Auriga

This is my current favorite happy hour. Not only is the food amazing, but I've created a rumor that seems to have run rampant through the restaurant. I completely made up where I'd heard about their happy hour while talking to a waitress on one visit and now I've had servers saying to me, yes, we've gotten much more busy since people heard about this new website. It's a self fufilling prophecy in the most egotistical manner. We've come full circle.
As some of you know, Auriga is a chef owned restaurant that is really producing some of the most artistic food in this town. Unfortunately, for me, I don't own any of those houses 'round Lake of the Isles. I inhabit a considerably smaller 1 bedroom apartment near Lake of the Isles that I'm pretty sure will be torn down for condos any day now.
If you get yourself into Auriga between 5pm (their website says they don't open until 5:30, but seriously, I go in there around five all the time) and 7pm, you get $3 glasses of wine and these gorgeous little cracker crust pizzas for half price. Meaning you can basically have dinner, one is plenty for one person, for about $6.50 plus tax and tip. My favorite is roasted garlic with Italian smoked mozzarella, rosemary leaves and capers pizza, but their menu changes often, who knows how long that will be there? It can be a little greasy. But, just because you're in a fancy pants restaurant don't forget: it's pizza. 'Course it's greasy. And did I mention the wine? It only $3! You have that in your couch cushions! AND IT'S GOOD! There's no Corbet Canyon here, my friends. Real wine for people who know how to turn a corckscrew. Not to mention the excellent service. Occassionally, I will get a little intimitated about who I can order my next drink from. On one visit my friend and I easily had four different servers, but only one that took orders. But they are so nice. I've had bar tabs that run smaller than their cheapest entree and still I'm treated so well; I can't believe it. So, why go to that downtown bar with the snooty bartender that really can't be bothered to get you another glass of $13 mediocre wine (rhymes with likes, ahem) when you've got this little gem just outside the city?