The Place:
Tidbit Bistro; 1401 Broadway, 323-0840.The Happy Hours: Tuesdays through Fridays, 4-6 p.m. and 9 p.m.-close; Sundays, 4-6 p.m.The Digs: For a Friday-night happy hour, Tidbit was barren. People arranged themselves as scarcely as cacti in a desert landscape. They sat in little cloisters, leaning into each other and using their inside voices. Although classical music attempted to fill the sound void, plenty of libraries have more audio stimulation. Untouched cups of crayons sat ignored atop stark white paper tablecloths, yearning in silent, colorful desperation to be grabbed and doodled with, but failing to attain even a glance from patrons or waiters. The menu boasts pages of alcohol (an entire page dedicated to the digestive grappa), many of which are cheap as dirt during happy hours. But patrons do not seem to grow loud or drunk as one would expect at a place with dollar drinks.The Deal: During happy hour, house wines are a dollar. Well vodka, gin, and rum drinks are likewise a dollar. A rotating tap handle and sparkling wine are typically $3, and on some days a few more wines are added to the list for $3-$4.Tidbit is vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free-friendly. There are plenty of food items at $2 a plate, and they range to about $6. The food was good, although it takes a little sifting to find gems. The best thing on the happy-hour menu may have been the Formaggio de Capra. The toasted bread is well worth the $8.50. The “rice balls” Arancino, on the other hand, seem like fairly unspruced mozzarella sticks, with different ingredients but the same greasy finish with marinara. Overall the food may be cheap, but it takes a lot of tapas to fill a person up.The Verdict: While Tidbit can be a cheap part of a romantic night out, its hushed atmosphere won’t be entertaining for drinkers lured by their cheap happy-hour drink prices. And while the menu has legitimate gems, you leave a bit hungry. The regular menu boasts a 30-layer lasagna for four for $54; maybe that would do the trick.Follow Voracious on Twitter and Facebook.
