Real Cheap Eaters: The Serious Eats Team

The Real Cheap Eats Team is no stranger to Serious Eats New York, the NYC arm of the Serious Eats empire. Many of us have dined with the Serious Eats crew and written for Serious Eats blogs, so we were excited to hear just a few of their essential cheap eats recs of the moment.

Let the feast of a thousand dumplings begin!

Salumeria Biellese – Roast Beef and Mozzarella (Mondays Only)

• MAN
• $7.75

Penn Station may be a food wasteland, but Salumeria Biellese redeems it singlehandedly. My favorite order at this century-old meat shop is their Monday special: roast beef and their own mozzarella on a seeded roll. Beefy juices poured over the top really make it. A six-incher is $7.75 and can easily make two meals. -Carey Jones

Tasty Dumpling – Fried Dumplings

• MAN
• $1.25

Of all the various sizes and shapes of dumplings around the world, guo tie, the thick-skinned, crisp-on-the-bottom, tender-and-chewy, pan fried potstickers from Beijing are my favorite. Luckily, they’re also the best budget-friendly snack to find in Chinatown. The ones at Tasty Dumpling on Mulberry street have got a nice gingery-sweet filling and come stuffed with plenty of juicy pork. At $1.25 for five, they’re a full quarter more expensive than most of the $1 competition, but trust me, they’re worth the extra 25¢. -Kenji Lopez-Alt

Golden Steamer – Pumpkin Steam Buns

• MAN
• $0.75
• VEG

Ever since SEHQ moved to Chinatown, we haven’t gone a week, maybe even a few days, without picking up some steamed buns from Golden Steamer around the corner. The buns here are as tasty, satisfying and cheap as the name of the place is good. (Golden Steamer just has a special ring to it, right?) They do steamed buns of all kinds: pork, veggies, steamed egg yolk—but what I really love is the pumpkin. The fluffy, light yellow bao outside part is extremely soft and the mellow, mashed pumpkin filling inside slowly oozes out when you start tearing off pieces. They’re the best straight from the steamer when still warm. -Erin Zimmer

Tacos Morelos – Barbacoa Taco

• MAN
• 2.50

I’m a big fan of Tacos Morelos and love picking up dinner there on my way home. The barbacoa (goat) is excellent, and I’m addicted to the chicken tostadas too. Tacos are $2.50, tostadas are $3. They also have a Williamsburg branch. -Maggie Hoffman

Pizza Bianca – Sullivan Street Bakery

• MAN
• 2.00
• VEG

Pizza bianca doesn’t have cheese or tomato sauce, but it doesn’t need them. This light slab of chewy and crispy Roman-style flatbread comes topped with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and rosemary. No other ingredients required (it does make great sandwich bread, though). -Robyn Lee

Editor’s note: Ed Levine was available for comment, but we couldn’t make out what he was saying through the seven slices of pizza he was simultaneously tasting at the time. We hope to get a word from him on New York’s cheap eats in the near future.