Let The Happy Hours Begin!

Monday, September 7th, 2015 was a holiday. Labor Day to be exact. A rare day for us to be off and without our kids (mine and his respectively). Oh, WHAT to do?! But we did know. We had already pre-planned a route to hit as many happy hours as we could! We love food, we love cocktails and we LOVE a great deal!

HAPPY HOUR #1 – Drunken Fish – Leawood

So we kicked off our holiday around 2:30ish – first at Drunken Fish in Leawood, where we started by ordering something standard: Rainbow Roll, plus something unique: Drunken Fish Roll. We also ordered some sake (which we never received), we ate the rolls (still not as good as Sushi Mido), so we decided to ditch that place early and move on. (To clarify our opinion: Drunken Fish offers multiple locations and has a very classy atmosphere, but the sushi caliber and taste really isn’t very high. On the other hand, Sushi Mido has a very modest look as a restaurant, but the sushi rolls are some of the best you will find! So it really comes down to what’s most important to you at that moment.) CLICK FOR Drunken Fish KC Happy Hour Menu

HAPPY HOUR #2 – Newport Grill – PRAIRIE FIRE

Next on our list was Newport Grill at 3:00. First off: Excellent drinks and classy! And we tried several items off of their menu which included: Oysters On The Half Shell, Bacon Wrapped Dates, and an Antipasto Board. I started with the Sangria and Jay chose the “Black and Blue” Dirty Martini. All around, we really loved the food, drinks and atmosphere – so we stuck around for a second drink. I had a glass of Pinot and he had beer. And we enjoyed the wait staff tremendously! Genuine, helpful and again: CLASSY. Perfect for a business meeting or to treat the one you love. We will definitely be back! CLICK FOR Newport Grill Happy Hour Menu

HAPPY HOUR #3 – THE BRISTOL – LEAWOOD

Then we mosied over to The Bristol around 4:00ish. Wow, this place is busy! So we found two empty seats up at the bar, where we met the wonderful gentleman, Virgil (who shucks all the oysters, steams all the mussels, and seems to know everything about seafood you could ever want to know!) And since Jay loves oysters and they had them for $1 each, he was in heaven. And so Virgil helped Jay with his picks to try – Wianno (Cape Cod, Mass), Malpaque (Prince Edward Island), Atlantic Blue Point (New Jersey), Pleasant Bay (Mass), Beau Soleil (New Brunswick), and Wellfleet (Cape Cod). Yes, he tried them all, plus an Oyster Shooter! Jay determined that Wianno are his favorite. Plus, at $1 each, they were a better deal than Newport Grill, and twice the size! He also preferred the Blue point and Wellfleet.  I myself am an “oyster virgin”. I made a promise to Virgil (and Jay) that the next time we are in, I will succumb to the pleasure. Virgil recommended I try the Beau Soleil – as they are smaller and sweeter – and the one he thinks will be good for my first time. I will let you know how that goes!

We also had the Calamari and Lobster Claws.  I ordered an X-Rated Martini and Jay had the Sazarac. Everything at The Bristol is very good, and each food and drink recipe seems to have a intense taste destination in mind. So we ordered a round, and Jay had a whiskey drink featuring the locally made Dark Horse Distillery! We had recently toured and tasted there, we loved that too, and we look forward to making a separate post on them soon!

The Bristol was the highlight of the day. And even though we were there on a Monday, I know at least some of our Sundays will be spent at The Bristol for Live Jazz from 5pm-8pm. (We need to post that one too because it was great!) A definite must to put on your list if you haven’t been yet. CLICK FOR The Bristol Happy Hour/Bar Menu

HAPPY HOUR #4 – RA SUSHI BAR – LEAWOOD

We chose to finish off our ‘Happy Hour Hopping’ at RA Sushi around 6:00 with Seared Tuna sashimi, a Crispy Spicy Tuna roll, and Hot Sake. No doubt, this was much better sushi than Drunken Fish, yet still not as good as ‘Mido‘ (and yes, we do promise to tell you why in a future post! CLICK FOR RA Sushi Dinner Menu

Another Successful Happy Hour Binge!

All in all, it was a fun fabulous day for us. And for the most part, we did it responsibly! No one needs DUI’s, etc! (That’s why you’ve gotta watch out for that Houlihan’s $5 Long Island Iced Tea Pitcher!) So if you’re ready to break out of an old routine, have a fun date experience, a great rekindling meet up, or just plain old fun with friends, ‘Happy Hour Hopping’ is a great way to try new foods and atmospheres on a relatively smart budget.

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