• HOURS: Sun-Thu 5-7
• PRICES: $5 beer, wine, and cocktails
$5 small plates

It was with a certain amount of curiosity that I followed the construction of the Four Seasons on First Avenue, the Sound view-hogging luxury hotel outside of which labor protesters gather daily, taking time to ogle the occasional Lusty Lady as she saunters by on her way into work.

I remember the first time I had a look inside, I wandered right over to the lounge (like you do), and was greeted with impressive opulence—Bin Vivant-style wine storage walls showed off rare bottles, gallery lighting flattered the well-heeled guests who looked pretty prerecession all around, sipping on their D2 and discussing the ups and downs of boat ownership. And the place just went on and on and on: clearly, the hotel expected a lot of people would be dining here.

And now here were are, deep in this bore of a recession, with even wealthy people resoling their shoes and stocking up on Costco steaks. So what do fancy restaurants/bars do? They introduce a happy hour—make a little money, keep the brand alive until things look up. But it’s not that easy for Art, a neighbor of some of the finest happy hours destinations in the city. Think about it: Union, Maximilien, Il Bistro, Brasa, Barolo, Café Campagne …should I keep going? The HH competition is stiff.

Here’s Art’s answer to that challenge:

Happy hour “Five After Five” runs from 5-7pm, Sunday through Thursday. Chef Kerry Sear’s “mini burgers trio” exceeds expectations and even comes in veggie form. (Ask for the portabella topping. It costs an extra 50 cents.) Other food includes tuna rolls, blue shrimp, calamari, hummus plate…the usual HH suspects, but the quality is very high. On the drink side you have a couple of martinis, a daiquiri, beer, and some solid Washington wines: Kung Fu Girl, Apex II chardonnay.

So that’s the news, Seattle. Another famous chef is making you $5 happy hour snacks, and this one’s also offering world-class views on the side. Long summer evenings are upon us, let’s enjoy accordingly.