It's happy hour again, and again, and again. If you get that cultural reference, you’re probably a Gen-X with a penchant for cheap drinks and seven-layer dip.
If you don’t, the sentiment is still relevant because happy hours are here to enjoy daily. Regardless of your generation, everyone loves a deal, especially now that we’re all paying a bazillion dollars in rent or mortgage payments and apples are unfathomably overpriced. The Housemartins were way ahead of their time, and happy hours really are a good place to be.
Portland has been firmly on the happy hour trail for years, and here on the North Shore we are rapidly catching up on the calibre of late afternoon nibbles and tipples. It’s not a new concept by any means, and happy hour has been a globally recognized thing for decades. But now the menus are more thought-out, a touch more luxurious, and not just about cheap drinks. We can try out signature cocktails, appetizers, and share plates at some of the best restaurants in town in an affordable way.
They get more people in the door. We get delicious things for less. Everyone wins at life.
Well fed and early to bed
Get thee down to Burgoo and sample the tasters they offer. Share Caprese Nibbles and Mini Meatballs with a friend and tell them all about your gout. Grab a BBF (Beer, Burger, and Fries for those who can never remember acronyms) at Catch 122 and rejoice that you’ve broken your boring paleo diet. I’m telling you all this because I’m supporting your temporary life choices in the middle of your long-term ones. Rules are made to be broken, even if you are a responsible adult with proper leather shoes and a flourishing herb garden.
Wine with dinner? Not me. Happy hour menus offer more interesting options like a Negroni at Bufala in Edgemont or a Rose Sangria at Tap & Barrel that make me feel devil-may-care and wild even though I’m out on the town at 5 p.m. Not to be dramatic, but if you haven’t tried the rosemary-infused Fishworks Caesar you haven’t lived.
In my opinion, there is nothing better than knocking back a couple of stiff drinks, sharing some little plates of deliciousness, then home and pjs by 7 p.m. Unless you are extra exciting with a wild club life, it’s definitely the affordable way to go. Go for oysters at Beach House. Try the crab poppers at Angry Otter Tap & Forno. Squeeze in the short, scrumptious Aperitivo Hour at Farina a Legna.
More diners taking the happy hour approach
Eat well, goddammit, and don’t worry about acid reflux or whether things are covered in breadcrumbs. We’ve still got time to deal with extra calories and repetitive swallowing later. If you think about it, eating earlier in the day actually helps with our digestion and heartburn. So, take the “early bird approach,” and we might even sleep better. In fact, the more I think about it, the better this happy hour idea gets. It actually could become a new health craze for people who aren’t keen on going to the gym.
Random pickle questions. Why do so many places cater to our deep-fried pickle needs? Are we just odd here in British Columbia? Do any other places in the world think of deep-frying their gherkins?
I can’t possibly mention all of the go-to places in our area, but all you have to do is look up “best happy hours on the North Shore” on the internet web thingy and it will give you a list of excellent places to go before you pull on your lounge wear and settle in for the night. You can watch a whole movie afterwards without falling asleep much. There’s plenty of time to drink herbal tea and let everything “go down.” You are absolutely killing it.
Happy hour is a wickedly brilliant escape in the darkest days of winter and a magical time on shimmering summer days. Going out early is not just for the oldies anymore. It’s chic and acceptable now. Relax, meet friends and family, and for just a couple of hours forget about the price of apples. Your share plate might even cost less than a bag of organic galas. That has to be a happy place.
North Vancouver’s Jackie Bateman is an award-winning author, screenwriter, copywriter, and extremely nosy if you get too close. [email protected]
