It’s hard to beat a view like this on a sunny Seattle afternoon. It’s what drew me to Magnolia yesterday even though my plans were to meet friends for cocktails at Licorous. It was 3 pm and I had several hours to waste until my Capitol Hill date. I didn’t want to go home, so I called one of the friends immediately and asked her if she wanted to pre-funk with me ala Palisade happy hour. Of course, she said yes.The thing is, how do you turn down Palisade in the afternoon when you can sit in the bar, drink $4 guava margaritas and nosh on half-price pupus while looking out over Elliott Bay? The answer: you can’t, and here’s why.Hot lobster and crab dip ($7.50). That’s all I have to say. It was amazing. So tasty and creamy and full of fresh Australian rock lobster and Dungeness crab meat. The chevre gave it an extra tangy kick. It wasn’t the typical microwaved-creamy-cheese-dip-type appetizer you get at too many restaurants around town. And the servers kept refilling the bread, so not an ounce of dip went to waste.The Dungeness crab cakes with sweet-and-sour beurre blanc ($8) were almost as good. The presentation left something to be desired, but the cakes were tasty, loaded with crab and nice and crispy — if not a bit too greasy. Palisade isn’t the cheapest pre-cocktail cocktail hour, but, hey, the portions are pretty generous and the parking is free. Happy hour runs daily in the bar from 3 to 6pm.