Yet again, you woke up recently lamenting your dry mouth, your alcohol-oozing pores and your raging headache. That's when you swore off drinking. Again. For once, stick to your new determination--at least for a day--by enjoying a new kind of happy hour. Between now and September 15th (5pm-8pm), stop by the East Village outpost of Chocolate Bar, where $5 gets you a mini brownie, a truffle and either a liquid chocolate (iced hot chocolate) or a classic egg cream. While you're at it, also check out our extended list of Restaurant and Bar Deals.

Photo by Mango Vision, borrowed from Films In Tompkins

So you want to see a movie on the big screen, but you're hesitant to dish out ten-plus bucks for a ticket, five-plus bucks for a popcorn, and another five for a gratuitously large soda. Praise be to Films in Tompkins, which offers free screenings of films every other Wednesday throughout the summer in Tompkins Square Park, weather permitting. The gates open tonight (Wednesday, July 30) at 6pm and the featured movie, "Better Off Dead"--the 1985 cult classic rom-com starring John Cusack--plays at sundown. So pack a picnic and a blanket, head to Alphabet City and seat yourself on the grass alongside your sweetheart. Booze is discouraged, but there's no simpler problem than one resolved by a brown paper bag or an opaque plastic cup.

For yet more opportunities to get free stuff in the city, check out our Unemployed Guide to New York.

Now you can get delicious gourmet mac and cheese for 1/687th of the price of the Waverly Inn's version. Tomorrow, Supermac is offering their traditional mac and cheese for only 8 cents when you text yourself a mobile coupon from 8coupons.com. That leaves you with even more money for happy hour booze!

Also, don't forget to check out our guide to the best mac and cheese in NYC.

Finding $1 deals on food in Manhattan is a little tricky. Your best bet is to pore through Chinatown's many small bakeries and dumpling houses, but it turns out that even my fave dollar dumpling joint raised their prices to a staggering $1.25.

For my Cheap Eats: Dollar Menu story, I did visit Chinatown, but I also wanted to see what else was out there. I finally got around to visiting 2 Bros Pizza, which was not bad, especially for a buck. The crust was bland and doughy, but the cheese and tangy tomato sauce made up for it.

Check out the story and let me know what great dollar deals I missed.

The pork and chives dumplings at Tasty Dumpling. So greasy, so good.

In January, we got word of a new neighborhood cafe coming to 182 Avenue B at 11th Street, in the space formerly occupied by the Furniture Place. At the time, we were told that the owners expected to open "in February." Then in April, we reported that the cafe appeared to be on the verge of opening--there were flower-filled vases in the window, stacks of glasses behind the counter, all the equipment seemed to be in place, and to my knowledge, the place never even sought a liquor license, so they weren't waiting on that.  So for reasons I cannot explain, two more months passed without a bagel sold or cup of coffee poured.

But as of yesterday, De Nova cafe officially opened its doors, and today I took the opportunity to check it out. The menu is a bit strange for a place that looks and feels like a coffee shop. At the counter they offer the usual--pastries, bagels, coffee, various other drinks like raspberry iced tea. But the sit-down menu is a cross between random American pub-grub (like nachos) and small plates with a decidely Greek flavor (grape leaves served with yogurt salad; a feta cheese and olives small plate). There are also five or six different salads and several larger plates.

Whether or not the menu will work remains to be seen, but I will say that the prices can't be beat. My enormous iced coffee was just $1.50 (compared to $2.45 for a small at my usual place, just two blocks north), and the salads are all between $5 and $6.50. It's probably not a destination unto itself, but for the locals chances are it'll be a welcome addition to the 'hood.

Lelabar, the sexy, civilized wine retreat on Hudson Street, became a favorite of mine for its vast wine list and mellow atmosphere, but mostly for its upscale selection of snacks. Now in addition to offering charcuterie, cheese and chocolate, patrons can slurp oysters between sips for a buck a bivalve on Wednesday and Saturday nights. Considering places like Pearl, Balthazar and Blue Ribbon charge twice as much--$12 for a half dozen--that's a sweet deal. Suggested pairings: perhaps a sancerre or dry riesling?

This city has seen sushi bars, ceviche bars, tapas bars, topless bars, wine bars, piano bars, and noodle bars ... and now it has a hummus bar, which is what Nanoosh on the Upper West Side is billing itself as. I stopped in yesterday to sample a few of their nine varieties, and was impressed by the creaminess of the hummus with fava bean stew, and the spiced ground meat that topped the "hummus beef." Also on the menu: soups, Mediterranean salads and wraps. Word about the spreads will soon be spreading, as plans for Tribeca and the East Side openings are afoot.

Any day that begins with truffled egg toast is a great day. And so I started the week off right yesterday by visiting 'ino for breakfast. I learned a few pieces of good news while digging into the cheesy treat. First, they now deliver. The parameters are small, however, but the staff assured me that the area will expand after they get their "delivery legs" strong. And fans of owners Jason and Jennifer Denton's first cookbook, Simple Italian Sandwiches, can look forward to a sequel, Simple Italian Snacks, coming in the fall, not-so-coincidentally when the spot turns 10. Quite an achievement in NYC's restaurant scene. A hearty, early congrats to the little sandwich shop that could.   

I was happy to hear that Jehangir Mehta's Graffiti won Time Out New York's "Best Pastry Chef Run Restaurant" at this year's Eat Out awards, especially since the menu doesn't shove the "I'm really a pastry chef" aesthetic down your throat with weird combinations like tamarind-clam juice-marinated-anchovies-with-cilantro-sorbet-and-manchego. One of his more brilliant dishes is a recent add, and since it's so undersold on the menu, I'll do the honors. The "Graffiti Burger" is actually two juicy sliders geniusly spiced as if they were Indian kebabs. The patties are packed with mint, lemongrass, onion seeds, fennel, cumin, and coriander, and are so flavorful it's nearly a sin to slather on the accompanying ketchup or chipotle mayo. So the writing's on the wall, folks: Don't miss this dish.

In an era when the economy's collapsing, why are food prices going up so much? This morning the Times tells us that we're paying 17 percent more for milk and 25 percent more for eggs. Even burgers are going for $81, for crying out loud! That's why last night I was so pleased to notice that charming little Chiyono's omakase is still a steal. $30 buys a 4-course chef's tasting of appetizer, entree, soup and dessert. That's $7.50 a course. And while it is by no means Morimoto, the ingredients are fresh and dishes are cooked carefully, if simply. Diners might end up with a soft, slow-simmered pork belly. Plump pork, shrimp or vegetable gyoza. Or a huge, moist, roasted salmon collar. Otherwise, entrees a la carte are all under $12. Try finding those prices at any other Japanese in New York. Or maybe even Peoria, for that matter.

For more bargains, click through to read our list of restaurant and bar deals.