Hot Dish Happy Hour/Vino Vinyl 

Throwing the words "hot dish" together with "happy hour" might sound odd. One usually entails booze, while the other reminds us of Grandma's comfort food. Yet somehow at Grumpy's this combo works spectacularly. Tuesday nights from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. you can load up on the carbs, meats, and cheeses that make hot dishes so tasty (and Minnesotan) for only $1 a bowl (while supplies last, of course). Much like this happy hour, the crowd at Grumpy's is never fussy. The Nordeast bar is one of those rare hotspots where low-key hipsters and no-nonsense neighbors coexist peacefully and sometimes even share a pint and a story. And if conversation lulls, there are always good tunes playing on the well-stocked jukebox. Other happy hours include a pub trivia night starting at 8 p.m. Wednesdays, and at 8 p.m. on Vino Vinyl Thursdays guests get a free cocktail if they bring in a record for the DJ to spin. 21+. — By Jessica Armbruster

Price: free