Peter Meehan, the Times' "$25 and Under" critic, lately sounds more like the $7 and under critic. In the past three columns, he's reviewed a Korean fried chicken and beer joint, a burger dive on Avenue C, and most recently, a taco stand inside a garage in Bushwick. What Meehan is doing is actually far more radical than most readers realize. Twenty-five and under was conceived as a sop to the masses, a side order to the real review's main course. And a lot of people, including new dining-section editor Pete Wells, have complained that $25 is an unrealistically low figure in this day and age. Covering ultra-ultra-cheap eats, meanwhile, seems to be Meehan's idea of progress. Here's hoping his next piece continues the trend.

How do we know Pete Wells thinks $25 is too cheap? He told us so.

Update: Pete Wells has written in, saying that his statement was mischaracterized.
The original exchange, linked to above, is as follows:
Is the $25 meal ceiling for Peter Meehan's reviews of inexpensive restaurants finally going to change?
The cost of a meal in New York has gone crazy, and we need to keep current.