The price of this sandwich is total baloney!
A New York City deli unveiled a new sandwich named after Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman Friday — as the pol vowed to bring down the hard-to-stomach cost of lunch.
“The Blakeman” at Mario’s Meats & Gourmet Deli in Queens is stacked with fresh roasted turkey, shredded lettuce, an oil and vinegar vinaigrette and spicy deli mustard on a hero.
The sandwich costs $15 but Blakeman promised he’ll make it several dollars cheaper, if he’s elected on November 3.
“When I become governor it’ll be $12,” he said at the deli. “Gotta make it affordable.”
Blakeman hammed it up at the media event to “highlight how much more expensive it has become to operate a neighborhood deli and put a sandwich on the counter compared with five years ago when [Gov.] Kathy Hochul took office,” his team said in a press release.
The owner of the Flushing deli, Joe Digangi, said Blakeman’s cost saving emphasis sounds good after a expensive summer of fuel bills.
“My whole thing is with the prices of electric and gas. The summer was ridiculous for us. We were making money, yes, but it was going in one hand and out the other,” he said.
“So, he’s big on energy costs, big on trying to help us out with knocking out those energy costs… And I have a lot of refrigerators, a lot of air conditioners in here, so it’s just a constant, you know, $4,000, $5,000 bill every month,” he said.
Small businesses like delis are hit with hard-to-stomach costs from everything from taxes to electricity, labor, insurance, and rent — all of which “ultimately affect the prices customers see at the register,” Blakeman’s press release said.
New York State Democratic Party Spokesperson Addison Dick, however, contended that Blakeman needs to put his lunch money where his mouth is.
“New Yorkers know baloney when they see it – Blakeman still has no beef with Trump’s tariffs that are sending grocery prices skyrocketing and forcing New Yorkers to spend all their bread on basic necessities,” Dick said.
Asked why his signature sandwich is turkey, Blakeman credited his wife.
“My wife wants me to eat healthy,” he said. “What can I tell ya? You gotta follow orders.”
— Additional reporting by Vaughn Golden
