Save Cash and Eat Cheap Tonight

In case you missed it, Romera, the latest uber high-end restaurant to hit New York, opened last night with its $245 eleven-course menu in the Dream Downtown Hotel. Read our interview with the chef and decide what you think about the concept for yourself, but if you want hold off until some early reviews roll in why not save cash and think about eating cheap. Here’s our always evolving list of inexpensive eats. [The Feast]

Torrisi Italian Specialties

250 Mulberry St. | (212) 965-0955While dinner is certainly a deal at $50 for the set menu, we wouldn’t call it cheap eating. The turkey sandwich at lunch, though, will set you back just $10.

Mile End

97A Hoyt St | (718) 852-7510Montreal-style smoked meat for less than $10? Sign us up. We’ll be eating here even more when they make the move from Brooklyn to Manhattan with their upcoming fall expansion.

Saltie

378 Metropolitan Ave. | (718) 387-4777Killer, inventive sandwiches for under $10 located right next door to Momofuku Milk Bar’s Brooklyn commissary kitchen? Yes please.

Taim Falafel and Smoothie Bar

222 Waverly Pl | (212) 691-6101Now that this falafel spot has a roving food truck you can get Einat Admony’s prized chickpea balls anywhere, but the quality at the brick and mortar locations remains tops.

Vanessa’s Dumpling House

118 Eldridge St. | (212) 625-8008Ridiculously cheap dumplings and scallion pancakes in a neighborhood increasingly known for pricey restaurants.

Porchetta LLC

110 E. 7th St. | (212) 777-2151Sara Jenkins serves up what are arguably the best roast pork sandwiches in Manhattan at this tiny East Village spot. Don’t miss the side of roast potatoes with crispy pork ends.

Cocoron

61 Delancey St | (212) 925-5220Our favorite spot for Soba on the LES won’t set you back more than $20 per person, tops.

Baoguette Cafe

37 St. Marks Pl. | (347) 892-2614Michael Bao maybe open what seems like a restaurant a week, but his first bahn mi mini-chain remains the most reliable.

Mapo BBQ

149-24 41st Avenue | (718) 886-8292Experience the joys of Korean BBQ (fatty, salty meat) on the cheap.

Bon Chon Chicken

104 John St | (646) 682-7747Cheap, greasy, decadent Korean fried chicken in a neighborhood with very few options.

Tortilleria Nixtamal

104-05 47th Ave. | (718) 699-2434This is the holy grail of Mexican tortilla making. They’ve become increasingly popular in the past few years (trendy restaurants like Stupak’s Empellon use their tortillas), so head here quickly.

Baohaus Restaurant

137 Rivington St. | (646) 684-3835Stop into this LES spot for pork, beef, or tofu buns with a side of “bao fries” (deep fried bun with sweet, black sesame sauce).

Ayada Thai Restaurant

7708 Woodside Ave | (718) 424-0844Sure nearby Thai spot SriPraPhai gets all of the press glory, but Ayada is the homey, mom and pop operation you’ve always wanted.

Stellina

95 Allen St. | () -Emma Hearst’s gelato and sandwich cafe offshoot adjacent to Sorella get’s a special shout out from NYM for its turkey sandwich.

Super Taste Chinese Restaurant

26N Eldridge St. | (212) 625-1198Excellent, affordable Chinese restaurants are more difficult to come by in Chinatown than one might think. Here’s one.