PEEP

177 Prince St
[C, E to Spring Street]

All summer, Peep was the premiere destination for "welcome to the company" lunches, comped by our bosses. Why? Let me count the ways; besides being incredibly close to our offices (but far enough to allow for an interesting walk through Soho and a relaxing stroll back to work), Peep is cheap. During lunch, you get a free appetizer (chicken and shrimp dumplings = unbeatable) and can then choose from several types of protein (shrimp! beef! chicken! tofu!) and various delicious sauces (basil! green curry! etc.!), all for $7. Sodas are a might pricey ($3?) but come in adorable bottles. The place is just hip in general - its incredibly narrow and the workers' uniform is a sexy orange and gray pullover. Or, it could be sexy because the waitstaff is by turns genuinely attractive and very efficient (a close second when you're dealing with waiters). Also, the dessert is intense; I split a green tea platter ($6 with a fun name I can't recall) that came with ice cream, a pudding/mousse and (non-green tea) toast points. The Peppridge farm white toast was a rather drastic departure but hey, it works.