The food malls of Flushing are legendary: a wonderland of cheap, authentic, down-and-dirty Chinese food accessible only to those who know the language and are willing to put just about anything in their mouth. It's a daunting experience, but in recent years, as the number of malls has increased, more and more intrepid eaters are hopping on the 7 train to explore the wilds for themselves. Not sure where to start? Though it's by no means exhaustive, here's a look at the tip of the iceberg. more ›

Restaurants rolling back to their opening night prices on anniversaries is nothing new (see: Patsy's) but that doesn't make it any less of an enjoyable hat trick. The latest to rollback? Upper West Sider Big Nick's Burger Joint which turns 50 years old on Wednesday! To celebrate, they've got a special menu of select items rolled back to their 1962 prices. $.15 coffee, anyone? more ›

Good news for budget-conscious diners who don't care about crushing whatever soul was left in the East Village: the brand-new 7-Eleven on The Bowery is offering $1 pizza slices! EV Grieve posted a shot of the ad today, nothing that 7-Eleven is bravely entering the East Village $1 pizza war (more on that here), with little more than a double-chambered Slurpee machine as its strongest ally. more ›

There's plenty of expensive food in this town, but there's also plenty of cheap eats, if you know where to look. Like, really cheap eats—in the one dollar range, which you should be able to scrounge up with a minimum of desperation determination (friend of Gothamist Josh Bernstein does it all the time!). Inspired by Fork in the Road's recent discovery of Kashmir's Dollar Burger near the Port Authority, we decided to take a look at five other dollar-priced treats around the city. Hungry? Start combing those couch cushions for extra change. more ›

Sure, they may have kicked out Monster Island to make way for more luxury condos, but there's always room in Williamsburg for more cheap eats, particularly the kind of cheap eats that efficiently soak up that extra Jack-and-coke you probably didn't need. Enter the first Brooklyn outpost of Vanessa's Dumplings, sitting pretty in a prime piece of Bedford Avenue real estate. more ›

When we hear "Restaurant Week" our minds immediately jump to the twice-yearly, five-borough events that at this point would be better titled Restaurant Weeks. But the citywide original ain't the only "Week" going in this town—in fact, the original has been so popular its spawned smaller, area-centric "Weeks" meant aiming to bring diners to spots off the beaten foodie path. Like Queens. The second most populous borough is currently running its own three-courses for $25 dining deal from today through September 22 and then again from September 26-29. more ›

For years Clyde Haberman at the NY Times, and others, have noted the New York Pizza Connection, in which the average price of a slice around town invariably evens out to about the cost of a trip on the subway. So what to make of all the 99-cent pizza joints that have been opening up in the past few years? In the wake of Gray's Papaya joining the fray, and more and more slices hitting the $2.75 mark, it seems a good time to look at the numbers. more ›

Now that the weekend is almost here, and you can probably escape your desk for food, it's the perfect time to embark upon an ethnic eating adventure. Might we suggest hopping the R train to Sunset Park to check out Yun Nan Flavor Snack, one of the city's only purveyors of Yunnanese (the southern Chinese province bordering Vietnam) food? Don't expect much from the decor at this hole-in-the-wall, but do be prepared for some unique, strangely addictive noodles and dumplings for little more than the cost of the subway ride that got you there. more ›

Under the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge yesterday afternoon, five vendors of New York City street food gathered for the 4th annual Vendy Awards, the Oscars/Golden Globes/MTV Music Award/Olympics of street food. In contention for this year's award were Fauzia's Delights from The Bronx, the Biriyani Cart from Manhattan, Kwik Meal from Manhattan, Soler Dominican from Brooklyn, and Calexico Carne Asada from Manhattan. And for the first time at the Vendys, a people's choice award for best dessert vendor was up for grabs. Contenders in that group included the Treats Truck, the Dessert Truck, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, and Wafels and Dinges, which was a no-show. more ›

The eaters have spoken! This year's Vendy Award finalists, culled from the public's nominations for best New York City street food vendor, were announced yesterday. The big news this year is that the Bronx is finally making its first showing, while the decidedly non-Mexican guys who run the Southern Californian Mexican cart Calexico will get another shot at the title. Get to know your nominees in this sweet video, which also features passionate testimonials from their devoted customers. more ›

Kaki King (MySpace) is a guitar player and singer-songwriter from Atlanta, Georgia. She lived in Brooklyn for 7 years until last summer, when music started taking her on a permanent tour around the world. Her upcoming album is called Dreaming Of Revenge and will be released March 11th on Velour Records. King was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Score for the music she played in the Sean Penn film Into the Wild, and Rolling Stone Magazine has declared her the first and only female "Guitar God." more ›

Shake Shack – that object of obsession for so many burger lovers within a 10-mile radius of Madison Square Park – reopens today for their first winter season. Gothamist commenter MaiaW articulated the passion and excitement best when we first reported the year-round Shaction last month: “OMG, OMG. Now I have absolutely NO excuse not to eat there once a week (calories shmalories). Woo hooooo!!” more ›

There are people in this city who literally go into mourning each year when the Shake Shack closes for the winter. Seriously. But this year, things are different. The Shack is staying open through the winter, and has added some heat lamps to the seating area to keep you warm and cozy. And as an added bonus, starting today they'll be accepting phone orders for pick up only (at a separate pick-up window) through March... more ›

Few have noticed, and perhaps less care, but there aren’t too many hot dog shacks or trucks left in the city. Despite the recent success of relatively fancy dogs topped with everything from kimchee puree to avocado mash, a few legendary hot dog outposts still exist in the far reaches of Brooklyn and Queens, tucked away on corners near scrap metal dealers and steel-frame towers of junked cars. These are the kinds of places where... more ›

Alphabet City has long been a cheap eats favorite, with Kate's Joint for veggie-heads, Westville East for market lovers, and Nicky's Vietnamese sandwiches for the best salty-sweet-hot sandwich for under $5. You can get ramen (Minca) or delicious baked goods (Ciao for Now) or the city's arguably best coffee (9th Street Espresso), before even getting to welcome Cafe Cortadito, a new sure-to-be neighborhood favorite on 3rd Street and Avenue B. more ›

If you've lived in New York for any period of time, you know that the food here is incredible -- the variety, the quantity, and the quality. You'll also know that you don't have to pawn off your valuables to taste all that the city has to offer. This week's New York Magazine celebrates the city's cheap eats. Rob and Robin provide an extensive list of their picks, including some of our favorites: Bocca Lupo, Flatbush Farm, Go!Go! Curry, Momofuku Ssäm Bar, and Peri Ela (just tried it for the first time last weekend), among many others. more ›

As many have already pointed out, the imminent redevelopment of Coney Island may very well turn out to be a garish Disneyfied nightmare, complete with a Vegas-style hotel or two. A multi-million dollar food court, and a string of expensive restaurants can’t be far behind. Neptune Avenue in winter may resemble one fifteen block-long auto repair shop, with gas fumes and broken glass in the streets, but for us it’s the old Coney Island takeout over whatever neon-encrusted dining room the developers will throw at us. Here are four reasons why: more ›

When Snack Dragon, Josephine Jansen's taco shack on Avenue B between 2nd & 3rd doled out its final taco this past Memorial Day, late-night devotees and locals alike mourned the loss of the cheap eats joint with tasty, always fresh tacos. Officials claimed the shack was built without a permit and Jansen, the taco-loving East Village veteran, had no choice but to leave. more ›

Bruni goes to midtown’s Turkish cafe Sip Sak, gives it one-star. All his favorite dishes are the “secret” ones that don’t appear on the menu. He calls Sip Sak “a kooky artist’s warped--and wonderful--canvas.” The kooky artist would be Orhan Yegan, the cafe’s principal chef and owner. more ›

Time Out New York came out with their Cheap Eats issue this week and they certainly took no shame in taunting New York Magazine. Time Out's cover is virtually identical to NY Mag's, with reversed colors, down to the box highlighting their star rating system, except that Time Out calls it's issue "The Real Cheap Eats." TONY gleefully notes that "absolutely everything" on their list is under $20, clearly taking a stab at NY Mag's choice to include "bargains" like Lupa. more ›

New York Magazine released its Cheap Eats issue this week, complete with a specific five-star system unique to the Cheap Eats list. The stars are explained as follows:

To the usual system of measures, we’re adding another, one we call the FWII Factor (For What It Is). Hereby, a frank is judged on its own terms, not against a USDA prime T-bone. Pizza can achieve perfection, and on our list, it has—twice. The FWII Factor recognizes that all food—even the cheapest—is capable of greatness. more ›

Didn't get tickets to the sold out Flaming Lips show at Webster Hall tonight? We have good news. Wayne and the boys will be playing a free show at Prospect Park tomorrow afternoon...in celebration of this great weather we're having. more ›

In case you missed it yesterday, be sure to check out New York Magazine's Cheap Eats issue. It's right up our alley; we're always looking for ways to save money so that we can, you guessed it, eat more food. Their Cheap List includes Gothamist favorites Bellavitae, Tia Pol, and the Waverly at IFC, plus places that are high on our list of newcomers, like La Esquina and Vintage New York's Wine Bar. We may not agree with their take on Black Pearl's lobster roll, but we hope that next time they do a panel on barbecue or cheesesteaks, they count us in. more ›

Last week, The Delancey played host to the launch of Taste NY, a new TV show about eating in New York. As a co-production of NYC TV and Time Out New York, the connection is obvious from the venue (one of the rooftop bars featured in last week's cover story ahem Drink Up, ahem) to the premiere episode about cheap eats (this week's TONY cover story). The host, Kelly Choi, was on hand to ask what the best thing guests had eaten lately-our choice was the the almond cookie ice cream at The Chinatown Ice Cream Factory but if there is a God the footage of our sweaty face will never see the light of day. Kelly's got charisma to spare, statuesque and a little hyper, not unlike how we imagine Kimora Lee Simmons would come across after some pixie stix and her enthusiam for food has made us love her. Margaritas, punch and straight Corazon tequila got the crowd going and we were more than happy to be satiated by Patricia Yeo of Sapa's catering, especially the lemongrass cured salmon cucumber sandwhiches, more than a little appropriate for the Lower East Side. With unbridled enthusiasm and access to amazing chefs-and kitchens- we'll keep our eye on Taste NY. more ›

Now that we have mathematic confirmation that New York is indeed getting pricier, Gothamist's thoughts have turned to cheap eats in our own neighborhood (in this Gothamist's case, Park Slope, Brooklyn). While it sometimes seems as if every week there's a new cafe or restaurant that's opened in the 'hood, Gothamist has found that an oldie-but-goodie place like Coco Roco shouldn't be forgotten. more ›

We all sang songs about the Muffin Man as kids, but what about the Dumpling Man? With growing fondness for the East Village block of St. Mark’s Place between 1st Avenue and Avenue A, where hoards of cheap eats including Hummus Place, Crif Dogs, Yaffa Café, and the chocolate shop Australian Homemade take residence, Gothamist and friends stopped in to see how the Dumpling Man (100 St. Mark’s Place) stood up to their bargain competitors. more ›

Leafing through the most recent issue of Time Out New York, Gothamist was completely overwhelmed. Overwhelmed in a good way, mind you, but we really weren't sure what to tell you about first. more ›

New York Magazine published its annual Cheap Eats list, highlighting restaurants under $25. Start at the top and work your way down the list, and don't forget to stop at Gothamist favorites -- 'inoteca, Bao Noodles, and Alta. Although they're not on the list, Daisy May's BBQ chili carts are featured prominently in the article -- apparently we can look forward to a few new locations before the year's end. more ›

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