For all of the Garden State’s culinary wonders, pizza might be our pound-for-pound best dish. New Jersey has pizzerias that have been open for more than a century, and new pizzerias opening every year challenging for the title of the state’s best. The Garden State has thin-crust bar pies, thick and saucy grandma pies, pillowly Neapolitan pies and tart Trenton tomato pies. And NJ.com just ranked the 101 best pies in the state! Jeremy is joined by veteran NJ.com food writer Pete Genovese to break down the list, beg New Jersey pizzerias to stop saying they serve “New York-style pizza” (4:45), why New Jersey pizza is better than New York’s (7:25), a life-changing white pie down the Shore (30:00) and which pie took home the top spot on the list (45:08). Then Pete takes on the Garden State Gauntlet, pizza edition (49:00)! Email us! Jerseysbestpodcast@gmail.com Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you! Follow Pete Genovese at @petegenovese on X and @peteknowsjersey on Instagram. Subscribe to Pete’s newsletter, Jersey’s Secret Sauce, here. Or read him on NJ.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It is once again football season, and that means it’s time to have our hopes mercilessly crushed by both of our football teams — the New York Giants and the New York Jets. Both teams are too embarrassed to admit they play in New Jersey, but we’re the ones that should be embarrassed. They stink! It isn’t just that the Jets haven’t won a Super Bowl since coming to the Meadowlands in 1984 and the Giants have sandwiched plenty of soul-crushing losses in between their Super Bowl wins. It’s that both teams have had some of the most debilitatingly embarrassing moments in sports history happen to them. And thus to us, the fans. But which team is more embarrassing? Jeremy (a Giants fan) is joined by Jersey’s Best Podcast producer and long-suffering Jets supporter Bobby Olivier to discuss why he regrets picking his team (2:57), why Eli Manning was embarrassing even when he was great (9:24), the meltdown at the Meadowlands (29:36) and the infamous butt fumble (39:10). Then Jeremy and Bobby both run through the Garden State Gauntlet, Giants and Jets edition (42:59)! Email us! Jerseysbestpodcast@gmail.com Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you! Follow Bobby Olivier at @bobbyolivier Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Are you ready for some high school football? New Jersey is one of the best states for high school football in the country, so it’s no surprise that we have countless great rivalries. With high schools around the state returning to the gridiron, New Jersey’s top pigskin rivalries will soon be renewed. But which ones are best? Jeremy is joined by NJ.com and Star-Ledger sports columnist Steve Politi to break down why rivalries are different in New Jersey (5:43), the significance of Thanksgiving football (12:43), how parents fuel the rivalries (18:45) and which rivalry is indeed the state’s best (34:40). Then Steve runs through the Garden State Gauntlet, high school football edition (38:56)! Email us! Jerseysbestpodcast@gmail.com Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you! Follow Steve at @StevePoliti Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jersey City was once squarely in the shadow of Hoboken, its mile square neighbor to the northeast. In the past decade-plus, Chilltown has gone from afterthought to cultural epicenter. But not all the change has been good. The resurgence has also brought soaring rents — at one point, the city had the highest rent in the country — which has threatened to dilute one of America’s most diverse cities. Yes, the 2010s put Jersey City back on the map. But it’s no secret the city’s vibe and feel have shifted distinctly. Has this ruined what made the city great in the first place? Jeremy is joined by Jersey City native John Erbach to discuss what it was like growing up in the city in the ‘90s (3:23), how the city has changed (10:18), why Jersey City isn’t New York’s “sixth borough” (19:02) and what has remained the same in town (21:22). Then John runs through the Garden State Gauntlet, Jersey City edition (38:36)! Email us! Jerseysbestpodcast@gmail.com Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
You say tomato, we say podcast! It is officially peak tomato season in the Garden State, and there is no better time to enjoy the delicious red vegetable — one that has a distinct connection to New Jersey. Not a tomato fan? Have no fear. Jeremy is joined by tomato expert Laura Brahn, owner of Cardinal Provisions in Asbury Park and Mabel in Holmdel, for the ultimate guide to enjoying New Jersey’s top crop. Listen as Jeremy and Laura break down how New Jersey popularized the tomato (1:23), invented the most popular tomato in the world (2:13), the joys of Tomato Girl Summer (3:49), the characteristics of a good tomato (7:55), the dirty little secret about tomato sandwiches (18:49) and how heirloom tomatoes represent New Jersey immigrants (22:35). Then, Laura flips the script on Jeremy and administers a blind tomato taste test (32:13)! Email us! Jerseysbestpodcast@gmail.com Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you! Follow Laura at @lcbeanz and @crdnal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
I scream, you scream, we all scream for New Jersey ice cream! We’re in the middle of the dog days of summer, and nothing beats this insanely oppressive heat better than a scoop or a swirl of some Garden State ice cream. The only thing hotter than the weather is the debate about which spot in New Jersey has the best ice cream. This is the ultimate New Jersey Ice Cream Draft! Host Jeremy Schneider is joined by NJ.com food writer Lauren Musni, as the two built their ultimate New Jersey ice cream lineups. Listen as Jeremy and Lauren discuss how Holsten’s was iconic long before “Sopranos” filmed there (9:37), why working at an ice cream shop is one of the hardest jobs in New Jersey (25:48), the ice cream in one of the state’s most underrated food towns (41:13) and if New Jersey was an ice cream flavor (46:45). Then Lauren takes part in the Garden State Gauntlet, ice cream edition (43:49)! Email us! Jerseysbestpodcast@gmail.com Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you! Follow Lauren at @laurengisellemusni Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This weekend, MetLife Stadium will host two massive New Jersey bands playing their largest home-state shows ever: My Chemical Romance (Belleville and Kearny) and The Jonas Brothers (Wyckoff). But which band is bigger? Which band is better? Most importantly, which band is more Jersey? Welcome to Jersey Battle of the Bands — Jonas Brothers vs. My Chemical Romance — to determine which is the greatest Jersey band of the 21st Century! Host Jeremy Schneider is joined this week by TWO guests: JoBros super-fan and NJ.com data reporter Katie Kausch, and My Chem stan and friend of the pod Katie Burke. Listen as the Katies each defend their bands’ concert experience (6:50), musical influence (10:35), star power (19:57) and Jersey credentials (25:03). Then the Katies duel one last time in the Garden State Gauntlet, My Chem/JoBros edition (31:35)! Email us! Jerseysbestpodcast@gmail.com Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you! Follow Katie Kausch at @katiekausch Follow Katie Burke at @katiefay3 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Get in loser, we’re going to Paramus. This week’s episode of Jersey’s Best Podcast is all about the greatest thing to ever be invented in New Jersey. The mall. That’s right, shopping malls aren’t just a major component of New Jersey culture. They were technically invented here! New Jersey might as well be the mall state. We have more malls per square mile than any other state — so many that one section of New Jersey even earned the nickname “Mallville USA.” Host Jeremy Schneider is once again joined by Jersey comedian and former mall employee Nick Fierro to discuss why New Jerseyans love the mall so much (7:21), the charming horror of growing up at Willowbrook Mall (21:01) and why the mall is so much more about shopping (41:28). Then Nick completes the Garden State Gauntlet, mall edition (42:31)! Email us! Jerseysbestpodcast@gmail.com Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you! Follow Nick Fierro at @schtickfierro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome to the Jersey Olympics, a series of events that recognizes the Garden State’s unique set of passions, interests and um, talents — even if the real Olympics will never actually come here. We have organized a set of very Jersey-centric events, and we’re going to give out some gold medals. Host Jeremy Schneider is joined by Jersey comedian, musician and filmmaker Pat Byrne as the guys decide who wins the Taylor ham toss (8:43) and the quarter-mile Jersey slide (12:30), plus medals for Jersey town that shouldn’t exist (36:40) and town that everyone claims to be from, even if they aren’t (41:03). Then Pat completes the Garden State Gauntlet, Olympics edition (49:35)! Email us! Jerseysbestpodcast@gmail.com Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you! Follow Pat Byrne at @Pat_Byrne. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
New Jersey is the diner capital of the world. You’ll find around 500 diners here, more than any other state. But why? How did we get all these timeless Jersey staples, what about them draws our unconditional love, and is diner culture changing here in the Garden State? Only one man is up for this ultimate Jersey diner deep dive, and that’s Pete Genovese, NJ.com food writer extraordinaire. Pete has literally written the book on Jersey diners, so naturally he’s back to join host Jeremy Schneider as they revisit Jersey diner history (4:29), what makes a good diner (16:49), the iconic food (20:53) and where diners go from here (27:53). Then Pete completes the Garden State Gauntlet, diner Mount Rushmore edition (35:26)! Email us! Jerseysbestpodcast@gmail.com Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you! Follow Pete Genovese at @petegenovese on X and @peteknowsjersey on Instagram. Subscribe to Pete’s newsletter, Jersey’s Secret Sauce, here. Or read him on NJ.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For so many New Jerseyans, cultural lines are drawn by imperfect measures: the nebulous dividers between North, Central and South Jersey, the very inexact food science of pork roll vs. Taylor ham. But how about judging each other based on something a little more concrete, like your telephone area code? This week, Jersey’s Best Podcast is taking a closer look at what your New Jersey area code says about you! Host Jeremy Schneider is once again joined by Bobby Olivier to discuss why 201 is the snobbiest area code in the state (5:20), a famous New Jersey musician who has an 848 area code (16:30), what kind of texter Bruce Springsteen is (16:58) and if 973 is the best food area code in the state (20:26). Then Bobby once again endures the Garden State Gauntlet, area code trivia edition (35:51)! Email us! Jerseysbestpodcast@gmail.com Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome to a new occasional series dedicated to New Jersey’s cities and towns — taking a closer look at the culture and history of these beloved places and analyzing why they matter so much to the Garden State at large. First up: Asbury Park, an iconic shore town with a checkered past, a conflicting present and an unclear future. In the 2000s, Asbury Park became the epicenter of a cultural revival. Twenty years later, gentrification and corporate influences have led to constant construction, an overabundance of high-rise apartments and absolute chaos on beach days. Yes, Asbury Park was reborn. But is its cultural renaissance already over? Host Jeremy Schneider is joined by Phil Fazio, a longtime city resident and veteran of Asbury Park’s dining industry. Listen as the guys dive into the city’s history (4:23), whether it has already peaked (10:26), the evolution of an iconic music club (17:10) and which Jersey Shore town will be the next Asbury Park (41:00). Email us! Jerseysbestpodcast@gmail.com Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Even the staunchest Jersey supporter can admit there have been times when the Garden State has been embarrassing. Comically over the top political scandals. Cringy pop culture moments. Animals escaping from Six Flags Great Adventure. This week, Jersey’s Best Podcast is embracing the imperfections and ranking the 10 most embarrassing moments in New Jersey history. Host Jeremy Schneider is joined by NJ.com senior reporter Sean Sullivan to dive deep on an iconic duel that could only happen in N.J. (4:11), that time a baboon was roaming free in Jackson (7:53), that other time Bob Dylan got picked up by the cops at the Jersey Shore (18:44), how our infamous Bridgegate really went down (31:53) and more. Then Sean endures the Garden State Gauntlet, embarrassing edition! Email us! Jerseysbestpodcast@gmail.com Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you! Follow Sean Sullivan at @spsulliv Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The glory of the Jersey Shore is not up for debate. From the northern tip of Sandy Hook all the way to the southern shores of Cape May, every Garden State beach has its perks and virtues. What is up for discussion, however, is which beach is best — and worst! Host Jeremy Schneider is joined by Jersey’s Best Podcast producer and Jersey Shore lifer Bobby Olivier as they rank all 45 beaches in New Jersey from worst to best. Listen as the guys reveal the Shore’s most overrated beach (6:08), the beloved spot that’s now just a hassle (25:03), their secret slices of paradise (33:13) and crown the No. 1 beach at the Jersey Shore (43:16)! Then Bobby flips the script and makes Jeremy take on the Garden State Gauntlet, Shore trivia style (45:18)! Email us! Jerseysbestpodcast@gmail.com Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you! Follow Bobby Olivier at @bobbyolivier Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We all know New Jersey has the best bagels. But why is our bagel culture so prodigious? And what exactly makes those doughy rounds so good? Host Jeremy Schneider is joined by Bagels by Jarrett owner Jarrett Seltzer to discuss how he went from rock band bassist to bagel-maker (2:17), the keys to great (albeit unconventional) bagel-making (8:51), why New Jersey bagels are indeed better than New York bagels (25:18) and why it’s a crime to toast (38:38) or scoop (44:46) your bagels. Then Jarrett runs through the Garden State Gauntlet, bagel edition (47:47)! Email us! Jerseysbestpodcast@gmail.com Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you! Follow Jarrett Seltzer @BagelsByJarrett Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Listen, we love the Jersey Shore — just not everyone who goes there. As summer takes hold of our beloved beaches, let’s count down all the worst people you’ll meet Down the Shore this year, and trust us, they’re not all Bennies. Host Jeremy Schneider is joined by Jersey’s Best Podcast producer and Jersey Shore lifer Bobby Olivier as they knock over a few KanJams (16:54), smash a few boom boxes (23:10) and explain what a (checks notes) Mermaid Girl is (32:22). Then Bobby must endure the Garden State Gauntlet, Shore edition (41:04)! God bless us, it’s friggin’ summer! Email us! Jerseysbestpodcast@gmail.com Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you! Follow Bobby Olivier at @bobbyolivier Check out the beach etiquette video Jeremy and Bobby did years ago here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week’s episode is going to hell! No, not Connecticut. We’re breaking down the 9 absolute worst places and situations a New Jerseyan may find themselves — and each one gets worse! Take the fiery journey with host Jeremy Schneider and comedian Emily Paige as they try to survive a true culinary nightmare (3:18), a day of Meadowlands mayhem (10:25) and the deeply evil fate that can only be spurred by NJ Transit (39:07). Then Emily completes the Garden State Gauntlet (44:02)! Email us! Jerseysbestpodcast@gmail.com Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you! Follow Emily Paige at @emilypaigecomedy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
That’s it, we’re packing up and heading to Hollywood — or maybe just Wildwood. This episode is all about Jersey’s greatest celebrities, and where they belong in the pantheon of Garden State fame. Host Jeremy Schneider is joined by Frazier Tharpe, a senior associate editor at GQ magazine and Jersey native, who has interviewed about a million celebs, including Newark’s own Michael B. Jordan. Listen as the guys decide whether Shaq is a god-tier Jersey dude (3:24), where underrated stars like Kirsten Dunst (7:35) and Anne Hathaway (45:54) fit in, and if Jon Bon Jovi belongs on the same tier as Bruce Springsteen (36:55) — and so much more! Then Frazier completes a celeb-centric Garden State Gauntlet (55:28). Email us! Jerseysbestpodcast@gmail.com Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you! Follow Frazier Tharpe at @thesummerman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Call us Pope Leo because we’re taking you to church. Okay, not really. But in this episode, we’re heading into the confession booth to reveal our deepest, darkest Jersey-based confessions and hot takes — the kind of stuff that should get our Jersey cards revoked. Host Jeremy Schneider is joined by Jersey City comedian Alex Nicholas — listen as the guys reveal their pick for the state’s most overrated foodie town (4:04), which iconic actress they think “insists upon herself” (28:42) and how they REALLY feel about our most notorious mall (43:27). Plus Springsteen, “The Sopranos,” local deer and more! Then Alex must endure the Garden State Gauntlet (48:40) - will he survive? Email us! Jerseysbestpodcast@gmail.com Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you! Follow Alex Nicholas at @notalexnicholas Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
No part of New Jersey is misunderstood — and some would say underappreciated — like South Jersey. Host (and notorious North Jersey native) Jeremy Schneider is joined by South Jersey expert Andrea Quinn to shine some light on all the great things below I-195 the rest of the Garden State simply doesn’t get. Listen as Andrea educates Jeremy on how South Jersey REALLY feels about North Jersey (8:15), growing up with a pet raccoon (16:16), why South Jerseyans should never go to Rita’s (34:22) and if the NHL’s New Jersey Devils are stealing valor from the state’s most famous cryptid (40:04). Andrea then goes through the Garden State Gauntlet, South Jersey edition! Email us! Jerseysbestpodcast@gmail.com Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you! Follow Andrea Quinn @aqandreaq on Instagram and X and check her out on The Watchers Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices