Newly elected New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has set off a small controversy after he was witnessed eating a pizza using a fork and knife on Friday.
The mayor, who has been in office barely 11 days, visited the popular pizzeria Goodfellas and immediately sparked a furor after sitting down to enjoy his pizza in a most un-New York manner, with a fork, reports New York Times. A New York magazine writer said, "Disaster."
Goodfellas' co-owner Scot Costentino offered up a grudging, "Hmm," after being asked about the mayor using a fork, even though it's long been a NY tradition to eat pizza with your hand. "I think he's just trying to be polite." Costentino added, "We'll talk to him on the side about that."
According to New York Daily News, John's of Bleecker Street manager Lester Fernandez commented, "It doesn't have to do with taste, it's just not the right way to eat. A true New Yorker doesn't eat it that way."
Though most are appalled at de Blasio's eating method, one was sympathetic. Grimaldi's manager Gina Peluso admitted that eating pizza by folding it has long been the tradition, but noted at her restaurant some do eat like de Blasio. "If you fold it here everything smushes into the middle. We want you to enjoy every forkful."
image: Wikimedia Commons
