Trellis Offers Farm-to-Table Happy Hour for Half Price

Fresh, seasonal ingredients sets Trellis apart from your usual bar grub.

The Place: Trellis, 220 Kirkland Ave., inside the Heathman Hotel, 425-284-5900, KIRKLAND

The Hours: Trellis offers "Crush Hour" daily from 4-6 p.m.

The Deal: All "small" plates are 1/2 price, but these include more substantial plates like steak, flatbread pizzas, and gnocchi. Choose from $6 glasses of wine, half-off beers on draft (a fine selection of Northwest microbrews and quality European imports), and $3 off cocktails, including classics like the Arsenic & Old Lace or a Blood & Sand (cocktails regularly priced $8-$12).

The Digs: Located inside the Heathman Hotel, Trellis Restaurant is plush enough to make the residents of this tony little lakeside town comfortable, but rustic and lively enough to attract a young, after-work crowd. The sidewalk seating is glassed in and heated in the winter, providing a nice taste of the outdoors on otherwise chilly spring evenings. Inside, grab a seat at the alabaster bar or at one of the burnished-wood bistro tables.

The crowd at Trellis is kind of mixed. Inside seems to be popular with the "I'm just going to stop in at the bar for one drink, honey" crowd, while outside is popular with small groups of women celebrating birthdays or other occasions, as evidenced by piles of gift bags and wrapped packages (it's doubtful they are celebrating sobriety because the white wine is usually flowing). Everyone seems to be eating almost as much as they are drinking, though, and for good reason. Both can be done cheaply and deliciously during Crush Hour.

The Verdict: The culinary ethos of Trellis is farm-to-table dining. They put their money where their backhoe is at a 10-acre farm in nearby Woodinville, where they grow much of their produce. The menu varies seasonally, but there are usually a couple dozen options, ranging from artichoke "tots" and house-cured salmon to steamed clams and a grilled flat-iron steak.

Trellis is deservedly a popular happy-hour spot. Portions are good, considering everything on the bar menu is half-price. And this isn't your typical bar fare. The cheese platter includes Cougar Gold, Point Reyes Blue, and Port Townsend Sea Stack in generous hunks for $7 instead of $14. Flatbreads topped with everything from duck, grapes, and arugula to pear, prosciutto, and endive are $5. I recently had a steak sandwich that was loaded with juicy, shaved sirloin, roasted peppers, onion, and cheese, all in a toasty ciabatta roll and served with sweet potato fries for just $8. Since Crush Hour is offered daily, Trellis is a great stop for an early meal on the weekend or for a drink and snack after-work.

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