El Chupacabra: day of the dead with a side of rockabilly

Big salt-rimmed tumblers of margaritas, sloppy chicken verde tacos, killer juke box...this is our Seattle happy place. Chupi's got a bueno happy hour with people of all walks coming in for a little friendly decompression. If it's sunny, there's a deck. If it's rainy, there's a pool table. Serving straight-forward San Francisco Mission-style favorites—Gomez says be sure to get your burrito wet. El Chupacabra, 6711 Greenwood Ave. North, Seattle. 206.706.4889.

Fresh Pick: Volunteer Park Conservatory

Rain gotcha down? Me too. That's why I headed off to the Volunteer Park Conservatory—a little happy patch of jungle-slash-desert at the northern end of Volunteer Park on Capital Hill. It's open almost every day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.—and it's free. Stroll through all five houses: Bromeliad, Palm, Fern, Seasonal and Cactus. Some crazy flowers are in bloom right now, including plenty of prickly things in the Cactus House and a few carnivorous plants in the Fern section. The conservatory was completed in 1912 as part of 45-acre Volunteer Park designed by famous landscape architects, the Olmsted brothers. Volunteer Park Conservatory, 1400 E. Galer Street, Seattle. 206.684.4743.

Hard Liver #6: Brouwer's Barleywine Fest

I'm a simple person and partial to anything that includes lots of little glasses filled with alcohol for me to drink. And while tastings can be a little too too for my taste, the Hard Liver scene at Brouwer's Belgian pub was anything but uppity. Hard rock. Fleece and tattoos. Stick-to-your-ribs Flemish fare. And lots of tiny snifters filled with amber drafts. Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws. Lompoc Old Tavern Rat. Skagit Shiver Me Liver. We tried them all, my friends. Ten at a time, lined up to match the names on the accompanying receipt. We stuck to the 3-ounce tasters for $2 a pop, although you could get 6-ounce glasses for $4 or 12 ounces for $6. Our small group, led by barleywine enthusiast Jordan, checked off the varieties as we ordered and studied each glass in turn. Well, we started out that way. Those teeny tiny glasses sneak up on you. Bottom line: this stuff is the rocket fuel of beers and meant for sipping, not glug-gluggin. With an alcohol content of 8-12%, many of the brews are as strong as wine, hence the confusing name. I hadn't had barleywine before, but you know what? It was goood. And definitely a fun time. In terms of the shoestring factor, you can plan to spend at least $15 per person depending on the number of people and snifters; no cover charge. Brought to you by the beer-savvy lads of Bottleworks, Hardliver runs all week. Brauwer's, 400 N. 35th St. (corner of Phinney in Fremont), 206.267.bier. 

Grey Gallery & Lounge: caffeine, cocktails & art

Yesterday was a grey day. Walking down Pike street in the drizzle. Too early for Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Too late for the cheapy matinee show. Totally not the day to look for work. And then we saw the sandwich board: Grey Gallery and Lounge. Something new to try—perfect. We were greeted by a friendly hello when we walked in. Zero pretense. The micro bar in back was serving up cocktails and espresso. We went for the latter. Two double-shot mocha demis that were beautiful to look at and creamy-delish going down. And plenty of places to get comfortable, including the loft. We sat. We chatted. We read our horoscopes in The Stranger. And then we took a look at the current show, Tough Love: Colin Burns and Travis Lindquist of the Goldmine Shithouse. Loved the work and dug the way it was presented. Overall affordable art with some pieces under $100. A couple hours of pure art-viewin' espresso-drinkin' nirvana for six and change plus tip (two people). Seattle should be full of places like this, right? Go tell Paul Allen that. Grey Gallery and Lounge, 1512 11th Avenue, 206.325.5204. 

Greenlake Bar & Grill Happy Hour

This is just your average little neighborhood joint on the corner, but it's got a great mix of people and one of the happiest happy hours in town. Seven days a week during afternoon and late night shifts, you can enjoy tasty bar food and drink specials. Cheeseburgers, coconut prawns, barbecue chicken quesadillas, fried mozzarella sticks, caesar salads and lots more are part of menu with prices set at $2.75, $3.75 and $4.75. And no skimpy portions. There are also beer and wine specials—the house red is yum for $3.95/generous glass. Beer deals include $3.95 drafts and $2.50 PBR. Dinner and drinks and you can get out of there for under $15/person including tax and tip. Not too shabby. Make a night of it and walk around the lake when you're done. Or two-step around the corner to The Little Red Hen and get your hee-haw on. Greenlake Bar and Grill, 7200 East Greenlake Drive North, 206.729.6179.