653542 Sat Sep 19 18:22:55 -0700 2009 6 18 Manhattan 0 5042909 My boyfriend's birthday is on Monday, and I have been having trouble deciding on how to celebrate. I have accepted that all I can really afford for the both of us is drinking some delicious wine somewhere in the city. Is there a great place I can go where it is bring your own and I don't have to feel pressure to order food? A bar that has romantic seating and a good wine selection, but isn't too stuffy? Should I just give up the dream and buy a bottle and stay at my apartment? Any advice is much appreciated. Sat Sep 19 18:22:55 -0700 2009 280734 feyfan 1 5042935 "Is there a great place I can go where it is bring your own and I don't have to feel pressure to order food?" ~~~~~ that's really not fair to the establishment whose table you're using when they could be making money from other patrons paying for food and/or drinks. there's no rain in the forecast until at least Wednesday, so Monday evening should be another beauty. grab a couple of bottles, pack a basket with some of his (and your) favorite munchies/snacks, and enjoy it under the stars at one of the many lovely picnic spots in the city. Sat Sep 19 18:44:37 -0700 2009 5042909 103920 goodhealthgourmet 2 5043027 You're right, it isn't fair. I should rephrase...is there a great place I can go where it is BYOB with cheap eats? Sat Sep 19 19:46:34 -0700 2009 5042935 280734 feyfan 3 5043070 my first thought is a tapas/small plates joint so you and BF can just share a couple of inexpensive dishes. try Kuma Inn on the LES. i've never been, but if you search the board there's quite a bit of positive CH feedback. bring your own wine, order a couple of small plates, and enjoy! http://www.kumainn.com/ Sat Sep 19 20:14:12 -0700 2009 5043027 103920 goodhealthgourmet 1 5043376 While I don't know what your idea of "cheap eats" is, I'll throw a copule of suggestions - Apiary at the EV has a $35 prix fixe menu and $0 corkage on Mondays La Sirene in Soho is byob Tartine in WV is byob. Sun Sep 20 05:39:30 -0700 2009 5042909 10578 RCC 1 5044332 Feyfan, yes! There are many places you can go. Ivo and Lulu in SoHo is a lovely little place that serves pretty good food for the price range and still is BYOB after all these years. http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/ivo-and-lulu/ If you want a wine bar, Divine Bar West is fun and low key, as far from stuffy as you can imagine. (It is, in fact, slightly threadbare, but in a low key, romantic way IMO.) They have a long list of interesting and generally pretty good flights and even though wines are served in ugly, thick glasses, the wines themselves are not bad at all. Food is decent. I don't think that it'd be uncouth to occupy a table / couch upstairs, especially on a Monday, since the place isn't generally all that busy. http://nymag.com/listings/bar/divine-bar-west/ And La Lanterna di Vittorio in the WV is a romantic, low key cafe where you can order wines (and liquors) by the glass. The food is decent, you won't be pressured to order anything unless you want it. There's jazz downstairs many days of the week. (I'm not sure about Mondays.) Final idea: Have you thought about a picnic dinner in the park? The Ramble and the area just south of the Bow Bridge is beautiful and a very nice place to sit and watch the stars come out. (Make sure you're not too deep in the Ramble after dark since some parts are unlit.) Parts of the Riverside Park (namely the area just north of the Boat Basin) are also very nice for picnicking. It's not too cold out to do this, I don't think. Also, I'd do a search on this board for "BYOB" (sort by relevance, not date) for additional ideas. Here's one thread to get your started: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/586446 Sun Sep 20 15:07:02 -0700 2009 5042909 64215 cimui 1 5044525 I think you can BYO to Shake Shack (the one in the park). get a burger and have a nice bottle of wine! Sun Sep 20 16:38:57 -0700 2009 5042909 10198 eeee