(CNN) - New York City's new mayor has shoveled snow in Brooklyn and disrupted the city's pizza traditions. But Monday night Bill de Blasio marked another important milestone by appearing on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart."
The Democratic mayor stopped by Jon Stewart's set for a mostly lighthearted discussion, but the two also covered controversial issues from the mayoral campaign, from horse-drawn carriages to stop-and-frisk.
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Stewart asked de Blasio how people viewed his policies compared with those of former three-term Mayor Mike Bloomberg.
"How is it stepping into his tiny, tiny shoes?" Stewart asked. "How frightened are people when you walk in, because they must think now, you are coming in there and turning everything upside down, the uncertainty must be palpable."
De Blasio responded with a dig at his own populist roots: "I don't wear the Che Guevara T-shirt at work. I have thought about that."
He added, "Yes, there are some bureaucrats and others who are hesitant. But I know that the popular support is there."
Stewart also touched on one of de Blasio's key campaign promises, ending the horse-drawn carriages around New York City.
"Will this be your Gitmo?" Stewart asked de Blasio. "We are in this neighborhood, and I hear their plaintive cries."
De Blasio responded, "The waterboarding of the horses has to end," adding that horses just don't belong in urban environments.
Pizza controversy
Although it wasn't an issue during the campaign, it has recently come to light that de Blasio eats pizza with a knife and fork. The issue has proved to be controversial for New Yorkers, who hold their pizza-eating technique sacred.
For Stewart, it was a teachable moment. As the comedian brought out a sausage and mushroom pizza and demonstrated the proper etiquette, de Blasio ultimately gave in and took a big bite.
Stewart also challenged de Blasio on political beliefs, asking the mayor about conservative fears that the city would see crime rates increase and safety deteriorate under progressive policies.
One such policy change is the ending of stop-and-frisk, a program the new mayor said resulted in no arrests 90% of the time that individuals were stopped.
De Blasio said that his historically large margin of victory in November's election to succeed Bloomberg validates his agenda for the city, adding that "progressives can run governments effectively, progressives can be fiscally responsible, progressives can focus on public safety, but we're going to do it in a way that respects people's rights."
"The bottom line is, we know the great threat to this country is inequality, the great threat to this city is inequality," de Blasio added.
Stewart took it all with a grain of salt (or slice of pizza): "I'll have you back in three years, we'll talk about it."