Chris Christie Apologizes For Talking On Phone In Quiet Train Car

Christie on the campaign trail (Getty Images)

[Apologetic Update Below] Everything we've ever learned about bullying aficionado and presidential nopeful Chris Christie has led us to believe he is the kind of person who angrily shouts over his cell phone on the quiet car of a train while sipping on a pink smoothie from McDonald's. And now we have (probable) confirmation that Christie is exactly the kind of person who angrily shouts over his cell phone on the quiet car of a train while sipping on a pink smoothie from McDonald's.

Alexander Mann, who was on the 9:55 a.m. Amtrak train from DC to New York this morning, told Gawker about his experience with Christie. Here is the money quote:

He got on last minute yelling at his two secret service agents I think because of a seat mixup, sat down and immediately started making phone calls on the quiet car. After about 10 minutes the conductor asked him to stop or go to another car. He got up and walked out again yelling at his secret service. He was drinking a McDonald’s strawberry smoothie.

Mann added that he overheard Christie repeatedly saying the phrases, "this is frickin’ ridiculous" and “seriously?! seriously?!" over the phone. Perhaps someone had just reminded Christie that he was still technically running for president, despite the fact that the vast majority of America has already forgotten. Even the people on his presidential leadership team have forgotten to support him, quietly backing out of a room while Christie says something incendiary about minorities and President Obama.

Update: Christie has now apologized for his behavior on the train this morning. "On a very full train this morning, the Governor accidentally took a seat in Amtrak's notorious quiet car," Samantha Smith, Christie's spokeswoman, told us. "After breaking the cardinal rule of the quiet car, the Governor promptly left once he realized the serious nature of his mistake and enjoyed the rest of his time on the train from the cafe car."

She added, "Sincere apologies to all the patrons of the quiet car that were offended." There was no mention of the strawberry smoothie from McDonald's.

Update 2: The Updating: Christie has already admitted to breaking the cardinal rule of Amtrak's "notorious quiet car," but the saga is NOT quite over. Katie Klabusich says that she was sitting at the same table as Christie on the train when the incident happened, and she claims the description of the scene by Alexander Mann and Gawker is not entirely fair.

It's VERY important to note that she did not mention anything about the strawberry smoothie from McDonald's, so her account is clearly filled with glaring holes as well.

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Ammonia Leak At Prospect Park Skating Rink Hospitalizes 10

(Photo by Sai Mokhtari)

An ammonia leak at Prospect Park's LeFrak Center at Lakeside skating rink sent nine firefighters and one civilian to the hospital on Wednesday night and prompted the closure of part of the park.

The gas smell began to permeate blocks of nearby Prospect Lefferts Gardens at around 8 p.m., and neighbors and park-goers reported it making their eyes burn and making breathing difficult. FDNY hazardous materials crews responded at around 9:15, but could not find the source of the leak at first. Sixty firefighters responded altogether, an FDNY spokesman said, and working with local cops, they managed to stop it by around 10:50.

The 10 injured were taken to New York Methodist Hospital and were, according to the spokesman, treated for breathing problems.

The leak was traced to a skating rink chilling unit, which uses ammonia as part of keeping ice frozen for skating, and the Fire Department believes the release was accidental. The park was fully open this morning, but the LeFrak Center is closed. Park officials said they are in the process of transitioning the rink from roller-skating to ice. The ice-skating season is supposed to begin on October 31st.

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Subway Sandwiches Will Go More Or Less Antibiotic Free In 2016

Subway Sandwich, via Wikimedia Commons

Antibiotic-free meat is rapidly becoming mainstream, and the latest fast food chain has jumped on the bandwagon. Subway just announced that they will begin the shift to antibiotic-free meats, with the first change being their chicken.

Many advocacy groups, including PIRG, have been pressuring Subway to make the shift for months. McDonalds, Chipotle and others have already made similar commitments. It's worth noting that this is the first high-profile statement since its spokesman plead guilty to sex with minors.

According to a press release put out by Subway, the schedule for the shift is as follows.

"Beginning in March 2016, SUBWAY® customers across the U.S. will able to order meals made with chicken raised without antibiotics. Turkey raised without antibiotics will be introduced in 2016, with a completed transition expected within 2-3 years, and pork and beef raised without antibiotics will follow within six years after that. The transition to Chicken raised without antibiotics will be completed by the end of 2016. Turkey raised without antibiotics will be introduced in 2016, with a completed transition expected within 2-3 years. The Pork and Beef transition will be completed in 2025"

While that's a long schedule, advocacy groups are already applauding the change.

Note, however, that like most of the fast food chains to make that switch, they aren't literally switching to antibiotic-free meats like the ones you might find at the organic grocery store. Like McDonald's, Subway is using a qualifier—they are removing antibiotics "important to human medicine." So while you'll have to keep an eye on what actually changes, but it's a good first step.

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De Blasio Is Throwing Another Halloween Party At Gracie Mansion

First Lady Chirlane McCray and Mayor Bill de Blasio at the 2014 Halloween bash (Scott Heins / Gothamist)

Last year's Halloween Party at Gracie Mansion went so well that this year Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray are having TWO Halloween gatherings!

The Mayor's office announced, "New York City families are welcome to enter a ticket giveaway to enjoy a time of tricks and treats with the First Family. Go to www.nyc.gov/GracieHalloween or call 311 on Monday, October 26 between 12 p.m. and 10 p.m. EST to sign up for your chance to attend."

(Jen Chung / Gothamist)

The website explains further: "Tickets will be available for 15 minute time slots on Friday, October 30th, between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and on Saturday, October 31st, between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. The Halloween party is open to New York City children 5-10 years of age and their parents/guardians. Each awardee will be granted up to four (4) tickets."

This year, there will be "activities on the front lawn, including face painting, story-telling, a magic show and an art activity courtesy of Blick Art." This sounds much bigger than last year's bash, which turned Gracie Mansion's yard into a spooky cemetery, complete with ghosts haunting the grounds.

(Jen Chung / Gothamist)

Last year there were also snacks inside the mansion, and staffers handed out candy and Vision Zero pamphlets. The goody bag my daughter got from First Lady McCray included zero transfat animal crackers, a gluten-free trail mix bar, a reflective LOOK! bracelet and shoe tags, and a big bag of M&M's.

There was also the photo op:

Katie and Mayor de Blasio (NYC Mayor's Office)

It's also a great opportunity to visit Gracie Mansion!

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The 12 Best Burgers In NYC

Once relegated to a mid-priced menu's "safety" slot or griddled interchangeably at diners and taverns, today the hamburger also plays an important role in a fancy restaurant's repertoire, sometimes making exclusive appearances during lunch so as not to cannibalize sales from higher-priced dinner entrees, and always ensuring plenty of Internet ink from the insatiable blogger burger beat. Plus, have there ever been more faux-retro, faux-divey burger joints opening everywhere? With all the love and attention given to this once fairly-generic dish, it's little wonder that there are a LOT of very good burgers being served in NYC right now. These twelve, however, are the absolute best.

A note on methodology: I ate all of these burgers within the last two months—medium rare if applicable, with added cheese and bacon if it seemed integral to the experience—usually for the second, fourth, or twentieth time. I also wolfed my way through many others that didn't make the cut, including some of city's most frequently celebrated. This list is 100% correct and needs no improvement, but please tell me anything else I should try, especially in uptown Manhattan, south Brooklyn, and Queens.

Fedora Burger, $13 (Scott Lynch/Gothamist)

BAR SARDINE: Confusingly called the Fedora Burger, which is the name of one of Gabe Stulman's other West Village restaurants (there are six in total), this $13 mini-masterpiece features both a genius gimmick—crisp potato sticks piled right on top!—and a dense, intense meaty core. Smoked cheddar, BBQ mayo, crunchy cucumbers (not pickles) and a soft, almost sweet bun round out this lively little flavor bomb. Grab a window stool for prime people-watching.

Bar Sardine is located at 183 West 10th Street on the corner of West 4th Street in the West Village. (646-360-3705; barsardinenyc.com)

Hamburger, $14 with cheese (Scott Lynch/Gothamist)

FRITZL'S LUNCH BOX: High, loose, and wonderfully juicy, the straightforwardly-named Hamburger ($13, cheese is a buck extra) at Fritzl's has been a thing of beauty since Dan Ross-Leutwyler first opened his backyard-boasting Bushwick spot in 2013, and it continues to delight and satisfy today.Toppings are minimal—a bit of creamy special sauce, a few tangy pickles, drippy cheddar—allowing the meat to really shine between the heavily sesame seeded buns. The fries are terrific, too, as is the rest of the menu.

Fritzl's is located at 173 Irving Place between Stockholm and Stanhope Streets in Bushwick, Brooklyn. (929-210-9531; fritzlslunchbox.com)

Upland Cheeseburger, $20 (Scott Lynch/Gothamist)

UPLAND: Chef Justin Smillie, born and raised in San Berdoo, brings his California love to the East with this double-patty, avocado-topped monster at Upland. Available only during lunch and totally worth whatever trip/lies-to-your-boss are necessary to get you here during the day, the $20 Upland Cheeseburger may give off a health-food West Coast glow (tons of shredded lettuce, plus the avo, plus the beef is "grass-fed", so maybe it counts as a salad?). But rest assured, this is a hefty, meaty meal, and it also comes with a small mountain of first-rate fries for added East Coast starch overload. Sneaky ingredient: spicy/sweet peppadew peppers.

Upland is located at 345 Park Avenue South near 26th Street. (212-686-1006; uplandnyc.com)

The Hardbody, $11.50 with added avocado (Scott Lynch/Gothamist)

RIPPERS: This breezy, boozy, Roberta's spin-off on the Rockaway boardwalk is sadly closed for the season, but that just gives us time to simmer in anticipation for the first Hardbody of Summer 2016, right? And simmer and smolder you should, because this double-decker beast is the sexiest mountain of meat I saw (and, uh, ate) at the beach all year. It's salty, juicy, messy, and so so satisfying. And if the $9 Hardbody is more meat than you can handle, get the regular Rippers Cheeseburger for just $6.50.

Rippers is located on the boardwalk at Beach 86th Street in Rockaway, Queens. Closed for the season. (No phone; 86badvibes.com)

Svizzerina, $21 (Scott Lynch/Gothamist)

VIA CAROTA: The consensus on my social media feeds was that Via Carota's Svizzerina doesn't count as a burger because it has no bun. But fuck it, it's my list, and this is a phenomenal plate of burger-shaped meat, bread or no bread. In fact, most everything at Jody Williams and Rita Sodi's friendly, lively West Village restaurant is great, but the $21 burger—er, chopped steak—is total perfection. The deftly-aggressive seasoning (salt, pepper, olive oil, roasted garlic, other things), the balance between the seared crunch on the outside and the tender juicy interior, the rich fatty beef... of all the burgers I've eaten in the past two months, this is the one I think about, and crave, the most.

Via Carota is located at 51 Grove Street between Bleecker and 7th Avenue South in the West Village. (No phone; viacarota.com)

All-American Burger, $16 with added bacon. (Scott Lynch/Gothamist)

BLACK TAP: Black Tap is an oasis of sorts after Too Much Soho, boasting a low-key offering of a long bar, beer, sports television, easy camaraderie, and about a dozen different burgers on the menu. Every variety I've tried here has been good, but it's the basic $14 All-American Burger—single patty, melted 'Merican, lettuce, tomato, pickle, Russian-dressing-style "special sauce", regular ol' white bread bun—that keeps me coming back. Bonus: excellent Sweet Potato Fries, though they come with an additional $2 charge.

Black Tap is located at 529 Broome Street between Sullivan and Thompson Streets in Soho (917-639-3089; blacktapnyc.com)

Hamburger with French Fries, $15 with added cheese (Scott Lynch/Gothamist)

ROSE'S BAR AND GRILL At first I thought that Chef Andrew Feinberg had rolled out a larger-than-usual seed-studded bun for his exceptional cheeseburger at Rose's, but he told me that he actually shrank the patty for better balance. Whatever the bread deal, this wonderfully simple, no-garnish-no-sauce $15 beauty still qualifies as one of the best in the city, with its complex beef blend, sharp cheese, and buttered bun. It's so flavorful it doesn't even need the proffered ketchup. Do note, though, that if you hate salt, keep walking down Flatbush and eat at Feinberg's other celebrated restaurant, Franny's, instead.

Rose's is located at 296 Flatbush Avenue between Prospect Place and St. Marks Avenue in Prospect Heights. NOTE: burger served Wednesday through Sunday nights only. (718-230-0427;rosesbklyn.com)

Raoul's Burger, $19 (Scott Lynch/Gothamist)

RAOUL'S: Only 12 of these meat masterpieces are sold each night at this classic Soho bistro, and you can only order them at the bar (though note that they're now available at weekend brunch, and served at your table!), so they're all usually spoken for pretty much the moment the doors open at 5 p.m. But it's SO worth the rigmarole, not just for the big pepper-crusted burger itself, topped with spicy watercress, cornichon, triple-creme cheese, all on a challah bun, but also for the side of Raoul's transcendent, cream-and-cognac au-poivre sauce that the kitchen has "spent 45 years perfecting". Your friendly barkeep will suggest you cut the burger in half for better dipping, and you should listen to him.

Raoul's is located at 180 Prince Street between Sullivan and Thompson Streets in Soho. (212-966-3518; raouls.com)

Bistro Burger, $9.75 (Scott Lynch/Gothamist)

CORNER BISTRO: For when you need a hit of "old New York" (or, like, whenever you first moved here, or got your first fake ID, and went drinking in the West Village), Corner Bistro satisfies like few other places still standing. Not only has the room been left pretty much unchanged since the night you last stumbled in, but the $9.75 Bistro Burger, a half-pound behemoth topped with iceberg, tomato and like four crisp strips of bacon, remains the city's bar-burger standard. It's also a fine choice with which to start/end an autumnal day-drinking adventure.

Corner Bistro is located at 331 West 4th Street, at the corner of Jane Street in the West Village. (212-242-9502; cornerbistrony.com)

Houseman Burger, $19 with added fries (Scott Lynch/Gothamist)

HOUSEMAN: The Houseman Burger is one of the prime anchors at Adam Baumgart and Ned Baldwin's ambitious, casual spot in Hudson Square, and it plays its part with aplomb. A $17 double-decker beauty, dripping with juices and two layers of melting cheese and grounded by just the right amount of caramelized onion and roasted mushroom relish, this is a fancy-pants burger that you don't have to overanalyze to enjoy. And the bun, when I tried it, was soft and buttery as well.

Houseman is located at 508 Greenwich Street, between Spring and Canal Streets in Tribeca. (212-641-0654; housemanrestaurant.com)

Frenchie Burger, $21 (Scott Lynch/Gothamist)

BAR BOULUD: Bar Boulud became an instant hit for Lincoln Center pre-/post-gamers when it opened in 2008, but since I'm generally neither, it wasn't until last summer that I discovered the tres magnifique $21 Frenchie Burger lurking on the (tres pricey) menu. The hefty beef patty is good here, and the nutty raclette and roasted tomato compote immediately get your attention in a "whoa-this-is-different" way. But it's the slab of soft and melty pork belly confit, unsurprisingly terrific at Daniel Boulud's charcuterie playground, that really sets this burger apart. It's perfect for a savage night at the opera, or whatever else you have going on.

Bar Boulud is located 1900 Broadway between 64th and 63rd Streets on the Upper West Side. (212-595-0303; barboulud.com)

ShackBurger Double, $7.99 (Scott Lynch/Gothamist)

SHAKE SHACK: These days I usually order the SmokeShack at Shake Shack, which comes with bacon and hot cherry peppers. But for research purposes, I went back to the OG ShackBurger—a $7.99 double, with cheese, tomato, lettuce, and ShackSauce—to see how the Patty That Launched An Empire has held up over the last decade or so. And the answer, thankfully, is very well indeed. Although the lines and the tourists and the merchandising and the worldwide expansion make you nearly root for this giant to be toppled, the Shack still gets it so right, every single time.

ShackShack has a number of locations throughout the city; check their website for details.

Spotted Pig Chargrilled Burger with Shoestring Fries, $22 (Scott Lynch/Gothamist)

Honorable Mentions
Best Fries That Come With: Spotted Pig
Best Burger at a Pizza Restaurant: GG's
Best Unusual Topping: Ham Salad, at Belle Reve
Best Shack-ish Burger: Blue Collar
Best Burger in a Hidden Room That Everyone Knows About But is Still Pretty Cool: Burger Joint at the Parker Meridian

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Wolfgang Puck Is Finally Opening A Restaurant In NYC

Puck (L) with executive chef Eric Klein of Spago (R) (via Facebook)

Celebrity chef and Starbucks opponent Wolfgang Puck is finally opening his "very important"restaurant in New York City, a move the chef has been teasing for a long time. The chef will be opening another outpost of CUT by Wolfgang Puck inside the Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown in July of next year. This will be the seventh CUT location worldwide and the first major restaurant by the Austrian-born chef in New York City (the airport doesn't count).

"For my first restaurant in New York City, it was a matter of finding the right location and partner," Puck said in a release, citing his ongoing partnership with Four Seasons hotels. The restaurant will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and will offer a "sophisticated menu featuring the finest cuts of prime beef, an extensive wine list, cutting-edge design and impeccable service." The Times got a sneak peek at the menu, which includes 10 different steaks plus dozens of toppings, sauces and sides.

So will the NYC iteration of CUT feature local celebrities on the menu as with other locations? It would be deeply satisfying to send back Anne Hathaway like so many egg sandwiches.

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Get Out Of My Face With Your Fake Grilled Cheese

Fuck you. (graletta/shutterstock)

It was a chilly Tuesday evening and darker than it should have been for so early in the season, the kind of setting that calls for a glass of dark booze and something decadent and cheese-drenched to induce hibernation. There's a decent, nondescript bar near my apartment that offers a super cheap grilled cheese during happy hour; it's no frills, just cheddar and jack cheeses on sourdough from a nearby, OG bakery.

I ordered, trying not to seem too eager with my frequent glances to the kitchen—and then it was time. The bartender brought over the red plastic basket, I greedily reached past the checked paper and pulled out...a mother fucking toasted cheese sandwich.

I'm not prone to ranting unless I'm a few whiskies in and some stupid sexist crap gets shoved in my face. But cheese, I take very seriously, especially when butter-soaked fingers are all but guaranteed when ordering a grilled cheese sandwich. That's the fundamental difference between a grilled cheese sandwich and impostors like the one I was grasping in my now shaking fingers. I need that grease, I need that buttery crunch, I need THIS:

(Scott Lynch/Flickr)

Is a grilled cheese even a grilled cheese if there's no butter and/or mayo element to lubricate the bread? I say no and cry foul to those who would seek to trick someone into thinking otherwise. Cheese toasties are a "thing" in some parts—the UK according to some surface-deep Googling—but here in #America we need to add calories wherever possible, hence liberally buttering the outside of each slice.

For proper Maillard reaction, cooking methodology comes into play, too. Surface contact should be ensured over at least 75% of the bread for maximum butter browning, meaning GTFO with your toaster/oven method that results in dry bread that cuts the crap out of my mouth. George Foreman grills and panini presses are fine, too, as long as I hear that sizzle when the hot iron meets the lubed up bread.

Morris Truck (Don/Foursquare)

YAAASSSSSS

(foodiepics/shutterstock)

NAWOIENV'AWOIENF'WAOINFGE'WANG!!!!!!!!!

The Queens Kickshaw (© Bradley Hawks)

DROOL

(EwelinaBanaszak/shutterstock)

OUCH

Little Muenster (Michelle Y./Yelp)

GET IN MY MOUTH

(foodiepics/shutterstock)

GET THE FUCK OUT

In conclusion, when you see something (a toasted cheese), say something (in a ranting blog post). If butter-free is the way you want to be, that's your prerogative, but I cannot sit idly by while the good names of grilled cheese sandwiches are besmirched by calorie-conscious pretenders. Whether it's a bar that should know better or your local deli cutting corners—only YOU can prevent the dilution of the Grilled Cheese Brand. Stick to these reputable purveyors and don't let Unwitting Toasted Cheese happen to you.

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