Happy Hours

*** Happy Hour at David Burke’s Park Ave Kitchen, Midtown, NYC

A dozen of us met at David Burke's Park Ave Kitchen, midtown, for drinks and nibbles from their happy hour menu. This HH menu is one of those that can easily be dinner. I ordered the sliders, not noticing the word "stack,"  as I had dreamt of DB's bacon. On this menu, instead of his traditional hanging, bacon was offered only on the slider. I ordered and devoured about half of that $15 plate, which included three hefty, perfectly cooked mini-burgers on potato buns, stacked on a base of fries. Three of my fellow attendees happily helped devour it. Others tried his deviled eggs ($9 for three) and various rolls [...]

By |2026-02-04T11:07:14-05:00February 4th, 2026|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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*Happy Hour at Barlume, Gramercy, NYC

As I was walking toward Barlume to sample their Happiest Hour, I realized that the new Mediterranean restaurant, which opened on Broadway in January in the space where Beecher's had been.  If you missed it, Beecher's was a cheese shop offering free samples of their award-winning cheddar and a restaurant serving what was claimed to be the “world’s best” mac & cheese. It was that good.  I had high hopes for Barlume, where I stopped by for their $15 martini and fries offering from 4 to 6 p.m. daily. I was seated outside, close to the grate where the Lexington Avenue subway passed underneath —a fun spot for people-watching. Service [...]

By |2025-10-18T09:44:15-04:00October 18th, 2025|Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Return to **Happy Hour at Sagaponack, Flatiron, NYC

One of my women's groups met for our monthly happy hour at Sagaponack, on 22nd just off Fifth Avenue, for their daily happy hour that starts at 11:30 am. Some sipped their spicy margaritas ($9), while most opted for their $5 glasses of wine. We nibbled on fresh oysters ($1 each), cocktail shrimp ($1 each), shishito peppers ($7), and Parmesan fries ($7) while discussing more abundant food offered at happy hours around town. "I-495" Happy Hour details as of 08.06.25 Hours: 11:30 am – 6:30 pm, daily What’s happy?    $1 oysters, $4 tequila or bourbon shooters, $5 gazpacho dressed oyster and vodka shooter; $5 - $7 wines and beer; [...]

By |2025-09-21T11:13:20-04:00September 11th, 2025|Happy Hours, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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***Happy Hour + Cuisine from Rivera Maya at Richard Sandoval’s tán, Midtown, NYC

I recently discovered tán, a taste of Rivera Maya's Tulum with a seafood-focused menu by Chef Richard Sandoval and Chef Jonatán Gómez Luna Torres featuring coastal Mexican fare with bold flavors inspired by both their travels and heritage. It's got fabulous food and impeccable, attentive service that's not to be missed. We started with their happy hour, enjoying their tasty guacamole served with tlayudas (crunchy tortillas), then headed upstairs for dinner. Crazy people that we were on the steamy night, we opted for the outdoor area that made it reminiscent of a night in Tulum on the Yucatán coast. There we started with their Tán Ceviche ($26) with lobster, shrimp and bay scallops [...]

By |2025-08-11T07:08:36-04:00September 3rd, 2025|Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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**Happy Hour at Ardesia Wine Bar, Hell’s Kitchen + Trophy Boys

Ardesia Wine Bar is right across 52nd Street from MCC Theatre, where we were heading to see the Trophy Boys with four students prepping for a debate on feminism, which had more at stake than a contest. We decided to take advantage of their happy hour outside since the weather was nice. My dining partner ordered an Aperol Spritz, I had their martini ($10 each).  We then ordered two of each of the happy hour offerings except the portobello fry cup, as recommended by our server. We enjoyed a nicely seasoned deviled egg ($2 each—though I prefer mine spicier), a mini chicken taco ($2), a shrimp skewer ($4), a mini [...]

By |2025-07-26T14:48:53-04:00August 27th, 2025|Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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Happy Hour at Mermaid Inn, Chelsea, NYC + AIA Architecture Boat Tour

A group of us took another AIANY (American Institute of Architects New York) Boat Tour on the Classic Harbor Line from Pier 62 at Chelsea Piers around Manhattan Island, which is always an excellent and informative experience. After the tour, one couple suggested we go to the Mermaid Inn in Chelsea, as they had just started their happy hour. It's a casual seafood bistro with outdoor seating. Some of us started with the happy hour $10 cocktails ($10, Hugo Spritz, Margarita, Old Fashioned), and one indulged in the zero-proof Mojito ($12). Some indulged in most of the happy hour offerings, including their mini clam chowder ($3.75), oysters (minimum 6, at [...]

By |2025-07-18T17:30:27-04:00August 13th, 2025|Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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***Happy Hour Creatures Rooftop, Chelsea, NYC

The entrance to Creatures Rooftop inside the Hotel Almeda High Line is far west on 27th Street, between 9th and 10th Avenue. We were invited to sample their Happy Hour fare. The first thing I noticed as we exited the elevator was the spectacular views, including the Empire State Building to the East, the Hudson River to the West, and the Edge, the Hudson Yards observation deck. (The perspective is off in this panorama!) Next, their hospitable team, including our attentive hostess, Jemis, took care of us. They're well-trained in service, meeting our needs and those of other guests. I always admire that. I started with my summer drink, a [...]

By |2025-08-02T06:47:44-04:00August 2nd, 2025|Happy Hours, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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**Happy Hour at Mermaid Inn, Times Square, NYC + John Proctor, The Villain

We grabbed a bite during The Mermaid Inn's Times Square happy hour, as my theatre-going friends are oyster lovers. That and it was close to the theatre where we were heading to the Tony-winning play, John Proctor the Villain, which I would recommend.  During happy hour, the restaurant offers the chef's choice of oysters for $2 each, with a minimum of six.  In addition to the oysters, we tried the fried calamari ($11), which was almost entirely composed of fried coating. I'd skip the lobster roll ($26), as it the crustacean wasn't very fresh. What I'd recommend is the country-fried free-range chicken, served with jalapeño cheddar cornbread and braised collard greens, [...]

By |2025-06-28T10:39:29-04:00July 7th, 2025|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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**Happy Hour at Aqua, Flatiron-Gramercy, NYC

A group of us met for happy hour at Aqua, a relatively new restaurant located in the former WeWork space on Broadway, which serves Italian and Japanese cuisine in a cavernous space. The one-star rating is not due to quality but rather because of the limited options. The sushi is good, with two options, attractively presented. I sampled their espresso martini ($12 for happy hour). One person had their cocktail special, a spicy passion fruit margarita, while others sipped the happy hour wines ($10). Like many websites, Aqua is not up-to-date with pricing. As of today, June 1, the cocktails are listed at $12; they're now $16. Happy Hour details [...]

By |2025-07-05T08:01:32-04:00July 1st, 2025|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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***Happy Hour Tao Uptown, Midtown, NYC

Our ex.expat New York group New York group began hosting happy hour gatherings on the first Wednesday of every month. This time, we chose the stylish Pan-Asian eatery, Tao Uptown. What we loved about this happy hour was the spacious lounge with comfortable seating, which made chatting much easier than sitting on bar stools. The highlight was their martini flights presented on a carousel, allowing you to choose three mini martinis for $15. The options included lemon drop, dirty martini, cosmopolitan, lychee martini and appletini. The only downside: the restaurant didn’t have enough holders or glasses, and servers would take them away as soon as one was finished. I would [...]

By |2025-06-01T06:58:01-04:00June 13th, 2025|Happy Hours, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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**Happy Hour, Irregulars, Upper East Side, NYC

Arriving early to meet my friends for an evening of trivia at the Irregulars on the Upper East Side, I grabbed an espresso martini before the gals arrived. I connected with Mike Eagan, the owner, who highly recommended their housemade meatballs from the happy hour menu ($13).  Mike mentioned that recently, his mom had come into the kitchen and made 500 of them. I had to sample them. He is right! Don't miss these three pickleball-sized meatballs. I sopped up every drop of the sauce using the herbed garlic bread in the bowl. I recommend Irregulars's happy hour with each HH offerings that could make a meal, at least for [...]

By |2025-05-11T07:05:16-04:00May 12th, 2025|Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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**Happy Hour at Café D’Alsace, Upper East Side, NYC

Most everyone loves traditions. That's what we were hoping to start when we met at Café D'Alsace on the first Wednesday on the month. A few of us showed up enjoyed their discounted cocktails during happy hour. I sampled their refreshing Hugo Spritz made with St. Germain, fresh mint and sparkling wine ($12) and with that I indulged in their housemade truffle fries ($6). I'd recommend a stop in for their happy hour. **Happy Hour details as of 02.05.2025 Hours: 5 to 7 pm, daily What’s happy? $12 specific cocktails, $7 beer, $10 wine & bubbly, plus 3 small plates.  Charcuterie, $14, Cheese selections $6 for one chunk, [...]

By |2025-06-11T11:31:52-04:00March 10th, 2025|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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***Happy Hour at The Standard Grill + City Winery

Before heading to City Winery for the Joel Chasnoff show, we stopped in at The Standard for their incredible happy hour offerings. We nibbled popcorn ($5) and fries ($5) along with our drinks of French Seventy-Five ($9) of vodka (replacing the classic gin) citrus oleo, lemon and topped with champagne and a spiced plum spritz ($9) with honeysuckle vodka, plum liqueur, hibiscus tea lemon vermouth, wormwood and bubbles. After our snacks, we sampled their hearty portions of sliced steak with fries ($25), king salmon with vegetables and grilled chicken paillard ($15). We three concluded that upon return, we'd each order the chicken. Off we went for lots of laughs at [...]

By |2025-02-08T13:54:11-05:00February 8th, 2025|Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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**Happy Hour at Sagaponack, Flatiron, NYC

We were interviewing a potential new New York Ex-Expats group member who was meeting a friend at Sagaponack for $1 oysters and bubbly during their happy hour. I was unfamiliar with the restaurant, even though it was in my hood. I had to try it. You might recognize the name as an affluent town in the Hamptons, a fact that came up while playing a trivia game about the Big Apple. I recently met friends there to sample their fare. Love that their I-495 happy hour runs from 11:30 am until 6:30 with a  tagline, "Drink, but don't drive through the I-495!" From those offerings, I partook in a $5 [...]

By |2024-12-27T16:53:01-05:00January 31st, 2025|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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**Happy Hour at Haven Rooftop, Theatre District, NYC + Left on Tenth

I had a crazy day, with a funeral uptown to picking up a friend after their medical procedure on First Avenue, so instead of heading downtown to my home, I stopped in Haven Rooftop for a glass of wine before meeting my friend at "Left on Tenth."  Julianna Margulies is on stage in Delia Ephron’s memoir about reconnection and love. I recommend. Lucky me, it was happy hour from 4 to 6 pm. I sipped a glass of their cabernet ($9) and enjoyed the slider ($6) and the cauliflower bites ($12), both of which I would recommend. Skip the bready spring rolls ($12) Happy Hour details as of 11.26.2024 Hours:  [...]

By |2025-07-18T12:14:48-04:00January 5th, 2025|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rambling|0 Comments
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**Happy Hour at LS Social NYC, Chelsea, NYC

LS Social is a fairly new neighborhood cozy and casual cocktail bar on 17th Street near Union Square. I chose it to meet a new friend for a drink because it was close to home, as I had an upcoming Zoom board meeting to attend. I was early, the first customer that day, so I began chatting with Ron, the owner, who opened this—his first restaurant about two years ago—and Michael, the bartender. I liked their flavorful white Negroni made with gin, Lillet blanc and vermouth blanc, as the New Amsterdam gin was not juniper-forward, giving a smooth taste to the cocktail.  My friend first sampled their Sturm Collio Pinot [...]

By |2024-11-29T09:36:41-05:00November 22nd, 2024|Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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***Happy Hour Springs Tavern and Grill, East Hampton, New York

On an overcast weekend in East Hampton late summer, we visited Springs Tavern and Grill for their delightful happy hour menu. On our first round of margaritas, three of us had the regular; one tried the frozen refreshing blood orange one, although the sweetness made it more like a dessert. With that, we shared their delectable steamed mussels ($14) with garlic, herb butter, white wine and a soupçon of cream, then topped with fries; plus the mouthwatering Mediterranean platter ($15) that included housemade hummus — a regular and herbaceous green version with basil, a little mint and garlic — plus marinated olives, pita points and grana padano. I loved that [...]

By |2025-04-14T08:00:27-04:00November 5th, 2024|Happy Hours, USA Restaurants|0 Comments
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*Happy Hour Mediterranean ZIZI, Chelsea, NYC

One temperate night, I met a neighbor at ZIZI (formerly Zizi Limona), a modern Mediterranean restaurant on Eighth Avenue. Emmit, our server, mentioned that it was still happy hour and explained the offerings that included a martini selection from their few varieties and $6 off the small z's "3Z's" appetizer selection. I chose an espresso martini that included Spring 44 vodka, Luxardo espresso liqueur and espresso. We then selected their roasted head of cauliflower, the four falafel balls and the crazy baba (a blend of charred eggplant, feta and basil) with four large, warm pita ($23). We did order an entree but had no room for it, as we were [...]

By |2025-04-14T08:00:41-04:00October 8th, 2024|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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**Happy Hourat Rick Bayless’s Tortazo, Times Square, NYC + Doubt

I've meant to try Rick Bayless's Tortazo since it opened near Times Square about a year ago. I learned to love this Chicago restaurateur's food at Frontera Grill and Topolobampo. Tortazo is a modified version of Rick’s popular airport outlets. One opened in NoMad in 2021. Times Square area is his second NYC location. This Michelin-starred chef features antojitos — Mexican bites—at Tortazo. Some are available during happy hour when I slipped in before heading to Roundabout Theatre to see Liev Schreiber in Doubt, the Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony Award-winning 2004 play. The drama teaches the potentially destructive consequences of being too certain about anything.  I recognized the fabulous flavors [...]

By |2025-04-14T08:01:13-04:00April 5th, 2024|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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*Happy Hour Rangoon, Chelsea, NYC + Philadanco! Intangible at The Joyce

After my Zumba class, I grabbed a nibble at Rangoon, a Burmese restaurant close to The Joyce Theatre, where I saw Philadanco!, the Philadelphia Dance Company, presenting Intangible. I selected the Keema Paratha, one of their signature dishes: Indian-style flatbread stuffed with spicy ground beef ($12). It's a spicy snack I'd recommend, but watch out for the very hot red pepper strips. The tasty happy hour Pegu Club cocktail of vodka, orange curacao and lime was $5 off from noon until 6 ($12). Satiated, off I went to meet my friend at The Joyce to see the amazing dance company. Happy Hour details as of 2.10.2024 Hours: 12 to 6 [...]

By |2025-04-14T08:01:39-04:00March 19th, 2024|Happy Hours, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews|0 Comments
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