Hunting Season

Well, technically spring is here and I should be saying goodbye to things like fuzzy pants, mac n' cheese, and weeping to Disney movies while wrapped in blankets. Time to move on to white or pink wines, bare legs, and tan lines. I hope.

So, the challenge is to find the best patios in town for after work drinks. Otherwise known as happy hour. I have my standards in rotation but I'm looking forward to finding some new gems. I will spend the next couple months throwing out the pros and cons of various drinking establishments and their sunny patio offerings. You recommend it, I'll review it.

First up: The Standard

This place is hard to find if you haven't been there before. It's on 22nd, across from Ole Ole, tucked behind a fence. That's where the outdoor seating is. When it's sunny they open up the garage doors in front, so there's sun pouring over the pool tables, and the jukebox warbling outside. Picnic tables are scattered across the patio, as well as a mysterious game that looked like a cross between cornhole and beer pong.

Drinks: Cheap and stiff.

Food: Hand-made mini-corn dogs! Don't order the sweet potato fries if you're hungry. Jesse did and it was a pretty stingy serving.

Service: Awesome. Old ladies with crazy laughs and lots of sass. Recently my friend Molly and I bemoaned the fate of the fortyish female bartender. She isn't getting tips for dressing in skimpy clothing and looking cute but is often still trying. She isn't old enough to get the respect gray hair inspires. She's just kind of there. These ladies are not in that category.They call you sweetie.

Patio: Not bad. Taken over by thugs, dudes in polar fleece playing the mysterious game, and old people (one had a walker). We got the table with the most shade, but it was nice to know we were outside enjoying a beer.

Random points for the photobooth, Big Buck Hunter, and the red-headed orphan who tried to get Sam and I to adopt him. We were hanging out in one of the shredded vinyl booths doing the couple in love thing, and he kept coming up to tell us how awesome we were. This culminated in him begging us to adopt him. We might have. I'm not sure how that works.

Next destination?