Hello again, Real Cheap Eaters!

Spring is here, and it’s about time for a fresh batch of cheap eats highlights from our food writers’ collective. This time we’re featuring 50 tasty dishes along the L Train. The L cuts across Manhattan at 14th Street, marking the boundary in the eternal struggle between downtown and uptown and tunneling into Brooklyn by way of Williamsburg and terminates in far-flung Canarsie. This guide to good eats shouldn’t take you more than a 10-minute walk from any given L Train stop, though a few dishes demand just a bit more adventure the rest.

Befitting its reputation, we’ve included nods to some of the hippest eats in North Brooklyn—like BrisketTown, where a breakfast taco offers a taste of premium barbecue, and Pies & Thighs, whose chicken biscuit has been representing since it was first served from the back room of a dive bar. In addition to treading familiar ground, our writers have used their nose for gems in plain sight, turning up $2 pupusas at Bahia in East Williamsburg and a serious pork chop platter from Bun-ker (a new Vietnamese restaurant that is entirely worth a short trek from the Jefferson St. station).

These are just a taste of what we’ve covered, so jump to the full guide to see all 50 dishes (including 22 new additions to Real Cheap Eats NYC).

Do you live near an L stop? Did we miss something crucial in the food commute from Canarsie to 8th Ave? There’s territory that this guide doesn’t even touch, so let us know what’s worth jumping off the train for by leaving a comment below. You can also drop some knowledge on our Facebook page, or send us a tweet.

We’ve got tons of great finds from our contributors this week. Check them out!

Looking for lunch downtown? On Downtown Lunch, Andrea Heisinger tries a solid cheesesteak at Charlys in the Financial District. Meanwhile, Robyn Lee treats herself in Chinatown with fried chicken, bubble tea and rice balls at Yaya Tea Garden.

In the Bronx, Dave Cook joins Serious Eats NY Bronx Correspondent Chris Crowley for a meal at borough favorite Bate. Further north n Kingsbridge, Chris finds satisfying, cheap chimis.

At Chopsticks & Marrow, Joe DiStefano uncovers a spicy crawfish dish at Li’s Lanzhou Hand Stretched Noodles and a “Chengdu Happy Meal” in the New World Mall food court. Joe also experiences a rare delicacy- spit-roasted guinea pig- with an Ecuadorian family in Corona. And there’s video!

On Serious Eats, Nick Solares finds comparable burgers at the original West Village Corner Bistro and the recently opened Long Island City location. He’s also breaking down the dry aged short loin steaks at Smith & Wollensky’s.

Leaving the NYC area (but staying on Serious Eats), James Boo tells you where to eat Vietnamese food at Eden Center in Falls Church, Virginia.

A bit further south, James Boo delivers an exposé on the Vietnamese food wonderland known as Eden Center. Feisty Foodie finds killer fried chicken at Mama Dip’s and even better pulled pork at Allen & Son in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

New contributor Matt Kronsberg, writing for the Wall Street Journal, has some great tips for spending a long weekend in Houston.

As she continues to eat her way through Southeast Asia, Jamie Feldmar somehow finds time to prepare a guide to Laotian noodles and write for Saveur about mini-weiners at Troy, NY’s own Famous Lunch. We envy her stomach.

In news from outside the Real Cheap Eats galaxy, be sure to browse the New York City Street Food Guide from HostelBookers.com, which features some great street food recommendations from a pile of Real Cheap Eats contributors!

Hello again, Real Cheap Eaters! It feels like just yesterday we were hunkering down for the apocalypse, but with the safety of our city is assured and John Cusack in presumably good spirits, we can continue our mission: seeking out the best dishes for $10 or less in the five boroughs.

So what to eat in the coldest of seasons? Our writers hit the streets to find the answer, and unsurprisingly this is the Winter of Noodles and Soups. In this edition you’ll find noodle soups from across Asia: start with some fried lagman by way of Central Asia, look to Yunnan- and Guilin-style soups for slightly lighter fare, or turn up the spice with a Sichuan noodle soup. If you’re looking for a kicker in Koreatown, there’s a Korean tofu stew waiting for your order.

Don’t want soup? Fear not—the Eastern Europeans have you covered. Try a pork hock dinner or a classic Polish soup in Greenpoint, pair vodka with a sizzling platter of Belarus-style pork in Sheepshead Bay, or settle in with a fried pork chop plate in Greenwood. Elsewhere in New York you’ll find rice dishes, dumplings and one fantastic Indian breakfast.

This edition is not for the light eater, so loosen up your belt (or look for something in a sweatpant) and click here to see 21 new additions to the guide, and join us for a Real Cheap Winter.

In non-food-news: Real Cheap Eats is now hiring interns for Spring and Summer! The open positions are for web software development and food reporting/social media. If you’re interested in an opportunity to work on an awesome product with seasoned full-stack engineers and food writers, please click here to read the job descriptions and apply.

As always, we’d love for you to keep up with the world of Real Cheap Eats after you’ve had a taste.

We’re never hurting for good eats from our contributors. Check out these sweet, sweet posts:

On Chopsticks and Marrow, Joe DiStefano longs for a summertime dish of ceviche de pescado. He also shows off some killer looking pig marrow bone soup from the Golden Shopping Mall in Flushing and a pair of Tibetan dumpling carts in Jackson Heights.

Dave Cook logs a pair of Cuban restaurants, Ceila’s Pescaderia and Paladar Cubano, in West New York, New Jersey.

Slightly further afield, Jeff Orlick reports on a recent trip to New Orleans.

Blondie stalks a Bimbo delivery truck outside of Oaxaca while searching for more legitimate fare. She also tries a Mexican Christmas specialty, Rosca de Reyes.

In Midtown, Wilfrid finds the lone NYC location of Steak & Shake perfectly acceptable.

Taking time away from her travels in Southeast Asia, Jamie Feldmar files on two American classics: cheeseburgers and chocolate chip cookies. She’s at Williamsburg’s Blue Collar Burger for A Hamburger Today and Ooer on Food & Wine, Jamie seeks out America’s best chocolate chip cookie.

Robyn Lee declares Bay Ridge’s Bab Al Yemen her “favorite restaurant of 2012″ and who are we to disagree?

Happy New Year from the Real Cheap Eats collective!

Original contributor and sometime RCE editor Joe DiStefano has a new site: Chopsticks and Marrow. It launched late last year, but there’s already a ton of great content, including an update on the whereabouts of Flushing’s Sichuan snack queen, delicious dosas at Ganesh Temple and a gutty soup at Chao Thai Too in Elmhurst. We’re excited for what’s to come and wish Joe the best of luck.

Dave Cook finds funk-free, stuffed chitterlings at Chipichape Bakery in Sunnyside, Queens. While uptown in Manhattan, he samples a weak “Te de Jengibre” along with a plantain sandwich of cheese and butter at a Dominican bakery.

Wilfrid reports from newly opened heavy hitters Louro and Aska, but finds time to try the BBQ at Mighty Quinn’s in the East Village.

Brownie celebrates New Years with an Indian feast while the Feisty Foodie finds fabulous ramen at Ippudo.

Writing for First We Feast, Jamie Feldmar interviews food luminaries Michael White, Paul Qui and Tennessee’s ham royalty, Allan Benton.

On City Spoonful, Clare Trapasso eats Indian-Chinese at Tangra Asian Fusion in Queens.

Over at Narratively, James Boo interviews a Buddhist monk cooking food in the basement of a Bronx church.

And, at Eat to Blog, Donny Tsang gives his wish list for eating in 2013. He also tries the banana sundae at the new Big Gay Ice Cream Shop in the West Village.

If, in the coming days, you find yourself racing through the streets in a beat up limo with John Cusack at the wheel and everything collapsing around you, we admit that this newest release from the Real Cheap Eats collective will not be very useful in the time we presumably have left on Earth.

However, if in the far more likely event that absolutely nothing happens, then, after everyone has finished laughing nervously at doomsday planners, this eclectic selection of 22 cheap eats to close out the year will certainly prove handy. Browse our food writers’ roundup, and you’ll find something worthy of a last meal.

Perhaps you’d like to go out devouring New York classics – like a double-dipped roast beef sandwich from Brennan & Carr or a tuna sandwich at Eisenberg’s weathered counter. Want to go out with something spicy in your stomach? Head to Queens for a masala dosa in the basement of a Hindu temple, or overdose on chilis at Hunan House. You can even watch the world end over a burek in the Bronx, or simulate the effects of global warming with a sizzling Yemeni omelette in Bay Ridge.

Happy eating! Bonus points if you can get John Cusack to join you for a bite (even if it’s only on Blu-ray).

As always, we’d love for you to keep up with the world of Real Cheap Eats after you’ve had a taste. If you haven’t joined the social media party, then like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and check out our lists on Foursquare to keep on noshing through the apocalypse.

Lots of great posts by our contributors in the past week. Check them out!

On The Eaten Path, James Boo recommends the “Bubba” at Shopsins, “a $19 breakfast of scrambled eggs, dirty rice and corn bread, topped with grilled shrimp and given a trim of fresh greens.”

Dave Cook finds the “fat-lipped, bready-crusted style” of Cuban pizza at Montes de Oca in Miami, and savors the rare opportunity for a banana topping. He also grabs a mahi mahi sandwich at The Fish Box truck. Dave also reports that Legend Sichuan comes to former Rack & Soul near Columbia University.

Also travelling, the Feisty Foodie documents a dim sum meal at Hong Kong Lounge in San Francisco.

Brownie finds killer calzone at Eli’s Brick Oven Pizza in Hamden, Connecticut and Blondie snaps photos of live eels at Bk Night Bazaar.

In international travel, Robyn Lee gets serious looking currywurst in Berlin. Krista Garcia travels to Vienna for cake at Demel, her cakey goal turns out to be merely “a staple of many NYC bakeries, often as mini cherry-topped single serves. There’s nothing Viennese about the fluffy sweet ricotta center suspending candied fruit and surrounded by a layer of liqueur-soaked sponge and a smooth blanket of almondy marzipan.” In Budapest she gets a big bag of goose cracklings and what seems like one of many, many sausages.

Jamie Feldmar makes lobster and butter lovers drool over a slideshow of lobster knuckle escargot at The Mermaid Inn. “The creation is exactly what it sounds like: a butter-soaked morsel of meat, nestled in an indented ceramic escargot dish, topped with crispy breadcrumbs for texture.”

Finally, A new restaurant Lao Dong Bei, has replaced what was originally M & T Restaurant in Flushing.

Happy eating!

Blondie digs the brick chicken at Williamsburg’s Potlikker. Also in Williamsburg, Wilfrid returns to DuMont and wishes he’d ordered the burger.

Dave Cook explores East African dishes near Columbia University at Massawa. Dave also pops in on some Real Cheap Eats favorites, checking out Nano Billiard Cafe in the Bronx and Hua Ji Pork Chop Fast Food in Chinatown.

Outside the city, Brownie eats crepes and waffles in Colombia and Feisty Foodie pigs out at Butcher and the Boar in Minneapolis.

Closer to home, Krista Garcia doubles down on Thai food at Zabb Elee and Chao Thai Too in Queens, Chris Crowley is all over Tamales Ebeneezer in the Bronx and Andrea Heisinger rekindles her love of Takahachi Bakery near City Hall.

James Boo’s award-winning short documentary “Sugar Shack” is now available to watch in its entirety online. You should do that.

Finally, some sad news to report on a Real Cheap Eats favorite. A three alarm fire severely damaged Sarge’s Delicatessen over Thanksgiving weekend. The restaurant will remain closed for now, but we will update readers with reopening information (and any ways to help) if/and when it becomes available.

Tons of good eats from our collective this week. Give them a try!

Have you seen James Boo’s award-winning short film “Sugar Shack”? No? Well you should probably fix that. The trailer is up on The Eaten Path, but the full film will be online after it’s screened at the Chicago Food Film Festival this weekend.

Outside of the city, Donny highlights some of the best stuff he ate on his recent trip to LA. On the opposite end of the West Coast, Blondie eats food truck poutine in Seattle. Meanwhile, Robyn Lee continues to post about her recent trip to Germany. Check out these delectable chicken doner sandwiches.

Wilfrid files from two new places on opposite ends of the Brooklyn food spectrum. He enjoys the Williamsburg Shake Shack imitator Blue Collar Burger, as well as Gowanus newcomer The Pines, but faults their cash-only policy.

Dave Cook shows off the housemade pickles at Kerala Masala Hut in Floral Park.

Feisty Foodie celebrates her birthday with meals at multiple Daniel Boulud restaurants around the city.

Chris Crowley, writing for Serious Eats, implores you to help out local food businesses after Hurricane Sandy, and also puts the spotlight on friend-of-Real-Cheap-Eats Allison Robicelli, who has tirelessly organized relief for affected neighborhoods.

Happy eating!

Hopefully everyone made it safely through Hurricane Sandy. While you’re stuck at home waiting for the city to return to life, here’s some tasty links from the Real Cheap Eats collective to get you through the day!

Joe DiStefano discovers the perfect Chinese breakfast in Rego Park and fills up on Korean mandu at Assi Plaza in Flushing.

Dave Cook finds a Henan food cart in the barren wastelands around Columbia University.

Outside the city, James Boo eats the best corned beef hash of his life in Savannah, Georgia, while Krista Garcia tries pizza and looks at fat clothes in Bangkok. Meanwhile, Jamie Feldmar reports from lunchtime at the Lamborghini factory.

Back in the Bronx, Chris Crowley invents a 149th Street sandwich hack for the ages.

Our new contributors were busy, too. Wilfrid is in the Far East Village, on Avenue C, at Bikini, a rare Catalunyan tapas spot in the city. On Mahlzeit!, Eric finds authentic Jamaican food uptown at Hot Pot Under de Tree and One Stop Patty Shop.

Happy eating!

Although the East Village and West Village is packed with some of the city’s trendiest restaurants and rising chefs, our writers have learned through plenty of noshing that it’s also home to some of the city’s best cheap eats – especially if you’re looking for bona fide New York classics.

We’re sharing our dive into the heartland of Manhattan dining: some of our favorite dishes from 14th Street to Houston, running from Avenue A to Eighth Avenue. The spotlight skews towards Village mainstays, including classic versions of the New York dog and The Slice. There’s also the perfect raised doughnut and one of the finest egg creams in the city. Newcomers to the neighborhood include Peruvian street food, two dishes from our favorite 24-hour Cuban diner, and an unsuspecting dessert in the heart of Saint Marks Place, among many others.

Click here to see all 33 new additions to Real Cheap Eats NYC, along with 13 dishes already representing Village turf from past updates!

Remember, if you’re new to the real cheap social media party, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and share your love for cheap eats with your friends. Let’s do this, New York.

Lots of interesting post from the Real Cheap Eats Universe this past week. Check them out:

Jamie Feldmar tells you where to get ten obscure sausages to impress your friends on the new site First We Feast while Feisty Foodie explains her bento obsession.

Donny Tsang tries the new under $10 Thai menu being served at No Name Bar in Greenpoint, replacing the much loved noodles before it. Nearby, Brownie enjoys Mighty Quinn’s brisket sandwich at Smorgasburg.

Internationally, Robyn Lee eats a massive pork knuckle in Dresden, Germany.

Back at home, Dave Cook shows off two very different food trucks. The Chipper Truck serves Irish cuisine late nights in the Bronx, so its appearance at the Viva La Comida festival in Queens was a rare opportunity to sample seldom found treats such as boxty and chip buddies. He also samples the shrimp ceviche from the Ochoa Cart at the Red Hook Ballfields.

Getting meta, we’re rounding up roundup posts. James Boo, on the recently redesigned The Eaten Path, runs through eight meals in Los Angeles. Closer to home, Krista Garcia rounds up a plethora of offerings along Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn.

Happy Eating!

It’s roundup time!

Blondie is the Street Meat Palooza 5 MC for Midtown Lunch, and her calculations confirmed that Uncle Gussy’s is the winner.

In Park Slope, Blondie also praises the shrimp po’ boy at recently opened Pork Slope. Krista Garcia is in Bed Stuy, trying foie gras doughnuts at Do or Dine. Not far away, in Crown Heights, James Boo can’t get enough of the breakast tacos at Güeros Brooklyn.Meanwhile, Robyn Lee provides the photos for a pictorial tour of Sahadi’s in Brooklyn.

In other boroughs, Chris Crowley makes a compelling case for a Bronx-focused 6 train tour.

In Queens, Anne from City Spoonful seemingly eats a ton of food at Nepali restaurant Woodside Cafe. Not far away, Dave Cook enters the Pupuza Zone, and in Ozone Park, Dave tries the paynuse.

Time Out New York released their annual “100 Best Dishes and Drinks in NYC” and Jamie Feldmar contributed. You will try the lamb saltah at Bab Al Yemen in Bay Ridge!

Happy eating!

Lots of great posts from out contributors last week!

Chris Crowley selects his most epic Bronx eats. This is a must read for any outer boroughs dining enthusiast.

On the sandwich beat, Joe DiStefano sits down at Sorriso Italian Salumeria in Astoria for his namesake “Uncle Joe,” with capicolla, hot peppers, provolone and garlic mayo. Joe is very full of himself.

Also writing for Edible Queens, Jamie Feldmar profiles one of our favorite restaurateurs in the 5 boroughs, Steven Zhou of Elmhurst’s Uncle Zhou.

Dave Cook has soul food uptown at Amy Ruth’s, and advises you to get there before church lets out. In Brooklyn, he finds pepper-laced, Hungarian bacon in Borough Park, and in Queens, he snacks on esquites from a cart in Elmhurst.

James Boo is abroad, hunting for dim sum in Toronto and eating paletas in Beacon, NY for dessert.

For dessert, Blondie is at the recently re-opened Leske’s Bakery in Bay Ridge on the advice of Allison Robicelli and Nick Chen is addicted to the Donut Pub.

Happy eating!

Members of the Real Cheap Eats collective came out in full force to support one of their own this past Friday. Featuring some of our favorite food trucks, Jeff Orlick’s Viva La Comida Festival was a great success. Joe Distefano, Sara Markel-Gonzalez and Donny Tsang all file reports from the scene.

Speaking of Joe, his Jackson Heights Himalayan tour was showcased on Serious Eats NY last week, and to boost his Tibetan credentials, he makes a triple-decker sandwich at Phayul. Joe is also the first to write about the new M. Wells Dinette at PS1.

Also on Serious Eats, Chris Crowley reports from El Atoradera in Mott Haven, the weekend-only, Bronx bodega/dried herb resource. A full service restaurant is scheduled to open sometime next year, but it’s still well worth the trip.

The Chinatown Ice Cream Factory makes the ice cream lover inside Robyn Lee a sad human, but the “trifle-inspired desserts” at Sugar Sweet Sunshine on the Lower East Side makes her much much happier.

Looking to travel? Jamie Feldmar is on Food & Wine, finding the best hotel restaurants in the country. Over on The Eaten Path, James Boo is in Burlington, Vermont, where he eats chili dogs and french fries from a salvaged school bus at Beansie’s.

Further abroad, Krista Garcia eats fried chicken in Bangkok, but returns home for a meal from the branded restaurant of American’s favorite chef in Times Square. Guy Fieri’s American Kitchen and Bar, a restaurant that couldn’t be further from the Real Cheap Eats mission.

Happy Eating!

On Eating in Translation, Dave Cook finds Italian orange drop cookies at Royal Crown Panefico in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. And even Dave gives up the search for elusive tamales dulce and tamales moles in the Bronx.

Also on the Bronx beat, Chris Crowley, writing for Serious Eats NY, is disillusioned by a poorly constructed sandwich at Mike’s Deli on Arthur Avenue.

Jamie Feldmar praises the new location of Chao Tai for Tasting Table, confusingly named “Chao Thai Too.”

Feisty Foodie reminisces about her very first bento and Robert Fernandez uncovers solid sandwiches at Zeeeeee Bagels on Avenue U.

James Boo finds refreshment in a Morir Soñando, a mix of orange juice, milk and sugar at Reben Luncheonette, a Dominican diner off Broadway in Williamsburg.

Looking for papalo? Veronica Chan has you covered on Queens Love.

Our man Joe DiStefano was at the Vendy Awards on Governor’s Island this past Saturday and has you covered with a complete wrapup.

If you missed the Vendy’s and the transcendent tortas served up by Tortas Neza, don’t worry, come to Jackson Heights this Friday for our own Jeff Orlick’s Viva La Comida! festival. Not only will Tortas be there, but you can also try the wares of the Arepa Lady, Morocho Peruvian and others. There’s also a pop-up market!

Viva La Comida and Viva La Rosh Hashanah!

Hey cheap eaters! Our contributors documented some amazing eats in the last week. Check them out!

Jamie Feldmar has had a good few weeks. First, she wrote an article for the Paris Review, documenting the history of New York City power lunches. Then she took a trip to Memphis, where she ate all of the barbecue at Cochon 555.

Noah Arenstein writes a rare blog post for the Street Vendor Project’s blog, exploring the street food around the Myrtle/Wyckoff subway station in Bushwick.

Blondie tries the “Hot Mess” at Fort Reno BBQ in Park Slope. It’s basically a mason jar full of meat and sides. Brownie, meanwhile gives away the secret to large-scale food events: a plastic tray.

On Staten Island, City Spoonful’s Arpita Aneja shares a langer meal with vegetarian Sikhs. And there’s video!

Joe DiStefano is in Jackson Heights at the grand opening of the Jackson Heights Food Court in the Eagle Theater.

Dave Cook celebrates the end of Summer with an orange-flavored Italian ice at DiCosmo’s in Elizabeth, NJ (but it can also be found on Rockaway Beach).

Further afield, Krista Garcia surveys food court options, including spicy fried chicken, at the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai.

Happy Eating!

Check out these fresh posts from our contributors!

Chris Crowley shares a breakfast with the elusive Baron Ambrosia at one of his favorite spots in the Bronx.

On Midtown Lunch, Andrea Heisinger finds worthwhile Indian food at the Desi Food on Wheels Truck in the Financial District.

Dave Cook is in Lowell, Massachusetts, eating greasy spoon macaroni & beef and sipping on a lime Rickey.

Jamie Feldmar is also travelling. She’s reporting for NY Magazine from British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, the Canadian equivalent of Napa Valley.

Krista Garcia muses about the new “pizzabon” from Cinnabon.

And if you haven’t checked out our newest Foursquare list yet, do it now!

Happy eating!

Two different boroughs, two very different versions of roast pork.

In the Bronx, Chris Crowley is enamored with the lechon and crab pastellitos at Lechonera La Piraña in Mott Haven.

Meanwhile, in Long Island City, Joe DiStefano celebrates LIC Market’s second anniversary with, what else, spit-roasted pigs.

And what’s for dessert?

Brownie loves the carrot cake served at Fauzia’s Heavenly Delights, a can’t-miss stop if you find yourself in court in the Bronx. Be sure to chat up Fauzia herself, as you’d be hard-pressed to find a more pleasant person in the five boroughs.

Dave Cook is out and about as always, discovering intensely peanut-y Haitian peanut fudge at Le Bon Pain on Jamaica Avenue in Queens Village. On the opposite end of the island, he samples a favorite of Jewish old-timers: stuffed derma at Jay & Lloyd’s Kosher Deli in Sheepshead Bay.

Nearby, Robert Fernandez discovers flan-like, triple-layered Jello cups at Vito’s Bakery and Grocery.

Now get yourself some pork and sweets!

Our contributors were all over the city last week. Check out what they found:

Krista Garcia reports from psychedelic Williamsburg sushi restaurant Fushimi. Blondie says you need to eat at Talde in Park Slope.

At Quetzal Deli Grocery in the Bronx, you can find adobo pork off the Longwood Avenue 6 train stop according to Chris Crowley.

Over on Eat to Blog, Donny Tsang reports on Bed Stuy fixture and new New Amsterdam Market vendor, Lonestar Taco. Meanwhile, Andrea Heisinger, on Midtown Lunch, tries a melanzane e panelle with fried eggplant, chickpea fritters, mortadella and pecorino at Pane Panelle in Tribeca.

Dave Cook and Joe DiStefano both post about a killer bake and shark they shared in Ozone Park last weekend. (ED: I too can attest to the extreme deliciousness of this sandwich.) If you’re going to Rockaway Beach this weekend, you would do well to pick one up on your way out.

Outside of the Real Cheap universe, Jamie Feldmar writes an intriguing article for Capital New York about a select group of market foragers for the city’s top restaurants.

Happy eating!

Summer getting to you? Here’s some recommendations from our contributors guaranteed to cool you off.

Dave Cook tries two different savory pastries on opposite ends of Manhattan. First up, at South Street Seaport, is a Uruguayan beef empanada with chimichurri from Mami Tere. Uptown, Dave gets a beef pasty from butcher shop Harlem Shambles.

Chris Hansen files a report from K-town on Kristalbelli, an über-fancy Korean barbecue restaurant.

Out in Queens, Joe DiStefano is reeling from this week’s excessive heat, so he samples cold noodles at Biang! and Geum Sung.

Chris Crowley joins Jeff Orlick, who cares not for sweltering heat, in eating all of the momos in Jackson Heights.

Up in the Bronx, Jared Cohee declares his love for the pupusas (especially the loroco) at Pupuseria Salvadorena.

“What the Heck Should I Do with Garlic Scapes?” asks Brownie. (Pesto, the answer is pesto.) And for dessert, Blondie bikes to Ample Hills Creamery for a “Daddy’s Sundae.”

For those of you who crave even more cheap eating, New York Magazine’s annual Cheap Eats issue dropped today. Check it out!

Sorry, Manhattanites — this week’s roundup belongs to Brooklyn and Queens, with a detour to Jersey. Down in Prospect Park South, Brownie reports on the first summer scoop of Grape Nuts Ice Cream at JT Ices. Krista Garcia eats her way across Clinton Hill, sharing bites at SoCo, Speedy Romeo, and Putnam Pub. Between Williamsburg and Bushwick, City Spoonful writer Kit Dillon praises hummus and more at Newtown.

Diving into the melee that is Flushing’s New World Mall Food Court, Dave Cook dips his chopsticks into the good, the bad, and the noodle at Yun Nan Guo Qiao Rice Noodles. Up the way in Rego Park, Joe DiStefano finds a surprisingly good crème brûlée at Morning Glory Bakery.

In another foray into New Jersey’s Latin American eats, Jared Cohee spotlights the pupusas at Salvadorean Deli & Restaurant in Englewood.

Happy ID4 Day!

Our contributors did some serious global exploration in the past week. Check out their finds:

James Boo feasts on poutine, bagels and terrine in Montreal.

Robyn Lee finds heart shaped waffels, amongst other desserts, while travelling in Berlin.

Back in the States, Jamie Feldmar, writing for Food & Wine, surveys the best cities in the country for barbecue. On the West Coast, Nick Solares gives his readers the highlights of his recent trip to L.A., featuring lots of beef (as expected).

Closer to home, Dave Cook reveals more Chinese street snacks, featuring exotic glutinous dumplings sold outside an East Broadway bakery. In Flushing, he finds zongzi sold along Main Street. He also turns up an excellent find at Keur Coumba, a combination Senegalese and Dominican restaurant in West Harlem that handles the unique and unenviable task of serving pork-free Dominican cuisine.

Joe DiStefano is back on Rockaway Beach eating Venezuelan hot dogs and pizza. He’s also in Long Island City, reporting from last weekend’s Indonesian Festival.

Happy eating!

What’s going on in the Real Cheap Eats universe? Look no further than this handy roundup!

In the Bronx, Chris Crowley offers up a favorite Arthur Avenue snack: boccocini, bite-sized, freshly-made mozzarella balls. Of the three purveyors he tries, Casa della Mozzarella is deemed the victor.

Jeff Orlick wants so badly for you to join him on a Jackson Heights momo crawl that he’s made a video to convince you.

Dave Cook highlights a Colombian Summer treat along Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights, Queens. The lemon raspado found at Delicias Calenas is filled with crushed, granular ice and condensed milk along with lemon flavoring. Also in Jackson Heights, Dave discovers a carb-bomb in a Mexican sidewalk vendor’s torta de tamal, which features a chicken tamale stuffed inside a torta roll. Further down the road, at another sidewalk vendor, Dave tries a version of a pork tamale native to the outer reaches of Oaxaca.

Blondie embraces summer with a root beer float from Big Gay Ice Cream Truck. In Midtown, Donny Tsang urges you to try Uncle Gussy’s grilled pork chop.

On Sheepshead Bites, Robert Fernandez samples an Uzbeki parmuda samsa, stuffed with minced lamb and onions, at 1001 Nights on Neptune Avenue. Joe DiStefano is in the far corner of NYC at Rockaway Beach, downing a fish torta and an ice cream sandwich for dessert.

Finally, check out our newly updated Foursquare list, now featuring every Real Cheap Eat available on our site! As always, you can also follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook for the hottest cheap eating updates conceivable.

Many of our contributors made the trip to Long Island City last weekend for the Burmese Food Fair. On The Eaten Path, James Boo posts about his favorite dish from the event, a thokh (salad) made from Burmese chickpea tofu tinged yellow with turmeric. (Check out Serious Eats NY slideshow of nearly all of the dishes.) Joe DiStefano arrived late to the party, but still was able to take down a flat noodle salad with coconut milk and a pile of night market shaved ice.

The next day, Joe again braved the neighborhood crowds to report on the seventh annual Taste of L.I.C..

Blondie and Brownie stopped in at Greenpoint favorite Paulie Gee’s, re-confirming its greatness. In Nolita, however, Feisty Foodie was disappointed by her second tasting of a chicken parmesan sandwich at Parm. She vows to return a third time.

On Eating in Translation, Dave Cook continues to explore Chinatown. Intriguingly, at the Fujianese restaurant Panda Dumpling House, he finds a version of liang pi noodles, popularized by Xi’an Famous Foods. Not too far away, Dave finds Fujianese-style periwinkles in black bean sauce at Food World Restaurant.

Jamie Feldmar pens an article for Saveur, tracing the history of rijstaffel (literally “rice table”), an Indonesian family-style feast that’s extremely popular in the Netherlands.

And for those of you who were at the Big Apple BBQ Block Party this weekend, James Boo has you covered on Serious Eats NY with the wrap up.

Happy eating!

It was a Queens kind of week here at Real Cheap Eats. Check out what our contributors have to offer in our most diverse borough:

On Eating in Translation, Dave explores Flushing, trying bland, smoked shark meat at Red Bowl Noodle Shop and finishes with sugary soft drinks at N.Y. Tun Ren Tang. Also in Flushing, City Spoonful’s Chitra Agrawal documents dosas and uttapam, among other things, at the Ganesh Temple.

Writing for Queens Love, Jeff Orlick highlights a speculoos-filled crepe at Fresca la Crepe in Woodside.

Joe DiStefano is on hand to consecrate a Bhutanese catering hall in Long Island City, where he helps himself to a massive lunch buffet before checking out nearby Japanese cafe-gallery, Resobox.

Feisty Foodie gets a hot pho recommendation at Pho Mekong in Flushing, where she enjoys the clove-heavy broth, declaring it to be a near-tie with competitor Pho Bang, but, as always, more exploration is required.

Outside of Queens, Blondie and Brownie continue to recipe test for their eagerly anticipated book. This week, they’re making tea eggs with a recipe from the Bian Dang Truck.

In observance of National Doughnut Day, James Boo is initiated into the cult of Federal Donuts in Philadelphia.

Happy eating!

The holiday weekend is over, and several of our contributors have been criss-crossing the world on alternating empty/full stomach.

Back on the home front:

Team Feisty Foodie snacks on some pleasing sandwiches at Corrado Bread and Pastry in the West Village. Jared Cohee takes a tip on“go-to” Argentinean eats and charcuterie at El Guachito, near the Elmhurst-Corona border, and walks away happy. The same goes for Joe DiStefano, who has his first taste of the eponymous burger-and-frites combo at F. Ottamenlli Burgers & Belgian Fries in Woodside. Getting down in Prospect Heights (and still recovering from Googa Mooga fail), Blondie cools off with a brownie-based hot fudge sundae at Ample Hills.

On the Map:
Going to Washington? Dave Cook suggests soul food at Levi’s Port Cafe.

Approach Oklahoma City? Krista Garcia suggests a “fried onion burger” at Sid’s.

Flying to Los Angeles? Nick Solares offers his own go-to, off-the-plane breakfast at Pann’s in Ladera Heights.

Headed to Montreal? Jeff’s got an epic report on the ups and downs of that beautiful and tasty town, in two parts.

Bound for Berlin? Read. this. travelogue. by. Robyn. Lee. now. Dreams come true in the heart of Germany.

Summer’s just getting started. Prepare to build a memorial to your appetite; it’s going to be at tasty season in Real Cheap Eats country.

Chris Crowley continues his exploration of West African cuisine– this time, Ghanaian in the Bronx– with a meal at Fouta in Soundview.

On the Lower Eat Side, Robyn Lee can only eat half of a Katz’s pastrami Reuben. Meanwhile, Dave Cook snacks on a massive ham hock platter at Relax in Greenpoint.

In Queens, Jeff Orlick spotlights an ukoy, basically a shrimp fritter, at Fiesta Grill in Woodside. Over in Flushing, our man Joe DiStefano gets a first look at Biang!, the new restaurant from the owners of Xi’an Famous Foods.

Blondie concurs with James Boo, Tortas Neza is freaking awesome. Just a short walk from Citi Field, Neza is the perfect pre or post-Mets game stop. She also deems Parm’s meatball sandwich “the best thing to eat at Yankee Stadium.” Make sure to get a swipe of the hot pepper sauce, too.

Feisty Foodie is disappointed by the fried chicken at Redhead, but killer baked goods at Dominique Ansel Bakery evens everything out.

Happy eating!

This week in Real Cheap Eating, Serious Eats NY’s “Indian Week” featured some fine articles from our contributors. Jamie Feldmar sought out cheap Indian desserts in Jackson Heights.” Chris Crowley showed off the array of Bengali street snacks served up at Starling Coffee Shop in Banglabazaar Bronx, USA. Check out his guide to the neighborhood.

If you can only read one article this week, it should be Chris’s wrap-up of a celebratory dinner at Neerob. The chef was instructed to “cook what you would for your daughter’s wedding.” Our own James Boo played photographer, and Noah Arenstein can be seen in the slideshow, exhibiting how to shovel food in his mouth. Also in attendance were Real Cheap Eaters Jeff Orlick, Dave Cook, Tom Sullivan and Anne Noyes Saini. If you’re looking for fabulous food in the Bronx, Neerob absolutely should not be missed.

Meanwhile, back in Manhattan, Blondie checks out Domo Taco Truck’s “Japanese Nacho Tots” For dessert, Brownie attends the Treats Truck Stop’s opening day event.

Over on Midtown Lunch, Donny Tsang enjoys the egg salad sandwich from Macchiato Espresso Bar. Downtown, Andrea Heisinger is disappointed by overly chewy bread in a bulgogi sandwich at the Bob & Jo Truck.

On Eating in Translation, Dave Cook is exploring Chinatown. Besides trying a Western omelette at one of the lone remaining diners in the neighborhood, Cup & Saucer, Dave is hitting the street, eating taro cake from a vendor on Grand and Elizabeth and steamy peanuts.

In non-cheap eating, Nick Solares, the Beef Aficionado, pens an impressive list of his Top Ten Ribsteaks of 2012.

Outside the city, Feisty Foodie is taking the greater Washington DC area by storm. She finds little to like at Shake Shack imitation Good Stuff Eatery, but experiences excellent pho at Viet Royale in Falls Church, Virginia.

This week in cheap eating, Brownie celebrates the return of the Red Hook Ballfields Vendors with ceviche and pupusas. She’s also vetting bubble tea shops in Chinatown, and finds that Chatime on Canal and Center is strictly for tourists, although the bakery next door apparently serves a killer law mai chi, a glutinous rice ball stuffed with roasted peanuts and topped with shredded coconut.

Robyn Lee is also in Chinatown, diving deeper into her most recent Real Cheap Eats entry, Mei Li Wah, sampling some of the hits and misses beyond their famous roast pork buns, including a scary looking “fried salad.”

Dave Cook is uptown, trying a sour levain locale from Orwasher’s Bakery. Further afield, Dave finds balut in Jersey City.

Jamie Feldmar profiles the folks at Northern Spy Food Co. in the East Village for Edible Manhattan.

On the Bronx beat for Serious Eats NY, Chris Crowley praises Estrellita Pobalana 3′s weekend special of Pollo Enchipotlado Al Horno.

In Queens, Joe DiStefano overloads on foie gras, first mixed in with fried rice at Lan Kwai Fong in Flushing, then over poutine from the folks at M. Wells at Smorgasburg. He also dives face-first into a green eggs and ham banh mi at JoJu in Elmhurst.

Bed Stuy’s own David’s Brisket House had a very good week. Not only were they reviewed in the New York Times, but they’ve also just announced a second location in Bay Ridge at 7721 5th Avenue at 78th Street. If all goes well, it will open July 1st.

Happy Eating!

It was a busy week in Real Cheap Eating:

On the Queens beat, Joe DiStefano samples ramen, an elusive treat in Astoria, at Hinomaru. He also finds a breakfast to get excited about at Elmhurst’s Java Village– bubur ayam is rice gruel topped with fried chicken, garlic, onions and crullers. Make sure to add a salty, preserved egg to the mix.

In Chinatown, Feisty Foodie has a disappointing experience at Golden Unicorn. Reporting from the Bronx, Chris Crowley writes about a treasured Ghanaian breakfast dish, palavar sauce with fish and white rice, at Papaye.

Outside of NYC, Brownie is in Philadelphia, trying grilled chicken and falafel from Christo’s Cart. Writing for Travel & Leisure, Jamie Feldmar features 22 of the best fast-food chains in the world.

In Jersey City, Dave Cook tries the pine tarts at Guyanese bakery Bibi Caribbean Kitchen. Nearby, at Blue Ribbon Cafe, he finds pan de sal, a Filipino sweet roll filled with corn beef.

Dave also reports from the newly opened West Coast Thai spot Pok Pok NY, where he tries a mussel strewn “broken crepe.” Krista Garcia has her own report, focusing on the Mangalista pork neck with iced mustard greens. (I can attest, these are the two dishes to get.)

On May 12, Charles Bibilos is hosting a dinner at Jimmy’s No. 43 to support a young Mongolian performer. Those attending will get to try Mongolian dumplings, cheeses and cookies. There will also be a live auction and Mongolian entertainment. Check it out!

Have you been on Mars, in a cave, with your eyes shut and your fingers in your ears? If so, then you missed our Spring Edition featuring 22 Cheap Eats from Chinatowns across NYC.

Happy eating!

Dave Cook is in the New York Times this week, dedicating the $25 and Under column to Wafa Chami’s homey Lebanese cooking at Wafa’s in Forest Hills. Meanwhile, on Eating in Translation, Dave wonders how the differences between Hausa and Ashanti cultures in West Africa is manifested in their cuisines at Al-Baraka Palace in Staten Island.

In pork-centric news, Andrea H. tries the newest bao cart to hit Manhattan, Fun Buns, an offshoot of the Taiwanese food truck Bian Dang. On Eat to Blog, Donny eats pork in all its forms (but ultimately prefers the pulled pork) at John Brown Smokehouse in Long Island City.

On the opposite end of the neighborhood, Joe DiStefano enjoys the differing textures in a horse meat tartar sandwich made by Hugue Dufour at P.S. 1.

Clare Trapasso at City Spoonful has our vegetarian readers covered, exploring the vegetarian dumpling options, among other snacks, at Flushing’s Savor Fusion food court.

On the festival circuit, Chris Crowley checks out the food on offer at the Cambodian New Years Festival at Wat Jotanaram in the Bedford Park neighborhood of the Bronx.

For dessert, Feisty Foodie is a jelly donut at newly opened German bakery, Landbrot.

Finally, be sure to check out the site in the next few days for our Spring Update. It’s guaranteed to blow your minds.

In honor of opening day, Yvo Sin tells you what to eat inside Yankee Stadium, while Chris Crowley has got you covered if you want to explore the neighborhood instead. Pro tip: you can always bring your food into the stadium.

Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, Donny at Eat to Blog checks out the rabbit stew at Sea Bean Goods at Smorgasburg. Likewise, Blondie waits in line for a fried fish sandwich from Handsome Hank and comes away happy. Close by in Williamsburg, Jamie Feldmar reports for Gothamist on Yuji Ramen, a small pop-up serving broth-less ramen studded with hyper-fresh sea food.

Back uptown, Dave Cook offers two taco options in Harlem. One is loaded with roasted peppers and a hardboiled egg, the other is covered in cheese and crema and features tot-like hash browns.

In Midtown, 696 Gourmet Deli, the very first NY deli at which your editor became a regular (meaning the staff knows your breakfast sandwich and coffee order without you saying a word) has a killer, juicy roast beef sandwich.

And Serious Eats NY puts the spotlight on our very own Jeff Orlick, following him around for one of his fabulous Roosevelt Avenue food crawls. Jeff led tour goers to Tortas Neza in Corona, which may serve the best (and biggest) torta in the city, writes James Boo.

Messy eating!

From Midtown, Blondie and Brownie offer another cheer for Schnipper’s cheeseburger. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard that Schnipper’s is a solid Shake Shack alternative, so if you’re fiending for a burger, give it a shot.

Over in K-Town, Nick reports on some classic Korean-Chinese comfort food (black bean noodles and spicy/sweet/sour fried chicken) at Jjin Jja Rao at Food Gallery 32.

Taco standoff! Feisty Foodie’s TT recounts a meal at La Esquina, Dave Cook reports from the street on a sidewalk taco stand, and Donny Tsang pays a visit to Whirlybird for breakfast tacos and coffee in Williamsburg.

City Spoonful celebrates Passover with a food crawl through the Lower East Side, while even further downtown, Andrea H. puts in a good word for Phil’s cheesesteak truck in the Financial District.

Up in Queens, Jeff Orlick offers a guide to the Nepalese Thali plate at Real Cheap Eats favorite, Tawa Foods. Down in South Brooklyn, Tom Sullivan delivers an excellent roundup of Bensonhurst’s $10-or-less Italian food.

And beyond: Krista Garcia explores Dunkin’ Donuts’ Taiwanese menu items. Charles Biblios fulfills his quest to try Kazhakh cuisine by eating home-cooked pilaf from a Ziplock bag. And James Boo announces that he and Jeff have three food tours for sale on Rama Food, the food tour app just released for iPhone.

L’Chaim!

We at Real Cheap Eats like to think we’re above April Fools tomfoolery. So without further ado, check out these choice posts from our contributors.

For Serious Eats NY, Chris Crowley continues to eat his way through Muncan’s bacon offerings and also enjoys one of their apple bureks.

Blondie’s friends pretend to eat healthy at Shopsin’s, while Brownie makes no such claims in recapping her eating adventures in Colombia.

James Boo goes on a sandwich tour of Philadelphia, trying some of the city’s most famous roast pork sandwich purveyors, and finishes up with hoagie at Wawa.

Joe DiStefano is also on the sandwich beat. Despite the fact that it contained no roast pork, Joe still enjoys the banh mi at Lan Kwai Fong in Flushing. He’s also doubling up on burgers, first at the new Long Island City location of hotly-debated Corner Bistro, and then down the street at Petey’s. Ultimately, the Bistro Burger is declared the victor, but not without a fight.

In more sandwich news, the ever-intrepid Dave Cook is in Brownsville, Brooklyn eating a griddled steak sandwich with thick, skin on fries at Good Brothers Steak and Take.

Happy Sandwiching!

On Serious Eats NY, Jamie Feldmar reveals her favorite places to snack along Brighton Beach. Meanwhile, Chris Crowley is busy. From the Bronx, he’s penning an article on a slight Mexican grocery store, El Rancho Deli, in the Bedford Park neighborhood. Across the river, he’s sampling all of the world’s cured meats at Muncan Food Corp. in Astoria Queens. He’s also pondering the taxonomy of xiao long bao, in an extended article which includes an interview with Fuchsia Dunlop.

Our Midtown Lunch colleagues also did some heavy eating this week. On the downtown beat, Andrea H gets a thick schnitzel sandwich stuffed with fries at Hoomoos Asli in Nolita. Donny Tsang eats a steak and egg burrito at Midtown’s Egg Stravaganza cart. He enjoys the burrito, but sadly finds the fluffy egginess lacking. At Bouchon Bakery, Blondie comes in just under the $10 mark (pre-tax) with a braised shortrib on pan au lait with mushrooms, caramelized onions and fontina.

Also never one to shy away from a sandwich, Joe DiStefano tries a killer looking merguez sandwich at Harissa Cafe in Astoria. Further into Queens, Blondie and Donny Tsang shared a meal at Woodside Thai favorite SriPraPhai.

Finally, we’d like to welcome Charles Bibilos of United Nations of Food to our growing list of contributors. Check out his blog.

Happy cheap eating!

Before many of you drink your faces off on this holiest of holidays, check out these cheap eats to gird your stomach for the day ahead.

If you should find yourself craving Irish delicicies in the Bronx after midnight, Brownie suggests you try the boxty at The Chipper Truck in Woodlawn. Sara Markel-Gonzalez has you covered if you want to spend St. Patricks Day eating Irish in Sunnyside or Woodside.

Dave Cook has been exploring Jamaica, Queens lately, eating candied fruits at El Quetzal, a Guatemalan grocery, trying biryani further down the street and revealing a curry featuring unripe turban bananas at Araliya, a Sri Lankan restaurant on Hillside Avenue. Further west, Dave has some good looking beef chili momos and other Tibetan dishes at Peace Cafe in Jackson Heights.

From our Serious Eats NY contingent, Chris Crowley takes advantage of the weekend Southeast Asian desserts specials at Penh-Nah Trang market on Jerome Avenue in the Bronx.

Joe DiStefano goes to the newly opened “Diverse Dim Sum” restaurant in the soon-to-be-closed Flushing Mall and declares the xiao long bao to be among the best he’s had.

James Boo goes to the hottest mall in Flushing, Savoy Fusion, and tries dumplings in all varieties at Steam Dumplings.

Feisty Foodie wonders whether the Brindle Room burger has gone downhill and also checks out Ramen Kuboya in the East Village.

And for dessert, Jamie Feldmar explains the history of the Transylvanian chimney cake, which can be found at a dedicated chimney cakery in Long Island City.

Happy eating!

This week’s contributor catch-up, by borough:

Brooklyn
-Robert Fernandez noshes on Garlic Knot “sliders” at Five Brothers Pizza.
-Elsewhere in South BK, soon-to-be contributor Charles Biblios discovers the taste of Uzbek horse meat at Aladdin Restaurant.
-Robyn Lee breaks all vows for the Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Ice Cream at Ample Hills in Prospect Heights.

Queens
-Joey D. reports on the latest in Lin-sane cuisine with this review of the Lin-sanity banh mi at Elmhurst’s Joju.
-The Feisty Foodie revisits Canton Gourmet. Fried rice with dried scallops and raisins? Sign up in downtown Flushing.
-Jared Cohee sits down for a comfy Brazilian meal and a game of futebol in Astoria, at Barraco Mineiro.
-Donny Tsang offers a favorable update on the Thai spread at Woodside’s Sripraphai.
-Dave Cook sheds light on the history of incaparina, a central American cornmeal drink, at Guatemalan panaderia La Benedicion in Jamaica.

Manhattan
-Midtown Lunch’s Rachel Goldner delivers a guide to Midtown breakfast sandwiches.
-Downtown Lunch blogger Andrea H. reports on a visit to the Financial District’s Turkish Coffee Cart.

Still Hungry?
-A trail of crumbs from Krista Garcia, including stops in Sunset Park, Bed-Stuy and Flushing’s New World Mall.
-A lifetime of dessert in one Entenmman’s coffee cake. Brownie digs into a square of “New York Style.”
-Go Go Curry opens in the West Village on Thursday, March 15. You know what to do.

Cooking by Heart: Jollof Rice from alana & paul.

What’s new in the Real Cheap Eats universe?

In the outer boroughs: Jared Cohee continues eating the world in NYC with a stop for bolon de chicharron (among other treats) at Elmhurst’s Mini Picanteria El Guayaquileño. Yet another loving ode to the soup dumplings at Nan Xiang Xiaolongbao hits the page at My Inner Fatty. And at the opposite end of NYC, James Boo spotlight some outstanding Russian bread at the bakery counter of Brighton Bazaar.

On the island: A solid peanut noodle meets Dave Cook’s chopsticks at Chinatown’s Shui Mei Cafe. Upstream, Feisty Foodie’s TT, a New Jersey native, points out that Moonstruck Diner offers coupons on restaurant.com and pays a visit for the sake of diner food.

In the kitchen: City Spoonful teams up with Cooking by Heart to share the above video, along with a family recipe on Nigerian Joloff Rice, a traditional staple that makes for serious eating. Meanwhile, our friend Charles over at United Nations of Food reports on a wonderful spread of Lao cuisine, courtesy of the Lao chef of Mangez Avec Moi.

And if you’re crazy about Girl Scout Cookies: Blondie and Brownie have you covered with this primer and directory for the arrival of another batch. We declare this week open season on all things tasty.

This week in cheap eating:

Andrea H on Downtown Lunch eats a delectable looking, high in fat porchetta sandwich at Di Palo’s in Little Italy. Meanwhile, City Spoonful finds jerk chicken with a sweet, spicy and well-balanced sauce washed down with a bottle of Ting (the nectar of the gods) way out in Canarsie at Dougie’s Jamaican Cuisine.

Jamie Feldmar continues her cheap eats explorations along Brooklyn’s Court Street this week on Serious Eats NY. Also writing for Serious Eats NY is Chris Crowley, who’s a fan of the Torta Hawaiiana at La Cocina Mexicana in the Bronx.

Feisty Foodie has a visceral loathing for the soup dumplings at Shanghai 456 in Chinatown (though the editors can vouch for the excellence of many of their other dishes), but finds solace in a dessert of churros and chocolate at La Churreria in Nolita.

Dave Cook is out and about as always. This week he tried a cherry-flavored coco Cubano at Kenny Bakery on the upper tip of Manhattan in Inwood. On the opposite end of the city, on Staten Island, he could be found slurping the weekend-only special sopa de caracol, a soup of yuca, green plantains and shellfish at Los Catrachos, a rare Honduran find in Stapleton.

And for dessert, James Boo has a slightly caramelized Portugese Egg Tart at New Flushing Bakery in Flushing, of course.

This week in cheap eating, Dave Cook tries the pork, shrimp and sea cucumber dumplings at White Bear in Flushing. Noah Arenstein is also eating dumplings for Law & Food, returning with a recommendation for the bustling Tanxia Wang Fu Zhou Cuisine in Chinatown.

Chris Crowley reports for Serious Eats NY on the Baron Ambrosia led The Bronx Pipe Smoking Society’s Small Game Dinner, where he ate creatures big and small–from bear to katydid.

Midtown Lunch pens not one, but two reports on the newest truck roaming the streets of NYC, Phil’s Steaks, which serves authentic Philly Cheesesteaks. Meanwhile, City Spoonful tries a bubbling, homestyle Korean stew of gamja tang at Geo Si Gi in Flushing.

Further afield, Feisty Foodie reports from Montreal, trying Schwartz’s famous smoked meat sandwiches and assorted poutines at Patati Patata.

Finally, of great and reassuring news to us all, David’s Brisket House officially reopened this week after a 3 month renovation. Long live the pastrami!

Congratulations to Jess Bender, winner of our User Research raffle!

Jess will receive two free spots on the Queens Midnight Street Crawl, courtesy of Jeffrey Tastes and the RCE crew. The responses she turned in, along with 50+ responses and a handful of interviews we were lucky to have with real Real Cheap Eaters, will go a long way towards helping us figure out how to make our mobile app one of the most useful dining guides in town.

Meanwhile, we’re still scouring the streets for good eats (cheap and otherwise). Joey D reports from Astoria, giving the green light on El Mariachi’s eponymous torta. Elsewhere in Astoria, United Nations of Food (which you should check out if you haven’t read it before) offers a tribute to Queens’ “little Egypt” of Middle Eastern eateries.

Over in the Boogie, RCE selection Coqui Mexicano has closed. City Spoonful writes on the story behind its unfortunate exit from Melrose, along with news on the owners’ new plans to improve the state of food in the South Bronx.

Back on the island, Midtown Lunch continues waving the flag for the Jamaican Dutchy Cart, and Andrea H. of Downtown Lunch has a new go-to slice in Battery Park City. James Boo offers a kind word for the shiro miso ramen at Ramen Misoya in the East Village. Just a few blocks away in Alphabet City, Dave Cook does the same for a pork chop sandwich and fried chicken platter at Bobwhite Lunch and Supper Counter.

Reviews from the road: If you’ve got a mind to visit Massachusetts, Brownie’s found a mashed potato pie that’s worth your time. If you find yourself heading to Montreal, the Feisty Foodie’s got at least one of our poutine stops covered with this report on Resto La Banquise.

This week’s contributor roundup, in quotes

Nicholas Chen on Schnipper’s Quality Kitchen in Midtown: “Bitches love breadcrumb topping.”

Dave Cook on Masak in the East Village: “Singaporean dishes are a point of departure here: The cuisine’s spiciest, most pungent flavors have been rounded, and seasonal domestic ingredients, often local, are freely employed.”

Yvo Sin on a repeat visit to The Meatball Shop in the West Village: “There are just an infinite number of combinations available to mix and match for the perfect meal.”

James Boo on 456 Shanghai Cuisine in Chinatown: “I’m not one to turn down an excuse to eat soup dumplings or romanticize Doomsday.”

Nick Solares on chicken fried steak at Pies n Thighs in Williamsburg: “A skirt steak was substituted for the more traditionally used cubed round and it was tender and flavorful…Aided and abetted by some fluffy mashed potatoes and a generous slab of Texas toast the dish was a triumph.”

Chris Hansen on Tong Tong Tonkatsu in Flushing: “The pork is worth a try and the cod is worth several.”

Joe DiStefano, taking the spotlight as a profiled Midtown Lunch’er: “Bad Thai. It’s almost as if the operators of such places have this idea that ‘this is what we think you think Thai food is…you don’t know the difference any way. Eat up!’”

Anne Noyes Saini, with a video on Demystifying the South American Grocery Store: “We ask the rookie questions, so you don’t have to.”

And if you haven’t seen Serious Eats’ Doughnut Style Guide yet, do it now.

Happy eating!

The Chinese New Year (a.k.a. delicious new year) has begun, and we’re wasting no time in celebrating.

Looking back, Robyn has 16 “best of 2011″ recommendations for New Yorkers over on The Girl Who Ate Everything. Declaring open season on a new year of good eats, the folks at City Spoonful partnered with the author of Tasty Pursuits to produce a video guide to making ever beloved xiaolongbao (“soup dumplings”). Joe DiStefano, man of the people, rang in the year of the Dragon with a meal at Popeye’s in Elmhurst.

Representing on the Serious Eats front, Chris Hansen recounts 12 must-try dishes in Singapore, while Krista Garcia reports on the Midtown opening of Pie Face, the newest branch of an Australian meat pie chain.

Not to be out-pied (possibly not to be out-faced), our friends at Midtown Lunch also delivered a first taste of Pie Face, as well as some happy news from the world of street food: Kwik Meal’s lamb on rice is now under $10.

On the west side, James Boo put in a good word for the lighter (but no less flavorful) side of Pure Thai Cookhouse with a post on its grilled spicy beef salad on The Eaten Path. And down on the Lower East Side, in the bumping hole in the wall formerly known as Baohaus, Dave Cook gets in a fresh word on Pok Pok Wing, a James Beard Award-Winning import from Portland.

Last but far from least is a few minutes of fame: Jeffrey Tastes made his network TV debut on ABC’s “The Chew”! Jump to the the 14-minute mark of this episode to see our boy give the audience an international tour of Jackson Heights eats. That’s how you do it when braised goat is your riches.

In addition to delivering 22 new recommendations for our Winter Edition, Team RCE has been doing plenty of noshing around town.

On the Queens beat, Anne Noyes Saini over at City Spoonful writes about Korean comfort food at “My Mom’s Take Out”. Joe DiStefano treks to Astoria for a serious Italian combo, while Jeffrey Tastes provides a play-by-play report on the Savor Fusion Mall in Flushing. Elaborating on the borough’s Indonesian Palate, Jared Cohee writes about a lively meal at Elmhurst’s Mie Jakarta.

Back on the Island: Nick of My Inner Fatty characterizes Social Eatz’ bibimbap burger as a “mind full of fuck,” and Donny Tsang Howard Walfish of Eat to Blog decides that Legend’s “Tears in Eyes” lives up to its name. Bucking their cheap eats instincts, the Feisty Foodie and the Beef Aficionado document exquisitely upscale meals at Jean Georges and Osteria Morini, respectively.

Always representing down in South Brooklyn, Robert Fernandez takes on the $7 lunch special at Coney Island Taste in Sheepshead Bay. And always keeping track of the edible moment in NYC, Dave Cook offers his regular roundup of food-friendly events for the coming weeks.

A few of our contributors write home about their travels: Krista Garcia on Turkish cooking in Berlin, Robyn Lee on a holiday visit to Norway, and James Boo on South Indian snacks in California’s East Bay.

Last but not least: Blondie and Brownie are in the running for a trip to Seattle! Find out how you can help them win “So You Want to Be a Cakespy” by clicking a couple of buttons here.

Feisty Foodie gets xiao long bao at Chinatown favorite Shanghai Cafe Deluxe on Mott. She’s also rounding up her favorite slices in Queens for CBS New York. Surprisingly, the Flushing dark horse Lucia Pizza on Roosevelt Avenue is declared to be “near pizza nirvana.”

Joe DiStefano and friends crushed a delectable looking Sichuan hot pot dinner at Little Pepper in College Point, Queens.

Dave Cook is in the New York Times, showcasing three different Peruvian restaurants throughout the city. One in particular, Coney Island Taste, was one of our favorite vendors at A Taste of Sheepshead Bay last year.

On Serious Eats NY, Sara Markel-Gonzalez is at Sripraphai in Woodside for the vegetarian delight of “Crispy Chinese Watercress Salads.”

Meanwhile, on Chowhound, Real Cheap Eaters are spreading the word. Jeff Orlick gives some love to Phayul, one of the more popular Tibetan restaurants in Jackson Heights. He also talks up Zomsa, which features the heart-iest blood sausage around. Dave Cook is also on Chowhound, showcasing the new Fei Long Food Court in Sunset Park (and includes Shanghai Family Dumpling, specializing in xiao long bao). And finally, let it be known across the land that M & T Restaurant in Flushing (which our RCE’er Veronica Chan recommends) has changed ownership.

Dave Cook has a “Christmas Style” burrito with Hatch chile peppers at La Flaca on the Lower East Side. He also tried the pork leg and braised wheat gluten appetizers at Shanghai 456, where the author just had a delicious lunch of sheng jian bao.

Check out commenter John Kehoe’s in-depth discourse on Lanzhou hand pulled noodles in Manhattan’s Chinatown on Jared Cohee’s post praising the Mt. Qi noodles at Super Taste. As for Jared, he found a surprisingly good meal of jellied meats and potato salad, among other things, at the Estonian House in Murray Hill.

Still looking for something to do in NYC on Christmas Eve? Why not go to “Woks and Lox,” an event celebrating Jewish and Asian food and culture at the Queens Kickshaw, run by our very own Jeff Orlick and Veronica Chan.

Finally, a very big congratulations to Real Cheap Eaters Blondie and Brownie, who got a book deal this week!

The holidays are marching closer and closer. If you work in midtown Manhattan, Mamacita and the ML crew have put together a killer midtown happy hour guide to take the edge of yuletide madness. And if you’re looking for a tasty hangover cure, Brownie points to a $10 and under, no-bullshit brunch at Cafe Steinhof in South Slope, Brooklyn.

From there, hop on a train to Brighton Beach, where Robyn Lee and Noah Arenstein have just written up two of the best places in New York to sample traditional Georgian khachapuri (hand-made, cheese-filled, freshly baked bread): Georgian Bread and Brick Oven Bread.

If you find yourself in Queens, our man Joe DiStefano has channeled his inner Chowhound to bring you a fresh report from Flushing’s two newest food courts. The review beat at City Spoonful has some pointers regarding Korean takeaway in Flushing. And Jeff Orlick continues to offer New Yorkers a taste of the world in Central Queens, turning up this choice brush with the NYPD over the legalities of street vending on Roosevelt Ave.

Other Real Cheap Eaters have been writing in from the road. If you happen to be anywhere near Central California this holiday season, James Boo has some tips for you regarding an excellent Mexican ice cream parlour in Santa Maria. Jared Cohee has hit upon a fantastic Brazilian lanchonete in Newark and Kearny, New Jersey. And Patron Saint Dave Cook offers field notes from Boston, where he recently reported a handful of appetizing Vietnamese bites – from restaurants and at the local supermarket.

This week, Nick Chen over at My Inner Fatty delivers the full monty review of the monstrous Cookies-n-Cream Sundae at Dessert Club Chikalicious (featured in the fall edition of RCE).

Andrea H. tries the brown stew chicken at Veronica’s Kitchen on her downtown Manhattan beat, while Joey Deckle reconsiders his position on breakfast sandwiches after tasting an excellent egg and grilled cheese at the Queens Kickshaw.

James Boo shares one of his new favorite dishes, clay pot rice at Chinatown’s Noodle Village, and re-lives Thanksgiving on a bun at Oxley’s Carvery. Around the way, Noah Arenstein reports on his first taste of Joe Dough’s “L.E.S. French Dip”.

On a more thoughtful note, Krista Garcia delivers a meditation on the end of Friendly’s, and food tour guide and friendly neighborhood blogger Brian Hoffman contributes an interesting slice of New York’s street vendor history to Midtown Lunch.

Oh, and Baron Ambrosia? Still ballin’. Happy eats this weekend, everybody!

Feisty Foodie checks out John Brown Smokehouse in Long Island City, where Barack Obama, Sully Sullenberger and our very own Joe DiStefano eat for free. She also returns to Brindle Room, which sells a dry-aged burger that comes in at $12 for lunch and $14 for dinner (with fries). It exceeds our under $10 mandate, but it’s still delicious and better priced than other dry-aged burgers around town. Speaking of Joe, he was in Astoria this week for a pre-Thanksgiving burger at The Burger Club.

Robyn Lee, writing for Serious Eats NY, has a lengua cemita at El Tenampa in South Slope, Brooklyn. Jeff Orlick enters a wonderland of pizza in the Bronx at Pugsley’s Pizza and Krista Garcia discovers a Keralan restaurant along the Queens/Long Island border at Taste of Cochin.

Dave Cook writes up East Harlem’s Agua Fresca for the New York Times and Blondie has a “healthy” salad at Coppelia in Chelsea which includes

Our own Chris H, writing for Midtown Lunch, declares BCD Tofu House’s soondubu jjigae “the best” in Koreatown. Meanwhile, Midtown Lunch also reports that the Norwegian Seamen’s Church on 52nd between First and Second Avenue is holding a holiday market that runs until this Saturday (the 19th) at 6PM. Try some Norwegian food while it lasts!

Joe DiStefano certainly had an extreme week of eating. First, he tried Woodside Cafe which offers Nepali, Indian, American, sandwiches, and of course, Italian food. Thankfully, he enjoyed the spicy kick of the spaghetti puttanesca– just like grandma used to make. It got even more extreme for Joe at Astoria‘s Ornella Trattoria, where he tried sanguinaccio, a chocolate pudding made with a hefty dose of blood, as well as casu marzu, an infamous Italian cheese that’s literally crawling with maggots.

Blondie finds crazy cheap, yet delicious California-style fish tacos at Taqueria LES on Orchard Street. Jared Cohee treks to East New York for Nigerian food and lots of goat offal at Festac Grill. Robert Fernandez has a Russian burger fail at Kouros Bay Diner on Nostrand Avenue, and James Boo sips on Venezuelan chica de arroz at Arepas Cafe in Astoria.

Everyone seems to be eating at Mtskheta Cafe these days, from Dave Cook to Noah Arenstein. However, as usual, Dave goes the extra mile and tries walnut filled pastries at Baku Bakery down the street. Also worth checking out are the “adults cakes” on their website.

Feisty Foodie tries some classic cheap eats at Waffle House and Bojangle’s Famous Chicken-n-Biscuits.

Jared Cohee tries beguiling Hungarian chimney cakes at the aptly named Chimney Cake in Long Island City, while Joe DiStefano has a dim sum blowout at the restaurant on the top floor of the New World Mall.

Jamie Feldmar does a round up of the best and worst muffalettas in the City.

Chris Crowley of Serious Eats New York gives Real Cheap Eats favorite Tawa’s Nepalese Hut the full writeup.

This is Real Cheap Eats’ weekly roundup of news, reviews, and tips from our contributors and from other sites we like.

Jeff Orlick made an incredibly useful guide to Ecuadorian street carts, and Jared Cohee travelled to Ridgewood in Queens for sauerbraten and spaetzle at Gottscheer Hall Tap Room.

Clare Trapasso of City Spoonful feasts at the Taste of Sunnyside, while Nick Chen of My Inner Fatty can’t help but order the Grand Slam at Go! Go! Curry!

Blondie was disappointed in her pierogi but ate great cheese blintzes in Greenpoint, while Brownie and Noah Arenstein agree that the clam pie at Zuppardi’s in West Haven, Connecticut is simply awesome.

James Boo revisited Kuti’s lamb shawarma in Morningside Heights. We’re left wondering whether Dave Cook tried the unfortunately named sucuk quesidilla he discovered in Sheepshead Bay, but he did enjoy the Calcutta ghugni ‘n puri at The Masala Wala on Essex Street on the Lower East Side.

Joe DiStefano ate a massive Chilean chacarero sandwich at San Antonio Bakery in Astoria. Speaking of sandwiches, everyone should peruse Serious Eats NY’s List of 31 Great New York Sandwiches before deciding what to do this weekend.