Top Toddy Tidbits

OK. You can get a drink anywhere. But sometimes it's more than the toddy that drives the Happy Hour migration. It's often those very special nibbles that are unique to one bar, deck, lounge or scenic sippery. So where do you find these one of a kind chomps that keep you noshing until it has become a meal. Come on along. And see how many of these tantalizing treats launch a full scale craving. – Jay Lloyd

CHIPS (American)

Great American Pub (Phoenixville)
thegreatamericanpub.com

The lowly chip has long been a Happy Hour staple along with its companions, peanuts and popcorn. Why? They're all salty and keep you drinking. But the chip rises to stratospheric levels and leaves behind it's earthly siblings at the Great American Pub in Phoenixville. Hand cooked, these chips have more crunch, flavor and heft than anything that ever came in a bag. It's worth spending a happy hour sipping familiar beers and crunching chips at an outdoor table on booming Bridge Street.

CRAB BALLS

Fitzwater Station
fitzwaterstation.com/

I don't need much of an incentive to steer a course to Fitzwater Station when it's toddy time. But sometimes it's not just the view of kayakers on the Schuylkill Canal or a cold beer on a warm deck, but the nibbles that occupy the menu. It's really a craving for their tantalizing crab balls. These mini-crab cakes have just enough crunch on the outside and full spice and crab flavor hidden within to prompt a repeat order. And they're the perfect mate for a summertime brew.

MUSSELS (RED OR WHITE)

Osteria (Evansburg)
osteriaevansburg.com/home

Many Happy Hour stops won't bother with mussels. They're time consuming, napkin intensive and leave a lot of empty shells behind. But bars that do offer the magnificent mollusks are in competition. They all want theirs to be dubbed, "the best." Here's my best. You'll find them at a small Italian bistro in Evansburg called Osteria that packs the bar from 5 to 7. They are large and bathed in a robust, garlicky red sauce that will have your palate palpitating long after the last shell is tossed in the bowl. White sauce lovers are equally magnetized. Live music too.

CHICKEN LIVER PATE

Whip Tavern
thewhiptavern.com/

No. It's not the course, egg, onion, schmaltz and chopped liver that my mom used to make. It's smooth as silk, rich in color, full flavor and comes with lightly buttered crusty toast and pickled onions. It goes well with the amazing selection of British beer and ale, on the patio at the Whip Tavern, a watering hole for the horsey set in rural Chester County south of Coatesville. The setting on a country road with horses grazing in a nearby pasture creates a relaxing climax to a summer day.

LOBSTER AND CRAB CROSTINI

Oyster Bay (Cape May, NJ)
oysterbayrestaurant.com/

If your Happy Hours have a Jersey shore tilt to them, you'll be hard pressed to find a more tempting bar menu than at the Oyster Bay restaurant just off the mall in Cape May. This is truly a place where nibbles with cocktails turn into dinners. The lobster and crab crostini are the draw with ideal crunch and sea flavored shore treats between sips of Mary's Martini and my Manhattan. After all, Oyster Bay is known for its seafood. Live lobster is fresh off the boat and local crab is plentiful in the summer months. Match it with skillfully baked and toasted Italian bread and here's a bar nibble that will draw you right back no matter where you roam.

TAPAS

Soccarat (New York)
socarratnyc.com/

Tapas by their very nature are the ideal bar nosh. Spanish in origin, they are small plates that avoid mealtime dimensions but are more creative than a traditional appetizer. The variety often seems endless and ranges from small fish, jamon, croquettes, tomato bread and spicy potatoes (patatas bravas) to well sauced mussels. On New York getaways, it's a must-have Happy Hour craving. My favorite spot there is one of three Soccarat Paella bars - the one on Mulberry Street on the Lower East Side. I was pleasantly surprised to find a tapas bar in Saratoga Springs on a recent summer getaway. If you're in the neighborhood, the Boca Bistro www.bocabistro.com/ serves up familiar flavors paired with Adirondack beers.

PIZZA

Parc Bistro (Skippack)
parcbistro.com/

Undoubtedly America's favorite Happy Hour food, substantial enough for dinner and a natural with beer, pizza is found on a growing number of bars. Having tried many, I keep returning to the Parc Bistro in Skippack and its Margherita pie. There's a lively bar crowd, classic country inn setting and the pizza is hot from a wood fired oven, slathered with the sweetest tomato sauce on the table side of the vine.

Finding new bar eats for pairing or sharing can turn into an obsession. But when you find great ones, enjoy them while you can. Bar menus have a habit of changing.

Cheers!