David Brooks was not ready for this smoke. On Wednesday, the New York Times columnist tweeted a photo of his meal at Newark International Airport—a burger, salad, fries, and a drink. “This meal just cost me $78 at Newark Airport,” Brooks wrote. “This is why Americans think the economy is terrible.” X users promptly roasted Brooks for declining to mention how much alcohol he’d ordered. But 1911 Smoke House BBQ owner Maurice Hallett seems unbothered; according to the New York Post, he’s created the “D Brooks” special—a burger, crinkle fries, and a free double shot of whiskey for $17.78. The special proved so popular, he added, it might become permanent. Brooks, meanwhile, addressed his “stupidly” written “joke” Friday on PBS and emphasized that he’s aware “that an upper-middle-class journalist having a bourbon at an airport is a lot different than a family living paycheck to paycheck.”
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