You wish the owners did not display Bacardi posters in the windows to communicate that this is a bar. You wish for an expanded martini and specialty drink menu. But ultimately, you wish this place success, because despite some quibbles, Wish is an enjoyable addition to the Pittsford bar scene.

We stopped by during happy hour, so the patrons were decidedly more professional than the late-night crowd that may appear after 11 p.m. The former Tasteology space in Pittsford Colony Plaza has been converted rather nicely into more of a lounge feel - it's intimate, yet still spacious enough to move the tables and dance. To the left of the entrance there is an open lounge area with four-person high-top tables along the wall, bar seating down the middle of the space, and a large booth directly behind a projection screen. Scattered through out the room are cozy seating areas with comfy chairs and love seats. To the right is a large, long bar area with low, decorative lighting.

The atmosphere is muted and relaxed, the music low enough to carry on conversation, but still loud enough to make you wonder about the last time you heard "Fame" by David Bowie (which was playing over the sound system when we were there). Tasteology's former test kitchen has been made into more of an arcade, and was the only thing that didn't quite match the rest of the atmosphere. Manager Chris Bedford says that the area was specifically segregated to allow more of a sports-bar feel, complete with darts and a large-screen TV, and it has proven to be quite popular, especially on weekends.

Given the vibe, Wish's drink menu is not as elaborate as you might expect, but it still provides enough selections for most tastes. The specialty martini menu focuses on flavors such as pomegranate and grapefruit, leaning toward people with sweet palates, instead of those who like their martinis with a bite. The friendly bartender helped by making the grapefruit martini less sweet than usual.

The beer menu is well put together, the list long on interesting bottled beer such as Blue Point Blueberry and Burning River Pale Ale, but short on draft beers. The four beers offered on tap are Blue Moon, Stella, Guinness, and Magic Hat. While limited, the drafts did not include such mainstays as Bud or Labatts, which was a welcome surprise.

Wish's entertainment line-up switches between live bands and a Saturday night DJ, and Bedford says the mix of music has brought a nice, diverse crowd since the club opened in early March. A recent addition to Wednesday nights are celebrity bartenders, who donate all of their tips to a charity of their choice. Last Wednesday, Doug Emblidge of WHAM-TV 13 was the guest bartender, and Bedford hopes the charity night becomes a regular event.

If you stop by during happy hour, you'll find some of the more upscale free appetizers around. Instead of having to put up with a pile of chips and salsa, or overcooked pizza, your taste buds may actually thank you here. While the selections still suffer slightly from sitting under a steam table, the macaroni-and-cheese triangles were deep-fried goodness, the coconut-crusted shrimp with choice of sauces pleased, and the chips with a homemade French onion dip make you realize that these are the happy-hour goodies you've been looking for.

Wish is located in the Pittsford Colony Plaza, 3400 Monroe Avenue, and is open Tuesday-Friday, 5 p.m.-2 a.m., and Saturday 7 p.m.-2 a.m. For an entertainment schedule and more information, visit wishrochester.com or call 385-0580.