My Ten Favorite Deals in Manhattan (Part 2 of 5)

3) $1.75 Slices at Naples 45

To someone who knows nothing about Manhattan real estate, Naples 45 would be a baffling establishment.

If you sit in the dining room and consume their personal 10-inch pizza, it will cost you approximately $16.

If you buy the same pizza, but have it delivered, it will run you $7.50-$10.

If you purchase the pizza acreage equivalent of said pie (2 large slices) at their take out area, it will run you $5-$7.

Finally, we come to the deal.

Any one of their slices (I’m partial to the funghi, pepperoni or roasted vegetable) will only set you back $1.75 if you can hold out until 2 P.M. The deal also runs until 8 P.M. if you’re looking for an easy early dinner.

This is no average slice either.

The dough is properly thin, crisp and chewy. The San Marzano tomato sauce is slightly sweet and matches perfectly with the creamy fresh mozzarella and salty, meaty (even when they are veggie) toppings. The deal is somewhat well known, but in this case, that’s a good thing. This means fresh pizzas are coming out every few minutes ready to sate the cheapskates.

The real estate lesson here is that taking up space in Grand Central costs a lot of money. Great pizza doesn't have to.

Insider's tip: Due to its extremely thin crust, this pizza loses heat very quickly. If you like your pizza hot, I'd recommend eating at the bar set up for doing just that in the take out area.

4) Happy Hour at Sapa 

(WARNING - SAPA is set to close in June 2008)

There are lots of great happy hour deals around the city.

Unfortunately, most of them are at dive bars or less-than-hip places that need the deep discounts to get people in the door.

Sapa, a French-Asian restaurant on 24th Street and 6th Avenue, has beautiful people, attractive decor (from my favorite design firm AvroKo) and an interesting and delicious happy hour menu.

I've had everything on the menu and there's not a disappointment in the bunch. My favorite are the potato knishes which are fried in duck fat to give them a crispy, flavorful crust surrounding warm creamy mashed potatoes. Best of all, the various small plates will run you only $3-$4 a piece. Raw oysters are only $1 a pop, which isn't much more than the price you'd pay at a seafood market.

In addition to the fun and tasty treats on the happy hour menu, Sapa has drink specials including $3 beers, $4 wines and $5 martinis; very reasonable prices given the price of alcohol at most establishments of Sapa's ilk.

The happy hour menu is available from 5:30 to 7:30 every weeknight. Its a great way to start an evening on the town.