Paladar - A Latin Happy Hour

Humid and sticky 80-degree weather prompted a last minute HH with my #1 partner in crime, Cousin K. We decided to head to Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar, which is located on Chagrin Blvd. in Woodmere. A go-to hot spot in the area, Paladar is a chic, sexy restaurant that serves up tasty cocktails and food...all with a Latin flair.

When I first arrived, I was disappointed to find out that Paladar's HH specials are only good in the bar area...FAIL. Paladar boosts an amazing patio, which has great views of Eaton Square patrons and the silver foxes dining outside at Mitchell's Seafood. But because of its strict rule, I decided to go against my patio-loving instincts and snagged a high top for two in the small bar area.

I was greeted within seconds of sitting down and made a rash decision and ordered the Latin Beer of the Day ($3) off the HH menu. Cousin K soon arrived and decided on the mango margarita ($5). It was great to see that ALL flavored margaritas and mojitos were only $5! I later ordered a mango mojito which was minty, refreshing and delicious - perfect for a hot day.

Within about 30 mintues of getting there, the bar area became packed, mostly with the after-work crowd and a few cougars on the side. We ordered the HH portion of the spicy guacamole ($3.95), which came with crisp plantain chips and regular tortilla chips, but no salsa! :-( It was pretty good, but could have been a lot spicier. I must say that Paladar's HH food menu was a bit deceiving. In itty-bitty print at the bottom of the menu it lets you know that HH portions are smaller than regular portions, but they still seemed to be a great deal. Plus, it's an opportunity to sample several items from the menu at once. Some of HH food items that caught my eye were:

- Roasted Chicken Empanadas ($2.50)
- Crab & Mango Fritters ($3.95)
- Braised Beef “Ropa Vieja” ($1.95)
- Stuffed Arepas ($3.95)

In the end, Paladar is a great after-work spot for an inexpensive HH cocktail and some small, cheap, but yummy bites. So, if you are looking for a good indoor HH that's a bit more on the classy side, then Paladar is the place to be.

Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar
Happy Hour: Monday - Saturday from 3-7 p.m.
28601 Chagrin Blvd, Suite 900
Woodmere, OH 44122
Phn: (216) 896-9020

Patio Love - South Side in Tremont

I love Tremont. And the truth is, I rarely spend time there. Known for it's famous restaurants (Lolita, Fahrenheit, Parallax, etc.), Tremont is more like the burrows you see in big cities. Small, low-key bars and restaurants, adorned with 20-somethings, instead of the skeezers and barely-legal patrons of the Warehouse District.

South Side (SS) is a bar/restaurant I had always heard about, but never actually been to. So when my desire for a HH took over on a warm, Thursday afternoon, I checked out the website and immediately wanted to go. The menu looked delicious and the 1,000 sq ft indoor/outdoor patio looked like a little patch of heaven. I arrived at South Side a little before 6 p.m. and there was already a wait for a table on the patio. Luckily, I ran into some friends, so I just sat with them while I waited for Cousin K and a table. The atmosphere on the patio was great - it is surrounded by large trees and bushes and a large brick wall, which gave it a very friendly, cozy feel. I LOVE me a good patio.

Cousin K eventually arrived and we were seated directly next to our friends. I asked our server about any HH specials and she completely flaked out. She told us that draft beer, bottled beer, and some wines were on special, but didn't know the specific prices for each. This is why I hate when places don't have a separate HH menu. How am I supposed to know what to order? How am I supposed to know if I even got a "deal" when I get my bill? Ugh, annoyance.

I ordered a Blue Moon and Cousin K ordered a glass of pinot noir she was told was on special. Our drinks took a while to arrive, but by this point it was pretty busy, so it wasn't a huge deal. We quickly decided on what we wanted for an appetizer, despite all the mouth-watering options such as, chicken & waffles ($8.50), p.e.i. mussels with garlic and chorizo ($9) and the stuffed banana peppers ($9). In the end, we decided on the potato skins ($8.50) which were predictable, but yummy. For dinner, we both chose the Chilean sea bass with asparagus and lobster risotto ($18). After reading Green Dog Wine's review of it, I just had to have it! And let me just say, it was a GOOD choice. The fish was cooked just right and the risotto was creamy and delicious (you could actually see and taste the lobster!). Great meal overall.


We ordered a few more rounds of drinks before HH ended at 8 p.m., and then it came time to see the "damage." My 16oz Blue Moons were $3 and Cousin K's wines were $6.50 a piece during HH (normal price is $7). I was okay with my drink prices, but $6.50 for a glass of wine during HH? Insanity. Again, I am a true advocate of $5 glasses of wine during HH, otherwise it just doesn't seem like a deal...it's not like we were at Morton's, people! And the frustrating thing was that if the server had known the prices when we asked, Cousin K would have ordered something else and felt better about her HH savings.

Although the food was outstanding, SS's HH seemed to disappoint...just a bit. I would really like to see the HH specials spelled out somewhere - on the website, chalk board at the entrance, slip of paper given with the menus, OR from the server's mouth. However, the awesome patio and high quality food will definitely bring me back and I'll remember to keep ordering my $3 Blue Moons until 8 p.m. :)

View of downtown from outside South Side

South Side
2207 W. 11th Street
Cleveland, OH 44113
(216) 937-2288

Happy Hour at McCormick & Schmick's

So McCormick & Scmick's (M&S) is not the kind of place that screams happy hour (HH) (or cheap deals for that matter), but I'm always up for going off the HH beaten path. M&S is known as a pricey seafood chain restaurant, right next to Maggiano's, in yuppie-lovin Beachwood Mall. Surrounded by expensive stores and rich people, it's a great place to people watch and enjoy quality seafood close to home.

Friday was a beautiful spring afternoon, so my cousin Kelly (Cousin K) and I decided to venture to HH somewhere close to each of our prisons jobs. As a M&S virgin, I thought it was a fabulous idea - I always love trying new and different places, especially when a patio and nice weather are involved.

I was the first to arrive and scored an awesome table in the sun, right along the mall entrance. After I was seated, I immediately got the vibe that although this restaurant has an awesome HH, they aren't exactly "HH-friendly." I had to ask the server for a HH menu and later on, had to ask for plates, napkins and silverware. I realize the servers there are use to large, expensive tabs, but in this economy, any and all business should be welcomed (plus, as two ex-servers, Cousin K and I are generous tippers).

The HH menu was stacked, mostly with food, but hey, I'll take it. Select martinis were $5.25, Canon Road Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were $6 a glass and Bud Light bottles and select drafts were $3.25.
The martinis were average for a HH deal, but I was not pleased with the wine and beer prices. Domestic drafts and bottles should be lower than $3.25 to be considered a deal, I don't care where you are. And even though it's only a $1 difference, $5 for a glass of wine at HH seems so much more reasonable than $6. Call me crazy...

I started off with a strawberry-infused vodka martini. It was basically vodka mixed with daiquiri mix...not exactly "infused," but I liked it. Cousin K ordered the bloody mary martini which was tasty for all you bloody mary lovers out there and since we were both famished, we ordered asap. The deals seemed too good to pass up, so we went a little overboard and ordered mussels in a white wine and garlic broth ($3.95), deep fried pickle spears ($1.95), spicy potato croquettes ($1.95) and a roasted red pepper pesto pizza ($4.95).

Let me tell you, the food was AWESOME (and super cheap!) Here's a quick run down:
- Mussels: Fresh and huge! Garlic butter sauce was amazing and great to dip bread in.

- Pickles: SO good! Crisp and delish - the spicy ranch dipping sauce was a great compliment.
- Croquettes: Deep-friend deliciousness with a nice spicy kick!
- Pizza: Very saucy, so I loved it (I'm soo not Italian), could have used more pesto though.

All in all it was a good HH. The food options and prices were amazing, however the drink specials and quality left something to be desired. The atmosphere on the patio was very relaxed and provided a great venue for people watching (one of my fav past times). Definitely not your typical happy hour vibe, but a great place for a cheap dinner and good conversation!

Mc Cormick & Schmick's Seafood
26300 Cedar Road
Cleveland, OH 44122-1158
(216) 831-8100
Happy Hour Hours:
Monday—Friday 3:30pm—6:00pm and 9:00pm—Close
Saturday and Sunday 3:30pm—6:00pm Only
Happy Hour Menu