Beachfront 301 / 25 Degrees (August 31, 2011)

Danielle

Me: Beachfront, we have to break up.

Beachfront: But you didn’t event come inside the doorway for happy hour.

Me: I know. It’s not you, it’s me.

Now first off, don’t get me wrong. I work in Huntington Beach and love the community dearly, but I realized today why I no longer hit the downtown scene. Its just not for me,and thats okay since it IS for some people and many love it. In fact, it scares me a bit, depending on the night. We set out to give HB an honest effort due to limited time after work on a Wednesday night and the possibilities a beachfront scene may hold. Because Labor Day is here, we decided to switch nights since many will be travelling for the weekend (including myself) so we decided to hit Beachfront 301. Beachfront was virtually empty, but then again, it WAS a Wednesday night. I didn’t go inside so I can’t say much either way about the joint, so all I can say is that I bet it makes for a good vibe to sit outside on the patio with a large group of your friends. Therefore, Plan B (not yet established) was set into motion.

We stumbled upon 25 Degrees, a place I had always wanted to try but had forgotten about. It felt like a safe refuge from the outside world we had just encountered--especially looking out at “singledom” which at one moment appeared as two guys walking by 25 Degrees, one of which had no shirt on.  Really, after 7pm, you should wear a shirt. Then I saw what he was sporting..a huge tattoo on his back with “Trust No Bitch” scrawled on it. I love tattoos on men; however, I appreciate the artistic ones and/or ones with meaning.

I loved the decor with the deep colored walls, black chandeliers, and wall decor. It was just my style! It wasn’t very busy but the crowd was diverse and everyone seemed to have the same vibe of just enjoying an evening drink. I had the bacon-wrapped dates from the happy hour menu. They were as expected--just like everywhere else. The tempura fried beans were tasty. I had to order the burger since it was their specialty and I’m a burger critic. I had mine with St. George cheese, caramelized onions, and garlic aioli. Wow, so good!! It’s now my 2nd favorite in OC (1st place remains with Crow Bar). The bartender was extremely nice, witty, and attentive (a win, win, win!).

I will definitely come back here for happy hour or any other time. I’d like to check it out on a busier night!

Food: ★★★☆☆ (limited happy hour menu for me) but the burger would get a 5!

Service: ★★★★☆

Price: ★★★☆☆

Ambience: ★★★★☆

Overall: ★★★☆☆

S Factor: ★☆☆☆☆ (it was a Wednesday night, after all)

Candice

So, here’s my scoop. Although I’ve lived in HB for over five years and worked in HB for over four of those years, admittedly I’ve only hung out in downtown HB a handful of times.  There is nothing wrong with the area, in fact, it is an entertaining, sometimes tourist infested, bustling popular locale that definitely has its signature personality and charm. The ocean breeze is always refreshing but my preference for heading in that direction is typically for a lengthy run along the beach strand or hanging out at the dog beach with my friends.  However, I have not passed up an opportunity to explore downtown when offered -- it is just that it is typically not my first choice with so many other wonderful choices of hidden cafes, bars, and restaurants speckled throughout HB.  So, after making a quick scan of Beachfront 301 and deciding on skipping it this time around, we thought we would take a walk and check out the busy spots- and specifically the male patrons.  Somehow though, we just could not get our foot pass the threshold into the noisy bar scenes filled with boisterous, beer-loving, tattoo-branded young men. So instead, we entered into 25 degrees.  In short, it was not that bad.  The S factor picked up as we were preparing to leave and prior to that, the only single man worth a second look was our bartender. Unfortunately, the ring on his finger forced me to glance elsewhere, but the crowd was overall pleasant and no entertainment would be told for that evening.  The food was decent, but I was disappointed there was no happy hour burger given the place is known for their burgers.  Regardless, I took interest in the chicken wings and the tempura green beans, both of which were filling and flavorful.  My drink of choice was well-crafted and tasty, but very light on the alcohol, which I suppose was a good thing for me during a mid-week outing.  The service from the bartender made up for the overall experience, but I probably would continue on and check out other establishments before heading back into this one.  If you have not been and need a little peace and quiet from the entertaining locals while in downtown, this place is certainly worth a first look especially if you crave a made-to-order burger.

Food: ★★☆☆☆ (for happy hour menu)

Service:★★★★☆

Price: ★★★☆☆

Ambience: ★★★☆☆

Overall: ★★★☆☆

S Factor:★☆☆☆☆

Menu options for happy hour include:
green & yellow beans
chili honey chicken wings
bacon wrapped dates
1/2 heirloom tomato salad
boback hot dog
spicy tuna (2 pieces)


Cocktails include:
well cocktails -$4
red and white wines -$5
miller high life -$2.50
PBR -$2.50

To visit 25 Degrees, please click here. 

Taleo (August 26, 2011)

Danielle

My girlfriends and I went to Taleo a month or so ago on a Thursday evening and had a great time so we decided to include the spot on our list of places to hit for the happy hour blog. Here’s the rationale for our thinking: there are so many businesses around that area but fewer happy hour spots so we assume that men will hit whatever is around on the way home from work or walk from the office to the nearest watering hole. Anyway, I expected it to be busy at 5pm on a Friday so we got there a little early to get a spot out on the patio since it was a beautiful day. We had prime seating with the two of us single girls facing out seated on a couch against the wall ready to stalk our prey--I mean, check out the scene (Don’t worry, our “couple” friends were seated across a small table from us so we didn’t look like we were on a “girl date.”). Well, my melting was definitely not rewarded with the sight of a load of hot business men rolling in after work to wind down with a cocktail. Although the patio was quite lovely and the weather perfect, it was dead, unless you count the gray panther party who settled into a large table directly across from us. I excused myself to the restroom to check out the updates at the bar area – busy but “couple-y” or uninteresting. Our previous Thursday visit there definitely provided a more diverse crowd than this Friday visit. The food and service did not disappoint. We had the nachos carnitas, bbq pork sliders, and the four piece shrimp boat all of which were fantastic! I really love their food, especially anything with the carnitas. The shrimp boat sounded funky but was delish! This time around, the cocktails weren’t as stiff as before so that was a bit disappointing but the food made up for it.

Food: ★★★★☆

Service: ★★★★☆

Price: ★★★☆☆

Ambience: ★★★☆☆ (great patio area)

Overall: ★★★☆☆

S-factor: ☆☆☆☆☆

Candice

So one of my friends who have been following our blog gently reminded me that my happy hour reviews seem to falling short of describing what should be one of the main highlights – the “s” factor.  In other words, what about the single men?!? Well, although I love to eat and drink and can happily describe those perks of happy hour, truth be told, nothing much has been said about the single scene because unfortunately there is nothing all that noteworthy yet to tell.  I could easily recap our most recent happy hour excursion to Taleo on a Friday afternoon, specifically our experience with good service quality, reasonable food and drinks, but….what about the s-factor you ask?  Well, the male patrons were either not single or certainly not worth mentioning in this blog (re-read Danielle’s part of the blog).  Seriously, what the heck?  Where do the available, decent, single men venture out on a Friday evening in Orange County?  We know where to look once football season hits full swing, but in the meantime, let’s talk about the present.  This has been our dilemma for quite some time now and hence, why Danielle and I have set out on a mission to do some of the grunt work for all those single ladies interested in some good networking.  Sigh…I’ll be keeping you posted.  Let the adventure continue…

Food: ★★★☆☆

Service: ★★★★☆

Price: ★★★☆☆

Ambience: ★★☆☆☆

Overall: ★★★☆☆

S-factor: ☆☆☆☆☆

The scoop on Taleo happy hour:

4-7pm daily, all night Sunday & Monday

For $5, you can get:

2 fish tacos

2 carnitas tacos

2 chicken tacos

2 ground sirloin tacos

Nachos carnitas

3 bbq pork sliders

Teriyaki beef skewers

Also offered:

Carnitas quesadilla $6

Moe’s chicken salad $6

Four piece shrimp boat $7

Shrimp ceviche $8

Drinks:

$5 margaritas

$6 premium margaritas

$4 draft beer

Chardonnay $5

Pinot grigio $6

Merlot $6

Happy hour mojitos $6

Happy hour sangria $6

Click here to go to Taleo's site

Auld Dubliner (8/19/2011)

Danielle

To be honest, Auld Dubliner was Plan B since all the tables at Ra Sushi were taken and I hate to be the vulture standing by tables pressuring people to wrap up their bill payment. We made our way to the bar as we figured this would be prime seating for people-watching and “casing the joint.” The ambiance is what you would expect in an Irish pub so no surprises there, and my nose got acclimated to the musty smell permeating the corner of the bar area after sitting for a while. It was very loud. I know, I know, before you say it…it IS a pub. However, the volume was from a particular bar staff member who may not have had that “inside voice” switch and continually violates OSHA standards. It was in good fun because the person made up for it in service and attentiveness. The crowd was very mixed and the numbers kept pouring in as 6PM approached. The crowd ranged from “after work” groups of professional men or mixed men/women, solo gals at the bar (go girl!), and frat-type boys. The food selection of “bar food” was quite good for a pub. I had the corned beef tacos—unique and delish. I also had the “spicy potatoes” which were basically baby new potatoes deep fried and tossed in hot sauce then topped with blue cheese. Although they sounded somewhat different, I wouldn’t recommend those. The service was quick despite the crowd and the staff was very accommodating if an order was inaccurate or misleading (my friend ordered the Ahi tacos expecting them to be cooked so they gladly took them back and cooked them). After walking out, I realized the prime seating was outside on the patio (which was almost empty when we came in). Speakers play music into the patio and there is ample seating at tables. It’s in a great location to draw in local professionals and to also get out of there and check out other places if the crowd is dead.

Food:  ★★★☆☆ (because of my corned beef tacos)

Service: ★★★☆☆

Price: ★★☆☆☆

Ambience: ★★★☆☆

Overall: ★★★☆☆

Candice

Consider it your typical Irish bar happy hour--an open, fairly crowded bar area with multiple television screens airing football in the background, diverse groups of men, and plenty of beer.  The happy hour menu was standard fare and a bit over-priced considering the ambiance in which the food was being presented.  Of course, the beer selection was fairly good and my taste buds craved a Belgian white beer (Hoegaarden) and some Ahi fish tacos.  Okay, so it wasn’t your traditional Irish fare, but it was alright.  Despite the bar area becoming progressively crowded over time, the service was genuine.  The bartender was attentive and checked up on us frequently.  There was a mixed age range and a decent ratio of men to women (more so in our favor), which is always welcomed in my book.  Overall, it was a pleasant experience for me given my earlier disappointment of hoping to find empty seats across the way at RA sushi and finding none.  The location of the bar is fantastic so if the crowd happens to be less than appealing during your visit, you can easily walk to another happy hour spot in hopes of a lucky strike. 

Food: ★★☆☆☆

Service: ★★★☆☆

Price: ★★☆☆☆

Ambience: ★★★☆☆

Overall: ★★★☆☆

Memphis and Ecco (July 29, 2011)

Danielle

Being a Southern girl with a long history of cooking homemade meals for family, I’ve never loved Memphis as much as other Californians. I decided to give happy hour a shot because both the menu and “deal” seemed fabulous. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and variety of food for the price.  The cheap drinks were also stiff which equates to a win-win! I had the mini meatloaf sandwich, the golden popcorn shrimp (addicting small cornmeal crusted goodness), and southern crab cakes (meh…). I also taste tested my friend’s pulled pork sliders.  The service was fantastic and our waitress was very attentive despite the patio being busy. The ambience was “down home.” You could be seated inside at the bar or outside on the patio (our choice). Being seated outside makes it difficult to scope out the other patrons and monitor the comings & goings of the bar area. There were absolutely no single men (with the exception of someone’s dad sitting at the bar) there during the time we were there between 5- 6:30PM.

Food: ★★ ★☆☆

Service: ★★★★☆

Price: ★★★★★

Ambience: ★★★☆☆

Overall: ★★★☆☆

On a side note, we crossed the street and dropped in Ecco. We discovered we had 30 minutes left of happy hour. I had not been here since Aire Global Cuisine closed years ago. The ambience was hip and open (perfect for people watching). The small bar crowd was interesting because it was so mixed (race, style, age). It started to get busy around 7:30 when we had to head out to meet friends; however, it seemed “couple heavy.” We did not have any food since we had just eaten at Memphis and had not planned to hit a 2^nd happy hour spot. It definitely warrants a better report so I’d head back on another day to update.

Food: N/A

Service: ★★★☆☆

Price: ★★★☆☆

Ambience: ★★☆☆☆

Overall: ★★★☆☆

Candice

I have never been to Memphis Café in Costa Mesa and so had no expectations, being that it was a small unpretentious-looking building located on an isolated lot.  I was also pleased with the quality of food and well-priced stiff drinks to pair.  I chose the Zumi flatbread and the Bloody Mary.  The food was fantastic.  The flatbread came out in a pizza-style but was warm, dense, and flavored with a cornmeal crust that was perfectly toasted.  Of the selection of foods among myself and friends, the flatbread was my choice for the evening.  All the other selections were decent but not as flavorful as the flatbread. The drinks were well-made with just the right kick each time and reasonably priced for its stiffness. Although the patio area catered toward a mellow mix of people, it was not a place for people watching (at least not the evening we were present).  Good service and food, nice people and crowd, but nothing interesting to note during this particular outing.  For those single ladies out there, not a priority choice for a total package “hot spot.”  

Food:   ★★★★☆

Service: ★★★★☆

Price: ★★★★☆

Ambience: ★★★☆☆

Overall: ★★★☆☆

Although my friend would give Ecco another chance, I’d rather spend my time in search for a better alternative.  Yes, the interior was well-decorated in an eco-friendly modern design and the place felt trendy, the overall energy and vibe felt low.  We sat at the bar area and the happy hour drink and food specials had a varied selection but nothing stood out as impressive.  The location is pretty nice and I would swing by again if I happened to be around there. 

Food: N/A

Service: ★★☆☆☆

Price: ★★☆☆☆

Ambience: ★★☆☆☆

Overall: ★★☆☆☆

The deals:

Memphis (2920 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa)

$5 HAPPY HOUR FOOD

Everyday 3:00pm to 6:30pm
Late night Wednesday & Thursday 9:30pm to Midnight
$1 off Beer and Wine by the glass

housemade pizza
roasted tomato garlic sauce, fresh tomatoes, okra, chicken andouille sausage

steamed mussels and clams
trinity, chicken andouille sausage, white wine-tomato broth

mini meatloaf sandwich
aged cheddar, housemade barbeque sauce, mayo, lettuce

golden popcorn shrimp
with roasted jalapeño tartar sauce

zuni flatbread
sage pesto, corn salsa, pepper jack cheese with smoked chicken add $1

chicken and shrimp gumbo-bowl
smoked chicken, shrimp, okra, chicken andouille sausage, steamed rice

southern crab cakes
herb salad, smoked tomato beurre blanc

goat cheese and beet salad
arugula, fresh roasted beets, pecan crusted goat cheese, roasted garlic vinaigrette, yam chips

pulled pork sliders
spicy slaw, hawaiian bun, house made barbecue sauce

HAPPY HOUR DRINK SPECIALS

baybreeze
bloody mary
cape cod
cuba libre
fuzzy navel
greyhound
gimlet
madra

margarita
tequila sunrise
tom collins
salty dog
screwdriver
seabreeze
vodka collins
whiskey sour

$5 Memphis Favorites

memphis mint julep
evan williams bourbon, sugar, fresh mint served over ice

pink lemonade martini
ketel one citreon vodka, raspberry liqueur, sour mix, fresh lime, pineapple shaken and served up with a sugared rim

rye whiskey manhattan
old overholt straight rye whiskey, splash of antica formula vermouth, dash of bitters shaken and served up with a cherry

seven & seven
seagrams 7 american whiskey, sprite served over ice

Ecco (2937 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa)

5-7PM  Monday-Friday

Appetizers:

½ wood grilled artichoke $6

Meatballs $5

Marinated olives $4

Bruschetta $5

Calamari fries $6

Ecco personal pizza $8

Chopped salad $5

House fries $4

Beverages:

KS Summerlight $3

Seasonal beer $4

House red or white wine $6

Well martini $6

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar (July 22, 2011)

Danielle
We decided to begin the happy hour adventure at Fleming’s to try the “5 for $6 til 7” which includes 5 cocktails/wines/apps for $6 each until 7 PM. I got there right at opening at 5 PM and all the outside tables (prime spot) were taken so get there early for your choice of spot! I managed to save a couple of bar stools for my 2 friends. The bartender was nice enough to put glasses of water and napkins there to help me keep incoming patrons at bay. The food quality was great, and the portions were decent for the price for each. The selection was okay, definitely not for a vegetarian (but why is a vegetarian at the steak place, you ask?). I had the Cajun shrimp which were awesome, especially with the bread dipped in the sauce. I also had the mushroom ravioli, also fabulous. I am not much for minimally cooked red meat or calamari so that excluded two of the other options. The crowd seemed to range from mid 30s to 60s, with the majority in the 50s-60s. Perhaps a good spot if you are looking for a sugar daddy? The crowd changed a lot from 5pm to 7pm as people filed out to go elsewhere and a “new crew” (couples, cougars, loud tourist types) moved in. Once the new crew came in, we skipped out to head elsewhere. 

Food: ★★★☆☆

Service: ★★★☆☆

Price: ★★★☆☆

Ambience: ★★☆☆☆

Overall: ★★★☆☆


Candice

If you have never been to Flemings but wanted to check it out, the happy hour would be a worthwhile opportunity to scope out the scene, and especially to consume their perfectly-grilled, tasty, juicy, and generous sized burger under their happy hour menu.  Other than this, the food and drink selection was narrow.  The drinks of my choice for the evening were a pomtini and a clear cosmo, of which both were light and refreshing, and not the least bit stiff.  I also enjoyed the sweet chili calamari, which had a sweet and tangy glaze that gave it a kick of Asian flavor, however there was nothing memorable to the dish.  I was content with the Fleming’s prime burger in and of itself and focused my attention on the atmosphere.  The age of the happy hour diners definitely leaned toward the 50’s age range and most patrons seemed to keep to themselves or their own groups despite sitting side-by-side strangers at a bar.  Not the most interesting place for people watching, and unfortunately no luck with single men on that Friday… then again, it might be worth another try on a Thursday just for the burger alone.

Food: ★★★☆☆

Service: ★★★☆☆

Price: ★★★☆☆

Ambience: ★★☆☆☆

Overall: ★★★☆☆

Here’s a rundown of the happy hour deal:

5 COCKTAILS
VINTAGE VODKA MARTINI, Smirnoff Vodka
POMTINI, Grey Goose Vodka
CLEAR COSMO, Smirnoff Vodka
TROPICAL MARTINI, Malibu Coconut Rum

SEXY SAILOR, Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, Iced Tea

5 WINES BY THE GLASS
RIESLING, Dr. L, Germany
CHARDONNAY, Canyon Road, California
PINOT NOIR, Mark West, California
SHIRAZ, Morse Code, Australia
CABERNET, 14 Hands, Washington

5 APPETIZERS
TENDERLOIN CARPACCIO
SWEET CHILE CALAMARI
ROASTED MUSHROOM RAVIOLI
SEARED AHI TUNA
WICKED CAJUN BARBECUE SHRIMP

FLEMING'S PRIME BURGER , Cheese and Bacon

*AMSTEL LIGHT, 2 for $6