I usually know I've entered a pub I like when I feel as though I’m visiting someone’s very cool living room---where they just happen to have numerous four-top tables and a few kegs on draft. It’s comfortable and homey, but not as personal as other rooms, like the bedroom or the kitchen. The sunny and warm Village Cork, however, feels like you've entered a dear friend's aged-wood kitchen. And when my companion and I sat at the bar, we were almost literally in the kitchen, and the evening's meals are prepped just behind the bar. The wine selection is extensive, and typically during happy hour, five glasses are discounted to $5 each. I sipped happily on a few too many glasses of Syrah, and we enjoyed some salmon-mousse appetizers, followed with an order of house-made ricotta. As happy hour ended, the Cork filled quickly, steaming up the windows with conversations---just like the kitchen at home, where everyone always seems to end up during a gathering. Happy hour runs from 4 to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, when select glasses of wine are $5. On Mondays, bring a donation fit for a pet as part of "Pour la Pet." The donation goes to the Dumb Friends League, and you get 15 percent off your check. 1300 S Pearl St., 303-282-8399