Sinatra, Kelly and Miller, On the Town & in Times Square!

After you roll out of bed today, gentle reader, head to Times Square to watch...a movie?

That's right! The Times Square Alliance is closing off Times Square to motorized traffic and opening up Times Square to you from 42nd St to 47th St. The Alliance has been setting out beach chairs all morning so you have a place to sit back and relax to watch this quintessentially New York film.

FREE MOVIE in TIMES SQUARE!

What: FREE public airing of the Oscar winning 1949 film “On the Town” starting Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly.*

When: Memorial Day, May 25th at NOON.

Where: Broadway & 47th Street

Why: In celebration of Memorial Day Weekend, the opening of the new “Green Light for Midtown” Pedestrian Plazas and the last day of Fleet Week in NYC.

FREE RIBS!!!

Also Virgil’s Real Barbecue from Noon until 2pm in front of Times Square Information Center (7th Ave between 46th & 47th St) to enjoy a sampling of Virgil’s Ribs – while supplies last.


*Made possible by Turner Classic Movies and Clear Channel Spectacolor.

TODAY: 9th Ave International Food Festival

Since the days of old (well, actually in this instance 1973) street fairs have been a way for local vendors to hock their wares everything from a fresh chicken (with it's head just cut off) to a pint of Mead.

Nowadays things are a bit different, but not completely so. You can still get street meat (fully cooked, of course), but there are also offerings of suckling pig and quail stuffed with fresh Greek spices and feta cheese, mango barbecue wings, and jambalaya. Well, at least at this delectable street fair.

Welcome to a day of amazing food, fun and frivolity (and of course, the regular funnel cake and I LOVE NY T-Shirt vendors). There will also be live music and performances scattered throughout the festival (from Irish maidens to belly dancers).

9th Ave International Food Festival

9th Ave from 37th to 57th St
FREE to attend
(food prices from $1 UP)
9:30AM-6:30PM

For more information click here.

FREE Margaritas for Cinco de Mayo!

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo!

Time to throw back some tequila shots, cervezas and celebrate the amazing culture of Mexico (and to all you Germaphobics, I say to you swine flu be damned!)!

So why not head over to Whistlin' Dixie's Tavern for amazing specials including...

$3 Coronas ALL DAY!

Plus from 6-8pm enjoy FREE Chips & Salsa, $4 MONSTER Margaritas & $3 shots of Cabo Wabo Tequila!

And the best deal of them all...

R.S.V.P. to KatieJ@gmail.com
for

FREE Margaritas

from 5:30-7pm!

Click here for more details.

Whistlin' Dixie's Texas Tavern

714 West 11th Ave

New York, NY 10019

Free Red Mango Fro-Yo this Saturday!

This morning in AMNY there was a COUPON for a FREE Small Tangomonium Fro-Yo with 1 Topping at red mango.

If you didn't grab the coupon, don't you fret! You can still...

TRY IT FREE

on

Saturday May 2nd, 2009 from 12PM-4PM.

Click here for the COUPON!

Click here for red mango locations.

NOTE: At participating red mango locations. Best to call first to make sure your local fro-yo shop is participating!

See you there!

31c Scoop Night at Baskin Robbins TONIGHT!!!

I scream, you scream, we all scream for....

CHEAP ICE CREAM!

That's right folks! Put away that $5.99 pint of Ben & Jerrys and that $3.99 bucket of No-Name Rainbow Swill because...

TONIGHT

from

5-10pm

is

31cent/$0.31 Scoop Night

at

Baskin Robbins!

NOTE: There is a limit of 3 scoops per person. So for a grand total of 93 cents (plus tax) you can walk away with one BIG Ice Cream Cone! Also you may want to call your store, as participation varies. To find your nearest Baskin Robbins click here.

For more information on 31 Cent Scoop Night click here.

Seamless Lunch

Last Monday, I had a dentist appointment. I loathe the dentist to the point that I have to consciously restrain myself from not biting the hygienist's fingers off by very politely gripping my hands on my lap and mantra-ing "I will not bite the hygienist. I will not bite the hygienist. I will not bite the hygienist even a little bit..."

Well, I ended up not biting the hygienist and with my "goodie" bag of flosses, toothbrushes and a gum stimulator (Kid you not! There is actually a product called a "gum stimulator" on the market.) in hand, I trudged to work.

As I was walking down Lex, I thought about a pick-me-up lunch that would sooth my battered mouth. The problem always is that in the Midtown Manhattan area, lunch averages around $8-10. That, of course, is way too much for the Cheap Chic.

And that's when I had an idea! After seeing adverts all over the City for the website, I went back to my office and logged on to Seamlessweb.com.

Seamlessweb.com is a website where one can order sustenance for delivery or pick-up from a variety of restaurants & delis in 14 metro areas across the US and the UK ONLINE! That's right, folks. I didn't have to leave my desk to order lunch. Also I chose what time I wanted to pick up my lunch, showed up to the restaurant & there was my lunch, waiting just for me. Quick signature (I paid for my lunch online with my Bank card & since I picked it up there was no delivery tip) and I was eating lunch within 5 minutes.

"Seamless, eh?"


BEST OF ALL, after some Cheap Chic internet searching, I found a COUPON CODE that offered me $5 OFF my order on Seamlessweb. Therefore, my original $8.13 lunch (hot, fully cooked & non poisonous lunch, a vast departure from my usual lunch) ended up being only $3.13, which is even cheaper than the food cart!!!!!

"What a deal!!"

Now I want to share this deal with you, gentle reader:

Just sign up for Seamlessweb.com, make an order and in the

Promo Code box at the Checkout type in:
SEAMLESS123456.

Other cheap peeps claim that this COUPON CODE:

SEAMLESS1234

will get you 30% off of your order

all the time, anytime (unless the restaurant already offers a discount). I'm going to try it soon and I'll let ya'll know how it works!

So, if one day you forget your brown bag, don't fret. Just head to Seamlessweb for a Cheap Chic type of lunch deal. And, of course, share your comments on the blog!

NOTE: Pick-up is only available in Murray Hill, Midtown Manhattan, and the Financial District. Therefore, most ordering on Seamless is for delivery, so make sure you factor in the cost of the delivery tip.

The Cheap Chic's Guide to Travel: NOLA MARDI GRAS 2009

After a languid weekend trying not contract the VD blues, I now embark on a trip where the streets are amuck with streetcars, floats, drag queens, girls gone wicked and did you say....beads?


That's right folks. The Cheap Chic is headed to NOLA Mardi Gras 2009, albeit cheap chic style of course. This means if I ever get out of the perpetual Big Easy debauchery long enough, I will send you some notes on how you can live it up. From cheap drinks, free stuff and delicious food all with out having to flash your credit card or your other moneymakers. ;)

Liquid Dinner Party!

The Cheap Chic's Guide to your very own

Liquid Dinner Party

I love, love, love to socialize with my friends and entertain. However, a five course Dinner at Eight every/other week can be a little taxing on the budget. Thus, I came up with the idea of the Liquid Dinner Party.

To start, it is BYOW, B or L, 3 Buck Chuck is usually the drink of choice.

Second, appetizers (if you thus choose) should be anything that is on sale (usually stuffed grape leaves in my area- $6 for 4lbs!) or inexpensive to make (hummus with pita or feta mixed with freshly chopped basil and a dash of balsamic vinegar on top of Triskets) and don't go overboard! Think of your appets as an amuse-bouche just to show your guests that you aren't going to poison them with your cooking.

Next, the main course. After years of missing out on dinner parties, because I was stuck in the kitchen preparing the next course, I learned an important lesson (actually, it comes from the Boy Scouts)- BE PREPARED! Thus, I can have a dinner party at 6:30pm, when I get home at 6pm on a Friday. "How Cheap Chic?" you inquire. You make...SOUP! It can be prepared ahead of time, freezes easily and comes to a boil in less than 15 min, even when frozen. Thus, freeing you up from a hot stove and letting you enjoy being the HOST(ESS) with the MOST(ESS)!

Now, there are many soup recipes in cookbooks at the library, on the internet, or maybe that you have. From a basic Chicken Noodle to a New Orleans Gumbo to an Armenian Apricot Soup the variations are endless. However, I have two standbys that I swear by. The first is a Mexican Tomato Lime Soup from the Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home Cookbook (you can also find this recipe online, but I'm a big fan of cookbooks, so I'm linking you to the actual book). If you want to cheat or tomatoes are out of season, I've also made this recipe with 2 cups of canned tomatoes instead of fresh ones. The second one is a much heartier soup, actually a stew, perfect for winter. This one is a Groundnut Stew, which has many variations depending on the location in West Africa. Below is the Cheap Chic version which is a mixture of my friend Sam's version (Thanks Sam!) and of tried and true testing on unsuspecting guests.

Groundnut Stew
(Cheap Chic Style)

Ingredients:

• oil (peanut or vegetable)
  
• couscous
• pressed garlic cloves (I like at least 4)
• 1/2 tbsp pressed fresh ginger (optional)
  
• 2-cups chopped onion
• 2-16oz cans chopped tomatoes, undrained
  
• 2-16oz cans of black beans
• 2 cups hard veggie (carrots, okra, yams or all)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• cayenne pepper to taste
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  

Heat oil in a soup pot. Saute garlic (and ginger if chosen). Add onions and saute till slightly browned. Add both cans of chopped tomatoes, black beans and veggies. Once everything becomes hot and mixes together, add peanut butter and cayenne to taste. Soup is done. Cover and let cool. Put pot in fridge if serving within a day or in freezable tupperware if freezing. 15 minutes before entertaining: Cook couscous as directed. Put soup on to de-thaw or bring to warmth. Simmer. In a bowl, put the couscous in and top with the stew. Add salt and pepper to taste. The aroma of this stew is great and sure to bring your guests back for seconds. And really this soup is all about the personal touch so feel free to play around with the ingredients.

~o~o~o~

You always have that one friend that insists on bring something to help with the cooking. If you need no last minute "Oops, I forgot that" ingredient ask them to bring 1 or 2 loaves of French bread. It's cheap (maybe 3 bucks max and they've felt like they've done their part).

"What's the bread for?" you may ask. For making Homemade Garlic Bread (you have to have something to soak up all the liquid)! "But Cheap Chic, I usually buy Pre-made Garlic Bread." This is a big "Hell's No!" Making your own Garlic Bread is cheap and easy (just how I like it). Also you can make it as good (little butter) or as bad (lots of garlic-no kissing for you!) as you like.

Cheap Chic's Garlic Bread

Ingredients

• 2 loaves of French bread
• 1-2 sticks of Butter
• pressed garlic cloves (the more the better)
• oregano (optional)
  

Half the loaves of bread. Soften the butter. Add the pressed garlic to the soften butter and mix. Slather the spread onto the French bread loaves. Sprinkle as much oregano on as desired. Broil in the oven till browned (about 5-7 minutes, but make sure to check it frequently! Broiling can lead to blackening quite quickly!).

~o~o~o~

Now you have a full 4-Course Liquid dinner: appetizers, soup, garlic bread and of course, alcoholic liquid.

And for dessert? Well, I always keep a box of cake or brownie mix (when it goes on sale for 99c) in the house (just in case). Just make sure you have enough eggs and oil handy. It even is a great party activity. Who doesn't love licking the spatula clean or spilt wine flavored brownies?

One final thought- Make sure you have enough toilet paper for when everyone breaks the seal. After all, this is a liquid dinner party!

Enjoy!

Ode to RAMEN (recipe included)!

Yesterday morning as I was commuting, I picked up my daily AM New York (I like it better than the Metro. It's more pop-culturie- and yes, "pop-culturie" is a word. I just made it one.) and happened upon an article about the economy and ramen. It is the ultimate cheap meal ranging from 10c to 70c for a basic package. ("Gourmet" ramen can get as high as $4.50. At least that I've seen.)



Since, I am very, very impressionable, throughout my day, all I could think about was how I wanted Ramen. Hence, on the way home I picked up some Ramen. The article I read that morning gave recipes (I kid you not) on how to make gourmet Ramen with non-dehydrated ingredients. However, I just didn't have the energy to make the actual recipes, so instead I've complied a list for you of things that I like to add to my Ramen (and they're cheap!).

• Bac-Os- faux bacon bits: Just what you need added to your Ramen- more salt, but these yummy little pieces of faux bacon made of soy are just soy delicious! (Okay, so maybe not as great as real bacon, but come on, I'm a vegetarian. I like to pretend.)
• Scallions- they add mild onion-like flavor and some light greenery to your dish (Thus, making it seem good for you.) and are cheap! (I bought a bunch for 25c, tax included.)
• Carrots- add some orange, get better vision (or night vision).
• Plain Yogurt- to give your broth a little more depth. (And calicum-duh!)
• Hot Sauce- to give it a little kick. Again tons of salt, tons of spice. (just how I like it!)
  

And as an added bonus, I decided to include my own Ramen Recipe....

Okra Chaat Masala Ramen

1. Start boiling water in a small sauce pan.
   
2. In a frying pan, lightly saute 1/4 of the bag of Okra in a little oil.
   
3. Boil the noodles in the sauce pan.
4. Add Chaat Masala Spice to the Okra and stir till fully coated and you can smell the ingredients mixing together.
   
5. Strain and place the ramen in a big bowl.
   
6. Add the Okra Chaat Masala on top the Ramen.
   
7. Add Scallions or Plain Yogurt to garnish.
   
8. Eat.
9. Repeat if you find it delicious and a bit sassalicious.

So basically my point is (did I have one to begin with) is that Ramen used as directed is for college. Ramen with a little somethin' extra is the grown-up version of something cheap and easy! As Mary says in 3 Men and a Little Lady (one of my fav movies from childhood), "Try it. You'll like it."

99c PIZZA! Oh My!

I work in Midtown East. When I forget my lunch there aren't that many cheap lunch options. Most lunches around this area average in the $7-10 range, which racks up to about $35-50/week on lunch alone! Just not something I can afford (or really would want to spend my money on)!

However, there is a cheap food gem not to far from my office.......


Well, not exactly 99c (because of tax), but its still some damn cheap pizza.

1 Cheese Slice- $1.07
2 Cheese Slices- $2.15
3 Cheese Slices- $3.25

On the counter, they supply free garlic powder, salt, oregano, red pepper flakes and hot sauce. They also have pick-up only specials such as One 18" Pie for $8, One Med. 16" Pie for $7 and 14" Pie$5 and 2 Slices and 1 can of Soda for $2.75.

There are 2 locations:

569 9th Ave (corner of 41st & 9th Ave)
and
151 E. 43rd St. (btwn Lexington & 3rd Ave).