Meals and Deals: Bite

Here's the latest installment in our ongoing quest to find a good, cheap meal that won't kill us or our budget.

Tired of the five-dollar foot-longs? Where else can you get a decent sandwich in this glorious city? A two-for-one answer is Bite, a tiny Mediterranean sandwich/panini/salad shop with twin locations: the original in NoHo and one near Union Square.

At the NoHo outpost, which occupies the tip of a small flatiron-shaped building, the sandwiches and paninis are all made to order and then wrapped to go. A small counter space is available at the end with only a few chairs, but scoring one might mean you're staring at an employee on the inside, which can be appetizing or off-putting, depending on who's working.

The Bite on 14th Street is more conducive to dining in, with plenty of tables and counter space that looks out to the street. Sandwiches and paninis at both locations are only $6.50 and $7, respectively, and feature items like the popular smoked turkey and pesto (pictured), prosciutto and mozzarella, exotic tuna and sabih. The Mediterranean salad, which includes hummus and sauteed eggplants, is also an excellent choice, as it's a good size and also only $7. For drinks, go with the naked frozen mojito which won't give you a buzz (it's non-alcoholic) but will give you that moment when you swig it back and say, "Ahh."

Bite // 335 Lafayette St // (212) 431-0301
Bite // 211 E. 14th St // (212) 677-3123