Roxy’s Deli

“Oh yes we did!” reads the Roxy’s Deli happy hour menu (4–6:30 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday) in reference to the Reuben Spring Rolls ($4). Funny, they must have read my mind. Even funnier, this unlikely fusion—sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and pastrami beneath the familiarly greasy crunch of a spring roll shell—is actually pretty good. Either that, or Roxy’s seductively sweet peach nectar and champagne bellini ($5) lulled me into oblivion. For diners seeking more familiar fare, there’s fried calamari ($4) in butter, tomato, and capers (it’s even tastier with a squirt of the accompanying lemon), or a basket of fried veggies ($4) starring perfectly soft, plump artichoke hearts in a flavor- enhancing crispy crust. Other $4 happy hour plates include Russian hot wings in a red plum and coriander sauce, German pretzels, fried pierogies, sweet potato fries, smoked black codfish cakes, and a hummus platter. Drinks range from standard—Mac & Jack’s ($2.50/pint), $3 glasses of Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling, and mixed cocktails like a Cosmo ($7)—to eccentric: Roxy’s Bloody Mary ($7.50) uses horseradish-infused vodka and garnishes with a salami stick while the Pickletini ($7) replaces olives with, well, you know.462 N. 36th St., 206-632-3963. FREMONT