Welcome to Happy Hours & Hikes #006

For any new subscribers, Los Angeles is home to over 10,000 restaurants and over 600 marked miles of hiking trails. My wife and I are embarking on a passion project to document a range of each, but with a simple caveat for restaurants, they must have a happy hour menu. For any returning subscribers, thank you so much for coming back!

Happy Hours

Tiny’s Hi-Dive

Tiny’s Hi-Dive is a 1960s, Chicago-inspired locale and a nod to an era when drinking was more straightforward: fun, frequent, and social. It’s got games, a stag’s head with fuzzy dice, big beers, and cheap eats. Just west of the 405, it’s a perfect reprieve for a quick boys night before making the commute home to the Valley, Eastside, or the OC. Shout out to CW and his pal from Ohio for an awesome night out, and when I asked the bartender, “What’s on happy hour for food?”. Her response was, “Just snacks, but don’t worry, everything is cheap.” From the fried zucchini ($5) to soft pretzel ($7) to Italian Beef with cheese ($13), would you be able to tell which was on happy hour or not? Also, 24oz (BOOMBAH) pours of my favorite Three Weavers’ Expatriate IPA was $9.

HH&H Recommendation: Soft Pretzel

The Courtyard Kitchen

The Courtyard Kitchen is an American / Mediterranean restaurant on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica. They recently underwent a huge renovation, and we visited last week for the first time since the reopening. My husband and I decided to divide and conquer two different HH locations. So, my girlfriend, EA, joined me for a girls’ night. I was quite impressed! The large modern dining room features marble and stone accents, oak ceilings, and a brick oven – all reminiscent of SM’s posh Élephante.

The restaurant was bustling for a Friday night at 5 PM. We sat in the spacious courtyard which felt very Parisian and enjoyed the crostinis ($4 each) as well a chopped salad ($17) . The Courtyard Kitchen features a seasonal cocktail menu (also part of HH).

I highly recommend the refreshing Secret Garden ($15, tequila, green juice, St. Germain), and like many restaurants on Montana Avenue, The Courtyard Kitchen is very pricey, so Happy Hour is the way to go.

Hikes

Saddle Peak

We hiked just a small portion of Backbone Trail, the crown jewel of the Santa Monica Mountains, and it was sombering to say the least. A stark dichotomy of natural beauty and destruction with hope springing from and placed on the ground.

With stunning ocean views and rock climbers on the small sandstone crags, this Sunday afternoon demonstrated the resilience of both nature and our L.A. community. Per AllTrails, Saddle Peak is a Moderate 3.3 miles hike with 856 ft of elevation. Garmin Connect ended with 3.45 miles, 863 ft ascent, and 2:00:30 total time. Parking was easy at the trailhead, but this could change as the PCH opens up in the future.

Finally, we sincerely hope that you’ll consider giving directly to GoFundMe initiatives that we shared in our previous newsletters: Moonshadows Malibu and The Little Red Hen Coffee Shop. You can also donate directly to the LAFD Foundation here.

As this is our first attempt curating a newsletter, we’ll be aiming to publish twice a month in 2025, and we are always open to comments, feedback, and questions!

We love L.A.

J + L