It's not unusual to see a worker shaving nopales, the spiny pads of the prickly pear cactus, on the sidewalk next to La Lomita's small, colorful outdoor produce display. (There's little room for prep work indoors; somehow this slender but well-stocked grocery has already shoehorned a taco and torta counter into the space by the window.)
And where you see nopales, you'll often see tuna — the purplish fruit of the prickly pear, shown peeled and ready to eat alongside slices of orange, pineapple, and cantaloupe and a handful of grapes. Even though the sweet, juicy flesh of the tuna is heavily populated with small seeds, taken as a whole La Lomita's fruit plates ($2.50) are a great deal; judging by its heft, this one weighed about a pound and a half.
La Lomita del Barrio
209 East 116th St. (Second-Third Aves.)
212-289-8138
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