Live it up on A Budget: Big Breaks at the Bar

Patronizing swanky spots like Morton's or Il Mulino might not work for you in this economy, but even if you're pinching pennies there's no reason to stay home. From Manhattan to Montauk, "happy hour" is the new dinner…your chance for discounts on drinks and satisfying bar food that's comparable to a complete meal. Of course, there's always the true point of any happy hour: to relax, unwind and meet new people or catch up with old friends. Patch is scouting out the best happy hours in Port Washington, starting with the dish on La Parma.

La Parma, located on Inspiration Wharf, is a lively, festive, family-style restaurant with breathtaking views of Manhasset Bay.  While not necessarily the holy grail of happy hours, from 4 p.m to 7 p.m on weeknights, decent house wine and selected cocktails are $6 (top shelf excluded) and brew bargains include $4 imports and $2 Buds. On the happy hour bar menu, all appetizers listed are $8 each, practically a steal given that the dish's full size portions average $19 to $23 on the dinner menu.

On a recent visit with a group of happy hour aficionados, we had top-notch baked clams (eight). The succulent whole clams teamed with perfectly toasted golden crumbs made this dish reminiscent of Don Peppe's in Ozone Park, whose clams set the standard by which all others are judged.  Shrimp cocktail (six) was good but not memorable. Other offerings included a clam cocktail (12), fried calamari, zuppa di mussels, shrimp oreganata, and rigatoni vodka.  The huge loaf of warm crusty Italian bread and butter that accompanied our food order was substantial enough to turn a happy hour deal into a budget- friendly meal.

Service was warm and attentive. Unlike some other spots in town, here we didn't need to fight our way to the relatively small bar to order a drink. In fact, if you find a hopping bar scene to be too stressful, LaParma's is sedate. Because the restaurant draws a very mixed crowd, you'll fit in if you're young or old, and whether you're in shorts and sneakers or all dressed up. However, on a recent evening the bar area was dominated by those waiting for tables, so it's not necessarily ideal for those looking to make friends or meet new people.