Happy hour at Laudisio lasts and lasts

Some fella enjoying the goods at Laudisio.

Laudisio is a household name to many Boulderites, dating back to their location at 28th and Iris, where they transformed a strip center sidewalk into a trellised slice of Milano, complete with fans and grape vines. But, like the Jefferson’s, they have moved on up.

It is now a luxurious (but responsibly green) Italian restaurant at Twenty Ninth Street, directly above the cool, spinning globe sculpture. It is fancy enough for a royal feast, but with the current shortage of kings, earls, princesses and the like, Laudisio’s enticing happy hour reels in the common man, like me.

I met Chief, Cobb and Hannah’s Mom (HM) on a damp Thursday evening. Although the main dining room was not raging, the ‘happy hour lounge’ at the bar was cooking along nicely. Chief and HM arrived early and were attacking three separate dishes when Cobb and I arrived, having just played a set of ‘homerun’ tennis. Homerun tennis is where nearly every ball sails over the fence, but I digress. Chief’s long arms and sharp elbows were flying as she forked bits of “Mini Polenta Boulder” ($4.25) in her maw. It was pretty tasty with spinach, ricotta and tomato sauce on top, though not especially large. Next, the eggplant parmigiano ($4) was both melty and crispy, and a good value considering the hefty portion. The ladies were also devouring a breaded halibut that was tasty if a touch rich and heavy. Cobb and I ordered up Mirror Pond Ales ($3.50); hoppy suds that go down like a detached elevator- that is to say fast. Good beer. We ordered up pizzas ($4.75), one Margherita and one pepperoni, and they couldn’t have been much better; delicate wood-fired crust, pools of fresh melted mozzarella and the perfect blend of tangy sauce. They represent the best deal at Laudisio, in my not-so-humble opinion. HM and Chief were both downing Cosmos like gumdrops, though at $5 each they aren’t necessarily a bargain. Was it so long ago that a martini was $5 during prime time? What would 007 say? He would probably say “Very well” and fork over an exclusive platinum British Secret Service Master Card from a steel case, but….again, I digress.

Two factors make Laudisio’s happy hour stand out: 1) the bar tenders are unfailing polite, managing to charm the ladies and mop up spills with equal proficiency, and 2) the length of the ‘hour’; you see, Laudisio’s keeps this party going from 3 all the way to 7:30! That’s about double the average happy hour span, so walk, don’t run to Laudisio’s.