The place: Simone on Sunset 2418 Sunset 713-636-3033 www.simonelounge.com
The hours: 2 to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays
The deals: $3 wells, $1 off bottled beer, $5 house wine The scene: I don't usually imagine what bars would be like if they were women. Simone is the exception, probably thanks to the sexy name.
The low-lit neighborhood lounge straddles the Village and the West U bedroom community. The interior is nice - think hanging lights, tasteful artwork, tin ceiling - without being overdone. The off-street patio is breezy and quiet.
So person-Simone would be an independent, successful woman, probably a corporate lawyer or something like that. She'd have expensive taste - a little out of my league, actually - but would have a refreshingly filthy mouth and like the same good music she did when she was an undergraduate. I'm sure she'd make a solid drinking companion.
I didn't share this admittedly weird train of thought with my (real-life) friend, who was drinking what she said was a decent house Pinot Noir. I ordered an Algonquin - dry vermouth, rye and pineapple juice, served in a cocktail glass - off the non-happy hour menu. It was a little watery, maybe shaken too long, but not bad.
Inside, a young couple was seated in a corner, and a younger woman who looked like she'd just gotten off work was making small talk with a gentleman at the end of the bar. The older guy who'd been sitting at the bar talking about the price of cattle took off in his diesel truck, and somebody played James Brown on the internet juke box. Halfway through, we took our drinks outside, where the only other person on the patio was a fashionable older woman, sipping a mixed drink and smoking Parliaments.
I'm not sure what sort of crowd the place draws on weekends, but if you're in West U and looking for a classier, but not stuffy, happy hour, Simone does fine.
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