Monday, May 24, 2010

Check Out the New Local IQ

That's right friends, my favorite bartender/brother Andrew Martinez and my favorite local haunt the Monte Vista Fire Station will be featured in this week's Local IQ.

If you've been searching for a new and refreshing summer tequila drink he's mixed up a cocktail that will surely delight the taste buds. (I tried it last week and it is very awesome)

So don't forget to pick up this week's edition of Local IQ and go in on Thursdays to get a taste of this amazing drink!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Drinko de Mayo

It was a beautiful spring evening. As the pink glow of the sunset was cast upon the majestic Sandia Mountains, I had just turned in my final paper for the semester and was ready to get my drrriiiink on.

I convened with Spenatalie and Co. on the patio of Nob Hill Bar and Grill to begin our celebration of Mexico's heritage and pride.

This spring soiree had been in the plans for many days. It originally included me, Spenatalie, and our good friend Morgan (a single male lawyer from Harvard taking apps for a significant other). However, since we are so popular it eventually turned into a large gathering which included a notable local celebrity, Byron Morton.

We sat on the patio and enjoyed the perfect spring weather, cheap $2 well drinks, $5 margaritas, $1 off drafts and delish discounted appetizers.

Since it was Cinco de Mayo, I had to begin the evening with a margarita. While I am more of a fan of a blended margarita, this one was served on the rocks with a lightly salted rim. It was still excellent. I then switched to several diet coke and vodkas. I also enjoyed a trio of tostadas.

Our party began with three and ended with 10...all seated at a table for four. Our waiter did an excellent job of keeping our glasses full, stomachs satisfied, and checks separated.

The delicious, cheap food and drinks, amazing company and great customer service give this happy hour two thumbs up from me.

Moral of the story: *Dont go on Mondays but go every other day of the week.

* They are closed on Monday :(

Friday, May 7, 2010

Ibiza at Hotel Andaluz

After a long, tough week at work you deserve a cocktail. Sometimes you need tequila poppers and bar food and sometimes you need a fancy martini and want to feel like a VIP. If you're looking for option number two, Ibiza at Hotel Andaluz is a great choice.


Picture a rooftop patio overlooking the city, the pink sunset on the Sandia mountains and beautiful people sipping beautiful drinks. This is what you'll find during happy hour at Ibiza. (Note: The beautiful people here are not the "beautiful people" you'll find at ridiculous places like Imbibe. Ibiza caters to the downtown professional types. The popped collar and ghetto folks aren't the clientele.)

The specials tonight included $4 drafts, $5 well drinks and $6 Pomegranate Cucumber Martinis. Now I know that sounds strange but the martini was crisp, refreshing and just tart enough. We also moved from the patio to sit at the bar and were pleasantly surprised by the great service and enthusiastic staff inside as well.

Later in the evening Ibiza also doubles as a nightclub. More research on the nightclub aspect coming soon.


If you want to go a little more low key Andaluz has an open lounge area and cabana seating in the downstairs lobby. The lounge is open during the week and the cabanas can be reserved for special occasions. These are great for small groups. It's a quiet, intimate setting where you can actually hear the person sitting next to you. They also offer entertainment in the lounge. Check out the schedule here.

All in all, I'm really impressed with Hotel Andaluz and Ibiza. I'll definitely be recommending this for future outings.

Virgin Happy Hour- Limited Time Only!

SO I just found out that Starbucks is currently doing a Frappuccino Happy Hour promotion - half price Frappuccinos every day from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. through May 16.

BONUS- Starbucks has recently made Frappuccinos more customizable for those of us who don't want 500 calories with our mid-afternoon icy caffeine treats. So if your liver needs a break from our traditional happy hour recommendations, and you can get off work before 5:00, head to your local Starbucks for a creamy, fatty, frozen treat.

IN OTHER NEWS we ventured to Nob Hill Bar and Grill for Happy Hour- Cinco de Mayo edition, but I promised MG I'd let him post on that experience. So, to MG- hurry it up already!

Monday, May 3, 2010

annnnnd we're back.

Spring is here (sort of…. we won’t count that snowstorm this past weekend) and therefore happy hour has returned! There was really no good excuse for its disappearance, and we all had plenty of happy hours in those dark winter months…. I really have no good excuse for my ten-month blogging absence.

Anyhow, I was inspired to revive Happy Hour 505 after visiting Nob Hill Bar and Grill last week between the hours of five and seven. My group of three enjoyed 6 drinks and our tab was a mere $16. I decided I must return for further research with my co-bloggers, MG and Mirevj. Unfortunately, our adventure led us here:
Being Monday, we ventured across the street to Mirevj’s familiar Monte Vista Fire Station. I’ll be honest- I’m not usually a huge Monte Vista fan. When I’ve been there at night, it’s usually dark, crowded, and too loud to carry on a conversation. Today, though, the bar was empty when we walked in just after 5:30. The sunny, quiet open space was perfect for catching up over 75 cent tacos (a special every Monday). The bartender made me a delicious margarita while Mirevj played it safe with a Shirley Temple and MG enjoyed a Blue Moon. After a margarita, three Blue Moons, two Shirley Temples, and ten tacos, our bill came to $22.

Verdict: Monday Happy Hour at Monte Vista = success. Hopefully we'll make it back to Nob Hill soon....

HHR: A