The region's happy-hour superstars

Stroll along any block of restaurants and taverns and you'll see them, without even looking closely: blackboards, sidewalk signs and neon signs, boasting "$1.95 happy hour" or "the best happy hour."

With the recession and all the empty seats in restaurants, Seattle is flooded with happy hours. Happy hours that run late night or start as early as 3 p.m. are common now. Some run straight from opening to closing time, forsaking the sacred rule of never allowing happy hour to upstage the dinner menu.

Even most of the city's big-name chefs offer happy hour, including Tom Douglas, who features one in all five of his restaurants.

And the best bit? Foodies can sample some of the city's finest cuisines at a steep discount.

I've been sampling that fare in The Seattle Times' Happy Hour report for the past eight months, and here we round up some of the best. Note that my vote for best happy food, Taberna del Alabardero, and best food deal, Tutta Bella and Maximilien, don't offer traditional bar favorites such as mini burgers, nachos or chicken wings. That underscores how happy hour has evolved in the past two years.

But greasy delights haven't vanished. Sliders remain popular even while the burger gets bigger, topped with cheese, bacon, sautéed onions and usually a secret sauce that always seems to taste like garlic aioli.

Best happy-hour food

Taberna del Alabardero

2328 First Ave., Belltown, Seattle; happy hour 3-6 p.m. Mondays- Fridays (206-448 8884 or www.alabardero.com).

About a dozen places could easily be coronated, including two that rarely get mentioned in the blogosphere, where this issue gets endlessly debated: Pair in Ravenna and Tango Restaurant & Lounge on Capitol Hill. But even those don't offer the extensive happy-hour menu that Taberna does, with a depth of gourmet fare, such as Serrano Ham and Manchego Cheese Plate and Marinated Salmon and Mango Tartare.

Notable mentions: Barolo Ristorante (downtown), Barrio (Capitol Hill), Brasa (Belltown), Bastille Café & Bar (Ballard), Daniel's Broiler (several locations), Cactus (West Seattle and Kirkland), Casuelita's Restaurant (Belltown), Flying Fish (Belltown), Lola (downtown), Pair (Ravenna), Pearl Bar & Dining (Bellevue), Serious Pie (downtown), Tango Restaurant & Lounge (Capitol Hill), Palisade (Magnolia).

Best happy-hour deal

Tie: Maximilien and Tutta Bella

Maximilien, 81A Pike St., in Pike Place Market; happy hour 5-7 p.m. Mondays-Fridays and 8-10 p.m. Saturdays (206-682-7270 or www.maximilienrestaurant.com).

The city's most romantic happy hour also offers a $2.95 appetizer list, including three buttery mini croissants with ham and cheese, steamed mussels and a goat cheese and garlic mousse.

Tutta Bella, 2200 Westlake, Suite 112, Seattle; happy hour 3-6 p.m. Mondays-Fridays (206-624-4422 or www.tuttabellapizza.com).

This Neapolitan pizzeria features "little plates" ($3-$4) that are bigger than those served at most restaurants, and they're often made with fresh, gourmet ingredients.

Notable mentions: The Brooklyn Seafood, Steak and Oyster House (downtown), Frontier Room (Belltown), Hunt Club (First Hill), McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant (several locations), Metropolitan Grill (downtown) and Sazerac (downtown).

Best happy-hour cocktails

Zig Zag Café

1501 Western Ave., Seattle; happy hour 5-7 p.m. Mondays-Fridays (206-625-1146 or www.zigzagseattle.com).

The cocktail revival is the hottest bar trend. Still, no one offers a better deal than the old reliable Zig Zag Café, featuring $5 happy-hour cocktails, crafted by Murray Stenson — one of America's top bartenders — and the underrated Erik Hakkinen.

Notable mentions: Chantanee Thai Restaurant and Naga Cocktail Lounge (Bellevue), Liberty (Capitol Hill), Spur Gastropub (Belltown), Sun Liquor (Capitol Hill), Tini Bigs (Queen Anne) and Vessel (downtown).

Best happy-hour burger

El Gaucho

2505 First Ave., Seattle; happy hour all day Sundays and Mondays, and 5-7 p.m. Tuesdays- Fridays (206-728-1337 or www.elgaucho.com).

Sure, at $7.50, El Gaucho's burger remains pricey even though that's the half-off, happy-hour price. But no one else does a burger like El Gaucho. It's not just piled with toppings just to look gluttonous. It's nicely structured: a round Focaccia bread with a grilled, half-pound, prime-top-sirloin patty, topped with thick bacon strips, English Coastal Cheddar cheese, onion, tomato, lettuce and Thousand Island dressing. It's all held together in a wrapper so the toppings don't slide off, so every bite tastes consistent. The burger comes with a side of Norigold mashed potatoes at the Belltown location and fries at its Bellevue location.

Notable mentions: Café Ponti (Fremont), Metropolitan Grill (downtown), McCormick's Fish House & Bar (several locations) and The Tin Table (Capitol Hill).

Best French fries

Taberna del Alabardero

A traditional Spanish dish, "Broken Fried Eggs" ($5.75), features warm egg yolks blanketing fries with bits of salty Iberico ham.

Notable mentions: The Bohemian (West Seattle), Coppergate (Ballard), Bastille Café & Bar (Ballard), Julia's on Queen Anne (fries with basil salt and Gorgonzola sauce) and Madison Park Cafe.

Best slider

Café Campagne

1600 Post Alley, Seattle; happy hour 4-6 p.m. Mondays-Fridays (206-728-2800 or www.campagnerestaurant.com).

The shell of this lamb slider is a cheese puff ($2) made with thyme and comté, a sweet, nutty French cheese. The juicy lamb — a shoulder cut from Anderson Valley Ranch — is ground and seasoned with rosemary, garlic, pepper and red-pepper flakes, spread with aioli and topped with balsamic roasted red onions.

Notable mentions: Anthony's Restaurants (Kobe sliders with cheese and bacon and sautéed onions; several locations), ART Lounge (downtown), Frontier Room (Belltown), Lola (downtown), Pair (Ravenna) and Ruth's Chris Steak House (rib-eye sliders; several locations).

Best bacon-wrapped prawn

Troiani

1001 Third Ave., Seattle; happy hour 1 to around 9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 1-10 p.m. Fridays, and 5-10 p.m. Saturdays (206-624-4060 or www.troianiseattle.com).

This pig-and-shrimp combo shows up in so many happy-hour menus now that it might be the next slider. Best variation: the charcoal-grilled-pancetta-wrapped prawn. The porky saltiness balances nicely with the sweet raisin and scallion pesto sauce. Four big prawns for $10.

Notable mentions: Frontier Room (Belltown) and List (Belltown).

Tan Vinh: 206-515-5656 or tvinh@seattletimes.com