Great Happy Hour Find at Nic’s Restaurant & Martini Lounge, 90210
Monday, December 12, 2005 12:37
During the holiday season, I find it a good time to reflect and count my blessings.
This year, I moved back home - away from the freezing cold winters of Michigan and into the comforts of home cooked meals and family outings in Southern California. I received my Carpool Lane Sticker for my Hybrid Car a few months ago and have been able to bypass bumper to bumper traffic on the 110. I started my blog in June to document my LA finds and remember good times with good people. And I got connected with the digital world of Foodblogging in LA.
A girlfriend of mine often would say, “Let’s do a Best of LA tonight. I’ve got a great Best of LA for you!” This journey has definitely been a collective and collaborative effort, and I’m so thankful for my friends. This past week, I caught up with a new but seemingly old friend for a green and happy Happy Hour. Siel (aka Green LA Girl) introduced me to the Starbucks Challenge as well as the great Happy Hour find at Nic’s Restaurant & Martini Lounge.
We met up at 6ish and I was surprised to find that it was hopping for an early Wednesday night. There was a loud and crowded holiday party that filled the trendy red themed bar and happy hour area, but lucky for us - we were seated in the modern white booth in their dining area by the very friendly hostess and wait staff. We glanced over the menus and placed our orders. She got the night’s special, a French Martini. And I got the interesting and deliciously tempting Pomegranating Martini made with Rain Vodka, pomegrante juice, pineapple juice, and a splash of fresh sweet & sour. Three little plump blueberries graced the martini glass bottom. I passed them up the first time around, and was happy that I tried them on the second try.
One of the great things about Nic’s Happy Hour is that all cocktail menu items are five dollars a piece! Siel went vegetarian with the grilled fresh shucked clam pizza and the tequila cured salmon with escabeche. I opted for the grilled jumbo shrimp cocktail and the hoisin marinated skirt steak with wasabi demi. We cleaned our plates well and truly enjoyed the good eats. The shrimp cocktail WAS JUMBO and deliciously tender while the Asian influenced meat was moist and sweet with a hint of teriyaki. What could have easily been $41 worth of food, we got for 20. Not a bad deal for a trendy Beverly Hills hot spot for young professionals! With great company and conversation about being green, being passionate and being creative, it’s easy to find what’s best in LA… the people, the food, the opportunities.
Street: 453 N Canon Street in Beverly Hills
T: 1.310.550.5707
Happy Hours: M-F, 5-7pm
Valet parking or structure parking for $2
[pictures taken from Nic's website and LA Splendora]
By Kristy (see more of her posts). A native of the city, kristy loves to discover new sites, new eateries, new things to do in her online journal of finding the best of la.