Review Banter After Hours

The Cheekiest Happy Hour in Town

Banter After Hours

WRITTEN BY GAIA CRANS | PHOTOGRAPHED BY COCOA LANEY

IF YOU WANT to feel like you’re on a sunny beach vacation without leaving Bellingham, After Hours is the place to be! The combination of cozy seating, chill music, bright boho decor, and arrangement of tropical plants will make you feel like you’re lounging in a hammock with the sea breeze in your hair and sand between your toes.

After Hours first opened in March 2022 as a second Banter (formerly ANMLY) location, with Banter as the morning joint and After Hours as the evening joint.

“Our cafe space has come a long way, and we’ve figured out how to work within the confines of it, but at the end of the day, the physical space itself holds us back,” says Owner Emile Diffley, whose ultimate goal with After Hours was to create a playful, cheeky environment that also serves high-quality products. “This was a cool opportunity to step into a space where we could expand our seating capacity, and have the resources of a fully equipped commercial kitchen to continue to get creative with.”

The After Hours menu is constantly changing as the inventive kitchen and bar tweak in-house recipes, play around with fun and unique ingredients, and search for ways to improve. Along with the food’s creativity, the menu is also intentionally set up to accommodate dietary limitations.

“We have an awesome team that is driven, passionate, and has the necessary skill set to make this restaurant thrive,” Diffley says. One crucial member of his team is Chef Kai Despain, who works alongside Diffley to make mouthwatering creations using his keen palate and ingenuity. One of Despain’s favorite dishes is the Teriyaki Bowl ($15).

“I spent four years working at a Japanese sushi bar when I was 15, so teriyaki is very close to my heart,” Despain says, and Diffley is influenced by past experiences in a similar way.

“I was very fortunate to have the opportunities to work in some pretty amazing food and beverage operations between Los Angeles and Australia,” Diffley says.

Diffley has occupied almost every restaurant position from dishwasher to barista to manager and finally decided he wanted to return to his hometown, Bellingham, to open Banter and eventually After Hours as culmination of everything he learned while working.

Cuisine

To start, we had to try a signature share plate — the Fried Tostones ($9), another one of Chef Despain’s favorites, features crispy, warm plantains that are salty and savory with a hint of sweetness. They are served with a delectable mojo verde sauce made with citrus juice, cilantro, and peppers that brightens up the dish and adds some spice.

Once your appetite is whetted, you can fill up fully with the All Time Bowl ($16), a beautifully arranged mix of shredded red cabbage, nutty cauliflower, harissa tomato chutney, avocado, and pickled fresno with turmeric cashew cream, lime, and Tajin, all on a warm bed of brown rice. This rainbow of colors is crunchy, fresh, and packs a perfect amount of heat.

Libations

As you move on to drinks, you’ll be met with creations that are equally as flavorful as the food. The Chupacabra ($12) is a good example. Its color resembles a soft sunset over the Badlands complete with a splash of red Tajin cascading down the side of the glass, and a lime garnish to brighten it up.

“Our Chupacabra is nearly addicting. It’s essentially a turmeric mezcal margarita,” Diffley says. “Easy sipping but has some zing, very refreshing—especially this time of year.”

And the perfect way to end your evening is sipping on The Beetnik ($12). This cocktail’s name and elegant reddish purple color reveal its main ingredient: beet juice, which pairs perfectly with the London dry gin, green chartreuse, lavender simple, and lemon. Its deep, earthy flavor is cut by a garnish of beetroot powder and sugar, but it’s all tied together and kept light by a frothy layer of aquafaba (a vegan alternative to egg white).

Despite After Hours’ flawless blend of delicious food, drink, and casual atmosphere, Banter hasn’t settled yet. Stay tuned for a third location coming to Fairhaven as the team continues their experimental food journey, this time with all-day brunch vibes. 114 Prospect St., Bellingham, 360.788.4849, banterhospitality.com 

Lonestar Queso

Chef Stew Navarre of Jack’s BBQ

RECIPE COURTESY OF JACK’S BBQ | PHOTOGRAPHED BY COCOA LANEY

TAKE IT FROM us: When it comes to Tex-Mex, the Lonestar Nachos at Jack’s just can’t be beat. In addition to a healthy portion of chips and beans, the star ingredient in this dish is brisket slow-cooked over 18-foot specialty woodfire grills. All of this comes together thanks to Jack’s signature queso, which is made extra special thanks to smoked veg and three types of cheese.

While the average home chef might not have a Texas-style barbecue in their backyard, they can certainly put their own spin on Jack’s queso. This dip is smoky, lightly spicy, and almost sinfully cheesy — honestly, what’s not to love? We can’t get enough of it with chips, but really, nachos are just the beginning. Jack’s queso can be served with most any Tex-Mex dish that needs little extra richness.

Meet the Chef

First and foremost, Chef Stew Navarre hails from Texas, so it’s safe to say he knows a thing or two about Tex-Mex. His father worked on an oil rig, meaning that Navarre was able to travel at a young age — all the while picking up culinary influences from cities around the world.

After realizing he wanted to pursue cooking professionally, Navarre attended the Culinary Institute of America in New York. He then worked in various restaurants in Houston, Texas, before relocating with his wife to Seattle, where the original Jack’s location is based.

“Long story short, we found Jack’s Barbecue and … it’s like home here,” Navarre says. “It’s part of my DNA. I’m originally from Texas, and so I get to have all the things that I miss about Texas at work — good food, and you know, lots of Texans come in and they feel like they’re at home.”

Ingredients

¼ cup diced yellow onion ¼ cup smoked and diced Roma tomato ¼ cup smoked and diced poblano pepper 1 teaspoon vegetable oil Pinch of salt 1 ¼ cup milk ¹/³ cup cream ½ teaspoon chili powder ¼ teaspoon paprika Pinch of cayenne (or more if you like spice) ½ pound diced yellow American cheese ½ pound diced pepper jack cheese

Assembly

• Start by smoking the tomatoes and poblano peppers on your smoker or grill until they just begin to soften.

Once cooked, dice the vegetables. • Saute onions and salt in vegetable oil. Once onions are soft and translucent, add the tomatoes and peppers. Saute everything until soft and set aside. • In a small sauce pot, combine the milk, cream, chili powder, paprika, and cayenne. Bring to a simmer. • Turn off heat and whisk in the cheese. Whisk until it’s all melted.

• Last but not least, stir in the sauteed tomatoes, onions, and peppers. Enjoy! 