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Loving the Lounge

Bayside View Lounge at Bayside

900 Bayside Drive, Newport Beach

(949) 721-1222

This chic restaurant has one of the most compelling lounge and bar areas-complete with live musical entertainment every night of the week and for brunch on Sunday. The New Am-erican cuisine comes to life in this custom-designed location overlooking the harbor in heart of Newport Beach.

Stop by for the tapas menu: served from 5 p.m. to closing with regular prices of $6.50 to $8.75. During happy hour from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., the price drops to $5.95, along with some wines and several martinis at $6.

I love the eclectic nature of the tapas-style dishes. Lobster salad sliders, Italian pasta carbonara and carpaccio of bresaola (air-dried beef), medallions of venison, an Asian-tinged chopped chicken salad, grilled lamb chops, seared quail with scallion pancake and sliced sirloin with bleu cheese and leek fondue appear on small plates.

Bistango Gallery Lounge and Patio at Bistango

19100 Von Karman Ave., Irvine

(949) 752-5222

This is one of the most cosmopolitan lounges in the area, enhanced by fine art that is changed regularly. The patio lounge is decked out with comfortable couches and tables under the red umbrellas.

A bar menu, available all day and evening, features lots of inviting tastes ($13.75 to $17.75). Among the goodies: crab and lobster cakes, tuna tartare dappled with chili vinaigrette, confit of Muscovy duck salad, designer pizzas, seared scallops on sticky rice with hints of mango. Of course, the main menu has become famous for its balance of classic flavors and creative dishes.

Things are downright inexpensive during the happy hour part of the day that stretches from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Blue ice vodka martinis are dropped to $5, and the same price prevails for a long list of small plate items, including skewers of tiger shrimp and beef tenderloin, curried lamb chops and spicy chicken sausage with leeks, among many other choices.

Bluewater Lounge at Bluewater Grill

2409 Park Avenue (at the District), Tustin

(714) 258-3474

This lounge is truly where high style meets the high seas. The theme, reminiscent of the inside of a luxurious ship, includes updated versions of traditional fishing artifacts and a menu fit for indulging.

The menu is printed daily because the fish on the menu is that fresh. Make serious note of this one because Monday through Thursday from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and again from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m., and on Friday from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., the real happy hour deals emerge. Then, the lounge menu features drinks and food in the $3 to $5 range. Sliders with gruyere cheese, calamari burgers, oyster shooters, fish tacos, salt and pepper shrimp, mini steamer pots and tenderloin with horseradish sauce are frequently featured for cheaper prices.

There’s more. The best seafood dinner deal in Orange County is the first seating menu at $19.99 that is available every day but Saturday between 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Tustin location only (there’s another Bluewater Grill on Lido Isle). It’s a three-course meal featuring five separate seafood and beef entrées, chowder or salad and wine or dessert, all for a penny short of $20. Reservations for this specially priced meal are high recommended.

Brussels Bistro

222 Forest Ave., Laguna Beach

(949) 376-7955

For jaded foodies, this is a really cool place sporting passionate Belgian fare with the unpretentious look of a Belgian pub throughout.

Hours are dinner and late night service only Monday through Thursday (from 4 p.m. to closing) and from noon until late night on the weekends. Begin with shrimp and Chimay cheese croquettes or spears of Flemish white asparagus. Authentic fries (pommes frites, which originated in Belgium) are served with a duo of homemade dipping sauces. Discover the layers of flavor in the bowl of mussels, Dover sole at its zenith, the utterly amazing 10-ounce Belgian-style burger, creamy chicken in puff pastry, parsley-crusted salmon, steak with bearnaise sauce and perhaps the flaming crepes or fluffy chocolate mousse for dessert.

Belgium is acclaimed for its fine beers, with a dozen by the bottle and another half dozen of those imports on tap. Happy hour is seven days a week from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. featuring $4 selected Belgian draft beers and house cabernet and chardonnay. In addition to all this, Brussels features live jazz (musicians and singer) Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. A DJ plays favorites on Fridays and Saturdays.

Canaletto Venetian Bar at Canaletto

545 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach

(949) 640-0900

Here’s a classic and beautiful piece of Venice, where you can unwind after a long day at work or relax after a day at the shops of Fashion Island. The long marble bar with table seating directly across from it makes for a convivial spot for friends to gather or to sip a perfectly made martini before dinner in the elegant dining room. Me, I just stay in this socially perfect lounge and dine on Italian specialties.

While there is no separate lounge menu-people merely order food from the same menu throughout the building-there are great bargains during happy hour and the food is fairly priced on all menu items anyway. During the 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. time slot, Monday through Fridays, all appetizers and pizzas are $5 each. Get a glass of the Prosecco (my favorite bubbly), one of their selected wines by the glass, certain cocktails at the same $5 price or draft beer at $3.

Catch Bar at The Catch

2100 East Katella Ave. (at Sportstown Drive), Anaheim

(714) 935-0101

This brand-new restaurant and lounge/bar in the heart of Anaheim’s Platinum Triangle opened with an energetic performance, opting for the something-for-everyone concept. It is mere steps away from The Grove and Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

The actual bar is a large home plate-shaped affair with 24 seats. Ten big screens within the bar and lounge area capture events in the best manner. An additional two screens are outside on the cigar-friendly, heated patio, which also offers a cozy fire pit. The centralized bar and lounge seating area is surrounded with casually chic seating for dining. The whole place exudes friendly informality.

Eat what you please while in the lounge area, with both a special menu and access to the full restaurant menus. Sliders, oysters, buttermilk chicken, crispy calamari and such are on the $6 lounge menu, available all day. I should also mention tantalizers such as warm blue crab au gratin and Costa Rican-style ceviche. Hand-cut fish, chops and dry-aged beef meet pastas, burgers, salads and briny fresh shellfish. This is the backbone of the main menus.

Select from an amazing 20 beers by the bottle and another 20 on draft from Southern California’s best breweries. During happy hour (only in the lounge/bar) signature martinis go for $6 and well drinks and some wines dip down to the $5 range; it runs from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

CP Lounge at Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale’s

3333 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa

(714) 352-2525

When this restaurant came to town, we were instantly taken by the chic New York vibe and the suave food. Here, the cocktail lounge keeps pace with the sophisticated atmosphere of the dining room, but without any snobbishness. Plus, the small plate lounge menu is value-priced and studded with enticing dishes, making it a superb alternative.

Small plates are served from 2:30 p.m. to closing, with the full dining room menu also available in the lounge at both lunch and dinner. Prices for small plates are all $6 to $10. Happy hour is from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and from 10 p.m. to closing with beverages half-price.

For some of our friends, the signature vino fresco cocktail (Grey Goose, basil, grapes and lime) has become a habit. I also can suggest dates stuffed with bleu cheese, tempura-style shishito peppers with sea salt (an addictive item), roasted bone marrow with raisin marmalade, duck meatballs, Kobe-style sliders, caramelized chicken livers with shiitakes and steamed buns filled with barbecue pulled pork and scallions.

I think I can rack up a few more rave reviews when I get you to order these wines by the glass: Gosset Excellence, Brut NV champagne, Limestone sauvignon blanc or La Posta Angel Paulucci vineyard malbec, all of them part of the half-price happy hour program.

Flemings Lounge at Flemings Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar

455 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach

(949) 720-9633

This is one fine looking lounge/bar area splendidly decked out with beautiful wood, superior design details and a regular crowd of local movers and shakers.

I love their play on time for cocktail specials: Flem-ing’s “5 for 6 ‘til 7.” It goes like this: There are five cocktails, five wines and five small plates of food, all priced at $6 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week. They’ve just refurbished this list with a new selection of premium cocktails, wines by the glass and swell food.

Beer lovers also get a reason to hop with joy: Belgian Stella Artois lager (one of my favorite beers) is now available on the menu at a very special price-two bottles for $6.

For food from a happy hour menu, who wouldn’t love the tastes of tenderloin carpaccio, sweet chili calamari (this is heavenly), wicked Cajun barbecue shrimp (this is great fun for the palate), seared ahi tuna or a jumbo shrimp cocktail? The prime sirloin burger with cheese and bacon on a brioche bun is truly phenomenal, also a $6 steal. I’m told they’ve sold more than 5,000 since it was introduced in Newport last summer, but you can get it in the bar only. One can order any of the prime steaks, chops and seafood that make up the regular menu, as well.

Since this is the place where you have a choice of 100 wines by the glass, here are but three that might interest you: Kelly Fleming sauvignon blanc (Napa Valley), Schug pinot noir (Sonoma Coast) and Blackjack Ranch Harmonie (Santa Barbara County).

Kimera Lounge at Kimera

19530 Jamboree Road, Irvine

(949) 261-1222

Looking for a hidden gem? Take in Kimera’s lounge and bar with its sexy decor, friendly energy and comfortable sofas-the perfect spot to relax and indulge in all things that stimulate your senses.

Featured on the food agenda are a selection of 20 international plates ranging from $5 to $8, a cheese menu and wine flights (three to five in the flight at $12 to $20). Try a goat cheese and pesto pizza, crab griddle cakes with a mini arugula salad, hoisin chicken with Napa slaw, Kobe meatball sliders on tomato buns, grilled sirloin with mashed potatoes, soba noodle salad and the decadent baked hot chocolate dessert. The full a-la-carte lunch and dinner menus are also permitted in the lounge.

Small plate items can be ordered all day and evening Monday through Friday and from 5:30 p.m. until closing on Saturdays. Yet another bonus: Well drinks and some wines are only $5 to $6.50 during the same hours. On Fridays and Saturdays, a DJ spins contemporary music in the lounge from 9:30 p.m. until closing.

Speaking of beverages, the Soho Lychee martini is Kimera’s absolutely refreshing signature drink. Suggestions for other enjoyable libations include these wines: Bodega Septima malbec, Hahn Estates meritage and, perhaps, the interesting Caposaldo chianti.

As a different sort of personal note, I think you should show up on Sunday, March 7 for their Oscar Party. Red carpet, prizes for best attire (so dress to impress), a tango demonstration, dinner buffet and a split of champagne for about $80.

The Yard Bar at Lumberyard

384 Forest Ave., Laguna Beach

(949) 715-3900

The Yard Bar dominates the entrance of this beautifully restored 1916 building that once housed Laguna’s first working lumberyard. It is contemporary, yet rustic, and the bar is extra wide and provides a comfortable environment for dining or socializing over drinks.

The chef has stacked the menu-always available wherever you sit-with hefty half-pound burgers, pulled pork, shaved prime rib and Dungeness crab cake sandwiches. There are also salads, pastas, chicken pot pie, steaks and fresh fish that are all available at the bar.

If your interest runs to happy hour, you’ll be in this lounge Mondays to Fridays, 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., when some drinks, beers and bites cost $6, down to $4 for some draft beer.

For added interest, try The Yard Bar’s own label Lumberyard chardonnay produced exclusively for them by the acclaimed Babcock Vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley.

The Lounge at Mesa

725 Baker (at Bristol), Costa Mesa

(714) 557-6700

This lounge offers a little bit of everything: small plates dining, traditional dinners and an open-air, late night venue (via its retractable roof). It is sleek, sexy, modern and progressive with a central area of cushy couches, a vast bar, an elevated dining area with luxurious booths on one side of the room and banquettes and tables cuddling with fireplaces on the other side. It doesn’t matter where you sit; this whole place with the visible bar is like a super chic lounge.

Just a sampling of the intriguing menu includes fried cicchetti olives, phyllo-wrapped prawns with piquillo sauce, steak tartare with quail egg, braised ribs with kabocha squash gnocchi, ground-to-order lamb burger and caramelized leek pizza. The dinner and lounge menu runs from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. and, for us night owls, there is an after-dinner menu from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. There’s such a vast selection of dishes from $5 to $16 on the lounge and dinner menus, both of which are available throughout the place (only a few items are more than $16). Value is definitely a cornerstone here.

Artisanal sausages and beer are available for $9 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. where you select from a list of sausages and global beers. Anyone for Old Speckled Hen, Franziskaner Dark Hefe, Stella Artois or Amstel Light?

Shebeen Coastal Lounge at Mozambique

1740 South Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach

(949) 715-7777

I love this local pub and restaurant, which is a playful take on a great steakhouse with colonial African influences. Mozambique came along a few years ago and retooled this iconic Laguna building where we now relax and eat until 11:30 p.m. every night. Ocean views from the Shebeen perch on the top level are free.

Sunset hour runs Monday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Special menu items are $2.50 to $9, among which are wraps (sausage, beef or chicken with a South African accent), wok-charred ahi tuna and a very nice portobello mushroom stack. Selected cocktails, beers and wines are 50% off. Live bands entertain Friday, Saturday and Sunday starting at 8:30 p.m. (jazz, contemporary and reggae). Various musicians also entertain on Wednesdays between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Taco Tuesdays (4 p.m. to 10 p.m.) offer $1.50 tacos (African-influenced meat or shellfish fillings). Many regular menu items are priced $10 or below and are available any time. Portuguese salad, prawns with mango salsa and Mozam-bique spices, chicken livers caramelized with onions and pancetta are samples. Pastas, meats, fresh fish and Durban lamb curry (my favorite) are priced slightly higher.

The Step Down Lounge at Mr. Stox

1105 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim

(714) 634-2994

This restaurant greets you with a luxurious foy-er, dining rooms to the left and the friendly lounge and bar down a couple of steps on the right.

Bar food (serious stuff) is free during their 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. weekdays happy hour. There’s a half-price beverage theme of the day: Monday is discounted beers, tequila is featured on Tuesdays, house wines are the bargain for Wednesdays and martinis are on special each Thursday and Friday. Each day there are three or four free varying food selections. No corkage fee Sunday and Monday nights, and on Wednesday nights, there’s 50% off any bottle of wine over $75.

A very popular bar drink has always been Coffee Stox, a libation that’s very fine any time. Martinis rule though and are shaken tableside for you. The Stox House Martini (Kettle One vodka, Bombay Sapphire gin and vermouth) is Mr. Stox’s signature drink. This restaurant has one of the world’s greatest wine cellars, so for a place to start try Canaletto pinot grigio (Italy) or Oberon Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon (a Mondavi wine).

Food is contemporary New American tinged with bits of Asian fusion. Shrimp with rice noodles and essence of lemongrass, veal osso buco with couscous and confit of duck with roasted peppers and polenta delight my palate.

Pelican Grill Lounge at Pelican Hill Golf Club

22800 Pelican Hill Road South, Newport Coast

(949) 467-6800

Located in the Pelican Hill Golf Club, this is one of the most attractive dining rooms around and certainly one of the most sophisticated bar/lounge scenes in OC.

If you want to see any sporting event or major televised happening, few other places can match the two nine-foot plasma TVs, each of which can show multiple events simultaneously.

The lounge menu-featuring items $5 to $16-is available from 11 a.m. till 11 p.m. The full dining room menu (everything from pizzas and pastas, seafood and steaks) is available all day.

Since this is an approachable fine-dining facility, we get really good, understandable food with a few twists. For example, on that less expensive lounge list, the calamari is served with a delectable sweet chili sauce, macaroni and cheese is infused with truffle oil, pork spareribs are flavored with hoisin-based barbecue sauce, tuna tartare is engaged with spicy sesame vinaigrette and asparagus goes uptown with its crispy tempura coat.

The three best-selling cocktails from their signature collection are the Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Blue Velvet martinis.

A little night music happens on Thursday evenings with the guitarists Dean Grech and Brian Lynn Jones and on Fridays and Saturdays with Andrea Miller and the New Coast Trio from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Port Lounge at Port

440 Heliotrope Ave., Corona Del Mar

(949) 723-9685

With its indoor-outdoor fireplace, open air lounge, chocolate hardwood floors and classy bar, Port has an eclectic and inviting feel, not unlike the sidewalk cafes of Eur-ope. In the even-ings local, live music adds more ambiance.

The Crazy 7 happy hour menu contains seven yummy appetizer dishes, seven wines and champagne by the glass, plus all cocktails made with premium well selections at $7 before 7 p.m. Better yet, all prices include state sales tax. All beers, other spirits, appetizers and wines by the glass are all also discounted during happy hour, which is every day of the week before 7 p.m. Happy hour pricing is also in effect during weekend lunch service with the inclusion of the bottomless champagne/mimosa for $10.

You will appreciate the generosity of portions and tastes from the lounge menu. There are four kinds of quesadillas, a duo of skewered meats, a splendid short rib sandwich, several kinds of pizzas and salads, crab cakes, tacos, macaroni and cheese, calamari, coconut shrimp (wildly popular) and cheese plates as only part of the total bar menu available till closing. And,

all this mention of food should only enhance your curiosity about the dining room menu that’s much deeper in seriousness and gets us to some fantastic European and Mediterranean specialties.

The Sunset Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel

One Ritz-Carlton Drive, Dana Point

(949) 240-2000

This special lounge offers a casual, relaxed ambiance for guests and locals with unobstructed views from the hotel’s perch 160 feet above the Pacific Ocean.

The compact lounge menu has temptations of lobster flat bread, Asian-tinged ahi tuna tartare, brie and parsley risotto balls, fries with both truffle and herbs wafting through them and more small plates of that genre. Do not miss dessert in the form of assorted cheesecake “shots,” or the apple-cinnamon beignets. From the acclaimed Eno room just next to the lounge, they’ll bring you some cheeses to die for.

There is no actual happy hour time, but on Friday evenings hand-rolled sushi specials are served from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and on Thursday evenings a solo guitarist plays.

If you were to make the occasion more special with one unique glass of wine, consider the E. Guigal, Chateauneuf-du-Pape from the Rhone Valley of France. The deep ruby-hued 2003 wine on the current wine list reveals a big, sweet bouquet of kirsch, black currants, exotic Asian spices and a touch of pepper. It has a level, elegant finish making it a superb food wine.

Sam & Harry’s Lounge and Sunset Terrace at Newport Beach Marriott

900 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach

(949) 729-6900

I call this the hidden gem of Newport lounges. So contemporary and friendly that I can spend hours cozied up here. Four flat-screen TVs make the sports fan happy. There’s live music on Fridays and Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Since there’s even a sushi bar overseen by a master sushi chef, there are many ways to nibble or have a full meal and sip contentedly in the lounge area. The cocktails are hand-crafted (using freshly squeezed juices) and wines by the glass abound. Happy hour runs from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays. We sometimes begin with some sushi bar tidbits (available from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. every night but Sunday and Monday) and then segue to either the lounge menu or the full dinner menu from the adjoining restaurant.

The lounge menu goes from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. every night and regular prices range from $8 to $16, making them a real bargain at half-price during happy hours. Chicken bruschetta sandwich, a fine French dip au jus (with sautéed onions and mushrooms), classic Caesar salad, lump crab cakes (some critics have acclaimed them the best in OC) and superb carpaccio are at the top of my recommendation list.

Murano Room at Scott’s

3300 Bristol St., Costa Mesa

(714) 979-2400

The Murano Room is a classic space now named after the beautiful Venetian island chandelier that inspires it. The bar menu is available all day and evening and includes grilled asparagus with mozzarella, shrimp linguine with shishito peppers, pot stickers, pizzas (go for the wild mushroom topping), fried goat cheese with sweet onion jam (perfection with wine or a cocktail) and salmon spring rolls. Prices range from $7 to $14. Like most lounges, the full restaurant menu can also be accessed here.

Go on a Wednesday and take advantage of the half-price bottles of wine. Happy hour bargains prevail Monday to Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and again on Friday evenings from 9 p.m. to closing. Items on the bar menu are half off, and there are $5 well drinks and wines by the glass and $3 beers. Of all the wines offered by the glass on the wine cart, I love the freshness of the Laurenz V Singing Grüner Veltliner.

SideDoor Gastropub at Five Crowns

3801 E. Coast Hwy., Corona del Mar

(949) 717-4322

Consider this a great new culinary gift to OC diners. This spot-on English Gastropub has its own 28-item menu of small plates, sandwiches, salads, cheeses and a charcuterie. Housed in an extended area of the existing Five Crowns bar, the pub is only accessible by its own entrance on Poppy Street. Value-oriented delights prevail.

A guitarist/singer entertains on Mondays after 6:30 p.m.

Cozy up in the warm and casual English-oriented room of booths and tables as classic British rock permeates the space. You can buy beers for $3 for a 4-ounce pour or go straight for the $7 pint. Heartier souls might opt for an Irish Knocker: Guinness stout, Absolut vodka and white crème de cacao.

Menu prices range from $5 to $12 and some items change daily to fully embrace the best products the chef has access to. I love the wild boar sausage with polenta and red cabbage, the stylized duck liver pâté with accompaniments of tangerine and arugula and the fantastic prime rib sandwich, which I side with roasted Brussels sprouts and chestnuts. Sweets of great interest in my latest notes are the figgy pudding with whiskey sauce and lemon curd brulee.

Taps Bar & Brewery at Taps Fish House & Brewery

101 E. Imperial Hwy., Brea

(at the Birch Steet Promenade)

(714) 257-0101

Ever been to a New Orleans eatery situated in a sturdy brick building, a Chicago chophouse or a Chesapeake seafood spot? This is a marvelous mélange of all that, with an outstanding bar and lounge area. Spacious seating, four fireplaces (indoors and out on the convivial patio), a 21-seat oyster bar, a 20-seat bar top, half a dozen large plasma televisions and a glass-walled brewery fill the area.

Few can beat the $24.95 three-course menu, available throughout the restaurant and lounge at both lunch and dinner. It includes a glass of their Cream Ale (a Gold Medal winner) or you can have a $10 credit toward a bottle of regularly priced wine.

Choose a culinary trio from the 22 dishes on this prix-fixe list-salads and chowders, seafood, shellfish and red meats, pastas, steak and poultry (many cooked in New Orleans fashion).

The long happy hours run Monday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. Diners might want to try the cantaloupe martini or the pomeberry one (blueberry meets pomegranate with the requisite vodkas) for ultra refreshing tastes. Of course, this place has won many medals on the international beer stage for its own handcrafted brews and features them in beer flights.

Wildfish Bar at Wildfish Seafood Grille

1370 Bison Ave. Newport Beach (in The Bluffs Center)

(949) 720-9925

The lively and laid back atmosphere in a stylish but comfortable setting really beckons me to the Wildfish Bar. There is an intimate leather booth for two in the lounge area, seats at the separate oyster bar (to watch bivalves shucked and crab claws cracked to order) or space on the patio with its fireplace.

Order from the full dinner menu anywhere in the restaurant-I am addicted to the sole in a parmesan crust and the Hong Kong-style fish in a moat of fantastic broth. Happy hour happens from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Satur-day and from 4 p.m. to closing on Sundays and Mondays. During those hours, enjoy a bunch of half-price items, including the enticing all-lump Maryland-style crab cake, crispy cashew calamari with wok-seared vegetables, salt and pepper shrimp, creamy lobster bisque made with cognac and big chunks of real Maine lobster and tuna tartare with avocado, mango and citrus segments.

Happy hour also features a selection of $6 cocktails, including the classic “007” martini, Fish Gone Wild and Margarita Rocks drinks, as well as a selection of $6 glasses of wine and premium draft beers at $5.

Wine Bar at The Winery

2647 Park Ave., Tustin

(in The District)

(714) 258-7600

This is one of our frequent go-to spots for ea-sy times, excellent surroundings, enticing food, great bartenders and very interesting wines by the glass. They simply call it the Wine Bar, but it’s a swell lounge in this well-endowed restaurant.

Thanks to the Alsatian chef, the food’s terrific. In fact, from the bar menu I always order a Y.G. (the chef’s initials) Alsatian Pizzaa European-themed wonder of crispy crust topped with crème fraiche, apple wood-smoked bacon, gruyere cheese and onion. Other highlights would include the trio of Kobe beef sliders with brie cheese and sautéed mushrooms, fondue of sun-dried tomato and arugula with artisan cheeses, almond-dusted calamari, lobster-risotto lollipops and a plate of freshly shucked oysters. They will also indulge you with anything from the house menu.

Crush hours are Monday through Friday from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and resume nightly, except Sunday, at 9 p.m. for a couple of hours. Within those time spans, beers are $4 and

$5, featured wines and martinis are $6 to $6.95 and a bunch of small plates are all $6.95. I’m leaning toward one of their signature drinks, either the Mangolicious or Hibiscus martini, but with 650 wine labels and way too many wines by the glass to count, I’d drink my share of those too.

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