Tapas

You don't have to go to Spain to have incredible Spanish tapas (small plates)! Tapas bars are very popular in New York these days. Not exactly cheap, but a cool alternative for "a happy hour with wine", "a light meal", "wine tasting", "a full meal".

I guess you can make a lot of it, it all depends on your mood.

My absolute favorite is Mercat, which is actually classified as a wine bar, but has the most incredible padrones (fried green peppers) and chorizo.

Here's a list of recommended tapas places:

Mercat*** (45 Bond Street, East Village)
Bar Carrera (146 West Houston St., SoHO)
Bar Jamon*** (125 East 17th Street, near Union Square)
Bar Stuzzichini (928 Broadway, Flatiron District)
Boqueria (53 West 19th Street, Flatiron District)
Boqueria (171 Spring Street, SoHO)
Gottino*** [Italian tapas] (52 Greenwich Ave., West Village)
'inoteca (98 Rivington St., Lower East Side)
1492 Food (60 Clinton St., Lower East Side)
Perbacco*** [Italian tapas] (234 East 4th Street, Ave. A and B)
Tia Pol (205 Tenth Ave., bet. 22nd and 23rd Sts., Chelsea)
El Quinto Pino (401 West 24th St., Chelsea)

***Fabulous food