Best places to eat out at in New York City that are affordable?

I just moved to Manhattan from Detroit. I want to find all the best value places to eat out at that have pretty good food for not much money, as I'm on a budget (but I don't mean McDonald's and KFC, I mean something a bit better and more nutritious than that). What are the best places and what places do you like the best?

Public Comments

1. Spice on 11th and University has delicious Thai food for really cheap!
2. There is a place on the corner of Columbia and 70th Street called Amber that is a nice place to go for lunch or dinner. The prices are reasonable and the food is great. They serve Thai and Japanese food, and they have a sushi bar. If you're really hungry and you want something quick and affordable, there are countless pizza places in the city where you can drop in and get pizza by the slice (and it is GOOD, New York pizza didn't get a reputation for nothing!) There are even some places that wrap it in foil for you like a sandwich and you can eat it while you walk!
3. Try some of the pizza joints. They are fairly well priced by ny standards, and NY pizza is the best in the world.