The place: 101 Ocean, 101 E. Commercial Blvd., Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. Call 954-776-8101.
The hours: 5 to 7 p.m. every day.
The deal: All drinks half price.
The digs: If they ever decide to add another number to the Ocean's (Eleven) Trilogy, 101 Ocean would make an ideal filming location. But not only because of the name. First off, it seems like the perfect place for George Clooney and Brad Pitt to plan a heist. Relaxing and more business-casual than beachwear-comfortable, they would fit right in at this Lauderdale-by-the-Sea restaurant and bar.
Cameras could pan over the waterfall next to the front door that flows
over the menu or a second waterfall inside, next to the luminous fish
tank, that flows over a flat screen. The clean lines and untarnished
décor make it hard to imagine a speck of sand tainting the inside,
which is quite a feat considering the indoor/outdoor bar and pizza
counter that abut the sidewalk. Plus, it says something when a seafood
place is as clean as its fish tank. It makes you trust that your raw
oysters won't contain any nasty seafood-borne pathogens or BP sludge.
The crowd consists of an odd mix of suits and beach bums -- both fresh
and seasoned. The background music is just as incongruous yet
harmonious as the clientele as it varies from trip-hop-world music to a
Top 40 Weezer or Cardigans hits.
The verdict:
There's nothing better than a simple happy hour. No complex
restrictions to drinks from certain countries or from different levels
of the shelf. Everything's half off! No need to buy two. This is in
addition to their daily drink specials on certain brands of top-shelf
liquor cocktails and seasonal wine specials.
