Also check out Marie Louis (the old Gampy's) in Mt Vernon. They have $6 top-self Martini night every Monday evening at the upstairs bar with small plate specials.

I'll stand behind your decision to include Hamilton Tavern. It was incredibly busy and noisy when it first opened, but most nights at dinner it is comfortable in crowd and volume.

I still find Hamilton Tavern a bit on the noisy side, mostly owing to poor acoustics. BUT it's in my Top 5 for happy hours (or drinks at any other time, for that matter), and the food is terrific. Also, they have a great selection of beers (as do all of the Brewer's Art-related spots).

I've always liked Helen's Garden for a more mature bar environment on the square in Canton. Their happy hour is Tuesday - Sunday 11:30 a.m. - 8 p.m. with half price wine, last I knew. Although sitting at a table doesn't do it for me there, we've always had a great time at the bar.

Though I do love Hamilton Tavern, it seems to me if you were organizing a Happy Hour outing with a group, The Parkside would be the better alternative. At Hamilton Tavern the risk of having nowhere to sit is a very real possibility... Parkside has much more room, quieter, no TVs, better beer selection, good happy hour deals, etc.

Good to know. No one recommended it, and I haven't been there. EL

the parkside would be a lot better if they didn't have the "children's area." when i was there, kids were yelling and screaming and i couldn't wait to leave. a bar and restaurant shouldn't even have a "children's area."

Oh, Hamilton Tavern should easily be on the list. Professor McIntyre hangs out there, and any place that has a regular who wears bowties and drinks bourbon has to qualify as a spot for the over 35 crowd. And I say that as a 34 year old who wears bowties and drinks bourbon.

The Parkside is great if you have kids and still want to enjoy a happy hour!

Hamilton Tavern doesn't have TVs does it? It's just loud because of the acoustics and the jovials? At any rate, I love it!

oh, i totally forgot about me and my gf's favorite place to go for happy hour. although we're not 35+, lets just say we're not far off...and George's in the bottom floor of the peabody court hotel has one of the best (and under-utilized) happy hours in the city.

sunday - friday from 5-8 they have buy one get one free beer (good micro selection), rail drinks, and house wines...as well as $6 pizzas, $5 wings, and other food specials for $5/6.

it's a really relaxing/quiet place and i regularly get into good conversations with locals as well as people staying in the hotel. the service is also top notch.

it's like the RA of MtV (minus the loud t-pain songs in the background)

As a mother of 2, I quite understand the need for a "children's area" in some establishments. It is always a shame to me how unwelcome we feel when our children open their mouths to speak (voice modulation is not one of their talents yet). I guess they never heard of the saying about only being seen. Oh well, I guess that is why delivery pizza is popular at my house. And the delivery guy never glares at me. :)

Hey! Lookie there! All 3 of my suggestions made it on the list!

They were good. :-) EL

As a mother of 2, I quite understand the need for a "children's area" in some establishments. It is always a shame to me how unwelcome we feel when our children open their mouths to speak (voice modulation is not one of their talents yet). I guess they never heard of the saying about only being seen. Oh well, I guess that is why delivery pizza is popular at my house. And the delivery guy never glares at me. :)

I promise that I am not poking the bear when it comes to this subject, but I just have to say, that honestly? Happy hours are not for children. I have no problem with children in restaurants, as long as they behave properly. But at happy hour? It reminds me of Reese Witherspoon line from "Sweet Home Alabama"..."Look at you. You have a baby. In a bar."

I'm with Dawn. No big deal about kids in restaurants, but are they needed in a bar? I mean, usually if you're there for happy hour, you're there to drink. So you need your kid with you while you get your buzz on?

Anyway, yeah, that's why the Parkside never makes any list for me. Even when I've been there at 11:00 on a weeknight with a band playing it's full of small children.

Would you rather have the kids there during happy hour, or during you sit down meal? I would take it during happy hour. (I have not been to Hamilton Tavern, so I do not know the situation- but I would take them at happy hour before dinner everyday.)

To me, It's Me, it's a moot point. My point is that happy hour takes place in a bar, and by law, a bar is not the place for children. Honestly, kids being anywhere really doesn't bother me (and I do not have kids), but this is more about what is appropriate.

Kids belong in a bar as much as cats and dogs belong in a bar. Really, who would need booze so much that they would take their kids with them when they get hammered. Some things are meant for adults, others are meant for kids, keep them separate.

Dawn, you are right. I do not know what Hamilton Tavern looks like. It could be an open bar with tables that looks like any Applebees/Outback/whatever where the kids and family are at a table in the "bar area" for happy hour specials. That is how I viewed it. When I grab a beer after work at Maxs I do not expect there to be kids there, but if it is a restaurant as well, I could see the possibility. I was just trying to give an alternate opinion.

Who brings kids to a bar for Happy Hour??? Mother of the year...

I once brought my dog into a bar in Marietta, Ohio.

He was well behaved.

RoCK has the right idea I would frequent any dog-friendly happy hour like the great places in Europe which welcome dogs and exclude children.

Cannot believe you missed Tark's and Michaels Timonium ...

I can they both have horrible food and a pretty boring crowd

Dogs are quieter and more sanitary in bars than children.

Parents bringing kids to a bar? That is beyond stupid if the parents are drinking. Are they all taking cabs home?

I can't see parents taking kids to bars like city neighborhood bars but many bars in the counties are also "family restaurants". Like Belisimo's in Finksburg or any Bill Bateman's location. There are more of them than there are "Joe's Bar's" out my way.

For real? How old are some of you people, 80? Noise? At Hamilton Tavern? Turn down your hearing aids. The place is as cozy a restaurant/tavern you can find, no music playing noticably, and a din of conversation at most, quality lighting... It is as calm a place you can find while still having a pulse. I call that atmosphere and a nice vibe to hang out. Am I the only person who enjoys the feeling of people having a good time at happy hour or any other hour at a tavern? I can understand how EL has to be hypersensitive to those around her, but when I'm at dinner or having a beverage the last thing I'm concerned with is the "noise" of others having conversations.

SAS - I have not been to Tarks but have spent a bit of time at Michaels. I agree that the crowd at Michaels is boring (I usually go with my own friends) but I disagree that the food is horrible. It is not fine dining, it is a bar.

CHW - No, we are not 80,but I am assuming we are also not all 18. I hate when cars pass my house with radios blaring and thumping. Think about someone other than yourself.

Other CHW, who are you? Why do you insist on stealing my identity?

Chw - are you referring to the 10:24 post? I'm not stealing your identify, I'm just commenting on the fact that a lot of people don't like LOUD background noise. And it has nothing to do with age.

(note the lowercase Chw.)

No, this is to uppercase CHW. This is at least the second time there has been a post under those letters in this blog. Although I don't post much, or make it substantial when I do, it's just weird to see. Especially since my user name is from my last name, and let's be honest, those letters don't usually go well together otherwise.

I'm guessing it's because of chow, but maybe it's somebody's initials. However, you've claimed it first, and from now on it's yours. Put the same e-mail in your posts from now (even a fake one) and I'll be able to tell it's you and will remove other Chws, regardless of case. The first time you put in the e-mail, use this same computer so I can check it really is you from your IP address. Whew. EL

I'd like to try to clear something up:

I've only been in Hamilton Tavern twice. I saw no children nor did I notice a children's area.

I was at Parkside last week for the Moveable Feast deal. I took a Grandboy because we already had an evening scheduled and Parkside's website says it has a children's area in what appears to be a restaurant that serves liquor. At 6ish, I saw no sign of "bar" or "Happy Hour" activity so we stayed with the dinner plan. (There is a McDonald's essentially next door, so my companion was campaigning for a change of venue.) It was quite empty, so we sat away from the Children's Area because there was quite a bit of screaming coming from there - not pain or hunger or find-out-what's-wrong-with-me screaming, but the Because-I-Can genre that I found annoying when I was a kid; did not tolerate from my own children and now that I'm old and cranky really dislike.

To all the kind writers around here: not all the folks who go to a bar go to get "hammered." Some people actually go to have a quick bite to eat, never touch a drink and have children with them who also need to eat, go figure. A lot restaurants just happen to have bars, too. It is disappointing how many folks leap to a conclusion based on a posting and take swipes at a stranger. And yes, I especially appreciate the "mother of the year" remark. PS - my kids have never seen a poorly behaved adult at any of the places we have been to. Of course, they can't read yet. Have a great day!

Going to a restaurant/bar with children to get a bite to eat is one thing. Going to a restaurant/bar for "happy hour" with your children is another. If you're going for happy hour, you're going to drink. Should you really be going out with you're children while you get half smashed? Leave your kids at home with a babysitter. It's called being a responsible parent.

I don't think most people go to happy hour to get smashed.

Also, I hate how some get all moralistic about drinking in front of kids. I grew up in the 70's, which means that I grew up with adults drinking around me. I don't think it was a problem then, and I think in many ways society was much more social and fun back then.

Now, that said, I still don't think that kids should be in bars, whether that be at happy hour or at closing time.

It's not just about the kids, but it's also about the other patrons.

Bars are for adults to be around other adults, and they should be able to joke, swear, etc... without having to worry about being seen or overheard by some family who insist on hanging out in a tavern because they think it is cool, or because Dad wants to watch the game, or because mom wants to take advantage of the free hors d'oeuvres.

Back when I lived in Hamilton, and the Hamilton Tavern was a dump that only the outcasts from the Wilkens House/Brannan's Pub went, Brannan's was the happening place. And Happy Hour brought quite a few regulars with their kids in tow. I thought it rather uncool that they brought the kids, but it was more of a social thing. They just wanted to meet with friends to plan their weekends.
Plus, the rule was that children had to be out by 9pm. Most had their children out well before then.
I'm sure RayRay will know what I mean.

Restaurant Patron, I need to point out that this post was a Top 10 listing of Happy Hours for 35-and-over. At no point was I disparaging of you taking children to a restaurant that might happen to have a bar in it. Again, that is not the point. The point is that you are trying to argue restaurant rules for children in a happy hour post. This argument has been hashed out many times around these parts, and if you wish to read those points of view, simply do a search.

The plain and simple fact is that whether a restaurant has a bar or not, the happy hour or even the bar for that matter, does not at any time, apply to children. If you and your children would like to eat at happy hour time in the dining room of restaurant that happens to have a bar, that is your decision, and no one is keeping you from it.

I'm reminded of Reese Witherspoon's beautifully delivered line from "Sweet Home Alabama":

"Look at you! You've got a baby..! ....in a bar!"

Yeah, I think there was some confusion here. The Parkside has the children's section, Hamilton Tavern does not. Also, both are more than just bars. They both have a bar, true, but most of their space is devoted to table service and they have extensive menus. So people who object to kids in bars really have nothing to complain about in either case. Now, those who object to kids in restaurants, on the other hand...

CHW, really? Odd. I first went to the Hamilton Tavern before I was 35 (ah, the wasted days of my youth...), and I, along with everyone else I know who's been there, find the acoustics dreadful. Mind you, we go quite a bite - it's one of our favorite spots, the staff all know us pretty well (and vice versa). I do love the atmosphere overall, I love that it's popular and gets a good crowd, but I would also love to be able to talk to the person next to me without shouting. Maybe you're just there during the off hours...?

By the way, "din," the word you used to describe the level of conversation, is defined as "a loud continued noise; especially : a welter of discordant sounds." So on that point, I agree with you.

But yeah, LOVE the Hamilton Tavern - it's our go-to place.

In addition to going quite a bite, we also go quite a bit.

Love all of the judgement, especially from people that do not have children. "Mother of the year" is leaving your kid at home by themselves, while you go out to happy hour and get tanked. Walking your baby down to a local FRIENDLY bar during the hours of 4-7, to hang out, and grab some food, see some people, and walk home is a wonderful outing for parent and baby. My baby loves seeing people, watching people interact and being in a different place. She is wonderful and I am always prepared to leave if she starts getting fussy. This all may change once she is walking and talking, but for now, please do not judge us. I am a wonderful parent, love my baby more than anything. I was also raised in a bar as my mother was a waitress and my dad was in medical school. I sat at the bar with my coloring books drinking a shirley temple, untill my grandmother or someone could come and get me. The staff were all wonderful to me and so were the people coming into the bar/restaurant. No one judged. Some people gotta do what they gotta do and you do not know what their situation is to demean them as mothers.

You never judge anyone, nic? Even when their behaviour has an impact on you? How wonderful for you. I'm sure your sainthood is in the mail.

Yes, and when I judge someone I go onto a public forum and demean a whole group of people that are doing the best they can (sarcasm). I never called myself a saint - was just putting this whole "baby in a bar" thing into context.

Got it, nic. Babies belong in bars, screaming or not.

Sure glad I don't hang out in bars. Is there anywhere left for adults only?

Babies and kids scream on airplanes, are you saying parents shouldn't ever fly, because they will disturb other passengers? I think screaming babies on airplanes are way worst than parents bringing their kids to restaurants and even bars (which serve food, and are friendly to all. This is a free country you know). Get a grip Lissa. No one is saying that babies are taking over the bars and soon will be out at the strip clubs to destroy any last fun this world has to offer for adults. I just hope you aren't serious....

On our flight to Belgium there was a woman with three small children. She allowed the youngest to sit on her lap and kick the back of my seat. All. Night. Long.

I love babies--but not this particular one. There were two babies on the return flight who never made a peep.

I'm totally serious, Mike. Babies do not belong in restaurants. Misbehaving children do not belong in restaurants. Sometimes you have to fly with children, but the kind of behaviour Dahlink described should not be allowed by parents.

Let me make it perfectly clear - it is the behaviour of the *parents* that is a problem. If a baby screams in a restaurant, it is the job of the parent to take it outside and to deal with the baby's issue.

Lissa, I would have loved to ask the mother of the kicker to "take it outside," but I'm sure there would have been an international incident if I had.

Lissa - I'd say the Baltimore Block was adults only, but I've seen baby carriages rolling through there at midnight, too.

Heather--were there actual babies in those carriages?

We flew to Phoenix a few months ago. Woman sitting behind us had a two year old who screamed from Newark to Phoenix. The mother slept, I didn't.

I agree with Lissa, "Babies do not belong in restaurants. Misbehaving children do not belong in restaurants." Further children, babies, whatever do not belong at "Happy Hour". If you're going out to "drink", find someone to watch your child, or stay at home and be a good parent.

Dahlink wrote: There were two babies on the return flight who never made a peep.

Their parents probably took them to an airport bar and slipped them a couple shooters before the flight.

Bucky--possibly, but the one baby nearest us looked bright-eyed and angelic (not sozzled).

Bucky,
Perhaps they took advantage of "buy a draft, get a side shot for just a dollar more?" Its standard in Atlanta's airport, sometimes in Charlotte.

I was just kidding.

Oh, Bucky, say it ain't so. I've always taken everything you say quite literally. And now you tell us you were "just kidding". I'm crestfallen.

Now you're just mocking me, LL.