El Gaucho Happy Hour 

It’s hard to believe that when El Gaucho first opened in Seattle more than 50 years ago, it was a blue-collar restaurant where celebrities mingled with the locals and diners ate and drank next to an open-pit charcoal broiler until wee hours of the morning. Today, the second incarnation of El Gaucho is one of Seattle’s most expensive steakhouses; a throwback to the swanky dinner clubs of the ‘50s where what you wore was almost as important as what you ate. It’s a big reason El Gaucho was created on a set, a sort of stage to let diners shine. If customers are the stars and food the supporting cast, then happy hour at El Gaucho is the scene stealer. Everyday from 4-6 p.m. and all day Sunday and Monday, bar flies are treated to half-priced appetizers. That means for $7.50 you can get a burger that comes with a half-pound of Angus beef prime top sirloin, or Dungeness crab cakes with roasted red pepper pesto. For a couple bucks more, you can get the steak sandwich grilled on top of a Gaucho baguette. Baby back ribs (the original 1953 recipe) are a steal at $8. There’s also a selection of martinis, wines and draft beers to wash down this giant dose of nostalgia. JULIEN PERRY