Happy Happy Hour!

Matt and I enjoy the finer things in life. However, our incomes don't quite agree with our preferred lifestyle. We are BIG into trying new restaurants, especially ones that we find online or in food magazines that boast excellent reviews. The problem is....their prices are usually as high as their popularity, and frankly, we don't have a huge budget for fine dining.

Our solution: Happy Hour. I know it sounds funny. Isn't happy hour usually for a post-work drink with friends? Well, here in Seattle (and surrounding cities), we've realized that happy hour is a great time to try reallllly nice restaurants for cheap!

This weekend we decided to check out a place in downtown Seattle. It's a fancy restaurant right on the water called Cutters Crabhouse (check it out here) We have seen it a bazillion times because it is right at the end of Pikes Place and across from another favorite eatery of ours, Etta's. Matt ran across it when looking at a list of Saturday happy hours that he found online, so I put on a cute little dress, and we headed out!

At Cutters Crabhouse

The grass overlooking the sound- the new ferris wheel in the background.

  

As you can see in the happy hour menu above, they have a great selection of some of their fresh seafood, raw bar, and kitchen treats. I really liked the variety of drinks as well. Often, happy hours will have great beer or wine specials, but cocktails will still be pretty expensive. We ordered the following: Steamed Fresh Manila Clams, California Roll, Smoked Wild Alaskan Salmon Roll, Cranberry Mojito, Basil Gimlet, Kentucky Sour, and Sycamore Lane Chardonnay.

The clams were TO DIE FOR! I am a sucker for a bowl of steamed clams. The california roll was good, but not much more amazing than our favorite sushi joint (California Monster Sushi in Kent). The smoked wild alaskan salmon roll really blew my mind. The salmon was so creamy and fresh, and I was impressed that you get 8 pieces with the happy hour item. My cranberry mojito was delicious, but light on alcohol. Matt said both his kentucky sour and basil gimlet were quite tasty (warning: basil gimlet is pretty girly looking lol).

Cranberry Mojito and Kentucky Sour

Moral of the story, if you like fancy restaurants but can't afford to attend them often, hit up happy hour! Other places we've been to recently for happy hour and highly recommend are: Seastar, Sazerac, Koral, Pogacha, Palimino, and The Dillar Room. Be sure to either use a happy hour app like Seattle Weekly Happy Hours, or search online. Also, we ALWAYS check out the restaurant's happy hour menus online before going, to ensure their prices and selections are worth it! Happy happy hour-ing!