “Burger & Beer” Samplers – 4 Mini-Burgers, 4 Beer Samplers

Street-View

I’ve already been over my Counter vs. Corner confusion – documented in this spellbinding review, but after visiting the Counter’s Happy Hour last week, I think we have a winner in the Happy Hour category! I still love the home-y charms of the Corner, but the Counter has phenomenal pricing on beer, wine, apps, & sliders – so much so that pal Nic & I were able to order 4 beers, 3 dinner-portion appetizers, and dessert for under $40 (with tip)!

Inside The Counter

See, the Counter is an all right lunch or dinner venue – it’s an upscale hamburger restaurant (part of a growing nation-wide chain) that offers a variety of toppings – cheese, vegetables, sauce, etc – for you to customize your own sandwich or salad. The burgers (veggie for me, thank you) are quite good; the trouble is it’s not really the cheapest burger joint, especially if you want to add fries and a beer or two – you’re looking at maybe $25 + pre-tip per person.

On the Patio

If you’re on a budget and/or you like to stretch your funds further, your best bet would be to make a dinner out of Happy Hour from 4-7pm on Monday-Friday. All draft beers and wines are $2 off (so $3.50 beers and wines from $5.50-$7.50); their nice selection of starters is ½ off, and they have 4 specialty mini-burgers for $2 each.

Cheers! Allegash White & Flying Dog Doggie Style Pale Ale (each $3.50)

Nic & I hadn’t gotten to visit much since our Palm Springs – Tropicale-riffic (link to: ) getaway, so we were excited to catch up over the swell prices at The Counter on Sunset Blvd! For booze, we stuck with the “burger & beer” theme (even though we didn’t have burgers :) and had a nice selection of $2 off draft beers to choose from – Allegash White, Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA, Fat Tire, Flying Dog Doggie Style Pale Ale, Stella Artois, and Weihenstephaner. I enjoyed both the Doggie Style Pale Ale (great name!!) and the Allegash White while Nic had an Allegash & Stella.

Nosh-wise, we went with several sharing-size starters that were only $2.50 each!

Grilled Vegetable Plate (grilled veggies brushed w/ olive oil) ($2.50)

Parmesan Fries (w/ parsley, rosemary, and garlic aioli) ($2.50)

Crispy Onion Strings ($2.50)

The starters were a nice modern take on traditional bar food and were very good. For dessert, we finished everything off with a Chocolate Chip Cookie ($3.25), served a la Mode for an extra $1.95.

Chocolate Chip Cookie a la Mode ($5.20)

All this food & booze was totally enough to send anyone into a food coma, but I was revived quickly when we got the bill and to my delight, it was only $28.74 (pre-tip)! Such a steal for a dinner date – these kinds of little-known secret spots are what makes me so happy to share this site!!

Quick scene-note: This isn’t the most romantic venue in the world – the inside looks a bit like a futuristic diner and the patio has closely set metallic tables & chairs, but it is a great place to get a good Happy Hour dinner deal with your pals, a date, etc.

--JB

Rating: 5 Martinis

The Blue Boar Pub

2011-09-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

615 N. Cahuenga Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323) 465-1750
www.blueboarpub.com

Parking: Metered Street Parking & Various Lots
Days: Monday-Friday
Times: 5-7pm
Drink Deals: $5 Well drinks & $2 off draft beers (Bass, Bud Light, & Blackthorn Cider)
Food Deals: N/A, but food is relatively inexpensive

True Hollywood Confession #8,221,040: I had never been to Capitol City Grille on Cahuenga. So when they shut down, I neither shed nary a tear nor poured any malt beverage on its grave. Instead, I welcomed its new next door neighbor that its closing made way for: the Blue Boar, a neat and narrow British pub with a very nice $3 cider beer from 5-7pm.

I’ve also never been across the pond (that pond anyway), but Anglophile Kitty Packard assures me that Blue Boar really is like a neighborhood pub in London. I guess the pubs there are actually located in neighborhoods and therefore close down around 10pm for noise restriction purposes, making way for the swinging discotheques and other clubs. No thanks on the latter, but I certainly love the idea of a neighborhood bar actually located in a residential area (The Woods strip mall setting doesn’t count).

If the Blue Boar is a typical British pub, call up Virgin Atlantic because I’m there! The deals are good, the food is fine, it was busy without being packed, and the bartenders that we met, Teddy and Chau (picked up from Capitol City’s firesale), were jolly good blokes. The setting provided a great backdrop for Kitty and I to get caught up from our summer trips (hers to NY and mine to TN/IL).

Draft Beer Selections

For Happy Hour, The Blue Boar is currently offering $5 well drinks and $2 off draft brews from 5-7pm. Very excited by their Blackthorn draft beer for only $3, I ended up having 2. KP started with a Bass and ended with a $5 Whiskey & Coke. The prices are right on for these drinks, but I do hope the bar considers adding a rotating weekly cocktail special from their way-fun British-themed cocktail list like “Strawberry Fields,” “The Beckham,” and “Henry VIII” – which are all priced around $10.

Curry & Chips ($5)

For food, The Blue Boar doesn’t offer any Happy Hour deals, but their prices aren’t bad for snacks or dinner. Like its somewhat adjacent neighbor, the Cat & Fiddle – the Blue Boar serves up British fare like Fish & Chips (at the budget-friendlier price of $10.50), Bangers and Mash ($9), and Scotch Eggs ($6.50). KP and I split an order of the Curry & Chips at the swell (though non-Happy Hour) price of $5. The fries were very good and definitely sharing size, but the curry – well it wasn’t really a curry per se, more like a chutney (say that with a British accent and you’ll impress all the ladies!). Still, pretty tasty for $5.

Although The Blue Boar isn’t quite close enough to be my neighborhood bar, I am very excited about the good drink deals and neat setting (brick walls!) that really make it my kind of bar. My kind of out-of-the-way-neighborhood British pub!

Don't you want to go where everybody knows your name?

--JB

Rating: 4 Martinis

Bar & Kitchen

2011-08-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

O Hotel

819 S. Flower St.
Los Angeles, CA 90017
213.623.904 ext 105
www.barandkitchenla.com

twitter.com/barandkitchen

Parking: $6 Public Parking Lot next to The O Hotel
Days: Monday – Friday
Times: 4-7pm
Drink Deals: $3-4 Beers, $6 Wine, $7 cocktails
Food Deals: $5 “Savvy Eats”

I just love checking out new places that I may have never gotten around to if it wasn’t for my adventurous friend, The Minty. Of course, I check out new places for the site all the time, but sometimes it’s hard to find company who want to experiment with food & cocktails as much as I do. Whenever I hang out with The Minty, not only do I get to try new things, but I almost always find a great happy hour such as Bar & Kitchen.

Bar & Kitchen is located on the first floor of the O Hotel in downtown LA. They feature a weekday happy hour from 4-7pm that’s right up the alley with the after-work crowd, as evidenced on my Friday evening visit, when my fellow patrons were mostly dressed in their best business casual attire. Bar & Kitchen even features free wi-fi for those who may need to get some work done over a liquid lunch/dinner!

Because I peeked at the menu before happy hour, I was more interested in the food than the drinks and left plenty of room in my stomach prior to my arrival. My eyes were immediately drawn to the fried green tomatoes topped with crabmeat ($12). They are not featured on the happy hour menu, but it’s an appetizer that I highly recommend. From the happy hour menu, we ordered the spicy Korean wins ($5) and the parmesan truffle tots ($5). Lately, I’ve felt that places have been overusing truffle, but I gave these tots a chance and I’m glad I did. I’ve always loved tater tots and this order was so crispy and didn’t overdo it with the truffle or parmesan. When The Minty offered me the last few tots, I was happy to accept.

Fried Green Tomatoes topped with Crabmeat

Parmesan Truffle Tots

For my first cocktail, I ordered a glass of the Viña Tobia white wine ($6) because I had no idea what to get from the cocktail menu. We moved to the bar where I was introduced to the bartender, Ricky, who was more than happy to guide me through their cocktail menu. I’m currently into refreshing cocktails with fruit, but nothing too sweet or heavy. Right away, he told me that he had the cocktail for me – The Japan-town Fizz ($10), a cocktail with sake, soda water, watermelon, mint-tea syrup, & lime juice. The cocktail is not featured on happy hour, but I’m always open to paying full price for a well-crafted cocktail here and there. Worth noting, there are 3 strong specialty cocktails, made with whiskey & other fancy ingredients, listed for $7 during happy hour.

Japan-town Fizz cocktail

Bar & Kitchen is definitely a happy hour that I would check out again. It appeared that most people at happy hour either worked in the area or were guests of the hotel, but I think people who need to get out and explore downtown LA should get over to this bar. Parking is easy, the area isn’t scary, and the food & drinks are well worth it!

For more photos from Bar & Kitchen, check out our facebook page!

-JG

Rating: 4 Martinis

Seven Saints

2011-08-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

32 East Chester Street
Champaign, IL 61820
(217) 351-7775
sevensaintsbar.com
twitter.com/sevensaints

Parking: Street Parking and Nearby Lots
Days: Daily
Time: All the time
Drink Deals: Various Daily Specials

I love a nice-size college town where the college adds some culture, but isn’t the town’s only culture (as was the case at JG’s and my alma mater where the 35,000 student body was the lifeblood for the 15,000 person town). Given my preferences here, I’ve always liked the Champaign-Urbana area, home to the University of Illinois.

Luckily while at my college, I met a great friend who we’ll just call Marva (since that’s what I call her!) who lives in the Champaign area, and I’m always happy to visit with her when I make my way to IL. After a delicious vegan lunch (Marva’s vegan ways are quite inspiring!) and late afternoon cocktails made with drunk watermelon (watermelon soaked in watermelon-vodka – wowee!), we headed to downtown Champaign to visit Seven Saints, a local gastropub w/ elevated bar-food (I just love the word elevated in these circumstances!).

Known for its wide selection of every kind of liquor including several pages of whiskey options, Seven Saints’ daily special on this Tuesday was $2 Smuttynose Brewing Company’s Pale Ale. I was in a beer mood, but instead opted for Marva’s choice and was glad I did –the $5 bottle of Éphémère Beer was a perfect summer selection with hints of crisp green apple cider and some nuttiness to boot. Tres impressed! My second choice was all right too, not as tasty as the Éphémère , but nice and fruity – a $3.50 bottle of Apricot Pyramid.

Éphémère Bottle & Matching Glass! ($5)

For food, we went with the 7 Sinners Crowd Pleaser Platter w/ a very healthy fried selection of Cheese Curds, Portobello Mushrooms, and Onion Rings served with Marinara Sauce and Ranch dressing. The fried goods hit the spot, though a nice side of carrots and celery might have upped the health quotient :).

7 Sinners Crowd Pleasing Platter ($8.99) - Cheese Curds, Portobello Mushrooms, and Onion Rings - served w/ Marina and Ranch

So good drink options, good food – all good; the scene was also very cool with dark wood decor and arches that reminded me of LA’s Villains Tavern. The bar was also hopping though seats were easy to find and I very much enjoyed the soundtrack- a little Sam Cooke, Jackson 5, and even a bit of Elvis (don’t you step on my Blue Suede Shoes!).

Overall – great non-Happy Hour, Happy Hour experience!

--JB

Rating: 4.5 Martinis

The Corner

2011-08-23T09:30:00.000-07:00

3721 W. Iles
Springfield, IL 67211
(217) 546-3600
thecornerpubandgrill.com

Parking: Free Lot!
Days: Daily
Time: All the time
Food & Drink Deals: Various Daily Specials

I’ve been to and thoroughly enjoy The Hollywood Corner in LA; so on a summer trip back to Central, IL – I thought I’d try my luck with Springfield’s Corner, a standard sports bar-restaurant on the city’s West side.

Housed in an upscale strip mall, my dad had recommended the Corner for their tasty food. As detailed in my Osaka review, Illinois doesn’t have Happy Hour specials due to anti-binge drinking legislation; however they can offer deals all day. Yes, because daily drink deals encourage less drinking than a 2-to-3 hour Happy Hour… Weird!

On this Monday night, High School pal Buddy B and I stopped by for $2 domestic beer (which Buddy B told me wasn’t that much of a deal there), $3.50 Bacardi flavors, $4 Makers Mark, and $4.25 Makers 46. While getting caught up during a White Sox game, I enjoyed a Bacardi Razz w/ soda water and Buddy B had a couple Makers 46’s w/ Pepsi.

Makers 46 w/ Coke ($4.25) and Bacardi Razz w/ Soda Water ($3.50)

Even though I hit a lot of Happy Hours, I’m not the best at remembering to ask what’s good – instead just preferring to go with whatever vegetarian option sounds tasty. Luckily, Buddy B was better at this and that’s how I ended up with the Fried Mushrooms ($6.49) served with Ranch and a delicious horseradish dressings and the House Salad w/ house-made Sweet & Sour dressing ($2.49). I forget that a House Salad back in the Midwest isn’t complete with a handful of cheese, which I could’ve done without, but both food items were pretty good. Buddy B ordered the Turkey Chipotle Panini with Sweet Potato Fries ($8.99), which he enjoyed.

Turkey Chipotle Panini w/ Sweet Potato Fries ($8.99)

House Salad w/ house-made Sweet & Sour dressing ($2.49)

Fried Mushrooms ($6.49)

Even though I can’t rate The Corner on a daily Happy Hour, I did like the prices for their daily specials and found their food prices just fine as well. I also enjoyed the jukebox jams – a real hodgepodge of 80’s tunes like Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana,” some Genesis, and some Hall & Oates – you know, just the latest in popular music!

American Harvest - Blueberry Mojito ($7.50)

Also worth mentioning is the American Harvest Eatery – another restaurant in the stripmall that created its menu based on seasonal local offerings, one of my favorite kind of restaurants! Although they didn’t have any specials per se, I LOVED my in-season blueberry mojito for $7.50. Not a total deal in Springfield, but still cheaper than LA and I don’t mind paying a little more for homegrown efforts!

--JB

Rating: 4 Martinis

Caffé Roma

2011-08-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

350 N Canon Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310.274.7834
www.cafferomabeverlyhills.com
twitter.com/caffe_roma

Parking: Nearby Public Parking Lots offer 2-hours of free parking or $5 Flat Fee after 6pm
Days: Daily
Times: 3-8pm
Drink Deals: 51% off drinks (we think this may be all drinks!)
Food Deals: Nice $5 Selection of Bites

Beverly Hills, what a thrill?! Not! Though I wished it was when JG and I took a brief Happy Hour Tour of Beverly Hills on a Tuesday evening after work. We had started at Bar Bouchon and then found our way to a later Happy Hour – Caffé Roma.

It was okay; the food was quite good, but there was little signage about the drink deals – so little that the drink menu didn’t list but one deal – 51% off bottle service, making a $180 bottle of Absolut only $90. What. a. steal. So we stuck with wine and beer as we’d been drinking at Bar Bouchon – a $10 glass of Sauvignon Blanc for JG and $5 Amstel Light for moi. We were very pleasantly surprised when the booze turned out to be ½ off as well - $5 for the wine and $2.50 for the beer.

The better drink prices almost made up for the slightly too-trendy scene. We couldn’t get a good read on the crowd to figure out where they were coming from; it wasn’t a real after-work group and they certainly didn’t seem ready to get down.

Not all was lost though; I did like the open air patio and bar area where Happy Hour was served. And again, the food was really good. Caffé Roma offers a sizable $5 Happy Hour food menu, which JG and I perused for a while, before settling on a Pizzetta Margherita (margherita pizza, duh!) and Timballo Di Melanzane (oven-baked penne w/ eggplant and tomato). Yum & nice portion size - both dishes were a great sharing size given the $5 price!

Pizzetta Margherita -$5

Timballo Di Melanzane (oven-baked penne w/ eggplant and tomato) - $5

Overall, it wasn’t a completely bad Happy Hour; I just wasn’t feeling the life of leisure scene epitomized by not listing Happy Hour prices on the drink menu. The whole Beverly Hills evening was further summed up by the license plate on a sportscar we happened upon in the parking garage – DR HOOHA. Funny? Yes!! But would you want to go to an OB-GYN (or have your spouse go to one) that has that on their license plate? No! Tacky!

--JB

Rating: 3.5 Martinis

Bar Bouchon

2011-08-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

235 N. Canon Dr.

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

310.281.5698
www.bouchonbistro.com
twitter.com/BouchonBH

Parking: Nearby Public Parking Lots offer 2-hours of free parking or $5 Flat Fee after 6pm

Days: Monday-Friday

Time: 4-7pm
Drink Deals: $4 Anderson Valley Brew Co. Oatmeal Stout, $5 White Apron Pilsner, $5 Wines, & $7 Spirits
Food Deals: $2-8 Bar Bites

There’s something about Beverly Hills that just always makes me think of the 80’s. Perhaps it’s because so many great movies & shows took place there during that decade of excess – Pretty Woman, Troop Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills Teens, etc. Perhaps, it’s also because as a child of the 80’s, I associate Beverly Hills with my lifelong goal to be rich. Seriously. I had a poster in my room that read “What I want to be when I grow up… RICH.” You don’t have to be rich to check out Happy Hour in Beverly Hills, but it may help if you are. The deals are there, but I’m still looking for something that’s just right.

On a Happy Hour Tour of Canon Drive, JB & I started out at Bar Bouchon. It was everything a tourist may assume Beverly Hills to be – super blond housewives gossiping over wine, men in suits wheeling & dealing, tourists taking it all in … and then, us who could have easily been mistaken for tourists given our happy hour map and constant snapping of photos. We had good reason to take many photos though. Bar Bouchon’s interior has an amazing, yet small, vintage style bar that can sit just a few people. That’s ok because there are many tables & chairs outside with a great view of the courtyard. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a whole lot of order to the bar.

Cute interior

...but all the action is outside.

The staff would smile as they passed but no one and no signs directed us to a hostess stand. It was only when we asked that we were told that we could seat ourselves. Beverly Hills locals are clearly fond of the bar because we got the last table available outside. Once we got happy hour menus, we had to wait quite a bit to place an order. There were a lot of bus boys, but only one waiter for such a busy time of the Tuesday after work rush. I wondered why Bar Bouchon doesn’t promote one of the bus boys to waiter to make things flow better. Perhaps someone called in sick that day? Due to the wait time, we ordered only one drink and a couple bites.

For drinks, JB had the Anderson Valley Brew Co. Oatmeal Stout ($4), a pleasant, rich chocolate-y ale. I ordered a glass of their white wine ($5). I’m not sure what type of wine it was, and it was far too busy to ask, but I did know that it was a nice, dry white wine though that quenched my thirst. For bar bites, we ordered the hummus & pita ($5) that is not listed for happy hour, but can be found on the regular menu. JB also ordered the truffle popcorn ($5.50). The food was just enough to keep us full until our next happy hour.

$5.50 Truffle Popcorn

$5 Hummus & Pita

Unfortunately, I doubt I’ll be back at this happy hour. While the food and drinks were good, there wasn’t anything outstanding enough to make me return for the wait.

-JG

Rating: 2.5 Martinis

Cozymel’s Coastal Mex

2011-08-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

2171 Rosecrans Avenue
El Segundo, CA 90245
(310) 606-5464
www.cozymels.com
twitter.com/CozymelsMex

Parking: Nice Free Lot
Days: Monday-Friday
Time: 4-7pm, all night Tuesday!
Drink Deals: $3.25 Clasico Margarita, $2.25 Domestic Draft Beer (18oz), $3.25 Specialty Draft Beer (18oz)
Food Deals: Appetizers from $3.25-$8.75

It was a Tuesday night; AP & I had just been to Second Story’s Happy Hour (link) and it was already 7pm. What to do? Happy Hour was over almost everywhere else. Luckily, with a little research, we’d discovered an all-night Tuesday Happy Hour nearby at Cozymel’s Coastal Mex.

Walking into Cozymel’s, I was reminded of the sit-down Mexican chain restaurant, Chi-Chi’s, popular in my Midwestern youth. From the outside, Cozymel’s, like Chi-Chi’s, is designed to look like an adobe-style mission and from the inside; there are plenty of swell-priced food options that appeal to a mass audience. Cozymel’s is a chain itself, but only has restaurants in 7 seemingly random locations – La Jolla, CA; Grapevine, TX; Little Rock, AR; Brentwood, TN; Wheaton, IL; and Westbury, NY.

Happy Hour is served in the bar area only, but this is fine because it’s huge – at least 8 high-tables, 4 low-tables with bench seating, and a row of actual bar seating. It was pretty crowded when we arrived, but we did manage to snag one of the high-top tables – complete with a little touch-screen computer at the table. The computer had a variety of functions including calling the server to the table, hosting games that would be good for bored children (and AP :), and my favorite – a bill paying system where you could split the check, swipe your card(s) and be on your merry way!

Cozymel’s Happy Hour features $3.25 Clasico margaritas, $2.25 18oz. Domestic Drafts, and $3.25 18oz. Specialty Drafts and on the food side – a variety of options form $3.25 to $6.75. I first ordered a $3.25 Clasico Margarita, but then quickly noticed that no one else seemed to be ordering drinks or food from the Happy Hour menu. I’m still not sure if they didn’t know about the all-night Happy Hour that night or if these folks just opted for moderately priced dinners instead (average entrée price was about $15).

Clasico Margarita & Dos Equis Amber (18oz) - $3.25 each

I did see why they might have ordered some of the specialty Margaritas – the $3.25 Clasico was a-ok for being $3.25, but after seeing someone else order the $10 Cinco Sampler (Five sample-sized frozen margaritas including Primo, Mango, Raz Rita, Blue Peach and Clásico), I wanted it! However, I also wanted to stay on budget, so for drink #2, I enjoyed an 18oz. goblet of Dos Equis Amber for only $3.25!

Complimentary Chips & Salsa

We had already eaten fondue and hummus at Second Story, but didn’t decline Cozymel’s complimentary chips & salsa and we event tried an order of the $3.75 Bean & Cheese Nachos. I had thought Nachos were served pretty standard everywhere – a stack of tortilla chips covered with fixings. Not at Cozymel’s, where 8 individual chips were laid out, loaded with beans and cheese and served with a garnish of lettuce and jalapenos and a scoop each of guacamole sour cream and salsa! Very interesting presentation and actually quite filling – though the chips were so dense that you either had to use a fork and knife to eat them or use a 2nd complimentary chip to hold the weight of the Nacho!

Bean & Cheese Nachos - $3.75

Other Happy Hour food options included Chile Con Queso or a Cheese Quesadilla for $3.25; Chicken Flautas, Tableside Guacamole, and Chicken or Shrimp Flameado for $5.75; and Chicken or Beef Nachos or Quesadillas for $6.75, and a Sampler for $8.75 (I’m guessing it features a mix of the apps).

Overall, Cozymel’s seems a little generic to me, and not really the kind of place I would want to spend a long evening. That said, it does feel like the kind of place PERFECT for either a) getting totally drunk on cheaply-priced beer while watching a soccer game in the bar area or b) as a stop on a Happy Hour Tour given its walking distance proximity to so many other spots featuring Happy Hour – PF Chang’s, McCormick & Schmick’s, Fleming’s, Paul Martin’s, Il Fornaio, and Lido Di Manhattan Ristorante & Bar.

I feel a Happy Hour Tour coming on!!

--JB

Rating: 3.5 Martinis

Second Story Restaurant

2011-08-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

3501 Sepulveda Blvd.
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(310) 750-0312
www.secondstoryrestaurant.com

Parking: Hotel Valet Available, but plenty of neighborhood parking (just read the signs!)
Days: Daily
Time: 4-7pm + All Day Sunday (4-10pm)
Drink Deals: $4 House Wines by the Glass, Well Cocktails, Draft Beer (served in frosty mugs!)
Food Deals: ½-off Select Appetizers, Salads, Sandwiches, Entrees, AND Dessert

Weekly Specials:
• MONDAY Free Corkage!
7:30pm - 10pm
• THURSDAYS – Taco Thursdays – $2 Filet, Chicken and Fish Tacos; $4 Coronas & Pacificos
7pm - 9pm
• FRIDAY – Half Off All Wine
7:30pm - 10pm
• SATURDAY – Buy 2 entrees and receive a free bottle of house wine. Limit 2 bottles per table.
7:30pm - 10pm

JG & I do our best to hit Happy Hours all over the wide urban sprawl that is Los Angeles, but one of our biggest challenges is trying to make it to weekday-only Happy Hours that end at 7pm when our typical workdays don’t end before 6pm. It almost takes a vacation day for me to make some of these faraway Happy Hours, and it was just that, an early dismissal afternoon, that gave me the opportunity to visit the heretofore un-Toured South Bay area with pal, AP, who was in the area for work training.

Hotel Belamar Lobby

South Bay seems like it offers the best of the two areas that it bridges – Orange County and Los Angeles. It’s suburban and laid back with plenty to do and it’s still close enough to LA-proper to feel like you’re part of the city. Best of all, there are a ton of Happy Hours in close proximity, which of course = Happy Hour Tour!!

I had mapped out several locations and done a little research on where we might like to go. I’d heard that Cozymel’s, a Mexican restaurant, featured an all-Tuesday night Happy Hour, so I figured we could always end up there. And given that Cozymel was a (mini) chain, we decided on the locally owned Second Story Bar & Restaurant as our first stop.

Located on the you-guessed-it Second (and top) Story of the Belamar Hotel, Second Story is a cool retro treat, completely in line with the boutique hotel’s mod theme. The restaurant features the best of the mod scene – wood accent paneling, low bench-couches with fuzzy pillows, groovy chandeliers, and a block of four TV’s all showing the same “Charlie’s Angels!” Kitsch-perfection!

The Happy Hour menu is pretty cool too – everyday, from 4-7pm – the items on the menu marked with a Martini icon are ½ off. What’s even more cool is that it’s not just appetizers; the other happy hour eats include Entrees (Marina Fish & Chips - $8 on HH, Fire Grilled Organic Chicken served with Potatoes & Shrimp - $12 on HH, and Pancetta Wrapped Pork Tenderloin - $12 on HH), Sandwiches (Chipotle Gruyere Burger - $7.50 on HH), salads (Blackened Chicken Salad - $7.50 on HH), and my favorite – dessert (Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel Sauce & Vanilla Ice Cream for $4!)!

Cheese Fondue with Bread Chunks, Apples, & Strawberries - $6

Hummus Bowl with Baby Vegetables & Soft Pita Triangles - $5.50

Being on a Happy Hour Tour and not wanting eat a full dinner, we stuck with Appetizers – Cheese Fondue with Bread Chunks, Apples, & Strawberries for $6 and a Hummus Bowl with Baby Vegetables & Soft Pita Triangles for $5.50. The fondue was kept warm over a tea light burner (very cute!) and was just warm enough to be tasty, but not burn your mouth! The presentation of the hummus with the Baby Vegetables was terrific – you definitely felt like you got your money’s worth!

AP & $4 Chardonnay

You also may feel that way with your drinks – Happy Hour offers $4 House Wines, Well Cocktails, and Draft Beers. Seeing a neighbor with a frosted beer mug, I decided on the draft Stella Artois (among the choices of Stella, PBR, and Newcastle) while AP enjoyed a glass of Chardonnay.

Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel Sauce & Vanilla Ice Cream - $4

And of course, even though we didn’t want to over-eat, we couldn’t pass up the novelty of a Happy Hour-priced dessert! We were totally glad we did it – the bread pudding was muy delicioso! Note to other Happy Hours – think about including a dessert on your HH menu!!
The only thing I might have asked for was one of their signature cocktails to be on Happy Hour special. I know wine, well drinks, and beer cover just about everyone, but a weekly $6 specialty cocktail might be a nice addition to the terrific menu.

--JB

Rating: 4.5 Martinis

Oak Fire Pizzeria & Pub

2011-07-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

13359 Ventura Blvd.

Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
818.205.9306
www.oakfirepizza.com
twitter.com/oakfirepizza

Parking: $3.50 Valet (shared with Maria’s Kitchen), 2 hr. Metered Parking
Days: Daily
Times: 3-7pm and 10:30pm-close
Drink Deals: $4 Beers, ½ off wine & cocktails ($4.50-$6)
Food Deals: ½ off All Appetizers, $10 Pizzas

At the suggestion of my friend, Arielle, we decided to check out Oak Fire Pizza’s happy hour together, along with our friend, April. I attempted to check out the West Hollywood location for happy hour back when we started the site, but left quickly when they weren’t airing the Chicago Bears game. Enough time has passed that I figured it was time to give old Oak Fire another try.

Happy Hour at Oak Fire Pizza is daily 3-7pm and features half-off all wine and cocktails. They also feature a nice size selection of draft and bottled beers for $4. For my drink of choice, I ordered the Clifford Bay Sauvignon Blanc for $4.50. Arielle & April ordered a beer and a couple of Absolut & Diet Coke cocktails, made with a heavy pour. Oak Fire also has a specialty cocktail menu that features $6 cocktails at happy hour, always a plus.

Clifford Bay Sauvignon Blanc

For food, we started with the Southwest Chicken salad and Kobe Beef Sliders ($5). We also split the Wild Mushroom Pizza and Pesto Pizza with Shrimp, both priced at $10. The Kobe Beef Sliders were surprisingly average for how popular they were. We saw many tables get served sliders and we even had to wait a while for our order because “the slider station was backed up.” Out of the two pizzas that we ordered, the Wild Mushroom was my favorite. I liked the smokiness of the cheese and heartiness of the mushrooms. The Pesto Pizza was good, with our requested side of pizza sauce, but if I were to order one of the two again, Wild Mushroom wins.

Wild Mushroom Pizza

Pesto Pizza with Shrimp

Unlike the West Hollywood location, Oak Fire Pizza’s Sherman Oaks location is a pretty low key. At the WeHo location, young people get together to eat pizza, drink, and watch sports on one of the many TVs. The Sherman Oaks location has TVs as well, but not nearly as many. The volume was also off and none of the customers seemed to care about whatever sporting event that was on. The crowd was divided between people having after-work drinks (me & my friends) and young children and their parents who may be looking for something a little bit stronger than nearby treats at Menchies. We weren’t on the hunt for a family friendly happy hour, but it’s nice to know that they are out there for when our time comes.

Another cool thing about Oak Fire Pizza’s happy hour is that if you miss it 3-7pm, you can catch it later at 10:30pm!

-JG

Rating: 3.5 Martinis

Tinto Tapas España

2011-07-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

7511 Santa Monica Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90046
(323) 512-3095
www.tintotapas.com

Parking: Metered street parking (some even free after 6pm, a rarity in the Hollywood area!) – be sure to read the signs
Days: Monday-Saturday

Happy Hour DRINKS
Days/Times: Monday – Thursday – 5-7pm
Drink Deals: $5 Cocktails, $4 Beer/Sangria

Happy Hour FOOD
Days/Times: Mon, Tue & Wed – 5pm - 11pm; Thu, Fri & Sat – 5pm - 7pm
Food Deals: Large Selection of $5 Tapas

It’s actually sometimes refreshing to discover a not-so-great Happy Hour. Going to so many different restaurants and bars in Los Angeles and beyond, I feel actually quite spoiled by all the great deals and good drinks and eats I come by! So when I visited Tinto, with its very cool Spanish décor, cozier-than-cozy leather bar chairs, and all-night Monday Happy Hour – I kinda thought they’d have a good Happy Hour in the bag.

Alas, it wasn’t meant to be! Like I said, the space does have a lot going for it: it’s at a good location on Santa Monica Blvd. in the predominately Russian neighborhood of East West Hollywood; parking is easy to find; the décor is really sweet with lots of warm reds and dark wood; the waitstaff is very nice and attentive; and the chair (very cushioned leather) – though slightly hard to climb into – was one of the most comfortable bar seats I’ve ever had!

But when it came down to it, the food was just rather… bland. And the Happy Hour drink I thought I ordered was not Happy Hour priced, though this was more my fault because I didn’t pay close attention to the various deals and times. Still, bummer on all counts.

It was a Monday night, Booze’s birthday, and we had just visited the Tim Burton exhibit at LACMA (wonderful message to all aspiring artists: Keep making your art! Be creative!). We were looking forward to a Spanish tapas dinner, one of her favorite cuisines, and we were immediately taken in by the look of Tinto and decided to sit by the bar, one of two places where Happy Hour was offered. Choice #2 was the patio which looked more like an inside hallway with tables and chairs (and not the comfy ones).

Pointing to the $4 Sangria on the Happy Hour menu, we asked the bartender what kind of sangrias they had. The bartender told us “red, white, or Cava,” a sort of sparkling sangria that a nearby patron was enjoying. It looked delicious, so we ordered one apiece and also enjoyed its mimosa-like bubbles very much. But imagine our surprise when the bill came and the Cava sangria was actually $8/glass because Happy Hour drinks only run from 5-7pm. I guess that the top of the menu does state this in small print – I just thought that drinks would be Happy Hour on special as well. Note to read the fine print!

Then the food… we ordered a sampling of $5 Happy Hour-priced tapas, which was all delivered separately. As each dish was delivered, we noticed that each item was just as bland as or blander than the previous:

• Pa Amb Tomaquet – Bread w/ tomato & olive oil (only $2) – slightly soggy bread with tomato-y paste

• Setas Al Ajillo – Mushrooms with garlic chips, white wine, and parsley – the chips were not potato-y chips, but little chips of garlic cooked into the mushrooms. Basic mushroom dish might have tasted better if the mushrooms had been simmered longer to enhance the flavors a bit more

• Patatas Bravas – Spicy Fried Potatoes w/ Aioli – typically one of my favorite tapas dishes, this was probably my fav of the items we ordered, but that doesn’t say much. Try Bar Pintxo in Santa Monica or Bar Celona in Pasadena for tastier options

• Pimientos Dulces – Roasted mini sweet peppers cooked in olive oil – actually loved the texture and caramelization of the skin, but they could have benefitted from being stuffed with a nice cheese or something to add a little flavor

• Datiles Rellenos De Queso Cabrales Con Bacon – Madjool dates stuffed with Cabrales cheese & wrapped in smoked bacon – this was by far Booze’s favorite dish, so it was a shame my vegetarian ways kept me from partaking

Honestly, the food left me so hungry that Booze & I stopped by 7-Eleven afterwards, where I was able to buy real and actual garlic chips and as well as a Red Velvet Cupcake for Booze’s birthday (I’m bougie).

I do think Tinto would be fine for a quick Happy Hour glass or two of HAPPY HOUR-PRICED sangria and ordering something like the bacon-wrapped-cheese-infused-dates (if you eat meat :), just be wary of the time for drink Happy Hour and be prepared to leave a little hungry.

-- JB

Rating: 2.25 Martinis (I can't give it only 2 since it's so cute, but I can't really give it 2.5 either)