I'll start this post with the declaration that ANY place with fried Padrón Peppers on the menu immediately gets my attention.

If you want to get hooked on a "bar snack" that rivals French fries then try these at your own risk. But be careful, the growing season for these gems is painfully short - usually mid-June through September. You have about a week to hunt some down and don't be afraid to fry them up at home if you have to. This method is super easy and my friend Rebecca at Kitchen Preserve shows us how to grill them for a slightly healthier version.

Now on to the other, less seasonal reasons Disco Volante is on my new favorites list. And it's not the name - although I do like disco.

The vibe is very downtown vs uptown - you know, more gritty and low-key vs slick and gentrified.

The food is really simple but REALLY good. The Yelpers love the burgers and with good reason. The grass-fed beef is cooked to perfection and accompanied by an amazing condiment called bacon jam. Their salads flaunt top-notch seasonal ingredients like Early Girl tomatoes, fresh shelling beans, basil and grilled cornbread. And you'll want to save room for desserts like Chocolate Ganache over grilled bread with olive oil & sea salt. Sounds crazy, but trust me it's crazy good.

They have live music almost every night and it's almost always FREE. You gotta love that.

I've saved one of the best reasons to love this new hangout for last. The hand-crafted cocktails here are AMAZING. I tried a drink call Fig Tree. Armed with a list of ingredients and a brief conversation with the bartender, I was able to recreate it at home but you'll have to check out this week's happy hour starter for the recipe.

Now on to figuring out the inspiration behind the name of this place...