With a thousand smiles, they’re practically free…

When you finally finish work and flee the office on a Monday evening, do you want to:

a.)    Go home, deal with the mess that is your house (and perhaps your life), and spend an hour cooking dinner

b.)    Grab a beer, bury your face in a plate of wings, and attempt to forget that you have four more workdays ahead before the weekend

If you said B, head to Croxley Ales (28 Avenue B, Manhattan). Every Monday and Wednesday from 5 pm to 1 am Croxley churns out chicken wings for 10 cents apiece—that’s two bucks for a platter of 20.

The joint is understandably crowded at these times, but the wing maestros are prepared. Even if you can’t find a seat at the bar, much less a table, you can order from the friendly bartenders and have wings in your stomach (and all over your face) within ten minutes. Despite the low-cost and quick service, the wings are first-rate—crisp on the outside, juicy interior, smothered in tangy BBQ or fiery buffalo sauce. Wash them down with a pint of the weekly beer special ($4) and you’ll feel like a new person. At least until you wake up with food hangover on Tuesday.

Welcome to the Penny Palate

What is it about New York that can make folks with average means and decent jobs feel left out? Somewhere between the bustling bankers, the bright lights and shiny boutiques, and the haute cuisine and swanky bars, it’s easy for the modest majority to get lost. But that doesn’t mean we’re not here. And we’re as hungry, thirsty, and fun-loving as ever.

Luckily, there are droves of businesses throughout the five boroughs that cater to us. They serve up great food and drink and they’re a lot of fun, but they toss out the pretense of luxury and the price hike that goes with it. They’re living proof that you don’t have to be rolling in dough to enjoy the city life. You just need to know how to find the deals.

The Penny Palate is here to find those deals for you. We’ll post every day about a new way to eat, drink, and be merry on a budget. We’ll include special categories like a “Happy Hour of the Week;” “Tuck for a Buck,” which points you to great food for only a dollar; and “The Circular Jerk,” epic journeys in food shopping and cooking led by the treasure map that is the circular.

New deals pop up every day, and we’re not omniscient, so we’ll rely on tips from our thrifty friends and readers to spot all the best joints, recipes, and techniques. Leave comments and contact us and we’ll credit you for your deal-spotting prowess.