I was excited to see that Corte Madera’s Mijo offers a happy hour from 4 to 5:30 p.m. daily. Nice! Recently, I arrived at 5 p.m. on a weeknight and was shown to a table under a mural depicting a lively tapas bar scene. While I waited for my friend Laura to arrive, I asked to see the happy hour menu and was told that it was only available at the bar, so I proceeded to the bar and perched on one of the lovely, back-supporting caramel leather stools. The menu arrived and so did Laura. Unfortunately, we separated the couples on either side of us who had started getting acquainted. From what was exchanged between them, they live in the neighborhood and will meet up again for happy hour. Both couples were excited about the recent opening of Mijo in their area.

Also, later I was told that if the bar is full, you might be able to order the happy hour menu from a table. Much is still evolving at Mijo.

There were nine food items on the happy hour menu ranging from $5 for a Pintxo of pan tomate and jamon or avocado and bocarones (Spanish-style bread with tomato and ham or avocado and anchovies) to $13 for three oysters with a pink peppercorn mignonette, cucumber pearls and radish sprouts. The beverage list includes two beers at $6 each, house wine at $9 and three cocktails (House Old Fashioned, Pink Gintonica and House Mojito) at $10 each. I ordered the House Old Fashioned, which bartender David gave a professional spin. Laura asked for the House Mojito, which she didn’t find exciting. I tasted it and liked its refreshing lightness.

The Patatas Bravas ($11) and the Bocadillo ($8) teased us. The lovely ceramic plate of glossy, herb-fried fingerling potatoes arrived with the potatoes heaped between two matching ramekins, one of aioli and one filled with romesco. Originally, Spanish aioli was just garlic, olive oil and salt. The French, just across the border, made their aioli adding egg and lemon juice. The Spanish version has morphed over time to sometimes add egg, then even a bit of lemon juice, but always with more garlic. It’s a garlic sauce, after all. Patatas Bravas means brave, valiant or strong potatoes. That strength comes from garlic. The romesco, a pureed pepper-garlic-nut sauce, was smooth but didn’t taste much of garlic or nuts. Neither of the Mijo sauces was flawed. They just weren’t as bold as what was expected.

A bocadillo is a Spanish sandwich on a baguette often filled with just one or two items. Mijo’s bocadillo on the happy hour menu was interpreted more along California lines, and it was really delicious. It’s a hefty half-sandwich on thickly cut house-made bread spread with olive-anchovy tapenade and harissa aioli.

Shredded rotisserie chicken was piled high between the slices of bread. We each took a slice of the bread and rearranged the chicken, open-faced sandwich style.

The Patatas Bravas and the Bocadillo together would make a very satisfying supper. But we were on a mission!

We moved from the bar to the chef’s counter so we could watch the prep action.

The wine list features several reasonably priced domestic and Spanish varieties ranging from $10.50 to $26 a glass and $35 to $96 a bottle. We each chose a glass of Bedrock ($14), a syrah from Santa Barbara/Sonoma County. It was a good weight and the flavors went well with what we were eating.

Listed under “Veg” is one of my favorite tapas: Eggplant Chips ($13). Popular in Córdoba, where they’re often breaded, Mijo’s style is crispier and more chip-like. They came drizzled with chile honey, sprinkled with smoked Maldon salt and served at room temperature. Don’t let the chile honey detour you. They are not spicy at all.

The Short Rib-Stuffed Piquillo Peppers ($24) tempted us. The slightly sweet and smoky flavor of piquillo peppers stuffed with anything hot or cold is delicious. All peppers and chiles originated in Mesoamerica. Through the Columbian Exchange and the emergence of global trade, the capsicum was diffused globally. Peppers and chiles took on such a breadth of different flavors wherever they were planted. Mijo serves the three plump piquillos stuffed with braised meat, accented with a bit of rice and manchego cheese and served warm in the braising juices flavored with black garlic. For us, this was the standout item on the menu. Its flavors and texture were deeply satisfying.

Often called the national dish of Spain, Paella ($36 to $52) belongs on Mijo’s menu, which pays homage to both Spain and California. Paella, cooked in a paellera, the pan that gives it its name, is often cooked in the open over a fire of vine clippings. I was surprised that Mijo cooks their paella not in their wood-burning oven, which would impart some smokiness, but in the stove’s oven. Nonetheless, the saffron-scented Spanish rice, with its sofrito base of onions, garlic and tomatoes, was true to form. The grains of Spanish rice were plump with just a touch of chewiness and lay shallow in the pan. No mushy rice here! A few clams, mussels and prawns had flavored the rice along with a bit of shredded chicken and United States-made chorizo. A good base of chicken stock moved everything along. I appreciated the restraint in garnishing the paella. Those ingredients were there because they flavored the rice. At the end of the day, paella is a celebration of rice.

Mijo had three possible desserts ($12 each): a classic Crema Catalonia, Basque Cheesecake and Churros.

We ordered the Churros, which were served with two sauces in little metal containers: Mexican chocolate hot fudge and dulce de leche. Five golden churros were stacked between the sauces. The chocolate sauce lacked any fudginess, and the other sauce was lacking in caramel richness. I should have ordered the custard — another time.

Spanish tapas and its famous paella are communal foods, foods to share. Paella is sometimes served directly from the pan, each guest armed with a long-handled spoon to scoop up the rice directly into their mouth or onto a plate.

Mijo is off to a good start creating an atmosphere that’s casual, relaxed and with service that feels genuinely caring. It’s a place to share the good things.

Ann Walker is a freelance food writer. Email her with suggestions, comments and questions at ijfoodwalker@gmail.com.