10 bars in new york city that serve free food

by Jessica Festa on

Dining in New York can get pretty expensive, even when eating at cheaper restaurants. Use this list to help you navigate through New York and find some of the best free food that the city has to offer.

Dell’ Anima
38 8th Ave., West Village

Because aperitivo is such an important part of the culture in Italy, Dell’ Anima brings the tradition to New York by offering a free buffet of starters, such as grilled veggies, olives, and pastas, when you order a drink on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 4PM-6PM.

Rudy’s Bar and Grill
627 9th Ave., Hell’s Kitchen

This old-school bar not only has cheap beer and free hot dogs, but Rudy’s Bar and Grill also has a historical background, being one of the first bars in New York City to regain its liquor license after prohibition. In fact, the current owner, Jack, has been drinking here since 1943.

Crocodile Lounge
353 E. 14th St., East Village

A free personal pizza with every drink purchase at the Crocodile Lounge. And if you needed another reason to check it out, there is skeeball as well as a back patio.

Spring Lounge
48 Spring St., Nolita

Every Wednesday at the Spring Lounge from 5PM on, bar-goers can enjoy free hot dogs battered in a different beer each week. Hungover on Sunday morning? This bar serves free bagels from 12PM on.

Ballaro Cafe Prosciutteria
77 2nd Ave., East Village

Ballaro Cafe Prosciutteria is a rustic wine bar that hosts an aperitivo from 6PM-8PM each night. Diners who order a glass of wine or a pint of beer receive a complimentary spread of starters such as olives, cheeses, cured meats, and bruschetta.

Cucina di Pesce
87 E. 4th St., East Village

A contemporary Italian restaurant, Cucina di Pesce offers free mussels at the bar. This is very convenient at night when it gets busy and you want to order a drink while you wait for a table. They also have a buy one, get one free promotion on drinks and appetizers everyday from 4PM-8PM.

Iron Horse
32 Cliff St., Financial District

Come into the Iron Horse on Sundays from 12PM-10PM for free burgers and hot dogs with every drink purchase over $3. Want more than one? Simply order another drink.

The Cupping Room Cafe
359 W. Broadway, Soho

For those who love pub grub (chicken wings, anyone?), head over to the Cupping Room Cafe from 5PM-7:30PM, Monday-Friday, for free bar food.

Burp Castle
41 E. 7th St., East Village

Every Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday, Burp Castle offers customers free pommes frites around 6PM until they run out. While French fries may not sound that exciting, these are not just any fries. Burp Castle orders them from Pommes Frites specifically, as they make authentic Belgium-style fries. Get there before they run out.

Mullane’s Bar & Grill
71 Lafayette Ave., Fort Greene, Brooklyn

When it comes to free bar food, Mullane’s Bar & Grill doesn’t mess around. Weekdays from 4PM-7PM bar-goers can enjoy a free buffet. While the fare changes weekly, expect items such as lasagna, quesadillas, French fries, meatloaf, and more.

Wilfie and Nell, a social experience in the West Village, New York

by Jessica Festa on

After hearing about Wilfie and Nell as being a great pickup bar as well as a great place to meet friendly people, my girlfriends and I decided to check it out and see if what we heard was true. On the website, the restaurant claims to not take reservations as to create the ambiance of an “informal gathering”. Patrons are also encouraged to take a seat wherever there is room at a table, including at tables where people are already sitting.

The bar is located in the West Village in New York City on a street full of cutesy bars and bistros, a quiet suburb inside a noisy city. Wooden tables are setup in close proximity to one another, allowing for easy conversation with strangers. While the menu isn’t too extensive, you will be too busy socializing to care. The cheese plate is a perfect shareable dish, with assorted cheeses, toast breads, apple slices, and chutney. If you’re on a budget, go for a draft beer for $6, your cheapest option. If you want something a little out of the ordinary and are willing to splurge, try their Spicy Margarita (make sure you get a water to go with it!).

Happy hour is the best time to arrive, as later on it tends to get extremely crowded. However, even when at full capacity the vibe of the bar never got too out of hand, somehow keeping its casual atmosphere. This is a place where you can come as you are, and while you will see men and women wearing suits and dresses, you will also see people in casual shorts and flip flops.

The verdict? We sat next to some really interesting people during dinner and had a great conversation about travel and the perks of living in the city. From there, we bounced around the room, mingling with not only guys but some ladies, as well. The people who are drawn to the place seem to be of the more friendly, social type. By the end of the night, it was easy to see why this place is known as the social experience of the West Village.

Located at 228 West 4th St. between 7th Ave. and West 10th St. Take the 1 or 2 subway to Christopher St.-Sheridan Sq.

Opening hours are Monday-Friday at 4PM, Saturday-Sunday at 12PM.

I (sometimes) love New York. New app invites New Yorkers to complain about their hometown

by McLean Robbins on

Tourists wear it, New Yorkers live it. Most Big Apple dwellers will tell you that they love New York – and if the choose to complain, well, it’s their city to complain about. But for the first time, New Yorkers are asked to weigh in on the question, “Does New York Love You Back?”

DOES NY LOVE U BACK? is a website and iPhone app where New Yorkers can submit praises or complaints about life in the Big Apple. These expressions are then plotted onto an interactive map of New York City.

“This app isn’t about namedropping places, like other services,” said creator Erik Trinidad, (no shock here) a Brooklyn resident. “The good or bad experiences of New York don’t always happen in specific places. They happen on the street or on the subway – anywhere. This project is merely an experimental interactive sounding board for New Yorkers wherever they are in the five boroughs.”

“It’s easy to love the city, but it’s also easy to hate this city. Being able to express any emotion at any time is necessary. And that’s what this app does. It’s the voice of NYC,” saids Jon Darren, an East Village resident.

The voice of NYC seems small so far – there are only a few dozen comments posted on the site, ranging from loving to only-in-nyc style moments such as Chris from Midtown who says “Gangstarr blasting at Num Pang and all the suits don’t know what to do,” and E from Brooklyn who “is watching an old man refuse to get out of the shot, as the neighborhood has turned into a film set yet again.” Another favorite comes from Judy from Gramercy who says that “Unattractive guys should not be wearing daisy dukes and flip flops.” We’re with you, Julie. Although we’re pretty sure no guy should ever sport daisy dukes.

The website also links to an on-line store where t-shirts, amongst other things, can be purchased. The t-shirts are modeled in a gallery section, which expresses thoughts from the five boroughs of NYC – the mostly cynical ones.

So feel free – tweet, shout or wear your love and hate with abandon. Or use the app to figure out where the love (or hate) propels you to visit (or not) on your next trip to the city.

Austrian pop-up store opens in Nolita, New York, in October

by Jessica Festa on

Austria comes to Nolita, New York, this Fall from October 5-19, 2011, with the Taste of Austria pop-store store. For two weeks, the Openhouse Gallery will be transformed into an authentic Viennese coffeehouse, complete with marble tables, traditional Sacher wallpaper, and Sacher cups, under the name The Sacher Cafe. Along with delicious Austrian food fare, such as the Sacher Torte, a thick, chocolate cake separated by layers of jam and topped with whipped cream, there will also be cultural happenings. Enjoy a free film screening, sample some of the best wines from Austria, listen to a concert by Austrian composers, or sit in on some Austrian storytelling.

Aside from learning about Austrian culture through food, music, art, and film, patrons can also enjoy the fact that they are doing a good deed, as part of the proceeds from the event go towards helping City Harvest, a charity that works to feed the hungry in New York.

While almost all of the events for a Taste of Austria are free, you will still need to get a ticket. Click here to see the schedule of events and reserve your spot.

The Openhouse Gallery is located at 201 Mulberry St, between Kenmare St. and Spring St. Take the 4, 6, or 6X to Spring St., the J to Bowery St., or the N or R to Prince St.

Hours for the event are 12PM-9PM, Sunday-Thursday, and 12PM-10PM, Friday-Saturday.

Egyptian Book of the Dead on display at Brooklyn Museum

by Sean McLachlan on


After three years of careful study and restoration, an important version of the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead has gone on display in the Brooklyn Museum.

The Book of the Dead was a collection of prayers, spells, and rituals to help the dead in the afterlife. The book has its roots in prehistoric times. As the civilization in Egypt developed, the prayers and spells became more elaborate. Eventually they were gathered together in chapters to create what we call the Book of the Dead. Individual chapters or sets of chapters were written on tombs, mummy cases, and rolls of papyrus. Many burials have portions of the book, one of the largest being the Papyrus of Ani, which you can view online.

The Brooklyn Museum example was for the tomb of Sobekmose, a gold worker. It’s an early and long version, probably dating to the reign of Thutmose III or Amunhotep II (c. 1479–1400 BC). It’s 25 feet long, written on both sides, and contains nearly half of the known Book of the Dead chapters.

Portions of this book have long been on display at the museum. This is the first time the entire book is on display.

[Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons]