{"id":253884,"date":"2018-11-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-11-16T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdnews.com\/happy-hour-in-a-candlelight-setting\/"},"modified":"2018-11-16T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2018-11-16T08:00:00","slug":"happy-hour-in-a-candlelight-setting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/happy-hour-in-a-candlelight-setting\/","title":{"rendered":"Happy \u2018hour\u2019 in a candlelight setting"},"content":{"rendered":"

Por Dr. Ink<\/p>\n

If a first date you\u2019ve had at some coffeehouse or cafe ends blissfully, Bleu Boh\u00e9me in Kensington is the ideal place to test whether that rapture will evolve into a white-hot flame. The romantic atmosphere \u2014 dimly lit with stick candles \u2014 carries elements of a European castle, though on a much cozier scale.<\/p>\n

\"Happy
Bleu Boh\u00e9me\u2019s curb appeal extends to the inside. (Photo courtesy of Bleu Boh\u00e9me)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Better yet, go during daily happy hour. You\u2019ll lessen the blow for whoever pays for those inevitable Champagne cocktails, moules frites and other French indulgences that are never cheap no matter where you go.<\/p>\n

The daily deals save you about 20 percent on select dishes and drinks, but only for a fast hour (between 5 and 6 p.m.), which gives you just enough time to determine if your interlude will seamlessly roll into the evening, perhaps over a bottle of Cote du Rhone blanc and a plate of duck leg confit from Blue Boh\u00e9me\u2019s regular menus.<\/p>\n

Such a scenario unfolded in my recent visit during happy hour. It was moments after sunset, just as customers\u2019 faces took on radiant glows from candlelight, that a couple seated alongside me on a cushy banquette in the bar area began inquiring about each other\u2019s travel histories.<\/p>\n

Always one to eavesdrop, they continued sharing personal info that went above and beyond that in their \u201cprofiles,\u201d which they referenced a few times but without revealing the actual dating service. I sensed pure compatibility and felt shamelessly entertained as they reveled in a quarter-liter \u201cpichet\u201d of red wine ($9.95 to $11.95) and a fluted glass of French Champagne ($7.95).<\/p>\n

\"Happy
Crab croquettes with saffron aioli (Foto por Dr. Ink)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I ordered the \u201cKensington Kaleo\u201d martini ($10.95), named after a neighborhood resident and esteemed customer who happened to be sitting outside on the heated patio, as my waiter pointed out. He invented the drink, which calls for a couple ounces of vodka, a shot of Aperol, a teaspoon of sugar, and splashes of orange and lemon juices.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a refreshingly bitter concoction designed for sipping. Yet as with all martinis that come into this clumsy grip, a portion of it sloshed out the glass and onto the table. Thanks to an astute wait staff, the embarrassing puddle was promptly cleaned up, and with no attention drawn to the mishap.<\/p>\n

\"HappyMy noshes for the hour were crusty bread with butter (complimentary) and a pair of crab croquettes ($12.95) accented with daubs of saffron aioli. Unfortunately, the shredded crab in the croquettes was overtaken by salt and excessive breadcrumbs. For the same price, I should have chosen instead the duck frites, the mushroom ravioli, or the onion-bacon Reblochon tart \u2014 reliable standbys I\u2019ve savored in past visits.<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, I left on a favorable note given Bleu Boh\u00e9me\u2019s top-notch service, upscale menu choices and captivating atmosphere \u2014 all of which prompted the spied-upon couple to indeed ask for a full dinner menu.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By\u00a0Dr. Ink If a first date you\u2019ve had at some coffeehouse or cafe ends blissfully, Bleu Boh\u00e9me in Kensington is the ideal place to test whether that rapture will evolve into a white-hot flame. The romantic atmosphere \u2014 dimly lit with stick candles \u2014 carries elements of a European castle, though on a much cozier […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":726,"featured_media":253885,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"11555","_seopress_titles_title":"Happy \u2018hour\u2019 in a candlelight setting","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[11547,11551,11555],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-253884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-news","category-uptown-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253884","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/726"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=253884"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253884\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/253885"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=253884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=253884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=253884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}