Happy Hour: Salu

Happy hour is a truly magical time of the day. Any pressure from the morning’s hope of productivity is wearing off, your evening plans have not yet made themselves clear, and all the drinks are suddenly a lot cheaper. And that’s not even taking into account the appetizer specials many places in New Orleans insist on putting out along with their drink menus.

Yes, next to brunch, happy hour is probably my favorite meal of the day.

One happy hour that I’ve been patronizing with special vigilance this week is that of Salú on Magazine Street. Their specials, which run from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., offer half off all drinks as well as off their pretty impressive selection of flatbreads and mussels.

Sold. This is a great one to enjoy in the company of friends, as the specials also extend to their pitchers of sangria and mojitos. Plus their patio seating is great if you can snag a table.

I usually end up sticking to their cocktail menu when it comes to drinks. I was a big fan of the Harmony Street Hibiscus, but the one I got was the last one in the bar. So I switched to their Strawberry French 75 and sampled the Salu Champagne Cocktail, both of which were refreshing and enjoyable. On my most recent visit, my bartender made me some evolution of a Pimm’s Cup involving Pimm’s new Blackberry and Elderflower liquer and fresh muddled fruit. That was a winner as well.

Harmony Street Hibiscus

Strawberry French 75

Their flatbreads are a pretty good bet if you are looking for something casual to munch on, though the structural integrity of the crusts towards the center gets a little dicey; I started eating my pieces calzone-style. The portions are larger than I expected, too—they’re pretty much pizza size. I couldn’t finish my Margherita on my own.

Mushroom & Goat Cheese Flatbread

Margherita Flatbread

And if you like a good bowl of mussels once in a while, as I do, you can find a niche here as well. A friend and I split the Fra Diavolo mussels, steamed in some tomato-basil concoction. They were quite tasty, but I think I prefer a more traditional white wine/lemon broth. They have that there, too. I’ll have to get on that.

Fra Diavolo Mussels

Salad is good for you, too.

I’d definitely recommend stopping by this generous happy hour if you are Uptown and have a few minutes (hours?) to kill. There’s a decent chance I’ll be there, too. 

Happy Hour: Sunset on Magazine

One of the best parts of taking a summer happy hour prowl down Magazine is seeing all the sandwich boards lined up in front of the bars and restaurants. They stretch down the street into the distance, beckoning their sly happy hour drinks and noshes. Decisions, decisions! The sultry heat breezes may fight the blasts of A/C from stalwart doorframes, but we all know who is going to win there, too.

As my dear Oscar Wilde said, “I can resist everything except temptation.” And of course I graciously went along with the wiles of happy hour, spending not one but two golden afternoons this week at GG’s Dine-O-Rama (formerly Gott Gourmet Cafe). Their “Sunset on Magazine” special runs 4-7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and features daily rotating drink specials as well as $5 appetizers.

I’m not big on the kind of kitsch their design and menu headings seem to be employing, but if you’ve got the kitchen to kick the ass of categories like “Snack-O-Rama” and “Fork And Awesome”, I’m willing to give my blessing.

Started off Round One (Wednesday) with the drink special for the day, Sangria. Not as heady as I’m used to with sangrias, and definitely not as sweet. But quite refreshing, and snacking on the apple chunks at the bottom of the glass is a tasty pop.

Sangria: Putting the "gold" in "golden hour"

Then, upon me did descend a plate of fried artichoke hearts with a side of truffle aioli, and yeay, it was good. But I had to try another plate again the next day, for quality and fact-checking purposes.

Fried Artichoke Hearts and Shrub Lemonade

Yep, still pleasing. I peeled off and ate one aioli-dredged leaf at a time to get the whole, glisteningly crunchy effect.

For Round Two, I also got the Thursday drink special, a $5 Basil & Meyer Lemon infused gin lemonade.  That’s a summer drink I can really sink my gullet into (or is it vice-versa?). Light, with a hint of carbonation and a dollop of sweetness mellowed out by the basil.

Also tried out the Chicken Verde Nachos, which pretty straightforwardly fit the description implied by “Snack-O-Rama”, I do believe. You can drizzle cheese sauce and pile fixins on pretty much anything and call me a happy girl, but you better believe I dragged some of those chips through the last of that aioli. I regret nothing.

Chicken Verde Nachos

                                            

All in all, a worthwhile little venture. Patio seating with a nice spray of mist from the awning, so that if you choose to brave the glare of late afternoon sun, as I did, you can watch the pulses of Magazine life trickle by.