Whole Foods: We particularly like the one in Union Square, because of the grilled fish samples served with attitude. It may be that we violate the most important grocery shopping rule of all: never shop on any empty stomach, but we've never tasted fish so perfectly cooked...or experienced such crankiness from a sample provider. You can always count on the fish griller to be lining up plastic ramekins filled with swordfish or wild salmon. But we warned. If you take seconds, he will hate you. Really, with him you can do no right. If you ask what he's cooking he'll grumble the answer. If you cower in fear, afraid to ask what you're eating he will say accusingly, "Don't you want to know what you're eating?" We recommend that you keep a low profile, take your sample, give a nod of thanks then go. However, you will want more than one sample. With this in mind we suggest that you show up with a few disguises. Hats, sunglasses and wigs are recommended.

Garden of Eden: The Village Voice said you don't even need to bring a lunch if you work near a Garden of Eden.

Forgetting your lunch money doesn't inspire the panic it used to as long as the upscale GARDEN OF EDEN groceries continue to lard their customers (and freeloaders cleverly disguised as customers) with such generous amounts of costly but costless delicacies. There's always a tray of fresh bread with olive oil for dipping. Near the bakery, baskets are stuffed with sample slices of semolina loaf or onion focaccia or, one glorious day, cinnamon brioche. On a good afternoon, sliced cheeses and meats are set out; on a great one, sushi is. And sometimes the stingy bakery counter even unveils wax-paper-wrapped morsels of sweet-potato tart or chocolate ganache.

Green Market: Even if the samples haven't officially been displayed, just ask if you can taste the box filled with fancy weeds. They love to offer up samples to admiring fans.

*A general rule: Even if you do not see the free sample lady stationed at the end of an aisle with her container of dipping sauce and breadsticks, know that you are guaranteed a delicious tasting tour if you make your way to the cheese counter. The cheese guy or girl is usually eager to engage in extended dialogue on the subject they know best. And our favorite part? They back up their arguments with truths. Facts in the form of flavor. Go ahead. Ask for a sample.

Free Dessert Samples:

Godiva
Stop into a Godiva boutique and receive a free Chocolixir™ between July 21-24th. And what's better than one free Chocolixir? Free Chocolixirs all over town. There are thirteen Godiva boutiques in Manhattan. We suggest that you go to their website, print out the Godiva map and spend your July 21-24th traveling from boutique to boutique sampling your free Chocolixir. We want to know which shop has the best blend.

Levain Bakery
167 West 74th Street
New York, NY 10023
Try a sample, dream about these cookies to eternity.

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
65 Bayard St
The magic of ice cream shops is you can request a few different samples of flavors and then suddenly decide you really weren’t that hungry. This is our favorite place to buy ice cream. Sample the ginger ice cream and the lychee sorbet.

Fortunato Brothers
Italian Bakery
289 Manhattan Ave.
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
tel 718.387.2281
Not only is this John Gotti's favorite bakery, but we think they have some pretty good gelato. Ask them for a sample or two on those cute baby spoons.

Free Samples that some corporate entity will mail to you:

Cape Cod Potato Chips: If you turn 25 years old between July 1, 2005 and July 1, 2006, Cape Code Potato Chips will mail you a free bag o' potato chips.

Jelly Belly: Sell your soul, your email address and Jelly Belly will send you a free bag of beans.

Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce: Reclaim your soul and get a free sample at the company that advertises that "Christ is our CEO." We particularly like this offer, because this sauce will render all other sauces unnecessary. Who needs chocolate sauce or soy sauce, when you have your free all purpose sauce.

Free samples in the rest of the country:

Wine and Spirits:

Astor Wines and Spirits
You can't go wrong with free wine, and that's just what this wine shop offers every day from 5 to 8 p.m.
12 Astor Place

Outside NYC
July 15-17, 2005 Finger Lakes Wine Festival
Watkins Glen, New York
Ranks among the largest wine festivals in the northeast and has gained attention from coast-to-coast. Once a year, the festival organizers transform the world-renowned road course into the site of one of the East Coast' s premier wine festivals. Red wine stains replace oil slicks, the smell of burning rubber is replaced with the delicate aroma of tannins and ripe fruit flavors.

July 22-24, 2005 - Bagelfest
Matoon, Illinois
Home of Lenders Bagels - world's largest free bagel breakfast, bagel
contests, entertainment, etc.

July 29-30, 2005 Altus Grape Festival
Altus, Arkansas
The 'Wine Capital of Arkansas' Grape Stomp Competitions, free wine &
juice tasting, free winery tours, amateur wine-making competition,
Bacchus Look-Alike Contest, juried craft show, food vendors, and more.