Biba & Babies

Eight or nine years ago, my mom was a bone marrow donor for a complete stranger. She had put her name on a registry in the late 80's and was called to duty. It was a painful procedure (she says it wasn't bad but I cry at paper cuts) but I'll spare you the details since this isn't a medical blog! Anyway, she had the procedure done at Sutter Medical Center and once she was released my father took her, my grandmother and me to Biba for a celebratory dinner. To me it was a huge deal because I'd loved Biba Caggiano's cooking show and Biba herself is a cancer survivor. I remember the meal being delicious but mostly I remember Biba coming to our table to tell my mom she was proud of what she had done.

Almost a decade later, I recently went back to Biba. This time, instead of dinner it was six friends, a baby and lots of wine! It may come as a surprise to some, but Biba has a fabulous happy hour. You won't find shot specials and the decor is a bit... mature! But the specials are perfect for anyone's happy hour budget. The drink menu consists of $5 classy cocktails like Manhattans and half price wines. I had a Matchbook Temperanillo for $5 which was wonderful. We shared a bunch of $5 appetizers, including calamari, gnocchi with Gorgonzola cream sauce and bruschetta topped with seared tuna and pesto. Yum!

The bartender was really friendly and made delicious drinks. Our server was really accommodating even when the dining room got busy she was still back-and-forth to the lounge attending to our every need. There's a lot to be said for amazing service!

I think Baby Blake enjoyed happy hour too! While the girls were sipping red while, he had his own bottle of "house white!"

So, if dinner at Biba seems a little extravagant, head over for happy hour. You'll get a taste of the incredible food and service the restaurant is known for without breaking the bank!

Cin Cin!

Biba has started a weekday happy hour that looks like it's not to be missed!

Monday through Friday
5:00 pm to 7:00 pm

$5 cocktails: Absolut Vodka Martini, Lemon Drop, Ruby Slipper, Makers Mark Manhattan
1/2 price glasses of Sauvignon Blanc,Pinot Grigio, Tempranillo, Merlot
$5 small plates: Calamari Fritti, Housemade Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Sauce, Grilled Caggiano Italian Sausage on Soft Polenta, Bruschetta, Seafood Cakes

Let's Talk about Parlare

I first went to Parlare on 10th Street a couple of years ago. I wasn't overly impressed, nor did I walk out unhappy. It just didn't do much for me.

Now there is a definite reason to go on Tuesday nights! It's $2 Tuesday till 7:00 and they aren't skimping on the $2 items. For just two bucks you can get house wine, beer, margaritas, mojitos, sangria and I think some sort of bubbly. The food options are equally impressive, including: hummus, artichoke/jalapeno dip, coconut shrimp, a couple of different bruschettas and the crowd favorite last Tuesday - BBQ pork sliders. Five girlfriends and I went and the bill didn't exceed $40! That's about $7 each for more than one drink each and a buffet of appetizers.

There is a catch, of course. In my previous post I wrote about the balance of service and cost. This past Tuesday the service was very slow BUT it was a full house with one bartender working upstairs and one guy running food from the kitchen. They didn't pretend the service wasn't slacking - they were appropriately apologetic and you could tell they were working really hard to keep up with the guests. I guess I'm a little more understanding when there's an acknowledgement of the problem.

What are your thoughts on $2 Tuesday?

Deals vs. Service

When it comes to happy hour, or any visit to a bar or restaurant, what is more important? Great value for the product or great service? Last night I went to Lounge on 20's happy hour with a couple of friends.

First the good news, the place was pretty empty - though it was 5:30 on a Wednesday. Their happy hour special consists of $3 - $6 appetizers (price is progressive depending on the time of the order) and $5 martinis, wine, champagne and their cocktail of the day and $4 selected beers. Last night's cocktail was a yummy tequila concoction with pomegranate and lime complements. It was strong enough where you could taste the alcohol, but it wasn't overwhelming, blending perfectly with the tartness of the fruit flavors. It was definitely worth the $5. The cheese plate, with two minuscule slices of cheese and a dollop or two of what I thought was canned cranberry sauce, wasn't so pleasing. However, the $5 fried macaroni and cheese appetizer was yummy! The cheese and noodle-filled balls were served with a creamy cheese sauce and the portion was enough for more than one person to enjoy. We ordered two servings and basically had a full serving to take home in a doggy bag!

Now the bad news, the service was awful. Our server appeared at the table without any knowledge of what the beer or cocktail of the day was. She said they hadn't printed the new menus yet so she couldn't give us one, yet she didn't have any information memorized in order to share it. I never got the water I ordered until another server came over and asked if I wanted one (remember this lady for later). When our server came back with the beer info, it ended up being the wrong info. When our check came (which we had to ask the second server to get for us), we had been overcharged for three of the appetizers. I explained this to our server, who cheerily agreed to fix it, only to come back with a revised check that only corrected one of the three pricing errors. Oh, and server #2 was the only person to refill our water at any time during the evening.

I spent about $16 for a share of three appetizers, a cocktail and a beer. Not too shabby. But I couldn't get past how inadequate the service was - especially at a place that aims to be on the classier side (they don't allow flip flops, for example). I spent six years as a server and bartender so I get that it's not as easy as some people may think, but because of that experience I think I expect more. What about you?

Have you had good experiences at Lounge on 20? Is it your feeling that "you get what you pay for" and at happy hour service isn't as important? Have you ever refused to return somewhere after having bad service? Let's hear about it!

Quick Bites

Esquire Grill has unrolled a new Happy Hour special, "5 for $6 till 7:00." Five cocktails, five wines by the glass and five appetizers are only $6 until... well, I think you get it. Cocktails include Key Lime and Basil Sapphire martinis and the appetizers look pretty yummy.

More details here.

Also, Tuli Bistro has added an "Afternoon Delight" menu. From 2:30 to 5:00 on weekdays, there will be selected beer ($2) and wine ($5) specials as well as Chef's Tasting Boards, which include your choice of tasty bites ranging from risotto balls to a variety of cheeses and meat selections.

You can check out those details here.

When did it leave?

According to today's Sacramento Bee, happy hour is back in Sacramento. I didn't realize it had ever left! Check out the story for some specials.

New Happy Hour!

I love La Trattoria. I have to say, I haven't tried the Czech food yet, but the pizza is awesome. If I lived in East Sac I would be there daily. Ok, maybe weekly. Anyway, good news! La Trattoria now has happy hour Tuesday thru Friday, 3:30-5:30. In addition to beer specials all pizza is 25% off. That's reason enough to go for me!

Chow!

No, I didn't spell it wrong. SN&R's "Annual Guide to All Things Edible" came out last week. The reviews of the restaurants are rather generic, but there are some ads in there worth pointing out.

Piatti (571 Pavilions) - 1/2 priced wine list on Wednesdays

Capitol Dawg (20th & Capitol) - $2 Tuesdays, $2 selected bottled beer, $2 2 scoop Dreyer's ice cream

Hangar 17 (S & 17th) - Happy Hour M-F 3-6pm - $2 Wells, Domestics and selected Wine. A word about Hangar: why oh why do they change their happy hour so much?? We can't keep up!

Sandra Dee's (15th & F) - Wednesday all you can eat catfish nuggets for $13, Wine Down Wednesdays 4pm-close: All beer and wine $2 (with purchase of food only)

The Melting Pot (15th & H) - Weekdays 4:30pm-7pm - Food, wine and cocktail specials (if anyone gets details please let us know)

Brickside (106 J Street - yes, Old Sac) - M-F 3-6pm - $2 Sliders, $3 wells. All day everyday $2.50 PBR and $3.50 Sangria

Megami Sushi (10th between J & K) - Stimulus Fridays - 10% off your bill every Friday

Hawks (5530 Douglas Blvd in Granite Bay -- yes, I said Granite Bay) - Happy Hour 3-6pm - $4 small plates, Grey Goose Martinis for $6. Yes, I put Hawks in here for a reason. Even though it's Granite Bay it's supposed to be one of the best restaurants in the area.

If you managed to pick up the issue before last Thursday (sorry, I'm a little late) there are tons of coupons in here too!

More Updates!

OK... here are a couple more:

58 Degrees now has $5 wines in addition to $10 flights and selected apps are between $3 and $5.

Aura, which was totally empty at 6:00 last Friday, has pretty great HH specials. In addition to $2 well drinks and $3 import drafts, their appetizer menu (except the antipasti salad) is half price. Apps include bruschetta, roasted garlic, coconut shrimp, quesadillas and chicken tenders.

As always, check out the full list and email us with any specials that you come across. The blog is interactive!

New Updates!

I just found out about two new happy hours:

deVere's: 3:30 - 6:30, M - F: $3 - $5 appetizers including deep fried pickles, three varieties of wings & Dublin crisps; $3 & $4 drinks including beers and spirits

Shady Lady: 4 - 6, M - F: $3 well drinks and $6 classic cocktails

For more happy hour specials, check out the full list here and please send us updates!

Not So Dreamy

I'd never been to Dream Ultra Lounge. I'm not an "ultra lounge" kind of gal, but when I heard Tokyo Fro's was taking up residence inside - AND that they had happy hour till 8:00 - I gave it a try.

There are two things I noticed right away. The decor is cold, despite the warm fireplace in the front window. And the waitresses wear very tiny clothes. Our poor server was in a skin tight mini-halter dress (in January!) and sky high heels. Watching her try to walk and balance food made me really nervous. So did watching her bend down to clear the tables. Talk about the risk of a wardrobe malfunction!

True to their advertising, their happy hour goes till 8:00 (which is a major plus). Bottles of beer are $3, well drinks are half off and almost all the sushi rolls are half price. I ordered a $3 Blue Moon and my friends and I perused the roll menu. Despite there being at least 15 options, they all kind of sounded the same. Tempura shrimp and/or crab seemed to be in every roll. We chose five to share but were really unimpressed. They all tasted the same. The crab didn't have any flavor and the actual pieces of raw fish were unsubstantial. It was very disappointing!

Another problem - the bathroom. There are three stalls. Two of the toilets were clogged and the third didn't have a seat!

In the end the bill was $52 for five people, five beers and five rolls. It's hard to complain about the price, but the food wasn't even worth the discounts. Carmen, who wasn't there with us, said the happy hour at Tokyo Fro's on Fair Oaks Blvd. has always been good. Maybe this sushi bar is still settling into its new home, but for now if I'll stick to the original location!

Blue Cue Happy Hour

I used to go to the Blue Cue quite a bit when I was about 21. For some reason I thought it was the "cool" downtown bar. (Ok, before you make fun of me, remember that I grew up in the 'burbs and was living in the Bay Area at the time. I thought all Sac bars were like that.) Anyway, I hadn't been for years, even though now I live a few blocks away and frequent other bars on the street. I've been twice in the past month, and I have to say, the recent renovations were a definite improvement. The bar looks sleeker, less cheesy, and the clientele is a little less cheesy as well. Other than the abnormally small chandeliers around the perimeter and the television set to "Deal or No Deal" it was a pretty cool place to grab a drink and chat with friends. They also have a pretty cool happy hour:
$2 Shoestring Potatoes
$2.5 Draft Beer
$3 Grilled chicken and pineapple skewers, Hot wings w/bleu cheese dip, import draft beer and well cocktails
$4 BBQ Spare Ribs with hoisin-honey glaze, Red Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon, Sterling Chardonnay
$5 Pepperoni Pizza

Throwin' em back

I was never frequented Hangar 17 before, but now that I know their happy hour specials, I can pretty much guarantee that I'll be back more.

They used to only have specials on food, but I guess they were encouraged by the mass amounts of happy hours in the Midtown region (and perhaps by this blog??) to expand their cheap eats and drinks. And they certainly are cheap!

I went on a Thursday night and was pleased to find they they have "Throwback Thursdays" where old timer drinks such as Manhattans, Harvey Wallbangers (what is that, anyway?) and other old school drinks are only $3! That includes martinis, and my current fav, the gimlet. I suggest getting the gimlet over ice, however, because it goes down really well...

They also have beer specials on Tuesdays, and 2-for-1's on Friday and Saturday nights from 10 to 11pm. Check out their website for all their specials at http://www.hangar17bar.biz/specials.html.

Bistro Taste on a Fast Food Budget

I love a cheap happy hour. I love it even more when it's posed in a setting that appears to be up-scale, where you can sit next to people in expensive suits and pretend like you're there for the scene, not the cheap drinks.

Bistro 33 in Midtown in that kind of place. As a whole, any of the ever expanding restaurants in the 33rd Street Bistro franchise (They now not only have their Bistro 33 in Midtown and the original on 33rd and Folsom, but one in El Dorado Hills, Davis, Riverside Clubhouse, Suzie Burger in Midtown and the new Tre which I have no information on. Ok, I need to take a breath...) offers good food and drinks at a fairly decent price, but it's certainly not the place you think of when you need a cheap drink. The other night my friend Yelena and I stopped for a couple of drinks and managed to only spend about $30 with tip between the two of us. For a place that describes itself as "hip, sexy and stylish" (according to the website) that's pretty damn good. Especially when you find out what we had... so here we go: 2 lemon drops, 2 dirty martinis, 1 vodka tonic, 1 dungeness crab and artichoke dip and 1 shrimp "cone" (baby shrimp in a paper cone). We were full and drunk, and I think that should be the goal of any good happy hour.

If you've been there you know the service can be a bit sketchy. Lucky for us we had good service, good drinks, and good food. Selected drinks are no more than $3.50 and selected apps are only $3. Go for the crab dip. Bistro 33 also makes a bitchin' breakfast.

Tokyo Fro's Happy Hour

As the list implies, I am not picky about happy hours. I love them all. But I think I may have found one of the highlights in Sacramento.

Tokyo Fro's changed their happy hour a few months ago to a new, not as user-friendly format. That translates to, less free drinks, not as much cheap food. Apparently this hurt them, because they are back to 1/2 cocktails and 1/2 rolls during their happy hour, weekdays from 3-6. I usually don't like happy hours that end this early but I work right across the street, so this works. They've also added happy hour on Saturdays. Yippee!

Service was a little hit and miss, but only because the owner decided to send one of the bartenders home before 5pm. Kind of silly for a Friday, but I'll forgive him because we spent $40--yes, $40-- on 4 giant and delicious rolls, 2 martinis and a beer. Sushi is not normally cheap, and this was not only cheap, it was tasty.

I'll always go to Fro's because it's the fastest walk from the office to liquor, but now I have a better reason, and I don't need to worry if I spent too much on shoes that week!

Yay for cheap sushi and drinks--go to Tokyo Fro's for happy hour. You can find Fro's on the corner of Howe and Fair Oaks, on the Fair Oaks side of the Safeway shopping center. But you knew that already.