Forepaugh's: Happy hour of the week

By Michelle Leon Fri., Oct. 7 2011 at 10:57 AM

Categories: The Happiest Hour

Now with expanded outdoor seating.

Forepaugh's
276 Exchange Street, St. Paul
651.224.5606
website

Daily: 4 p.m.-7 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

$3-$7 appetizer menu

$3 tap beer

$4 house wine

$4 rail drinks

$6 drink of the day

Venue: It wasn't like Forepaugh's wasn't charming enough. With rooms painted in jeweled reds, filled with rich wood; the soaring ceilings, private nooks; the fireplaces blazing--the atmosphere in this turn-of-the-century locale was already thick, the outdoor balcony seating divine. Now with added tables on their front porch, if you squint your eyes--especially on these precious warm days of autumn--after some wine and look through the wrought-iron gates at the avenue and surrounding homes, you could almost believe you're on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans. At the very least, you might feel like you've reached a perfect stay-cation destination.

For appetizers, we tried the poutine ($5). Served in a fancy little tin, these perfectly crisp fries topped with Fisher Farms cheese curds and lightly fried chilies were a nice little bite, especially with the house sauvignon blanc. We also tried the Malaysian chicken samosas ($4) served with a mango dipping sauce. A lovely blend of savory and sweet, this is one of those dishes that we appreciate most because they'd be such a bitch to make at home. While all dishes we tried were delicious, we must admit it wouldn't matter if they weren't, because sitting on a Victorian front stoop on these lovely, bittersweet days of fall, drinking wine and watching the sunset, means having nothing to complain about.

Poutine

Verdict: This restaurant seems most often thought of as a place for celebrating anniversaries, birthdays or other occasions of the fat-wallet variety. But with a happy hour this happening, Forepaugh's can be considered a place for the people. With the sun blazing, and the leaves of gold falling from the sky, after our visit to Forepaugh's for a Sunday happy hour sip, we felt replenished and pampered, while spending less than $40. And on Sundays, happy hour lasts all day long.