It's Cheap Eats time here at New York, and our food editors have compiled a list of affordable, delicious restaurants at great risk to their body mass indexes. In addition to the annual guide, Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld also found the city's tastiest snacks for about a buck. While dumplings dominate, there are a few discount slices and some lamb skewers worth sampling. But what if you have a whole $5 in your pocket? There are ten new tastes to try. And why does your burger cost so much money these days? We've broken down how rising food costs affect your favorite pizza and burger joints. Not to be outdone by the Robs, Adam Platt challenged Harry Hawk of Water Taxi Beach and chef Olivier Muller of DB Bistro Moderne to a discount high-low cook-off. The two were charged with making a three-course meal for two with a $20 budget. We've got the recipes, too. Strewn throughout the big list are Cheap Eats recommendations by some high-end chefs including Anne Burrell and Neil Ferguson. After all that, Rob and Robin still managed pick up some additional intel: Bar Carrera will spread the good word on tapas with a new location in the South Village, and Union Square Wine & Spirits has partnered with FreshDirect to bring paired wines to your doorstep. Now if you'll excuse us, we have a to-eat list to push through.

The annual Cheap Eats issue arrives this week and represents, as usual, a massive compendium of low-end gastronomic wisdom. The Underground Gourmet round up some of the city’s very best cheap eats in the main section, but Adam Platt also weighs in on what passes for cheap in the city’s high-end places, some top chefs give their own picks, and three of the city’s greenmarket specialists vie to outdo each other not just in locavorism but also in “cheapavorism.” Add to that laser-focused profiles on burgers, barbecue, and Korean fried chicken, and you have a Cheap Eats supplement to put all others to shame.