Reed: Enjoy a pleasant pit-stop at Oodles Uncorked bar

Comfy couches and chairs make it inviting for, from left, Hunter Ternell, Kim Pilarski and Bo Baxter to settle down with some wine at Oodles Uncorked.

Comfy couches and chairs make it inviting for, from left, Hunter Ternell, Kim Pilarski and Bo Baxter to settle down with some wine at Oodles Uncorked.

Diane and John Pitts soak in the atmosphere over drinks at Oodles Uncorked.

The past several weeks I have had some rough luck showing up to the right bar at the right time.

Often I would be there too early to catch the crowd, other times too late. Several holiday weekends for UT students left most of the bars in the downtown area barren. It seemed like more people have been staying at home instead of venturing out to the usual nightlife hot spots.

Luckily, I finally got it right this past Monday. Taking a break from the stacks of work I've let pile up over the last few weeks, I got the special chance to see humor writer David Sedaris at the Tennessee Theatre.

Before heading out for a night of laughs, I decided to stop in at Oodles Uncorked on Market Square for a few drinks and a light dinner.

I've tried to visit Oodles several times on the weekend around 9 p.m. to catch the early drinkers and the late diners.

But as I found out on multiple occasions, Oodles doesn't seem to cater to this crowd. Instead, I strolled in just around 6 p.m. to find that both the bar and restaurant portions of Oodles were fairly crowded.

Oodles is split into three areas. To the right and directly back are two large dining areas for those looking to make an evening of it. I took up my usual roost on the bar side and ordered a drink while taking a look over the menu.

Oodles is a pretty simple bar when it comes down to it. There are a few comfortable places to recline and quite a bit of seating around the bar.

While I think Oodles is a great bar, it usually isn't at the top of my list of places to go. This isn't really Oodles fault, but more my personal preference. There are plenty of things to love about both their food and drink.

The Oodles happy hour, from 4-7 p.m., offers $2 drafts, half priced wine and $4 premium well drinks. I had a Sam Adams Summer Ale and New Belgium's Fat Tire while I was there, both an excellent choice if you plan on ordering food.

I was running a bit late, so I figured the appetizer menu was my best bet. After debating all of my tasty sounding options, I chose the Pesto Fondue for $6. Basically a kind of queso dip with pesto and served with pita chips, I was surprised by how delicious and filling it turned out to be.

During happy hour Oodles has a "buy-by-the-clock" special where you can get any appetizer for the same price as the time you order it. Get there at 4 and enjoy some delicious and cheap food.

Oodles also makes for an excellent bar to stop in for a drink during Sundown. I've found that you usually don't have to wait long for your drinks and you can enjoy the concert comfortably on the outside patio.

If you are looking for a place to wine and dine after work or early on the weekend, Oodles Uncorked is a great place to stop by.

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