Post by Maria Godoy, The Salt at NPR Food (1/13/14)
Over the past week, two high-profile leaders in the New York metropolitan area found themselves at the center of unfolding political scandals. At least one, it seems, has some plausible deniability.
In New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie's political future is in doubt over the ever-widening "Bridgegate" fiasco, as emails revealed that members of his closest inner circle were involved. But just across that bridge, New York City's newly installed mayor, Bill de Blasio, became embroiled in another kind of drama: "Forkgate."
As our friends over at the Two-Way reported over the weekend, de Blasio ignited a minor media firestorm on Friday after he was spotted eating pizza in Staten Island during a business lunch with — gasp! — a fork and knife. Self-respecting New Yorkers, multiple news stories noted, eat their slices with their hands.
"The mayor of New York City," the New York Daily News lamented, "eats his pizza like a tourist."
We here at The Salt were interested in de Blasio's self-defense: As an Italian-American, he said, he was merely honoring his heritage by eating pizza the way they do back in the homeland — start with the cutlery, then finish off with your hands.