"WELCOME to happy hour," the maitre d' says, as I shift my gaze from the mannequins in sportswear to the shoppers at glossy tables.
Happy hour? Of all the conveniences that stores are offering -- online shopping, reward points, alterations -- here's the one we've needed for years. Years!
Here at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills, food and fashion have dropped their hostilities. SnAKS Cafe, the retailer's new in-store restaurant and bar, opened in June, marking a revival of a grand old tradition, but with a twist. Say goodbye to the tearoom. Hello to the cocktail lounge. OK, they're just wine-based drinks, but the trend is unmistakable and too delicious to pass up.
Not only have smart retailers realized that patrons can't calculate percentage markdowns on an empty stomach, but also, niche restaurants have sprouted up with nearly the same alacrity as new retail districts.
Whether the restaurants are offering a cup of coffee more authentically Italian than a Dolce & Gabbana bustier or a farmers market salad as fresh as next season's new silhouette, these establishments cater to discerning customers. Most are casual, calm and spacious enough for the biggest shopping bags, and each offers patrons who want just a little taste of something, quickly, a reason to stop and take notice. All that we visited are in vibrant shopping areas and execute their menus with skill.
And then there is SnAKS with its happy hour, Five at Five, offered at the new fifth-floor restaurant, nicely done up in swimming-pool blues and midcentury accessories that are as stylish as the clothes displayed a few feet away. A special 15-item menu with five wine-based cocktails, imported beers or French wines, and five small plates is available from 5 to 7 p.m. every Thursday, and arguably it's the best deal in the entire store: Each item on the happy hour menu is $5.
One could sample the entire menu for a total of $75 and still not approach the price of a good cellulite cream. But don't. Instead, opt for the grilled shrimp, served tails-up in a pool of cilantro pesto sauce. Chase with the Fifth Avenue Mimosa -- tangerine juice swirled with French Champagne (they swear it's the real stuff, and vintage too). It may be the best deal in Beverly Hills, giving the Beverly Wilshire bar, the BLVD, with its $20 Big Pour -- a rather large Riedel glass nearly brimming with fine summer wine -- a run for its money.
Saks Fifth Avenue, 9600 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills; (310) 887-5389.
