Friday Happy Hour at Graze

Friday Urban Hubby and I trekked over to Graze, located in the Sanctuary building on S. Eola Dr, to try out appetizers from their new menu and sip cheap Happy Hour wine at the bar. The wine list featured four decent wines for $5 a glass (I had the Sauvignon Blanc, he had the Pinot Nor). After a futile attempt by the bar tender to upsell us to $7 a glass wine, we started in on the food. The Sweet and Spicy Hoisin Glazed Lamb Ribs were spectacular. A generously glazed treat in bite size portions, they were messy, but worth every sticky finger. The same can be said for the Lollipop Wings (asian spice marinated drummies) – they were coated in a fantastic sweet and spicy ginger plum sauce.

Later we attempted to order the Escargot, but were discouraged by the bar tender. We took his advice and instead ordered the mussels (served in a white wine garlic sauce) and the Spicy Edamame. The mussels were mediocre, perhaps even “off” and the Edamame was good, but not noteworthy compared to our earlier choices.

We arrived about 7pm (happy lasts until 10pm on Friday) and there was a small crowd at the bar, but within an hour the restaurant was about 75% full. The atmosphere was great, exactly what you would expect from a trendy Thornton Park restaurant, and the crowd was mainly professionals and large groups of 20 to 30 somthings. Staff, as always, was friendly, but as the night progressed our wine glasses spent longer and longer periods empty.

Bottom Line: We’ll be back for happy hour (and those lamb ribs) again and we’re looking forward to trying the entrée menu.