Posts Tagged ‘happy hour’

What a Catch!

It’s a few minutes before 4 p.m.—on a rainy Saturday afternoon—when we walk into BlackSalt Fish Market & Restaurant, in the Palisades. It’s quiet, save for the fish monger and some bustle at the back bar. So this is what all the fuss is about (and those hours spent on the phone wrangling dinner reservations for my former boss), I’m thinking, after examining the fish carcasses on ice and prepared foods/dressings/sauces that bedeck the counter and fridges in the market. We make our way to the bar, where we discover we’ve arrived “just in time for happy hour.” Or, we can wait an hour for dinner service, with its menu of toe-curling prices. Hmm…which will Emily choose?

Oh, the joy of an unexpected dozen raw oysters, for $1 each! I’m giddy, as I use the tiny seafood fork to dab horseradish, vinegar, lemon, and cocktail sauce on a cold and slippery mollusk, taking a few three chews before I slide it down my throat. Follow this with a nice swish of bubbly (only $5) and I exhale with that satisfaction of discovering a great, great thing.

The happy hour menu is enthralling…and cheap. We order with abandon, which makes the experience not-so cheap when we pay our bill. No worries. The oysters are the highlight, for me at least, but the rest is memorable: fresh, jumbo Gulf shrimp for $1 a piece; Rhode Island calamari with chipotle remoulade ($7) that employs an almost perfect combo of smoky creaminess, crispness, and chewiness — without any attribute overwhelming the whole. And I can’t stop stuffing my mouth with finger-fulls of the thinly-shaved BlackSalt and vinegar chips ($3).

I only taste the Provencal seafood stew (market catch, mussels, shrimp, and saffron; $9), but it seems like a great bargain, piled high with fresh seafood; my friend seems to love it, practically cleaning the bowl. The drinks aren’t a bargain as happy hours go ($5 drafts; $7 martinis), but that 16 oz Allagash White tastes pretty darn good when sipping in tandem with bites of calamari. We also splurge on the key lime pie, an $11 indulgence that somehow seems okay in our drunk-on-fresh-seafood opinion…and it is awfully good.  Bottomline: Order lots of food and savor those drinks. We’ll be back, when a car allows it.

Weekend To-Do’s

It’s hardly a festive weekend, but I have drummed up a few things to keep you occupied. Have I missed any must-dos?

*Friday

5:30 p.m. Convene your TGIF happy hour at Urbana tonight for $3 pizzas and prosecco. The restaurant/bar is celebrating its 3rd birthday, thus the cheap eats. I’d advise arriving early, cause this b-day bash has been getting some attention.

*Saturday

10 a.m.-4 p.m.: It’s the Montgomery County Farm Tour and Harvest Sale!!! The event runs both weekend days, but more farms (13 in total) are open on Saturday. I, myself, could use some berry picking and a little Dee Dee Donkey time.

9 p.m.: Put on your skinny jeans and vintage tees, and head to the Black Cat. I wouldn’t normally suggest such a thing, but on stage tonight is Extra Golden, a band that mixes Kenya Benga with American Rock. And I’m really digging their Obama song… [tip: Washingtonian]

* Sunday

11 a.m.: Lest you forget about my favorite museum in D.C., here’s a reminder to visit the Phillips Collection. The current exhibit, Paint Made Flesh, will be on display for another 6 weeks, but don’t put it off. Sure, there are plenty of nudes to entice you boys, but it’s not all about nakedness—there are some stunning, non-sexual pieces here, including the shows signature work: Jenny Saville’s Hyphen.