CrazyC wrote:3.) Roast duck and char siu over rice from Sun Wah (approx $5) on Argyle
For a long time, I had a post percolating about how my $4.50 combo at Sun Wah ended up costing over $10--by the time you add some gribenese, you add some "cole slaw"...Still, given that the a normal person might be happy with just the meats, the rice, the soup and the small helping of Chinese greens, it IS one of the best deals around.
Some other ways to easily spend less than $10:
$10 will get you about 6 hot dogs and french fries at Gene and Judes.
I took the chowhounditas for a good sleazy-cheap lunch the other day at River Forest Grill. One kid had a blt, I had a double cheeseburger and the other kid got two eggs scrambled with cheese + hashbrowns and toast. I got fries. Their fries order is big enough I was more than happy to share. One cup of coffee for me and water for the kidz and it came out to a bit over $8.
Two tacos de cecina, which include beans and pico de gallo (and home-made tortillas) cost $3.50 at La Quebrada. Throw in an orchata and you barely crack a sawbuck.
Something robust, oily, a bit spicy and loaded with flavor, plus rice or bread will set you back $6 at Kabbabish.
A delicious bowl of kreplach soup and a perfumy pastrami sammy can be had at the Onion Roll for around $6, but it is not nearly as good a deal as their lox platter, which gives you enough hand sliced lox (actual, real, salty belly lox) for several people at $7.
Smith and Wollensky's burger + fries clocks in at less than $10.
I mean there are a LOT of ways to eat well at under $10.