Like a siren's song, Belltown's Cascadia happy hour lured me with three sweet words: "One dollar mini-burgers."

Had Belltown finally ceased to be the den of privilege and annoyingly ostentatious wealth I had always sensed it to be? Could I actually eat a meal on First Avenue without taking out an extension to my credit line? Could I finally get a cocktail for under $7? And, perhaps most crucially, would there be PBR on tap?

Entering Cascadia on a Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., I learned that "yes" was the answer to only one of those questions.

To make one thing clear, I could never afford to eat at Cascadia on any condition other than happy hour. Main courses run anywhere from $25 to $45 with drinks hovering dangerously near the $10 mark.

It is a four star restaurant.

Despite the fact that my messenger bag and my partner's Levi jeans screamed blatantly when we entered the establishment that we didn't belong, our service was prompt and courteous.

We were informed that, due to the tiny size of the lounge, there was standing room only.

Agreeably, amongst a sea of quietly buzzing couples, we accepted our plight and stood until seats at the bar were available — all the while peering longingly across the restaurant where the tables were set for the upper-sets to dine. Décor throughout the establishment was impeccably serene and undeniably northwestern (from which Cascadia derives many of the themes present in its cuisine).

But our mission was not locally-sourced salmon or Yakima Valley chardonnay, it was mini-burgers.

Ordering mini-burgers, we learned, takes savvy and strategy — most likely, what drew the hordes of investment-banker, hedge-fund types that surrounded us.

And when they say mini-burgers, they aren't kidding. These burgers border on cute three-inch-in-diameter finger food and the standard hungry male should plan on ordering at least three. His female counterpart should plan on two.

That said, prepared with bleu cheese, chipotle pepper sauce or grilled Walla Walla onions, the burgers are incredible little taste sensations with meat that is heartbreakingly tender and juicy.

Also happy hour specials, the calamari and french fry cones ($4.50 and $4, resepectively) make wonderful similarly-sized additions. The french-fry cone was particularly delicious and well-seasoned.

Unfortunately, with the scale of most offerings, we simply couldn't resist ordering more and more, which combined with our $4 small glasses of Mac and Jacks put a slight dent in our wallets.

We were, however, able to make it out of the happy hour for less than $30 — a victory of sorts given the swanky locale.

Cascadia makes a wonderful, quiet place to take a date for a classy happy hour, but in the end, the prices, atmosphere and clientele end up being unmistakably Belltown.