Girl Friday Happy Hour: Fat Fish

Because A Skinny Fish Looks Suspicious!
by Kylee Van Dillen, The Liquid Muse Girl Friday

Fat Fish's happy hour menu is the perfect catch, offering delicious deals for everyone from the serious eater to casual drinker, daily 5-7pm and 10-11pm Sunday-Wednesday.

The hip lounge features candlelit couches and corner booths. The bar has a plasma TV for sports lovers, yet retains enough intimacy to still work for date night. Beer drinkers should come thirsty because a large Asahi is a steal at $5 and sake lovers reel in a carafe for $5.

Those with a fancy-and-fruity side revel in premium Saketinis (sake and fresh fruit) for around $6. We love the Mango martini shaken up with rum and fresh mango puree—a frou-frou-yet-fiesty combo. Off the sauce? Bartender Josh offers refreshing iced green tea garnished with an aromatic orange zest—super healthy and super yummy!

Small plates include traditional favorites like “Q-cumber” salad ($4) or spicy tuna tartar ($6) and the list of specialty rolls won’t leave you hungry. (All can be made with multi-grain brown rice.) The Albacore roll (Albacore tuna, green onion, cilantro, avocado and jalapeño) or for Philly Roll (Salmon, cream cheese and avocado) are great to share.

If your fins are feeling a little flabby, don’t worry, we won’t judge. Dive into Fat Fish during happy hour and we promise you’ll swim home happy.

Girl Friday Happy Hour Feature
by Kylee Van Dillen, The Liquid Muse Girl Friday

There are many fans of the number 8: the octopus, the spider, and the octuplet mother. And while the folks behind 8 oz Burger Bar can't make like The Beatles and deliver "Eight days a week," their Happy Hour proves that 8 is the new "7" when it comes to lucky numbers.

Monday-Friday from 4-6pm, 8 oz the classic Aviation and Gimlet are a friendly $5, as are creative originals such as the Lavender Mojito or Blackberry Collins. Beer drinkers get Pabst Blue Ribbon for a cool $2 and selected micro brew bottles like Anderson Valley Oatmeal Stout and Victory Prima Pils are only $4 each. Select quality wines such as 4 Bears Chardonnay or Cline Zinfandel are $4 as well which means, (you guessed it!) you can have one of each for a total of $8!

If drinking whets your appetite, $3-5 gets you Mini Kobe Corn Dogs or Fried Olives off the “Happy Bites" menu. The regular menu features a "killer" Tuna Melt; the "Melrose" burger dressed garlic roasted tomatoes and red onion marmalade; or (for a warm salty treat) a basketful of their famous fried pickles dipped in the house made ranch or spicy BBQ sauce! All for, (you guessed it,again!) an economically delicious $8 each! Looks like Friday is your lucky day.

Girl Friday Happy Hour: Riva Bene!
by Kylee Van Dillen, The Liquid Muse Girl Friday

Two blocks from the beach and only a few steps from the Third Street Promenade, Riva brings a little Italian charm to Santa Monica.

The urban-rustic interior features with high ceilings, exposed beams, and Tuscany stone walls. Young business sophisticates chill out on couches in front lounge area, or sip cocktails at the candle-lit bar. The vibrant Latin music adds an upbeat energy throughout the space, and the extensive “Bar Bailout” happy hour menu—served all week from 5-6pm, and 10pm-12am - provides a little taste of la dolce vita.

“Aperitivi” include draft beers at $3, and Italian wines “Bianchi o Rossi”—red or white—are $4. Three specialty cocktails from their full menu, normally $11-14, are available for $4 as well. Our favorite is Sois Sage: a refreshing cooler of muddled sage, Sagatiba Cachaca, lime and soda.

And what would Italy be without the food? For $3-10 you can mangia with the best of them. The Eggplant Parmesan Pizza ($8) has a crispy-soft perfect crust and a sweet marinara sauce that pairs perfectly with the Mozzarella and Gruyere melted on top. For a savory treat the trio of Warm Olives ($3) is a perfect light bite.

If your sweet tooth needs some attention, take a glance at the amazing dessert menu. The “Ricotta Fritters” should not be passed up; hot donut-like balls coated in cinnamon sugar, served with balsamic strawberries and whipped cream. Although Riva’s food and drinks may inspire you to sing a song of Amore while strolling down 3rd street, we encourage you to try your best not to dance in the fountains too!

Westside Tavern Opens

Once upon a time, on the sprawling streets of West L.A., it was difficult to find a decent cocktail – and the last place one would look was (gasp!) the mall. Well, its time to throw out the history books and start living the fairy tale – Westside Tavern has changed the way we think of drinking on the Westside.


Tucked inside the annex of Westside Pavillion (on street level, just below the movie theaters) is the sleek-yet-accessible, cavernous-yet-cozy, softly-lit-yet-not-too-dark Westside Tavern. Smiling faces greet patrons at the door; patrons sip and nibble happily at the long bar; friends gather around high-top tables in the lounge; and couples canoodle pre- or post- movie watching in the dining area. A more formal dining room, with a second bar, is just around a corner and available for private parties.

One of the most exciting reasons to visit Westside Tavern is the high-quality cocktail program. Respected Mixologist / Bar Consultant Ryan Magarian designed the program which highlight unique choices such as the Pepper Smash (spearmint, red bell pepper, dry gin and honey syrup) and the Blood Orange & Sage Gimlet (pressed sage & blood oranges, dry gin, lime juice and egg white). The menu also boasts classic cocktails such as the Sazerac, Blackberry Julep (served in proper pewter julep cups), Corpse Reviver No. 2, and the Martinez, among others. Most surprisingly each of the fresh-ingredient, mixology-driven cocktails are only $9! These drinks blow away many of the $16 cocktails found around town.

Admittedly, one of my biggest motivations to rush down on the first night to sample a few of these wonderful concoctions is Kylee Van Dillen – our very own “Girl Friday Happy Hour” columnist – who can be found behind the bar. Kylee is an expert at both making drinks, and explaining the fresh mixology concepts to guests, enhancing the experience for the professional cocktailian and the novice, alike. Ask for her, and treat her well.

And, speaking of “professional cocktailians,” I had the pleasure of pulling up a barstool next to fellow LA-blogger Caroline on Crack, who was also eager to be among the first Angelenos experiencing this new landmark on our culinary landscape. Caroline and I are birds of a feather – photographing everything before we take a bite or sip – so she didn’t mind when I asked for a shot of her scrumptious Cantaloupe Sour (dry gin, lemon & cantaloupe juices, Gary Regan’s No. 6 orange bitters and clover honey syrup), a must-try.

Just when things couldn’t get any better, another familiar face emerged – Chef Warren Schwartz – formerly at the helm of Whist in Santa Monica. Chef Schwartz is a master at taking simple comfort food and giving it some high-brow polish, or does he take high-end food and make it comfortable? Either way you look at it, he is renown for his eye toward sustainability and his skill in the kitchen. Warren also believes that quality can come at an affordable price. He explained that when eating at a new hotspot means shelling out $10 for valet, $15 per cocktail, then meal, wine and tip, the average person might go once to be able to say that they’ve eaten at “X” place, but they probably won’t go back. Chef says, “We want people to return to us again and again.”

On that note, I could not resist sampling an order of mussels, topped with chorizo and smothered in garlic ($13). The grilled ciabata bread and drizzle of flavorful creamy sauce made this appetizer a meal in itself. Caroline and her pal ordered the Grilled Portabella, Tomato & Burrata Sandwich ($14) as well as the copious Lamb French Dip ($16). For dessert, we indulged in a luscious Brown Butter Apple Pie ($9) large enough to share with the table next door!

I’m sure Angelenos will also appreciate another benefit of Westside Tavern - the free parking garage! So, friends, put away the fantasy book. Whether looking for the perfect dinner-and-movie date spot, or a fun night out with pals – the Westside Tavern is a dream come true.