Free Coffee Anyone?

Apparently February is free coffee month in Manhattan! In a genius marketing campaign, SeamlessWeb, a service which allows you to place restaurant delivery orders through their website, is giving away thousands of free cups of joe in multiple locations throughout the city.

Partners include various cafes, bistros, and Guy & Gallard. According to the site, you simply walk in and ask for a free small cup--no gimmicks, no catch. I haven't tried it yet, although when I walked past Austin's cafe a couple weeks ago I saw a sign advertising free coffee. Come to think of it, it's amazing I passed that up. It was probably only out of consideration for my tiny bladder.

Each week a different section of the city participates (see the full schedule for times and locations). So if you're a coffee fanatic like me, or just excited that something is actually being given away for free in Manhattan, you can still catch the tail end: this week it'll be the upper East and West sides, and the last week of February the Financial District will be well caffeinated.

Weekend Freebies

If you're feeling uneasy because you don't have any grand plans for Valentine's Day or President's Day, fear not. I subscribe to FreeNYC, "an online guide to free and cheap events in New York City." They have a great weekend newsletter in which users help compile all the free events going on for the coming weekend in the city. Today's email had a few food-related events that caught my eye, so I thought I'd share:

First up are free tours going on at two different breweries: Chelsea Brewery, Manhattan's only active brewery, and Brooklyn Brewery. Tours at both locations are held every hour on the hour. Chelsea Brewery is giving away free samples as well as $4 discount beer tickets, and Brooklyn Brewery has a tap room offering $4 drafts (or 6 for $20). If your friends are visiting from out of town or you're just looking for something different to do, you may want to check them out. Details provided below (as provided by the website).
Chelsea Brewery Tour
Date: Saturday, February 14th - 15th
Time: 1:00pm - 5:00pm
Location: Chelsea Brewery (Pier 59 at 18th st. on the West Side Highway)
Cost: Free

Brooklyn Brewery Tour

Date: Saturdays and Sundays
Time: 1:00pm - 5:00pm (last tour at 4pm)
Location: Brooklyn Brewery (79 North 11th Street, W'burg)
Cost: Free

For those of you who don't have Valentine's Day plans, you may want to check out the "Oh Snap" Valentine's Day dance party in Williamsburg on Saturday night. Among other things, they're giving away free Raspberry Beret vodka drinks from 10-11, and gifts bags from a "secret Soho boutique" for ladies.

Also, on Sunday, the Park Slope Co-op is holding a free workshop on the health benefits of ancient food. It seems pretty interesting (although I'd be slightly skeptical of any advice coming from a "flower essence therapist").

Here's a description from the site:

"In this free workshop, Claudia Keel, herbalist and flower essence therapist and Angela Davis, holistic health counselor, will discuss what traditional foods are and why they are so essential to our health and well-being...They will cover the pioneering work of Dr. Weston A. Price, his study of healthy traditional communities, and the underlying factors in a variety of traditional diets that conferred beauty, strength and freedom from disease."

Subtle Tea: A Cheap, Sweet Haven from the Cold

Though I recently advocated a stay-in approach to dealing with the cold weather, I am also well aware of the strange effects confined spaces can have on the human mind; Living in a 12 x 18 foot studio for the past six months has given a whole new meaning to the term stir-crazy.

So, if I ever feel like my laptop etiquette starts bearing an eerie similarity to Jack Torrance at his typewriter, I know it's time to get out. The problem is finding a cozy spot to spend hours that doesn't require a lot of money. Well, not to worry. I recently discovered Subtle Tea, a little tea shop in Murray Hill. And if their witty little play on words didn’t immediately win you over, their impressive assortment of interesting tea flavors soon will.

This isn’t a place where grandmas go to order their Earl Grey; Subtle Tea offers over 80 varieties of loose leaf teas, grouped into helpful categories, such as "Morning Tea" Afternoon Tea," "Fruit Blends," "Green Tea," etc. Enticing flavors include their most popular, Almond Cookies Green tea, Chocolate Chai Rooibus, and some that require a little explanation, like Party of the Jungle green & black tea, and 8 treasures of the shaolin green tea. But not to worry, their immense chalkboard contains helpful descriptions of each flavor, and the friendly staff is always happy to offer their personal favorites and suggestions. And they're almost as accommodating as BK: you can have your tea hot, iced, or in smoothie form. They also have a wide assortment of tea-flavored candy, gum, granola bars, and cookies--in addition to various tea-scented candles, bubble bath, and cosmetic items which would make great gifts.

Unlike most establishments on Madison Ave, Subtle Tea is reasonably-priced, warm, and inviting; they don't make you feel cheap if you just want to order a small hot tea (which will cost you $1.75). It's a nice place to catch up with friends (especially if you snag one of the cushy window seats), and it’s also great for reading or doing work. A long wooden table gives the tea shop a communal feel, and it’s always well-stocked with recent issues of magazines. They also have outlets to plug in your lap-top.

The consensus? Subtle Tea is a unique little find—and a breath of fresh air as far as Murray Hill establishments are concerned. Very accommodating; affordably priced, a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

My recommendation: Key Lime Pie black tea with a drop of agave syrup
Location: 121 Madison Ave (at 30th St.)
Price range : $1.75-$5.35
Menu

Cinnamon Apple Spice Tea: Apple Pie in a Cup

Although I'm a coffee lover at heart, there’s nothing like curling up with a good book, a blanket, and a steaming cup of herbal tea. And since this cold weather has the tendency to turn me into an eighty-year-old woman in which I never want to leave my apartment and find myself deeply engrossed in Snuggie infomercials (or better yet, watch the more realistic version), tea has been one of the few things helping me get through my days as a seemingly normal twenty-two-year old.


My latest find: Celestial Seasonings Cinnamon Apple Spice bagged tea. It’s seriously like drinking an apple pie. One whiff brings back childhood memories of my mom's freshly baked apple pie cooling off on the counter. The added benefits? A box of 20 will cost you less than a regular burnt cup of coffee at Starbucks ($2.99). AND they offer fun facts on the box. (Did you know that Cinnamon was valued more highly than gold in Ancient Egypt? Yeah, I'm still trying to find a way to interject that into normal conversation.)

Speaking of Starbucks, though, I begrudgingly have to admit that their Berry Chai Infusion is pretty spectacular, though my little wallet and deep-seated hatred of that corporate Frankenstein usually get in the way of me ever buying it.

My recommendation for making the most of these blustery days? Skip the chains, stay in, and savor the deeply satisfying aroma and taste of a cup of Cinnamon Apple Spice. Made with all-natural ingredients at zero calories, your wallet and tummy will thank you.

Momofuku Cookie Monster

So about 2 seconds after I got back from volunteering at ComicCon all day, I replenished my tired body with the food containing the least amount of nutritional value I could find in my kitchen: the Momofuku cookies from last night. At this point, speckles of grease had formed at the bottom of the take-out bag. This only confirmed that I was making the right decision.

My thoughts? For a good 45 seconds, I was lost in Momofuku heaven. I started with the Compost cookie. I wasn't quite sure how I would feel about the whole potato chip thing, but mixing salty and sweet in unexpected ways is precisely what seems to make Momofuku's creations so tasty. I couldn't really distinguish the potato chips--it's not like I bit into a cookie filled with Pringles--but I could definitely taste the pretzel bits and the chocolate and butterscotch chips. The flavors came together so well, and--what's more impressive to me as an amateur baker--the texture of the cookie was perfect. Crispy on the edges, but soft and chewy in the middle; just the way I like it. I only wish I could've harnessed my appetite long enough to grab a glass of milk to dip.

Next up was the Blueberry Cream cookie. This was also quite a delight, though not nearly as bodacious (but how could it be, without any chocolate?). Equally delicious and inventive in its own right, the cookie seemed to have a basic sugar cookie base, complemented by flavorful (I may even go so far as to say "plump") blueberries and a light, creamy sweetness. Basically it was a freshly-baked blueberry muffin in cookie form. If Momofuku ever wanted to launch their own form of Cookie Crisp cereal, this would be the cookie to go with.

As if I wasn't already anticipating my next visit, these two heavenly creations just turned my Momofuku love into Momofuku madness. They better have batches of peanut butter and banana cookies the next time I go!