Free Eats: Buy Wine, Get Pasta

West Eight Street between 5th and 6th Ave.--the block I once called home.

My modest digs were nestled amongst cozy rows of [stripper] boutiques, [bong] shops and the Salvation Army. Along the sidewalk you'd find your mix of rock n' roll tourists looking for Jimi Hendrick's old apartment (it was number 55), rappers just finishing an all night recording session at Electric Lady Studios (Jimi's old studio), and shoe-obsessed out-of-towners looking for deals on patent leather platforms and go-go boots. A colorful city block, to say the least.

But in the last two years, with additions like 8th Street Wine Cellar, Elleteria and my favorite Greenwich Village wine shop, IS-Wine, there is some much-needed new energy on 8th street that has me wishing I was still in the 'hood. Especially after I learned about IS-Wine's new "Pasta Days" giveaway starting TODAY. I stopped in at about 6pm to take advantage of a free dinner, and pick up a bottle of the 2003 Cotoval that I had tasted during Free Eats Week 1. Here are the deets:

IS-WINE 24 West 8th Street (between Macdougal & 6th)

Free Eats: Free freshly-prepared pasta with the purchase of ANY bottle of wine on Mondays and Tuesday from 5pm-9pm (or until pasta runs out). Monday's special: Penne Bolognese

Normal Price: Pasta is prepared by sister Tribeca restaurant, Duane Park, where the Roasted Yam & Brown Butter Ravioli costs $19.

Food Groups: CARBS "The Free Eats of Champions"

Free Thoughts: Sizable portions, leak-free Tupperware, and innovative ingredients (there's dark chocolate in the bolognese sauce). I can't comment on taste yet, as the pasta is still sitting in my fridge. I plan to apply minimum micro waves tomorrow at lunch, in hopes of salvaging my friendship with my Italian buddy, Al Dente. To be continued...

P.S. Five bottles of wine get you five pastas? Fugghetaboutit. It's one pasta per purchase.