Spring Break
Local happy hours offer luxury for less
Top three weekday hot spots feature discounts on dining, drinks
Lauren Weiner and Amber Chemam
Issue date: 12/4/07 Section: A & E
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Another choice for a night-out is Zake for an excellent sushi hour. At Zake, happy hour is Monday- Friday from 5-7 p.m. The drinks are tasty and marked-down, but the real incentive is the sushi special. At $1.50 per piece and $3.95 per roll, no one will have to leave hungry.
Lightly salted edamame is excellent to munch on while you wait for your food to arrive and is discounted to $3, along with a list of other tempting appetizers. The sushi list includes individual pieces starting at $1.25 and eight-piece rolls for $3.95. Typical sushi favorites like California rolls and spicy tuna are available in addition to house favorites.
Even more palatable than the fish are the drinks. Girly favorites such as cosmopolitans and apple martinis are delicious, as are the trademark sake bombs, which are hard to pass by at $1.95. Beer and house wines are also inexpensive and add the perfect complement to a traditional Japanese meal.
Perhaps Zake's most interesting element is the stylish, lounge-like atmosphere. Soft downtempo and electronica music drifts through the speakers and fiber-optic lights hang like curtains. Tall booths give patrons the feeling of privacy and exclusivity. Zake makes a great meeting place for groups and duos and definitely will not empty guests' wallets.
For more creative food, check out Mi Luna in Rice Village for $3 tapas and tostas. The Spanish-influenced restaurant only serves appetizer-sized portions, and the happy hour menu offers a limited but alluring selection Monday-Friday from 3-7 p.m. Tuesdays are the night to go, however, as the special prices run all night long.
The menu offers a diverse selection of hot and cold tapas (traditional Spanish appetizers) as well as tostas, which are toasted bread slices with a variety of toppings. The smoked salmon dish from the cold menu is served over light greens with cheese, pear and pecans, and is absolutely delicious. From the hot menu, try the perfectly flakey beef and potato empanadas. The seafood tostas are also a house favorite.
Of course, Mi Luna also offers discounts on beverages. Sangria or draft beer for $3 and margaritas and mojitos for $5 are great complements to the light meal. The sangria is flavorful and pleasantly sweet, and the margarita is up there with Houston's best.
Lightly salted edamame is excellent to munch on while you wait for your food to arrive and is discounted to $3, along with a list of other tempting appetizers. The sushi list includes individual pieces starting at $1.25 and eight-piece rolls for $3.95. Typical sushi favorites like California rolls and spicy tuna are available in addition to house favorites.
Even more palatable than the fish are the drinks. Girly favorites such as cosmopolitans and apple martinis are delicious, as are the trademark sake bombs, which are hard to pass by at $1.95. Beer and house wines are also inexpensive and add the perfect complement to a traditional Japanese meal.
Perhaps Zake's most interesting element is the stylish, lounge-like atmosphere. Soft downtempo and electronica music drifts through the speakers and fiber-optic lights hang like curtains. Tall booths give patrons the feeling of privacy and exclusivity. Zake makes a great meeting place for groups and duos and definitely will not empty guests' wallets.
For more creative food, check out Mi Luna in Rice Village for $3 tapas and tostas. The Spanish-influenced restaurant only serves appetizer-sized portions, and the happy hour menu offers a limited but alluring selection Monday-Friday from 3-7 p.m. Tuesdays are the night to go, however, as the special prices run all night long.
The menu offers a diverse selection of hot and cold tapas (traditional Spanish appetizers) as well as tostas, which are toasted bread slices with a variety of toppings. The smoked salmon dish from the cold menu is served over light greens with cheese, pear and pecans, and is absolutely delicious. From the hot menu, try the perfectly flakey beef and potato empanadas. The seafood tostas are also a house favorite.
Of course, Mi Luna also offers discounts on beverages. Sangria or draft beer for $3 and margaritas and mojitos for $5 are great complements to the light meal. The sangria is flavorful and pleasantly sweet, and the margarita is up there with Houston's best.