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South Sound Happy Hours
by Volcano Staff
Apr 10, 2008
Cafe Divino
It’s interesting to me that while most people wouldn’t consider drinking beer with pasta dishes, many articles and experts on food-and-wine matching suggest beer for pizza. But red-sauced pastas are very similar in flavor to red-sauced pizzas. So why drink wine with one and beer with the other? And when you do see wine recommendations for pizza, it’s almost inevitably Italian Chianti. Nothing wrong with that, but it seems to me as much a knee-jerk reaction as the requirement to drink white wine with fish — all fish.
Why not experiment? Café Divino in Old Town Tacoma offers $6 pizzas and $6 glasses of Chardonnay, Cabernet and Shiraz 3-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Mix and match and tell me what you discover.
[Cafe Divino, 2112 N. 30th, Tacoma, 253.779.4226]
C.I. Shenanigans
REVIEWED APRIL 10, 2008: Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. and every evening from 9 p.m. to close. During these hours, all of Shenanigans’ bar snacks and appetizers are two for the price of one. We recommend the king crab quesadilla (corn tortillas, king crab meat, pepper jack cheese, green onions and spicy pico de gallo) for $11; the chicken pesto panini (half chicken panini, pesto mayo, basil, provolone cheese, tomato and red onion) for $9; the classic steamer clams (manila clams, wine garlic broth, fresh herbs) for $12; or the fresh fish and fries (enough said) for $12.
In the drink department during happy hour, Shenanigans delivers $3 microbrews, $4 select glass wines, $3 house wells and $5 refreshing cocktails. Here are a few of the refreshing cocktails that I enjoy: The fresh ’o’ mojito (Bacardi ’o’ rum, Cointreau, lime juice, fresh orange and a squeeze of fresh lime); one hot Mary! (Absolut Peppar, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, lemon squeeze and tomato juice); killer lime kamikaze (Grey Goose, fresh lime juice, and a touch of sweetness and fizz) and the classic cosmo (Grey Goose, Grand Marnier, lime and cranberry juice). Also, on Tuesday, you’ll find their bottles of wine for half price anytime after 6 p.m. — Natasha Gorbachev
[C.I. Shenanigans, 3017 Ruston Way, Tacoma, 253.752.8899]
Green Pup Sports Bar
REVIEWED JULY 10, 2008: The Green Pup is right next door to the Regal Cinema, and I’ve spent more than my fair share of time rockin’ it at the Green Pup before midnight shows, before or after early evening premiers, and even following some matinee bliss.
The Green Pup hosts some great specials that you should know about: Monday is military night with $1.75 pounders (I told you it was cheap!!), open pool tables and all-you-can-eat spaghetti until 8 p.m. On Taco Tuesday, you can get two tacos for $1. Each Wednesday, the dudes only have to pay $2 for wells. Thursday is ladies night and we girls get the $2 well deal. Fish and chips are just $5.95 on Fridays. A 12-inch two-topping pizza and a pitcher of domestic beer or pop is just $14.99.Last, but certainly not least, a six-inch two-topping pizza is $3.50 on Sundays.
[Green Pup Sports Bar, 2310 84th St. S., Lakewood, 253.584.5600]
Malarkey’s Pool & Brew
REVIEWED SEPT. 3, 2008: We grabbed the last three barstools, bellied up, and prepared to perk up with a Red Bull and vodka. Damn that shit’s tasty. Bartender Merilee was happy to hook us up with two of them for a mere $5. That’s right, I said FIVE DOLLARS. I don’t know if I’m used to paying Vegas prices of $14 a drink or what, but that was an outstanding price for two hefty drinks. Fortunately for Malarkey’s daytime alcoholic beverage consumers, happy hour runs all day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. These long hours of happiness also include $2 drafts to swell your belly and inebriate your brain. It’s not a good Monday unless you’re hung-over by five o’clock. At least that’s what Matt Driscoll tells me.
[Malarkey’s Pool & Brew, 445 Tacoma Ave. S., Tacoma, 253.383.3301]
Spud's Pizza Parlor
REVIEWED JULY 24, 2008: Monday through Friday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., you get to “pay for two, but get three.” That was music to my over-worked ears. They then handed us these sweet Spud’s play chips. We were drinking domestics, Coors Light for he and Bud Light for me, so two white chips and one orange equaled a beer. What was even more stellar was that all six beers were just $10. That’s hella cheap. They also offer complimentary happy hour pizza.
[Spud's Pizza Parlor, 7025 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.475.3366]
Wow’s Etc.
REVIEWED JUNE 12, 2008: Besides being well known for grilling up some morning-time greasy unborn chicken fetuses, WOW’s has one of the best happy hours I’ve ever seen. It also has one of the best nicknames for happy hour I’ve ever seen: “Lush Rush.” Oh, hell yeah. $2 wells and $2 cans from 4-6 p.m. will fill the needs of any local barfly, but I needed a tap beer. Pronto.
What beers are on tap, Steph DeRosa?
Oh, I thought you might ask. As a matter of fact, there are NO beers on tap. I just about wet my pants when the robotic bartender told me that. Do you know what this means? This means they have a cooler literally filled with ice, stashing all the sub-zero chilled golden beer goodness you could possibly imagine — all behind that tiny counter they call a bar. When What’s His Name (the robotic bartender who had no interest in smiling at me or talking to me) propped my beer on top of the bar, I got all giddy in my special spot as I watched the cold ice slide down the side. I had to take a moment to collect myself.
Then he did the unimaginable, something you just don’t find at most dive bars: he walked out from behind the bar, around to the kitchen, and brought me back a freezing cold glass for my freezing cold beer. A single tear departed my eye, and slowly crept down my check. Did I mention all of this beer was freezing cold? I love you, WOW’s etc.
[Wow’s Etc., 2704 N. 21st St., Tacoma, 253.759.3882]
