I don't think you're ready for this belly! The Pink Teacup

Want to know the lunch deal packing the most food for the smallest amount of bucks in the whole wide city?

My friends, I think I have found it nestled in the tree lined streets of the west village.
It's The Pink Teacup!

I've had this southern soulfood place's pancakes (fluffy!) apple fritters (perfectly crispy!) and other fatty breakfast foods but I think I hit the motherload with this lunch deal. In fact, it's too amazing to believe I have to post the menu here myself:

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Includes Soup & Salad
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Fried Chicken Leg

Fried Pork Chop

Liver & Onions

Fried Chicken Wings (3)

Peppered Steak

Smothered Chicken Leg

Ham Hocks

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Choice of 2 Vegetables

Potato Salad

Blackeyed Peas-Corn

Rice & Gravy Yellow Squash

Collard Greens-String Beans

Okra Corn & Tomatoes
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Choice of Jello or Bread Pudding for Dessert

Just TRY and guess how much that is....

$7.50!!!!
PLUS I went with 8 friends and we sat down right away. PLUS the people are so friendly you'd swear you're at grandma's getting stuffed at the kitchen table again.

The lunch special runs M-F from 11-3. The restaurant is on 42 grove between bedford and bleecker (don't miss the pink door!)

Your tummy will thank me later.

Jewels, free booze and food!

This was passed along to me via facebook. I admit, I like jewelry, but what I like even more is a free open bar!!! The details are below, email

info@mrmrdesigns.com with questions

Date:	Thursday, June 25, 2009
Time:	5:00pm - 10:00pm
Location:	3 Form Showroom
Street:	520 8th Ave., 20th Flr
City/Town:	New York, NY

3 Form, purveyors of gorgeous architectural panels, is graciously opening their doors to host a jewelry extravaganza.

The highlights:

1. A portion of the proceeds will go to charity.
2. Its is FULLY CATERED.
3. THERE IS OPEN BAR.
4. YES, I SAID OPEN BAR.
5. AND ITS FREE!!!


I will be presenting my jewelry (and there are some new pieces you haven’t seen yet, for those of you who came to the February party), along with 4 other designers.

Feel free to pass this invitation along to friends, family, colleagues, random strangers, etc...

If you can, please rsvp by June 23rd so I can give the caterers a head count.

Hope to see you all there!!

A listserve to get you in the know.

There are millions of listserves giving you the lowdown on everything to do in the city but lately I've been digging the male-focused "Urban Daddy". Aside from their often sexist images (which may be reason enough to boycott, but then I'd boycott practically everything in the city) they actually have a good range of interesting activities, restaurants, and shops in the city.

They don't specifically let you know about cheap events, however if you become a member you get "perks" which include discount codes at zipcar, massage packages, and free drinks. For example, if you head to the frying pan on Saturday the first 100 people to mention Urban Daddy at 3pm get a free round of Coronas.

Not bad, not bad at all.

Sign up here.

My favorite $5 sandwiches.

This summer I am mainly, sadly, stuck in Bar review class during the week and often lunch is taken over a computer. Depressing, I know, BUT it has made me realize how much I love $5 sandwiches in the city. Here are my two favorite!

1) Tortas with chicken from "the taco truck"

Ok, this is NOT their real name but I never know what is. It's the best truck food I have ever had and the guys are adorable, always serving with a smile and trying to teach me more spanish words. It's a big white truck with a green awning and a flip down aluminum siding that you can eat on. They are usually on 6th ave between 4th- 8th street or 8th ave and 14th street (where I have seen them more lately over the summer). I will try and find a number for them to call because it is so SAD when you are craving their cheese-avacado-chicken filled goodness only to discover the truck is not there!

In fact, that happened to me this evening and so with only 6 dollars in my pocket I ventured off to find something else to eat and came upon the new Vietnamese sandwich place in the village

2) Baoguette

For five bucks (5.42 with tax, thank goodness for the extra dollar) I got a HUGE sandwich on deliciously crunchy on the outside fluffy on the inside bread stuffed with seasoned and sauced pork with everything a vietnamese sandwich should be (cool and crisp and tangy and delicious). Definitely one of the best I have had in the city. Definitely will be going back!

On their website it says Murray hill but their NEW location is in the west village at 120 Christopher between Bleeker and Bedford!

Now, back to evidence law....

Free Pizza! All Week!

Courtesy of the amazing Marie Mark!

FREE Pizza in NYC!

Apparently the recession means that everyone is just giving stuff away! Snapple beverage company has decided to reward mid-morning pizza snackers with free slices starting at 10:30 each morning until the 500th person has been served. Here’s the free pizza schedule:

Monday, May 4
Spinelli Pizza
425 Seventh Avenue
New York NY
(b/n 33rd and 34th streets)

Tuesday, May 5
Famous Joe’s Pizza
7 Carmine Street
New York NY
(b/n Bleecker Street and Sixth Avenue)

Wednesday, May 6
Silver Spoon Diner
58-21 Junction Boulevard
Queens NY

Thursday, May 7

My Little Pizza
114 Court Street
Brooklyn NY
(b/n Atlantic Avenue and State Street)

Friday, May 8
Mezza Lunna Pizza
98 Eighth Avenue
New York NY
(at 15th Street)

Mama Mia! Enjoye!

Taste of Times Square!

Keeping with the food events, next up is the Taste of Times Square the annual event featuring food samplers from an array of vendors near the area that IS. (You can define what "is" means, tourist hell? Center of theater world? Center of the entire world? It's up to you). Taking place on west 46th between Broadway and 9th ave, over 50 food vendors including Carmine's and Havana Central will be selling incredible dishes while street performers and free swing lessons provide you with entertainment on the historic restaurant row! Food tickets go on sale starting at 3 for a dollar each which you can then redeem for food at the booths. The food is served 5- 8 30 though your recommended to get there early for more selection because, well, it's times square and will be crowded!

The event takes place Monday, June 11.

Big Apple BBQ!

For the next half hour today and all day tomorrow, Madison Square park is graced with the presence of dozens of Barbeque vendors from all over the US who have descended upon our great city to bring us some good old country cooking at the Big Apple BBQ! Featuring BBQ seminars, pulled pork shoulders, babyback ribs, corn bread and more this heaven of food outings bangs out amazing BBQ to those waiting in the v long lines for 8 bucks a heaping plate! Live music adds to the festivities as our mouths water and the sky's fill with smoke, the good kind!

Saturday June 9th and Sunday, June 10th from 12-6 in and around Madison Square Park located from 23rd- 26th streets between Madison and fifth avenue!

Roti Rolls at Bombay Frankie's

Let me first say that I was BOMBARDED by mags, newsletters and events this afternoon all guiding me towards the free and cheap splendid events taking place throughout the city this summer. Most everything kicks off in June so I'll start actually writing about them next week but my piece of advice is to get done with all that "I've wanted to do this for so long but haven't yet" "stuff" that needs to occur before the craziness of summer sets in and you're busy up to your ears with events!

While you're out and about, however, check out upper west side favorite spot of mine, Bombay Frankie's! Located on Amsterdam at 109th street, this little haven of a street store serves up Roti Rolls, basically a sort of burrito stuffed full with Indian food. Ranging from $2.75 (for spiced potatoes and chick peas) to $6.00 (for the shrimp variety) apiece them mega-sandwiches offer the perfect meal to go as you check out central park on 110th or cruise Columbia's gorgeous campus on 116th. With special deals if you buy two (seven bucks gets you two chicken malai rolls) and mango lassi's in the fridge, there's nothing more likely to get way up on the west side!

Oh yea, and if you're lucky enough to live nearby, they offer free delivery until midnight on orders 12 bucks or over, 212-666-1500.

Best Day Ever (rice balls, pinkberry and modern art oh my!)

Just walked in from spending one of the best NYC days ever (though I tend to have a lot of those) with my bud Aaron. It's Friday night and if you're looking for an all star line up of cheap yet amazing fun (it's date night too) then you've gotta check out the below.

1. Dinner (or lunch or bfast) at Oms/b. Located on 45th street between Lex and 3rd (take 456 to Grand Central) this little haven of a shop offers up dozens of rice balls ranging from crab salad to salmon roe to ume plum, these mounds of delight are healthy, refreshing and varied, and, get this, cheap! Aaron and I each got the A box where you can chose any three balls of your liking plus a soup for 7 50. If you're willing to let them chose you get 3 balls a soup and an appetizer for 6.50, a heck of a deal and lunch! The plum was a bit too sour for me but I almost died when I bit into the flavorful eel (not the baked one the one with rice and eel on top) and the light crab salad. Heaven.

Next, take a 15 minute walk up to 53rd between 5th and 6th and check out Moma. (Free on Fridays 4-8) This weekend is the last you can check out inquisitive photography by Jeff Wall and the Comic Abstractions closes on the 11th but my favorite current exhibit by far is the installation Projects 85: Dan Perjovschi. Featuring humorous and provocative sketch drawings taking up three floors of wall space, and creeping around the sides, this piece offers not only comic respite but food for thought. Lay back on the plush black benches (I literally lay on them for about 15 minutes dissolving into laughter) and enjoy! The sculpture garden outside is great too, just don't run or spin through the giant metallic pieces winding around the space, the security gaurds don't like it too much :)

Last but not least take another walk to 32nd between 5th and 6th for
3. Pinkberry dessert! Hard to describe (like tart yogurt?) but beyond addictive, these bowls of deliciousness might be more than the regular cost of ice cream (5.95 for a medium with three toppings) but you'll never get over the incredibleness they can contain on a hot muggy day (or any day infact). Ask for it with rice cakes, (a chewy substance they hide below the counter so it's not on display for the mere mortals), raspberries and chocolate chips and it's the perfect end to the PERFECT NYC day.

Samosa! Dosa!

first off, I know a lot lately has been in the west village! I swear I will branch out more once the summer comes and I am finally able to leave the library. That said, the village does have some of the greatest cheap eats in the world including my personal favorite Manhattan Cart- THE DOSA STAND!

Usually parked out on Washington Square Park on west 4th by Sullivan from around 11 to 5ish, usually with a line during peak hours, this guy serves up some of the tastiest quick eats to go NYC has to offer. All vegan and all amazing, the dosa's which I can barely explain but it's a crepe type circle of yumminess stuffed with potatoes, onions, veggies, etc. They range from 3-6 dollars and come with a small (spicy) soup and incredible coconut (sort of, it's better than this but my pallet is not sophisticated enough to explain it) sauce. Skip the lines and grab a samosa or veggie roll for a buck each from the window in front. The samosa's are the best I've had, crunchy outside with an amazingly jam packed middle of flavor and food, and the sauces are divine. Grab a seat in nearby Washington square park and people watch for the afternoon and call it a day.

Dining Fever, Cheap (ER) deals

The emphasis to this post is on the (er) of cheaper. This Dining Feve blog lists different deals taking place in mid- upscale restaurants around the city where you can get 10- 30 percent off of your meal by printing out their coupons and using special DiningFever codes. You can also search food based on type, dining style and location. Not so very cheap but it will definitely save you a few bucks on those nights you decide to break the bank!

6 and B, How I love thee

It's a gorgeous day and I'd like to honor my favorite community garden in all of NYC, 6 and B!
Located on avenue B and 6th street in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It's a little fairy village with tumbling plants cascading over the narrow paths winding around the garden. Tiny little hideouts, a gazebo and one amazing sculpture of wood reaching 60 feet in the sky (though the hanging stuffed animals creep me out it's very whimsical in a return to childhood sort of way).

The garden is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1-6 (and during other events) and boasts a wide array of free events ranging from sunrise yoga on Mondays at 7am to movie nights and artist photo showings in the summers. They also have a lot of events for kids, craft days, poetry workshops and book readings. Basically, it's a bit of heaven.

Cheap Date edition (Grab sunday brunch at Atlas on 2nd Avenue between 4th and 5th. For $5.50 you can make your own delicious omelet (I recommend feta cheese, sweet onions and mushrooms) with a bagel AND a side salad. Plus, they have outdoor seats on the east village sidewalk. Amazing!

BURGER MANIA! (part one)

I, for one, am on the quest for the perfect burger. The kind that crunches when you take that first bite but melts in your mouth as you sink in to the delicious meat. Well, burgers just don't come cheap in this city and I've learned to deal with it (anyone finding something remotely decent under 5 wins a prize) BUT you've got to try out the ridiculous burger place at Le Parker Meridien. Enter the hotel on 57th between 6th and 7th aves and you find yourself in a gorgeous marble hall decked with sky high mirrors. Take a discreet right as you enter and find yourself inching towards velvet drapes concealing what appears to be a narrow hallway. Turn down the dark passage and see a single neon blinking burger and then, my friends, you have entered heaven and by heaven I mean a little dive joint jam packed with food, fries and a small but select group of new yorkers who know the secret. Cheeseburgers (with all the fixins!) cost you seven bucks, they're not huge but grab some fries and a lemonade and you're still under 12. Be sure to know what you want by the time you get to the counter, however, because it's kind of a soup nazi experience which must be seen to be believed. These mouthfuls of delight soak the brown paper bag in grease and you basically have to risk death to find a spot, not to mention a wait in lines but let's face it, it's these experiences we THRIVE for in this city. So live it up loves, it's mm mmm good.

(CHEAP DATE EDITION: Grab student tickets to a nearby show and call it a night!)

Cheap Date! (Cocoa and Piers edition!)

In light of my friends recent non-relationship, I would like to start a series of quick cheap dates that you, my lovely readers, can partake in. Today is an ode to the Piers on the Hudson, starting down by Wall street and stretching up until 20th or so, these piers are incredible places to walk, people watch, dog watch, and overall enjoy a fantastic day! Over the summer these piers host a number of events like fishing, movies and dancing but everyday they are a great place to chill and get to know that special someone. (or cartwheel on the impeccable lawns and turf fields, your choice).

Before heading out to these oasis' of delight pick up some hot chocolate at the incredible 11th street cafe between Greenwich and Washington streets just a block and a half from the piers themselves. (cross over on 11th street) (You know it's good when they don't even have a website). Honestly, the hot chocolate here is so good I literally stopped mid step every time I took a sip. Though the counter people can sometimes be pretentious (it is the west village after all) the hot cocoa is beyond incredible, ask for it with whipped cream and a little caramel drizzle and it's to die for. The iced coffee is incredible as well, full and actually tasting of coffee you feel you're sucking straight from the beans. Live, love and enjoy.

Study (or life) break! Milk and Cookies!

The library sucks, studying sucks, exams suck, work sucks (sound like a familiar tune in your head?) Well get ready to bust out into cartwheels because today's topic of conversation discusses the sweetest of all sweet shops.... MILK AND COOKIES!

Boasting probably the best cookies in Manhattan, a warm atmosphere, chalk tables to draw on and boisterous funny bakers, Milk and Cookies is my number one choice for the perfect study break. Not only are their cookies divine (my favorites are the chocolate chip JAM packed with chips and the chocolate mint chip, dark chocolate with mint chips) and served with a glass of milk, but they'll also make ice cream sandwiches with your choice of cookies/ gelato and have incredible brownies and sundaes! They'll also make your own dozen or sell cookie dough OR deliver cookies to that poor little blogger so weighed down with finals (hint hint). All in all, the perfect place for a mid study/ life slump treat! A glass of milk and two cookies will set you back four bucks, but it's worth it, trust me!

Milk and Cookies is located on Commerce Street (right under Bleecker) between 7th Ave and Bedford. Hop on the 1 to Christopher and you're there!

Jiaozi jiaozi jiaozi! (dumplings!)

First the New Yorker, then TONY and now, I, L.A. Burke shall sing the praises of

THE DUMPLING HOUSE!

Probably my favorite and most -frequented restaurant of Manhattan, this beyond tiny shop (think half the size of Magnolia's) is home to some of the most delicious dumplings this side of Beijing. and trust me, if there is one thing I know it's my dumplings. These suckers come at five for a buck in the fried pork variety and while there are many other similar places none has found quite as near and dear a place in my heart. Here goes the list.

1) The EXPERIENCE is unbeatable. There's nothing that can bring me back to China more than small crowded spaces with shouting people who refuse to line up and who are dying for a snack. Forgo the line that draws near the door and elbow your way into a spot at the counter.
2) The SANDWICHES. Otherwise known as "niu rou bing" or sesame pancake with beef (or tuna, I like beef though!) are piping hot fluffy mounds of sesame bread goodness stuffed with beef, carrots, cilantro and a great sauce, all for a buck fifty.
3) The FROZEN DUMPLINGS are to die for, seriously I bought a bag of the veggie ones to get me through finals (five bucks for 25) and ate the entire thing in one night. Ok, I ate 16 but still, that's a lot. Hands down the best veggie dumplings in the entire city, as if the pork ones aren't enough. And beat that "vegetarians eat cheaper" fallacy and buy 30 frozen pork ones for 5 as well.

Basically, go , eat and enjoy. You'll quite possibly have one of the best meals that 3.75 can buy (five pork fried dumplings = $1, beef sesame sandwich = $1.50, peach snapple iced tea= $1.25)

Where: On Eldridge by Broome Street, look for the big red sign. You'll only find seats if you're struck by the grace of God so take your goodies down a few blocks west on Broome and stake out the picnic tables in the park while watching intramural soccer.
Take the orange line to Delancy street. Jiaozi jiaozi jiaozi!!!

Raise your glass (and IQ!)

Sorry for the late in the day post and for the fact that this will be short but finals time is in the air and I, for one, am in need of a drink and free ones are even better!

Every Sunday night at Tortilla Flats there is a weekly game of what is quite possibly my favorite drinking sport of all time, that's right it's TRIVIA NIGHT!

Starting at around seven and taking place around every half hour Tortilla flats hosts a knock-out game of trivia where questions, mainly from trivial pursuit, are read aloud as patrons scream out the answer. First person to get each question right gets a free shot of fantastic delicious tequila, lime included. I LOOOVEEEE trivia night and this bar makes it beyond fun as you can scream out anything you like and everyone gets in on the action. The food is quite delicious (ranging from 8-15 dollars for an entree) and the margaritas (35-50 pitchers) are tasty. Best of all, if you've got the brains the tequila is FREE. Only problem is the more you win the less likely you may be to ever learn anything again!

Where: Tortilla Flats, On the corner of West 12th street and Washington Street. Take ACE123 to 14th street, L to 8th ave
When: Sundays, 7ish to 11ish


ssswwweeeeetttttt

PS: L.A. tip! If you are choosing to come here for your birthday beware, cluing them into your upcoming celebration may cause you to receive complimentary "birthday spankings" from the Bartender. Thanks Julia. Sexism aside it's really a fun place!

Taste of Chinatown!

While my mood is not one of delight today given the recent events at VT and the SCOTUS ban of partial birth abortion, the parade of free fun things in the city must go on!

The taste of Chinatown is this Saturday, April 21st from 12-6pm!

I went over the summer and while it was jam-packed it was also uber fun and wicked tasty (yes yes I am from MA). Aside from the wonderfully cheap tasting plates of 1-2 dollars (Though be prepared to wait upwards of half an hour if you want peking duck at this price!) there are performances and fortune cookie writing contest!

If you're an NYU student you can also VOLUNTEER for this event getting a free t-shirt and five dollar food coupon. Helping out + free stuff = amazing!!!

To volunteer from 12-4pm simply go here

and from 4-7 try here!

Happy eating!

FREE ICE CREAM!

It's true! Today is free cone day at Ben and Jerry's! Find your local shop here

Ben and Jerry's!

So fun! So good! I recommend New York Super Fudge Chunk.

**** some people are confused, namely fellow law students, you get the ice cream for free too. damn textualists trying to ruin our fun, not this time Scalia!