Here's a happy-hour riddle: If the way to a man — or woman's — heart is through the stomach and not the wallet, how is it that flat, flavorless beer and baskets of deep-fried appetizers became synonymous with the postwork pick-me-up? Sure, that cup of Coors and basket of breaded-and-battered whatever may come cheap, but at what cost? The "happy-time" block offered weeknights at Kapow! doesn't half-ass it with the low-cost offerings. House wines and draft beers — an ever-changing assortment of familiar and strange domestic crafts and imports — are half-off from 4 to 7 p.m. But the real kicker is the menu of $3 bar bites. Instead of offering odds 'n' ends that you'd shovel down only if forced to by a beer buzz and budgetary concerns, these are treats — steamed buns, shishitou peppers, roasted cauliflower — that are well worth full price, drunk or sober. Add to that the cool tunes, hip décor, and energetic crowd and you've got a solution to the mystery of how to build a happy hour that doesn't compromise standards.