Some Of The Best Bar Snacks In Life Are Free
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<em>(<a href="http://colormekatie.blogspot.com/">Katie Sokoler</a>/ Gothamist) </em><br/><strong>Emporio:</strong> Get to this Nolita <a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/04/09/emporio.php#photo-1">Italian spot</a> from the owners of Williamsburg's Aurora on the early side, and be rewarded with free bar snacks like salami, cheeses and orzo from 5 to 6:30 p.m. (with the purchase of a drink, natch.) Surely you can find a glass of wine to your liking from their <a href="http://www.auroraristorante.com/emporiomenus.html">sizable collection</a> of bottles. <br/><em>231 Mott St, (212) 966-1234</em>
<em>(Photo via <a href="http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/photos/7104920">Citysearch</a>)</em><br/><strong>Spain: </strong> Kick it old-school at this longstanding West Village <a href="http://spainrestaurantny.com/">Spanish restaurant</a>, tucked into a quiet residential street and boasting a cheerily dated decor. The free tapas start as soon as you hit the front bar for a glass of sangriaâexpect a rotating selection of seared lamb ribs, patatas bravas, grilled chorizo and marinated mussels, and try to save room for the restaurant's signature paella.<br/><em>113 W 13th St, (212) 929-9580</em>
<em>(<a href="http://colormekatie.blogspot.com/">Katie Sokoler</a>/ Gothamist) </em><br/><strong>San Rocco:</strong> The snack-time offerings at this <a href="http://www.sanroccony.com/default.asp">Flatiron Milanese</a> restaurant rotate daily, but here's a rough idea of what to expect to accompany the drink you must order for access to the aperitivo bar: miniature meatballs, bite-sized panini-style sandwiches, grilled vegetables, and sliced charcuterie, served buffet-style in the front bar all day. If you graze long enough, you won't even feel the sting of the <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/04/16/eat_cetera_4.php#photo-3">$14 cocktails</a>!<br/><em>39 W 24th St, (212) 255-4655 </em>
<strong>Fig & Olive: </strong>The daily aperitivo at <a href="http://www.figandolive.com/">Fig & Olive</a> in the Meatpacking District runs from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Feast your eyes on the complimentary snack board you get when you order a cocktail! Not too shabby, right? You could feed half a dozen Meatpacking District models with this spread and still take home a doggy bag. The cocktails are $10 during the aperitivo, and you can choose from a selection of classic standards as well as less common cocktails such as the Rosselini, made with passion fruit Vodka, blood orange puree, fresh citrus juices, and served straight up with an orange twist. <em>(John Del Signore)<br/><br/>416 West 13th Street</em>
<em>(Courtesy of Clearpoint Restaurant Solutions)</em><br/><br/><strong>Asellina: </strong>Speaking of olives, we'd like to take this opportunity to draw your attention to the amazing olives they're serving in the bar area <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/12/15/asellina_gansevoort_park_hotel.php">at Asellina</a>, that sleek Italian restaurant on the ground floor of the <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/08/11/a_peek_inside_the_new_gansevoort_pa.php">Gansevoort Park Avenue hotel</a>. These delicious olives aren't free (thus violating the premise of this entire post!) but they are a damn good reason check out Asellina's "3 Hour" happy hour, which features a special bar menu offered from 4 to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. They're stuffed with shrimp, lobster, and spring onions, and then lightly fried. They cost $7, but you get a generous pile of olives, and if seafood's not your thing, try them stuffed with roasted veal, truffle, and parmigiano. The whole menu, in fact, <a href="http://togrp.com/asellina/">has a lot of appealing stuff on it</a>—again, not free, but it's an airy place to unwind and nibble on stuzzichini after a long day. <em>(John Del Signore)<br/><br/>420 Park Avenue South, (212) 255-9717</em>