The Starting Line-Up

Hello hungry and thirsty Angelenos!

Posts will be added to this blog as my crack team of foodies find and sample new happy hours.

I will always try to include as much detail as possible regarding quality, price, items ordered, hours of happiness, etc., but if you have a question, feel free to email it to me or post here.

I am always on the lookout for new happy hours, so please send those along -- . For now, lift a glass, bite a buffalo wing and make this hour your happiest yet.

Links to all the Reviews to date...

McCormick & Schmick's, The Bungalow Club, Barefoot Bar & Grill, Lola's, Katana, Cafe La Boheme, Mirabelle, Grand Lux Cafe, The Formosa Cafe, El Guapo, House of Blues, Life, Happy Endings, Chaya, Saddle Ranch, Miyagi, Le Clafoutis, Kung Pao Kitty, Barney's Beanery, LUXE Cafe Rodeo, UGO, Oak Fire Pizza , Pink Taco , Gyenari, Rock Sugar,

Rock Sugar -- the price of Rock, the sweetness of Sugar

Rock Sugar
Century City Mall
10250 Santa Monica Blvd # 654
Los Angeles, CA 90067-6609
(310) 552-9988

Hours of Happy: 4:00-6:30 M-F

Food - 8
Prices - 3
Service - 8
Bonus +2 for three hours of free parking
Total - 21

Oh, Rock Sugar, how I want your score to be higher, but you don't get it, do you? Happy Hour is a time to get people into your restaurant to sample your wares by discounting the food and drinks. Charging $4.00 for one (small) egg roll is NOT a discount. I get it -- the full-sized order of the Shrimp Imperial Rolls is $10 and only includes two rolls, but maybe that pricing is the reason you're so empty all the time. Yes, they are super-yummy-delicious, but come on! For Happy Hour, charge $5 for the 2-roll order and let people enjoy. Newsflash -- your food cost on that particular item is not so high that you would lose money throwing in the extra roll and making people want to come back and drink more and try other things and maybe even come for lunch or dinner. Just think about it.

So here's the rub on Rock Sugar - the HH prices are good, but the portions are TINY, and the food is hit or miss.

The flatbread ($3) was tasty, but not for everyone in our group, the potstickers ($3) were not all that good, the shrimp imperial rolls ($4 for ONE roll) were insane -- we'll probably go back just to have more (especially if the price drops, which it should), the chicken tikka ($4) was average - strange seasoning and a bit dry, the chicken satay ($3.5) was probably the best we've ever tasted -- perfectly cooked and with very good peanut sauce, and the breaded rock shrimp ($5.50) was inedible and sent back -- all breading, and not very good breading at that.

The service was great - super busboys who kept plates cleared and water full and a good waiter took care of us. The bar was decently crowded at 6:00 and there was a big, communal table in the center, so it would be possible to meet someone new and exciting here. The tables in the bar are small, so inside isn't great for a large group, but the super-cool loungers outside are part of the bar, and they seemed fun and very comfy. For some reason, LA had a rare cold-snap the night we went (which yours truly -- the thinnest-blooded ex-midwesterner in LA -- wasn't dressed for), so couldn't be out there, but when we return, we'll be sure to lounge about, eat well and drink heavily.

And hopefully by then, this happy hour will have the kind of tariff that makes revelers like us truly happy.

Gyenari -- or, "Gee, let's go to Cold Stone"

Gyenari Korean BBQ & Lounge
9540 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232-2631
(310) 838-3131

Hours of Happy: 3:00-8:00 M-F

Food - 3
Prices - 6
Service - 4
Bonus +2 for two hours of free parking across the street
Total - 15

Let's just start with the big stuff -- the food was bad. I am not prepared to sugarcoat it -- this was not a good eating experience.

We had:
Breaded Meatballs ($4) - inedible. No lie. I took one bite and couldn't finish. Mine was dry and tasteless. Three of our seven dishes were served with the same chili dipping sauce and it was okay, but not terribly flavorful, either. But seriously, the meatballs had no flavor at all.

Pork Slider ($4) - also dry, but worse, it was pink in the center, and we couldn't tell whether it was seasoned that way, or just not cooked enough. One in our party thought it tasted "turned," so she refused to eat more than a bite.

Garlic Wings ($4) - overcooked, and covered with the same oddly bland chili sauce.

Bulgogi slider ($4) - so dry my husband didn't finish his. if you knew him, you'd know that this is not trivial.

Beef & Pork Mandoo ($4) - the waitress guided us away from the seafood mandoo, saying they were too salty and we should go with the beef and pork. Perhaps in her world, having flavor makes something too salty, but these had no taste whatsoever.

Korean Tartare ($5) - we got two orders after being told there were only two small rice cakes of tartare per order, and that would have been good advice, if they were good enough to want more than a bite. The rice patties were simultaneously dry and soggy. I know, it sounds crazy, but that's the best way to describe them. Limp, play-dough like, no flavor, and the tartare had too much heat to be a good tartare.

Crispy Garlic Ribs ($4) - the saving dish of the night. The food score would have been a one if it weren't for these ribs, which were exceptionally delicious -- however -- I thought the dish was great because my rib was juicy and meaty and very tasty. I discovered that my two companions agreed on the very tasty part, but their ribs were quite anemic.

Drinks were fine, with good prices for well drinks and beer ($3) and wine ($4), but not a big discount on the froofy drinks, which were also quite small and almost all ice. The service was mediocre, and for about half an hour, we were the only party in the bar. It started to fill up later, but this would not be a place to meet people, and given the quality, not a place to meet up with people. If you're in the area, head across the street to UGO. You'll be much happier for your happy hour outing.

And yes, we left and went to Cold Stone, which was great (mine was a Like It, 1/2 sweet cream, 1/2 chocolate plus macadamia nuts, for those who might be curious).

Pink Taco -- the real thing is better

Pink Taco
(310) 789-1000
10250 Santa Monica Blvd (the Westfield Mall in Century City)
Los Angeles, CA 90067

Hours of Happy: 3:00-7:00 M-F

Food - 6
Prices - 5
Service - 7
Bonus +2 for three hours of free parking
Total - 20

I know it is sacrilege to some for me not to LOVE Pink Taco, but I am just not enamored with this place (as so many others are). It's passable Mexican food in a loud place full of pretentious people. I've been there a lot, and this is always the case. That said, the outdoor patio is wonderful for a summer evening (except for the smoking and ridiculously uncomfortable benches), and the waitstaff is always nice, if not particularly bright or competent. Also, if you are looking to meet single professionals, you could do worse. There is a large communal table on the patio and every time I've been here, it's been full of young, fun people having a pretty good time.

For this Happy Hour, we had the Casa Strawberry Margarita, the Pink Taco Margarita, the Guacamole, a Steak Quesadilla and a Mushroom Quesadilla for a grand total of $31.19 plus tip. At six bucks each, the apps don't feel as discounted as they should be for Happy Hour, but they were pretty tasty. The waitress warned us that the quesadillas were really small, and I don't know where she's been eating, but they were the exact size I'd expect -- not Grande Lux Cafe excessive, nor LUXE Cafe Rodeo tiny. With this faux warning, we expected to order more, but after all of that, the two of us were quite full.

The margaritas were drinkable. They didn't live up to my San Antonio standards, but few do. If you're not a margarita snob, you'll have no problem with these.

I guess the score should be higher, because I don't really have anything bad to say, and maybe I'm just predisposed to hate PT because I've encountered so many douchebags there, so I'll leave you with this -- two people ate, drank, were full of tasty food, surrounded by folks having a very good time, and left for $40. Assign your own numerical score to that.

Oak Fire Pizza -- thumbs up for good people

Oak Fire Pizza (a.k.a. Stone Fire Pizza)
(310) 659-8848
829 N La Cienega Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90069

Hours of Happiness: 4:00-7:00 M-F (and sometimes noon-7:00 on Saturday -- call first to check)

Food - 7
Prices - 9
Service - 8
Bonus -- +3 for being really good people (see below)
Total - 27 -- add it to your HH circuit

Nobody can explain to my why Stone Fire Pizza changed its name to Oak Fire Pizza (I suspect a letter from a lawyer was involved, given that there's a Stonefire Pizza in the Valley), but it doesn't matter -- this place still has great pizzas, good service, a terrific outdoor space (although PLEASE make the patio no smoking until 7:00 p.m.) and a GREAT Happy Hour.

My companion and I arrived at 4:30, with the intent of trying everything we could stuff and taking a lot home. It worked. We waddled out a few hours later, sated and pleased, but not ecstatic. To be brief, here's what we had:

A mojito -- mediocre ($5)
2 Blue Moon Ales ($3.5 each)
Stuffed Filet Skewers -- too dry and not enough gorgonzola ($6)
Grilled Chicken Skewers -- also a bit overcooked ($5)
Crab Stickers -- OMG! Get these. Don't ask, just get these ($5.5)
Beef Carpaccio -- it's almost unfair to review, because this is one of my favorite dishes no matter where I am, but Oak Fire did it beautifully -- perfectly shaved beef, good parm and greens and, thank you Lord, truffle oil. If we weren't experimenting, I would have just had three of these. ($5.5)
Jack Ribs -- a Tuesday special, perfectly cooked, a little overly sweet, but still super-yummy ($6)
Coconut shrimp -- exactly what you'd expect. Done well but nothing special ($4.5)
Jack Meatballs -- another Tuesday special. Very dry and overcooked ($5)
Margherita Pizza ($6.5) -- all their pizzas are pretty good. More CPK than New York style, but very flavorful

The happy hour here is pretty sweet, because all drinks, apps and pizzas are half off (except the deep dish), and for bar food, it's way above average. On Tuesdays, they have special Jack Daniels appetizers and drinks. It's worth a visit.

I also have a very special place in my heart because this particular restaurant donates a LOT of pizzas every year to a charitable organization that I'm involved with, thus the bonus points for being good guys. If you go, tell them you're there because of what they do for Young Storytellers (as well as the crab potstickers).

As far as the scene -- go with friends; preferably a large group. This is not a mingling crowd, but the tables around us were all having fun. If there's a game on somewhere, it will be on one of their small screens. Oh, and during Happy Hour, go hungry!

UGO - three spots, two happy hours, one review

UGO Bar Italiano

3865 Cardiff Ave
Culver City, CA 90232

(310) 736-1321

Happy Hours: 4:00-7:00 M-F

Food - 7
Prices - 6
Service - 8
Bonus +2 for a free parking garage right around the corner (on Cardiff)
Total - 23

UGO, at the corner of Culver and Cardiff, has three establishments in one location - Bar Italiano, a shmancy restaurant, and a wine bar. Bar Italiano and the wine bar both have happy hours, with different menus, but only one was sampled on this outing -- Bar Italiano. If you're in the area, it's worth checking out, but don't make a special trip.

We got to UGO a little after 6:00 (after walking out of the Backstage Bar & Grill, with its blackout lighting and creepy barflies trying to get us to kiss their friend for his birthday), and promptly got a nice table on the patio. They were full enough, not crowded, but definitely a meet-for-drinks place, not a go-and-meet-someone spot. No mingling happening there. Nice atmosphere, very good people watching, got to see a couple breaking up a few tables down (buh! -- and BTW, sweetheart, dry your tears; you can do so much better than him).

Ordered drinks -- the Ginger Pomegranate Martini for me and the Fiore Di Peara for my friend -- took one sip and promptly switched glasses, which made us both happier. They were tasty, made of pure booze and large, and we both started to buzz before the food arrived. At $7.50 each, it wasn't the best bargain, but not bad. Most people won't need more than one (seriously, these were around four shots of alcohol each).

Food wise, there were hits and misses. Ordered the Arancini (rice, mozzarella and salami, deep fried, damn tasty, $4), the Calamari Fritti (easily the worst we've had on the HH tour to date - the chewiest calamari I've ever eaten and breading that felt like it had been fried that morning and microwaved when we ordered it, $6.50), the Affetati Misti (a very nice selection of Italian meats and some amazing burrata - which isn't mentioned on the menu; a good portion of the cheese, but could have used a little more meat for $7), the Caprese Calda (I loved the roasted flavor of the tomatoes, but my companion didn't like eating caprese warm; I'd order this again for $5.50), and we made the mistake of splurging on dessert (which was not on the HH menu) and got two outrageously overpriced and very disappointing Profiteroles and a poorly conceived Peanut Butter Bar. Live and learn -- bars, even bars in fancy Italian restaurants, are not known for their desserts.

The total was $52.42 before tip, $64 after. I wish we'd tried the Carpaccio ($8.50), the Formaggi del bel Paese ($7) and at least one Pizzette (7), so there may be a return trip, since my friend works at Sony and it's practically walking distance. I also think this would be a good spot for a foursome to get a little blitzed and split all of the dishes available.

One other note, although we didn't drink beer that night, The Peroni, Moretti, Blue Moon, Red Tail Ale and Rogue Shakespeare Stout are all $2 during HH, and when the guy at the next table got his Shakespeare Stout, he literally gasped at how large it was. It was mighty big. HH wine is $7 a glass, which doesn't seem that great a deal to me.

So that's it for UGO. There may be an addendum in the future. And next, I really MUST go to Stone Fire Pizza. I already know they have some of the best pizza in town, and the fact that it's all half price, plus all the apps, plus all the booze during Happy Hour propels them to the top of the list. Keep emailing me your suggestions. We'll get to them soon.

LUXE - Cafe Rodeo - What did we expect on Rodeo Drive?

Luxe Rodeo Drive
The Cafe Rodeo
360 N. Rodeo Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310-273-0300

Happy Hours: 4:00-7:30

Food - 8
Prices - 3
Service - 6
Bonus +2 for free parking around the corner
Total - 19

First, I should start by saying when one goes to Beverly Hills, one should expect everything to be a little pricier. I mean, this is the most famous zip code in the world, so of course, the Happy Hour will not be the same bargain we've come to know and love elsewhere, right? EXCEPT -- McCormick and Schmick's, just three blocks down, has an awesome Happy Hour with far better people watching and seriously killer prices, so c'mon Cafe Rodeo!

The food at the Luxe was good -- some great and some just okay -- but when the Ahi Tasters are $7 and you get two grape-sized wads of chopped ahi, it doesn't matter how good they are, that is a new definition of the term "taster." The truffle fries were killer good, but also pretty chintzy for $7, ditto for the very tasty $7 fish taco (which even our waitress referred to as, "really snack-sized"). On the opposite end was the overcooked fried chicken, the "carnitas" taco, which was actually pork belly that was really just a glob of pork fat, and the tiny and very overcooked (despite being ordered medium rare) "Filet Mignon" sliders, which were about as close to filet mignon as the ahi taster was to toro.

I stupidly ordered a margarita despite three martinis on the menu being only $3.60 (what can I say -- I had a hankering), and besides being $12, it was also the worst margarita I've ever had -- and that includes countless frat parties. Okay, I went to college in San Antonio, Texas, so my standards are high and folks there know a thing or two about margaritas, but this was so bad, I pressed them to tell me what was in it and it was (drum roll please...) tequila, sweet & sour and a squeeze of lime. That's it. No Triple Sec, no margarita mix, just basically a tequila sour, that really just tasted like watery tequila on the rocks. I had the bartender pour it into a tall glass and top it off with sweet & sour, so it was at least drinkable, but be warned -- this is not their specialty.

Here's what makes me so sad about this one, though -- a reader sent me a pic that she took of the menu not that long ago, and it was incredibly cheap. All of the apps were $3.60 during happy hour (and they looked delish), and there were a lot more drinks and beer for the same price. I understand that the economy is bad, but this is a radical departure from what one would consider a real happy hour. C'mon Luxe! Go back to the pricing of three months ago.

Some upsides -- there is a small sidewalk area with tables where one could enjoy dining outside and people watching, if you don't mind sitting in the entrance to the hotel with all its busy-ness, the crowd seemed young and fun, with people at the bar actually chatting it up with each other, and (God bless Beverly Hills for this), there is a parking garage a block and a half away (on Brighton, west of Rodeo) with free parking for two hours if you arrive before 6:00.

This would be an amazing Happy Hour if the Luxe would go back to its $3.60 drinks and food menu, and it probably would have gotten our highest rating, yet. But for two people who shared six tiny appetizers (and left hungry), had one margarita and two waters, the total was $57 before tip, $67 after, which for a happy hour, well...sucks.

Next up -- Rush Street in Culver City.
Fingers crossed for HH food & drinks as good as their lunch.
Also, please keep those cards and letters (ahem...suggestions) coming.
As you can see, we do eventually get around to checking them all out.

Barney's Beanery -- Bar, Bar, BAR food (cheap, tho)

Barney's Beanery
8447 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(323) 654-2287

Happy Hour 4:00-7:00, M-F

Food - 5
Prices - 9
Service - 8
Total - 22

Barney's Beanery has a lot of great things on the menu. Unfortunately, most of them are not on the Happy Hour menu (which is a pretty good deal). There are only five items on the HH menu, all for half price, so even though there were only 3 of us, we still tried all of them -- because that's just how dedicated we are to the cause! The food on that table could have easily satisfied five (mildly) hungry people, so this place would be a good bargain for a group.

The hot wings were the best thing we had, although they were a tad overcooked. The sauce was great - spicy, but not painful, and blue cheese dressing was given on request. Next best was the Irish nachos - nacho cheese and chili over potato chunks. Tasty, but gut-bustingly fattening. That was followed by the "trio of overfried" (mozzarella sticks, fried zucchini and chicken fingers) which was okay, but nothing special -- the chicken fingers were overcooked and the mozzarella was undercooked.

The atmosphere here is great -- good music, pool tables, plenty crowded with groups and singles, and if there is a game on somewhere, this is a great place to catch it. The wait staff was fine - kept our drinks filled and was neither absent nor intrusive.

We had another event that night, so weren't drinking, but the beer seemed to be a good deal. Three of us ate heartily, ice tea and water all around, and got out of there for under $40, big tip included. Again, five peeps could easily meet here, split the apps, have a beer and go home for under $10 each. It won't be great food, but it's good fun and a bargain in these tough economic times.

So tonight, off to the Getty for the Illuminated Manuscripts exhibit, followed by a trip to the Luxe to check out what looks to be the best Happy Hour, yet. A reader sent me a pic of the menu that she snapped with her cell phone, and I gotta say, this one appears mighty tempting. Will report back soon.

And, as always, if you've sampled any of the HHs reviewed here, feel free to add your two cents in the comments section.

Kung Pao Kitty - cheap and tasty, like the name implies

Kung Pao Kitty
6445 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 461-4481
Happy Hour 3:00-7:00

Food - 6.5
Prices - 10
Service - 8.5
Total - 25

Kung Pao Kitty is rewriting the definition of the word, "bargain." Nothing on the Happy Hour menu is over $5. NOTHING. So, being the experimenters we are, we ordered all of it.

My house sake ($3) was the same size as you'd get in any sushi bar and was fine. It wasn't the best sake I've ever had, but if you aren't a sake snob, it will do. It was certainly the least expensive sake I've ever had. I also think you can order it warmed, which will make it a bit smoother and tastier. My companion's chardonnay was $5 and he said it was nice. If we were staying longer, we'd have tried some of the $5 cocktails or $3 beer.

All of the apps are $3-5. We got the cream cheese wontons, the dumplings, the potstickers, the calamari, and the spring rolls. As you know, calamari is the baseline (that thing we judge everywhere) and this was the worst dish on the table - too greasy, not well cooked enough, and only rings (no little squid legs, which are the best part). If I were to order it again, I'd request well done. It needed to be crispier. The spring rolls were below average by east coast take-out standards, but that's where the disappointment ended.

The steamed dumplings were supremely flavorful, and though I found the potstickers to be a little too greasy -- four out of the five dishes were fried [ :-( ] my partner-in-crime thought they were delish. Where we totally agreed, and raved and raved, was the cream cheese wontons. Fried to a perfect crisp, hot, soft and tasty and with a sweet dipping sauce, these were well worth the $3. In fact, they were so good, it made us wish we'd gotten the chicken ones as well.

As far as atmosphere, it really wasn't a mingling crowd. Good for after work, but not for meeting strangers. Friendly staff, good space, and easy parking at 6:00. WARNING: Be very careful of the parking signage in Hollywood now - it's one hour parking at almost all meters until 8:00 p.m. on weekdays and until midnight on weekends. Guess the valet parkers have a stronger union than we realized. Or just contribute a lot of singles to their local councilman.

So, the verdict? Kung Pao Kitty was fun, cheap and tasty enough. Two of us got out of there with two drinks & five appetizers (which would have been enough for four people) for $29 before tip, $36 after. I honestly think four people could eat and drink for $15 each (but don't skimp on the waitress).

More folks are emailing with suggestions, and some restaurants are even asking us to check them out (or return, if we've been there before), so we'll get on that.

Ramping up for the summer, so expect -- hopefully -- one new review a week. And keep those cards and letters coming. Thanks!