Carmine's Italian Restaurant Happy Hour. The Strip

Portions are the whole point at Carmine's. This is the Vegas outpost of the Times Square family-style institution, where pasta arrives on platters built for four and the chicken parmigiana could anchor a family reunion. That scale makes dinner a group commitment, which is exactly why the weekday bar deal earns its keep. Monday through Thursday from 2 to 4 in the afternoon, bar seats only, the kitchen sends out single-friendly plates at prices the dining room never sees: garlic bread parmigiana for $8, meatball sliders and fried ravioli at $10 each, mussels fra diavolo for $12, and fried calamari topping the list at $14.

The drink side leans old-school on purpose. Virgil's Ale pours for $6, the house Trebbiano and Montepulciano go for $8 a glass, and a run of $10 martinis includes a Wallbanger-tini and a Banana Sunrise, plus a $9 frozen cosmo for the afternoon heat. Nobody behind this bar is chasing cocktail awards, and the room is better for it.

You'll find it in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, all dark wood and old family photos. Midafternoon the bar is mostly shoppers resting their feet and a few locals who know a $6 beer inside Caesars is rare math. Grab a stool before four and split the calamari.