The Bergen Record reports that Governor Murphy and First Lady Tammy Murphy dined at a ‘swanky’ restaurant, where entrees start at $75 per person, in Middletown on Thursday evening at around 8 or 9pm, as commuters were stuck on roadways throughout the state due to the snowstorm.

The report says that ‘Murphy, too, was affected by the snow and appeared engaged with the state’s response as its intensity came into focus. It took him several hours to fight through traffic from Atlantic City, where he delivered the keynote address at a major convention Thursday afternoon, to Drumthwacket in Princeton, where he held a conference call on the storm with Cabinet officials.’

While the Governor took to social media to provide regular updates for commuters and residents, the backlash was evident in the hundreds of angry comments aimed at the state and the Governor himself.

The report draws a comparison to former Governor Christie’s infamous beach photo: ‘Murphy’s decision to dine in luxury around 8 or 9 p.m. that evening may strike many in New Jersey as tone-deaf — akin to former Gov. Chris Christie lounging with his family and friends on a state beach closed to the public during a government shutdown.’

Front office spokesman Mahen Gunaratna gave a statement to the Record, saying ‘the Governor ate dinner late Thursday night near his home after being stuck on the road for several hours during the storm.  Earlier in the night, he held a conference call with cabinet officials on the storm response and visited the Statewide Traffic Management Center to monitor conditions’.   Gunaranta also told the Record that Murphy ate at the bar and was on his phone coordinating with state officials throughout the meal.