PlanJam!From your screen to the scene

Don’t settle for the same old Pabst Blue Ribbons cans at happy hour when you and your friends can drink margaritas at Café Penelope for the same price. This family-owned restaurant with a full bar is a mellow, friendly place for a weekday happy hour with fresh appetizers and drink specials. On Fridays from 4 until 7 pm, margaritas are $1.99 and Miller Genuine Draft bottles are $1. Margaritas are not blended or on the rocks but served straight up in a martini glass with a lime wedge and a salt rim. What a great way to kick off the summer!

Another good pick for happy hour is pizza. Café Penelope has the standard Meat Lovers and Veggie Lovers but also some new flavors such as Cheesesteak, with thin-sliced steak and green pepper and Chili with chili con carne and sour cream. Split the large with your friends for $18 or order the small one for yourself for $10.95. Pizza toppings include eggplant and anchovies and barbecue beef for those who want something different.

The soups at Café Penelope have won several awards and vary daily (vegetarian soups like minestrone are available on Wednesday). Cajun Crab and Corn Chowder and Chicken and Rice are some favorites. You can get a soup and sandwich dinner for $8. The Italian Beef Sandwich is popular here and Italian Eggplant with marinara and cheese is a good hot vegetarian sandwich. My Crabcake Remoulade sandwich combined spicy yellow sauce with a tender crabcake flecked with red pepper on a poppyseed roll, plus roasted red potatoes and fresh coleslaw. The many big fresh salads include spinach gorgonzola and Greek, with grilled and salmon options. Most of the sandwich soup and salad combos are under $10.

If you want to treat your female friends, make reservations for the Monday Martini and Manicure Night. For $20 a person, you and your friends can enjoy a manicure and one of the specialty martinis like Lemon Blueberry, Caramel Apple, or Chocolate.

If your friends like to meet for brunch, Café Penelope serves a great one, which won an Independent Restaurant Award in 2007. Some unique brunch dishes are the chai latte French toast with caramelized apples, honey, and house-made bread stuffed with ricotta cheese. The Eggs Benedict choices include the traditional ham, crab cakes or Caprese with pesto, mozzarella and tomatoes crowning the poached egg and English muffin. Buttermilk pancakes with strawberries or blueberries or your choice of omelets make a great start to your day. Remember that on weekends, Café Penelope is only open until 3, but you can enjoy dinner and drinks there on weeknights. If you need to order food for an event at work, check out their catering site.