Free Eats: Battery Park!!!

Drum roll please...

I've discovered the first and I think the only free eats in Battery Park. They hail from Inatteso, the brand new Italian cafe on the ground floor of the Millennium Tower (3o West Street). The Casano family [of Adrienne's Pizzabar, Harry's Steakhouse and Ulysses] owns and operates both the cafe and the recently opened Inatteso Pizzabar Casano, where I once devoured an entire Grandma style brick-oven pie topped with broccoli rabe and sausage (in my fatter, paying days).

So what's for free? Well since the cafe is still new, they've been sampling a variety of stuff to familiarize their neighbors with the local goods...like Italian cheeses imported from Brooklyn, and homemade signature desserts that have that "straight out of Sicily" deliciousness. While the Nutella cake will cost you $5 a slice, it's rich and worth a try. For something more budget-friendly, ask for their chocolate chip cookie. It's quickly becoming one of the most-talked-about cookies in Battery Park and I can attest, it's got more chocolate chunks per square inch than any cookies I've seen South of the border (Canal Street). I recommend having all of the Inatteso sweets (free or purchased) with a strong cup of Lavazza espresso, served fresh in adorable espresso-sized takeaway cups. A small detail I always take issue with at Starbucks where I'm usually served [burnt] espresso in a grande cup. So unsatisfying.

The Boyfriend Genome Project®

In an ideal world...

The properties of Pandora would be applied to dating. A simple thumbs up would keep the guy around, a thumbs down and you'd never hear from him again. More and more men would start to come along, men you never knew existed, with qualities specifically suited to your tastes, until one day you end up in perfect harmony with The One. An easy listening boyfriend whose right there with your ever-changing moods, perfectly in tune with the rhythm of your life.


The Boyfriend Genome Project®

On March 17, 2009, one hopeless romantic came up with the idea of creating the most comprehensive analysis of dating ever. On a solitary quest, she set out to capture the essence of a man at the most fundamental level. Her goal, to assemble literally hundreds of character attributes or "genes" into a very large Boyfriend Genome. Taken together these genes capture the unique, magical and often confusing identity of a man - everything from intelligence, confidence, and personality, to style, hobbies and sense of humor. It's not about what he looks like "on paper" or what crowd he hangs with - it's about how each individual man makes you feel.

With this extraordinary analysis, The Boyfriend Genome Project can help be your guide as you explore your favorite parts of the male universe. I hope you enjoy the journey.


Courtney Scott
Founder of The Boyfriend Genome Project® (in an ideal world)

Maybe it's not that far-fetched:
Taking a Peek at The Experts' Genetic Secrets [New York Times]

Free Eats: Wiener Winks

Going on a "free eats" date not only makes for quality blog content, but also eliminates the dreaded dutch date scenario. The wallet standoff, the awkward bill division ("well, you only had an appetizer and I ordered two steaks so just give me $15..."), or the ever-so-fun double credit card drop. Nothing like splitting the bill to make you feel like a real lady.
But I digress. Back to the free date. I took my own advice and set it up at 5Ninth, the charming three-story townhouse with fireplaces and exposed beams. It's the perfect escape from the club-ridden streets of the MPD.


5Ninth had all the key elements...romance, candlelight, red wine, and free wiener winks. For those of you who aren't already migrating to Wikipedia, that's jive talk for pigs in a blanket.

In fact, the only missing element was...err...the date, actually. No, I didn't get stood up, and I guess I did have a date, she just happened to be my best friend, Kelli. (I've yet to find a guy who will entertain my Whole Foods date idea. I think when I do find him I'll marry him.)
Now I know some of you might be planning your next romantic date around National Pigs in a Blanket Day (April 24th) but I say there's no time like the present to share free sausage-wrapped finger foods with friends and loved ones at 5Ninth. They're being dished out every Sunday-Wednesday from 5pm-9pm at 5Ninth.

Word has it tator tots are also on the loose.

Talk amongst yourselves...I'll give you a topic...Free Eats

See who's chatting about free eats:

Andrew Zimmern (Bizarre Foods)
NBC
The Lost Girls
Metro News
Eater
Midtown Lunch
Lemon Drop
Buzzfeed
Mediabom

Free Eats Reminder: Tasting Hours Tonight @ Whole Foods

Save your appetite...

Today and every hump day there are tasting hours at Whole Foods Union Square.
5pm-7pm
Union Square South

Free Eats San Fran: Meet Johanna

Some people think tennis is fun. I think cheese is fun. And free cheese is even funner. In fact finding free cheese is, hands down, the funnest part of free eating.

But coming in at a close second, is the fun of connecting with other free eats enthusiasts from around the world--like Johanna, from San Francisco. For Johanna, old habits die hard.

Her first round of free eating was back in her college hay-day. Johanna's savvy scavenging narrowed her total food spending to only $200 over the course of six months. Impressive! It also pissed off her parents, helped fend off the Freshman 15 and earned her the title of "stingy friend." That's when she called it quits.

But only two weeks ago, Johanna joined the ever-growing population of unemployed 20-somethings after being unexpectedly laid off from her job. With her $1300 rent looming, Johanna can't resist the allure of free food and from what she's told me, San Francisco is definitely in the running to compete with NYC's free sample scene. Last week she got free chocolate from Ghirardelli Square, a smorgasbord of stuff from Trader Joe's, and a caffeine boost at World Market. But her biggest goldmine has been the San Francisco Farmer's Market.

"You have NEVER seen anything like the Farmer's market," she says. "It's literally an entire block of vendors forcing their free samples of goodies on you. The best part: it happens every single Saturday. Smaller versions of the market happen every Tuesday and Thursday."

That's Johanna pictured above, snacking on some juicy orange slices and FRESH LOX. Note she's not even wearing a jacket...so jealous.

Check back for more updates from Johanna, my resident San Francisco Free Eats Correspondent. And wish her luck on the job [and food] hunt.

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.

Free Eats: 5Ninth, Prespa, Park Ave. Winter

a random smattering of free eats specials to start your week off right...

5Ninth 5 9th ave Meatpacking District
Happy Hour
Sunday through Wednesday 4pm to 8pm
$3 draft beer
$5 well liquor
$5 selected wine
$9 house champagne
free pigs in a blanket
[via Hieu]

prespa Restaurant 184 Lexington Ave (Btwn 31st & 32nd St)
happy hour
mon-fri 4:30-6:30 and 10-11pm
free hors d’oeuvres served along with wines by the glass and cocktails (which are 50% off)
[via Wined & Dined]


park avenue winter 100 East 63rd Street at Park Avenue
dinner
march 16-20
girls in school uniforms get free dinner. Over 21? Two free rounds on the house, too.
[via Eater]

Free Eats: Rebuild Trust and Eat Free Peanuts

Still two and a half more hours of free peanut products at Grand Central Station. Meet America's peanut farmers, listen to them convince you why it's OK to eat Skippy again, and pick up enough free peanut snacks for your entire Metro North commute home.

I'm stuck working, otherwise I'd be there. At Sanctuary T instead, using free Wi-Fi and overdosing on their free tea samples (and sugar sticks). Anyone who gets to Grand Central, let me know.

Interesting fact for New Yorkers: Our favorite Greenwich Village sandwich shop, Peanut Butter & Co., was not part of the national peanut butter recall, so don't be shy about heading back in for an old school brown-bag lunch. I know my life (and waistline) hasn't been the same since I stopped eating Peanut Butter BLTs!!

Free Eats Weekend: The Last Supper, Or Not

Q: How does a Free Eater benefit from her best friend's 18-girl birthday feast?

A: Two words: Doggy Bags.

Ten Crispo take-away containers to be exact; a record-breaking feat in the art of doggy baggage. Parparadelle with mushrooms, orecchiette with broccoli rabe and sausage, and more spaghetti and meatballs than I knew what to do with. Well, actually I had a plan of what to do with it.

The plan was to deliver it to homeless folks en route to our next party destination. In theory, all the girls were on board with the good Samaritan act, but with temperatures in the single digits, the novelty of searching for hungry homeless wore off quickly for most. Upon arrival at our next destination in the W. Village, I told everyone to head inside and I'd meet them there. After several laps around the local streets, it became very apparent that most homeless people had taken shelter and were not on the street, at least not in the W. Village.

Determined not to waste the food, I walked inside the club and contemplated my options:

1) Check the pasta and run the risk of hungry coat-checker helping himself to my meatballs

2) Keep the pasta with me and use it as a prop on the dance floor

3) Find a less-frequented corner of club and stash it for later

While I entertained option 2 for a solid minute, I found an empty corner too perfect for my leftovers. Or so I thought. That corner filled up with people shortly thereafter; people who I'd venture to say were not that excited about the mysterious, festering smell of garlic and congealing Italian meat sauce. I venture to say that the aroma of Italian cuisine, albeit a few hours old, is much more appealing than beer and stale cigarettes. But I digress.

The party was fun and festive, as expected when 18 girls get together for a birthday. I was a little preoccupied with the status of my free eats, but managed to have a nice boogie on the dance floor to some out-dated Bob Sinclar before taking off.

Back out in the cold, I searched for anyone who resembled a homeless person, again to no avail. So at the end of a long night, I got back home and stuffed the fridge with plate-upon-plate of pasta.

Next morning's breakfast? Microwaved Parparadelle.