Love Happy Hour - SHOREbar Launches New Happy Hour in October 2012

Just off the PCH in Santa Monica, you will find SHOREbar, a nautical themed bar that's nestled in between The Hungry Cat and Georgio Baldi. Inside the swanky seaside bar, you can order specialty drinks at the bar or cozy up in their alcove style seating with a DJ spinning nearby.

Besides the building's alluring charm and Zagat's, "8 Hottest Bars in LA" rating, I now have a new reason to stop in. Beginning October 4th, SHOREbar will be debuting a new happy hour. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 7pm - 10pm, you can stop in for $5 well drinks and half off wine by the glass (including bottles). If you're in the mood for a specialty cocktail, try a Moscow Mule, Dark and Stormy, Sailor's Fix or Mesa Mule for only $7 each. PBR, Red Stripe and Amstel Light beer will set you back only $3.

Everyone is always asking me: where can I go for late night happy hour? Well, here you go. Let me know what you think...

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SHOREbar

112 W Channel Rd
Santa Monica, CA 90402
(310) 429-1851

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Love Happy Hour - Formosa Cafe - Happy Hour - West Hollywood, Dear Love

Formosa Cafe - Happy Hour - by Maren Swanson
September 20th, 2012

Dear Love,

My car had recently been giving me problems, so I dropped it off at a nearby mechanic on La Brea and Santa Monica Boulevard. With a 3 hour window to fill, I was off to Target to buy a bunch more of stuff I didn't really need. Starbucks in hand, a haircut and 2 plastic bags full of products later, I wanted to relax so I picked up my phone to search for a nearby and walkable happy hour - thanks Lovehappyhour.com! I noticed that Pomodoro (the small, yet commercial Italian joint) in the shopping mall plaza was closed, but better than that was Formosa Cafe just a skip away.

Formosa Cafe opened in the 1920's and has continued to keep its "old Hollywood" appeal with the original red trolley structure and an expanded upstairs patio area and bar. Black and white photos of celebrities line the walls inside and out, with a giant neon sign facing the street entrance. After being threatened with demolition in the nineties, concerned citizens fought to keep the neighborhood joint in tact.

When my friend and I entered the darkly lit building, we noticed a small crowd dispersed throughout the dining car and bar. One of the servers quickly greeted us and offered up any available seat in the house. We chose the leather-lined booths along the wall and perused the happy hour menu. Draft and bottled beers ($3), well cocktails ($5), along with multiple Paqui Tequila (a brand I'd never heard of) margarita options and other specialty cocktails ($6) were available, so we ordered an Old Fashioned and Melon Margarita and tried to decide on our edible options. I had overheard the bartender mention to our server that they no longer offered the melon margarita, but she ended up making it for me anyway. Once I tasted the drink, I had almost wished that she hadn't made it. The margarita was bright green and tasted completely of sour mix. On the other hand, our Old Fashioned was made by the book with a fresh orange peel and we really enjoyed it.

The happy hour food menu was hand-written with daily specials that shared an Asian theme: chicken satay, spring rolls, sesame wasabi fries and sweet and sour rib tips. We decided on the chicken satay and spring rolls. The satay came out with 2 grilled skewers; tender, yet simple on a sparsely dressed plate. Our vegetable spring rolls were fried and served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce. I thought they were a little oily, but again, they were fried. I had hoped for a little more flavor and pizzaz with the food, but perhaps the main menu promised better flavors? Meanwhile as we ate, I noticed a different server only a couple feet behind us listening over our conversation in the reflection of the nearby mirror - it was little distracting. Otherwise, our main server was very friendly and attentive.

The dated and nostalgic flare of the Formosa Cafe is classic; you feel transported to a Hollywood bar when things were done just little bit differently than they are now. I love that they have stayed true to their original decorative integrity but maybe some enhancements to the menu would spruce things up from a culinary stand point. I ended up returning later that night for Caroline on Crack's 7 year blogger anniversary and the specialty cocktails the bartender's created were spot on. Other older establishments such as Coach and Horses and Silver Spoon have closed their doors, but it's great to see that Formosa Cafe has still kept their's open.

XXOO,

Maren

Formosa Cafe
7156 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90046

(323) 850-9050

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Road Trip to Solvang: Wine and Happy Hour
by Maren Swanson This crazy LA heat wave has made me sluggish, tired and unmotivated. Not that I'm surprised - these symptoms bother me every year around August. So instead of complaining about it, I'm making an impulsive decision to take a cool drive up the PCH and head to the Danish town of Solvang. Solvang has become one of my favorite road trips to make while I've been living in California. About two and a half hours drive up the coast, one can escape to wine country for tastings, shopping and even "happy hour." Once you enter town, you can't help but notice the large windmills, red and white flags and wooden clogs that decorate the quaint area. Tourists, local and international, feast on ethnic dishes and visit tasting rooms laced throughout town. Let's just say "charming" is an understatement. Usually my boyfriend and I stay at the same place, The Wine Valley Inn. We love it there; cottage style rooms, coi ponds, fireplaces in the rooms, free breakfast and a friendly staff. Last time we arrived, the concierge recommended that we check out their wine bar in the side lobby room. During the weekdays, 5pm - 8pm and on the weekends, 5pm - 9pm, you can sip and mingle with other hotel guests at the Wine Valley Inn with glasses of wine available for $8. However, from 5pm - 6pm nightly they host a happy hour with $3 glasses of wine - now you're speaking my language! The lobby has cozy sofas, a crackling fireplace and complimentary cheese and crackers available for noshing. Antique furniture with modern embellishments create an inviting atmosphere with a romantic tone that sets the mood for most of the couples attending. Everyone just seems a little more in love than usual (and possibly just warm and fuzzy from their earlier tastings). One of the pairs we met shared their love story of meeting in high school and gave their advice for sustaining a long-lasting relationship - I definitely took notes. The bartender, whom had worked there for years, offered us recommendations for the best local restaurants and activities. After chatting up some of the other guests, we returned to the bar a few minutes past the hh, but we were still allowed a $3 pour. Everyone we met was super friendly and the lobby get- together was a great idea, considering most of the tasting rooms in Solvang and neighboring towns close around 4 or 5pm. Plus, you can purchase bottle of local wine in your room for as low as $15! Besides our hotel happy hour, we will be excited this weekend to hit up some other local wineries in Lompac, Los Olivos and Buelton. Tasting rooms including Lincourt, Foley, Epiphany, Qupe and Consilience are definitely on our list. After booking an affordable room for your visit, you can pay anywhere from $10 - 20 (higher for premium wines) for individual tastings and after hitting a few vineyards, sharing is not only economical, but a good idea all together. If you are the adventurous type, hit up the newly renovated Chumash Casino right in town with excellent food and plenty of slot machines. So, what are you waiting for? The words: ROAD TRIP are calling your name. Take a break from the heat, get in your car and take a picturesque drive up north. Plenty of wine, stellar views and friendly people may just be in your short term future. Wine Valley Inn - Happy Hour 1564 Copenhagen Drive Solvang, CA 93463 (323) 662-9024 Follow me @MarenSwanson

LA Times The Taste LA 2012

Check out my adventure from this year's LA Times The Taste LA!

Soleto Happy Hour - Downtown Los Angeles

Soleto - Happy Hour by Maren Swanson Dear Love, I envy the Downtown Los Angeles lifestyle; everyone walking with purpose, unending options for drinking recreation and there's just a completely different type of energy than my WeHo neighborhood. As much as I would love to frequent a city with over 100 happy hours, I find myself lazy when I consider the lengthy, congested drive down the 101 South to rendezvous with DTLA. However, sometimes if something is good enough, you just make the extra effort. With my weakness for pizza and buzz of a great happy hour, I couldn't resist the idea of checking out Innovative Dining Group's new Italian concept, Soleto - even if it meant leaving my comfort zone. The moment I entered Soleto, I immediately noticed the grandiose bar as the focal point of the restaurant. Afterwork bar guests crowded the oval showcase of liquor bottles and not an open seat was to be found, so my friend and I choose a high top table nearby to feast our eyes on people watching and conveniently, the happy hour menu. The quirky and mis-matched lights, high ceilings, business suits and antique details of the place made Soleto feel slightly New York to me - ah, the benefits of escaping to Downtown LA! Made from the skins of Sorrento lemons, Limoncello is usually served as an after dinner cordial, but with the addition of ginger ale to lighten it up, Soleto's Limoncello Sprizter for only $3 was a great start to our meal. Next, we dove into ordering some tapas with the $5 shrimp oreganato, $8 antipasti platter and $4 white bean hummus. Our shrimp oreganato was served skillet style with hand-torn croutons; butter, garlic and pungent aromas made even my mouth feel naughty. The hummus was simple, a more conservative dish than the last, but the elegant antipasti platter was sublime. A melange of grana padano parmesan, marmalade, salami, prosciutto, broccoli rabe and golden toast points were my food pornography collection come to life. I knew I couldn't leave without trying one of their wood-fired pizzas, so we continued our meal with the Spicy Speck Pizza (not on the hh menu). The pizza was delivered to our table hot out the oven and and stayed true to its name: spicy (we were warned). To wash down my next slice, I opted for the $3 white peach sangria. The summer wine cocktail was a great balance for the hot-head chasing pizza fanatic in me. A side order of the grilled oyster mushrooms with a white truffle lemon vinaigrette was aromatic and savory, but parts of the dish tasted a little on the salty side. Lastly, I relished the the fresh beets tossed in a light vinaigrette and sprinkled with small pillows of herbed goat cheese - just lovely. Next time, I will try sitting in the patio area. A quick peak outside promised views of the architectual skyline - formidable. Without a moment's hesitation, I can promise I will be back. Soleto's first impression of great food, ambience and service will no doubt rally me back for return visits, however, next time I'm trying trusty Wilshire Boulevard. XXOO, Maren Soleto 801 S Figueroa St Los Angeles, CA 90017 (213) 622-3255 DOWNTOWN LA HAPPY HOURS LOS ANGELES HAPPY HOURS Lovehappyhour.com - LA's Premiere Happy Hour Search Site Featuring Over 1,000 Happy Hours Within 50 Cities in Los Angeles County