I am always asked who has the best happy hour in town. In my opinion, a good happy hour has to consist of cheap drinks and quality food that won’t leave a hole in your gut or wallet. I figured what better way to kick off my new column then with one of Vancouver’s newest happy hour menus.

Chef Peter Gallin, owner of Applewood, 212 NE 164th Avenue, Suite 11, recently decided to jump into the happy hour game. Applewood’s happy hour is served Wednesday to Friday 3:30 - 6:30 p.m. in the newly added Ripe Apple Lounge and consists of appetizers and drink specials. Chef Peter really hit the mark when creating his happy hour with quality northwest fresh appetizers and unique drinks, all reasonably priced.

The drink menu contains some great drinks, including Vantucky Lemonade, a pleasant twist on a Kentucky Lemonade, delicious lemon drops and Mojitos. All the drinks on the menu are $5-$6 and discounts on wine and tap beers are also available. The appetizer menu features such things as Dungeness crab cakes served with an orange saffron aioli ($6) that is so moist and flaky I couldn’t taste any fillers. The potato sandwich ($3) is definitely the best twist on a typical potato skin that I have ever seen. Panko crusted, pan browned potato sandwiches filled with bacon and cheese served with sour cream and chives; it makes my mouth water just writing about it. Another favorite of mine is the black and white sesame seed crusted chicken and wild rice cakes served with an Asian aioli ($3). It is a mouthful to say, but a tasty one to eat. These chicken cakes are Chef Peter’s gourmet version of the chicken nugget and, if it were up to me, I would give them 5 stars. There is not a deep fryer in Applewood, so they are moist and tender with bursts of flavor and not a hint of grease. All of the appetizers range from $3-$6 and include 12 delicious, fresh and unique choices. Don’t miss live music from James Kerridge Friday nights starting at 5 p.m. and Thank Goodness it’s Thursday wine tastings every Thursday from 5 - 7 p.m. For more information, or to make reservations, call 360-882-3725 or visit Chef Peter online for menus, dates and more at www.applewood.net.

Feel free to email your comments and favorite happy hour spots at Ricky@vanvoice.