NYC is his kitchen dollar store.
Reformed gambler Marco Lombardi is a human truffle dog when it comes to finding cheap eats in New York City. The Big Apple content creator regularly scours Gotham’s underbelly for belly-filling food without emptying wallets, seeking out back-alley banquets for just $5.
Some of Lombardi’s results are nearly a third of the price of a Big Mac “steal” in NYC these days, like a massive pork chop, rice and greens for $7.50 at May’s Chinatown standby Wah Fast Food and the legendary Souvlaki Lady’s $5 chicken skewers.
“I always say mom is the engine of our city,” Lombardi told The Post. “Without them, New York City would not be the same. We all can’t afford a $20 sandwich.”
The 32-year-old street foodie has featured many of these bargain bites in his “4 Spots for $20” series to his 225,000 Instagram followers, many of whom have been hit by inflation-driven food prices in NYC, where eating out today costs almost 6. % more than last year.
“Dollar pizza isn’t even a dollar anymore. Inflation is killing the atmosphere,” Lombardi complained.
The Gothamite sympathizes with the city’s cash-strapped epicures, because he was one: He used to work for the Department of Transportation, paving roads and repairing potholes, but blew all his money away on a decade-long sports betting addiction.
“I lost over $150,000 gambling,” Lombardi said. “When I was 28, 29, I had $0 in my bank account and I worked my whole life. I went to New Jersey every day just to gamble and come home.”
When Lombardi decided to give up gambling, he happened upon a noodle den in Chinatown.
“I remember going [Great NY] Noodle Town and I was getting a $7 plate, and I was like, ‘I made it
f–king changed my life,” recalls Lombardi, who was living with his parents at the time. “I was like, ‘What am I going to do?’ And I’m like, ‘I have to do something that I love.'”
After collaborating with other internet personalities, he eventually started his own TikTok food page, amassing nearly 50,000 followers overnight. He is now producing food content full-time and partnering with brands such as Chevy, Poland Spring and Popeye’s Chicken.
“I literally don’t think I’d be here right now if it wasn’t for all this food,” Lombardi said.
Now, his goal is to represent NYC’s hidden gems and help “people who can’t afford these super expensive places.”
Since he knows this feeling all too well, Lombardi has become adept at sniffing out deals. His pro tip? “These cheap eats are in the low-end neighborhoods” where you really “have to know where to look,” he said.
And he is convinced that the label “cheap ha” does not mean poor quality.
“When I think of cheap food, I honestly think of New York City in the ’90s,“ he said. “It’s a grandmother trying to support her family. THESE the restaurants have been around for 25 to 30 years. Why should they change the price… don’t fix what ain’t broke.”
Here are five of Lombardi’s favorite meals for $5 or less.
Tacos Al Gusto Cart: Corona Plaza
The nondescript cart in Corona Plaza has maintained its prices, including the five tacos for $5 deal, through the pandemic to help the community.
Tacos al pastor are his favorites. “They have some cilantro and diced pineapple, and you can put your sauces in there,” Lombardi said. “It is very simple. I love simplicity when it comes to food.”
102-96 Roosevelt Ave., Corona, NY 11368
Elsa La Reina de Chicharron: Inwood
Another steal is the lunch special of soft-boiled chicken with rice and beans at the Dominican warehouse Elsa La Reina de Chicharron. “It tastes just like a home-cooked meal,” Lombardo said.
4840 Broadway, New York, NY 10034
Wah Fung No. 1: Chinatown
Not all of these affordable restaurants are in remote neighborhoods. One of Lombardi’s favorite places to enjoy discount food is Manhattan’s Chinatown, where he recommends Wah Fung No. 1’s char siu bowls. 1 of Fast Food’s $5 “very juicy” pork chops that come in a “heavy” portion. Regularly draws lines around the block.
79 Chrystie St., New York, NY 10002
World of Color: Harlem
Harlem standby Color World serves up Jamaican staples for a steal, including oxtail, pasta rasta (Caribbean-Italian fusion pasta garnished with shredded chicken and peppers), and of course, its city-famous sour chicken.
“Their weird chicken is so delicious that they went from grilling on the sidewalk to a successful showcase,” Lombardi said in a December Instagram video, adding that he wanted the flavor to be injected directly into his veins. .
305 E. 116th St., New York, NY 10035
20 Gram Café at Jubilee Marketplace: Greenpoint
Lombardi described the $2.55 burger slider at Brooklyn’s Jubilee Market as “White Castle raised.”
“You listen [about] a $2.55 burger, you’re like, ‘No way,'” he said. “Then you just take the first bite and then you’re like, ‘Wait a second… who the hell is back there doing that that?” “
145 West St., Greenpoint, NY 11222
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Image Source : nypost.com