One of the best things about being an “early to bed, early to rise” morning person (even in my undergrad days, I had this problem) is being able to combine happy hour with dinner. Reduced-price wine enjoyed with tasty food is a beautiful thing, indeed. My various jobs and other goings-on have me in all different parts of NYC, but I’m always happy when I find myself in Hells Kitchen come 5 pm, because that means I have a great excuse to pop into one of my favorite old-neighborhood haunts for a drink and some edibles.

I almost don’t want to write this post because I love this place so much, but one restaurant I could keep going back to and never get sick of is Kashkaval Garden on Ninth Avenue. It’s a great place to meet up with friends after work or to enjoy a solo meal at the bar. I love basically everything on the menu (except, of course, the things that have tree nuts). That said, I almost always order the octopus skewers with squash caponata when I go. For $21 (plus a $7 glass of wine), it’s a lovely treat that satisfies without totally breaking the bank.

Earlier this summer, I decided to make a point of going out to eat once a week on my own because I felt like I wasn’t exploring the city enough.  Not sure why it took me so long to figure this one out, but better late than never. It’s kind the same kind of awesome as the year I made “get a monthly massage” my New Years Resolution.

Do you ever go out to eat alone? What are you favorite things to order? Any NYC spots I should know about?