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Here on Jersey’s Best Podcast we are devoted year-round to highlighting New Jersey's exceedingly diverse food and dining scene. But as February is recognized as Black History Month, we wanted to spend an episode specifically on Black-owned restaurants, which are one of many pillars of our culinary landscape. Host Jeremy Schneider is joined by NJ.com food and culture reporter Chris Burch to discuss how Black-owned restaurants in New Jersey go far beyond soul food, the definition of soul food, a James Beard Award-winning restaurant in Camden, the history of New Jersey’s barbecue scene and more. Then Jeremy puts Chris through the Garden State Gauntlet, Black-owned restaurant edition!    Follow us! ⁠@jerseysbestpodcast⁠ on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky ⁠Subscribe to NJ.com⁠, our journalists need you! Follow Chris Burch at @swishburch  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Grammy Awards are coming up! And while Jersey’s Best Podcast was somehow snubbed for any nominations, New Jersey has a rich history of winning the biggest awards in music! SZA and Jack Antonoff are both up for Grammys this year, but the Garden State's musical history goes far beyond trophies.  Host Jeremy Schneider is joined by NJ.com music writer (and Jersey’s Best Podcast producer) Bobby Olivier to break down why New Jersey has such an amazing music scene, the 51 best albums in New Jersey history and crown the best record from every decade. Everything from Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen, Whitney Houston and Fugees come up in the musical discussion. There was so much to cover we had to do a double episode. Like a double album! Then Bobby goes through the Garden State Gauntlet, Grammy edition!   Follow us! ⁠@jerseysbestpodcast⁠ on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky ⁠Subscribe to NJ.com⁠, our journalists need you! Follow Bobby Olivier at @bobbyolivier  Listen to the Spotify playlist of NJ.com’s 51 best New Jersey albums here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jersey’s Best Podcast is paying its respects — because it’s the end of an era in Central Jersey. Brunswick Square, the East Brunswick mall that was a Middlesex County staple for more than 50 years, officially closed on January 10. While New Jersey’s mall culture is well-established, technology is changing shopping habits, and that means less malls. Host Jeremy Schneider is joined by NJ.com senior political reporter (and Brunswick Square’s biggest fan) Brent Johnson to discuss what he loved so much about Brunswick Square (3:33), some of his best memories from growing up going to the mall (4:50), the mall’s slow decline (12:42) and why New Jersey malls are fading in general (25:19). Then Brent goes through the Garden State Gauntlet, mall edition (38:03)!  Follow us! ⁠@jerseysbestpodcast⁠ on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky ⁠Subscribe to NJ.com⁠, our journalists need you! . Read his eulogy for Brunswick Square here . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How long can we take this chance not to celebrate... the most important New Jersey band of the 21st century? This week Jersey’s Best Podcast is leaving the podcast studio and headed for a New Brunswick basement show, to talk about one of the most influential bands in Garden State history — Thursday. The emo/screamo/post-hardcore/post-whatever band from Central Jersey helped shape the scene in the early 2000s, and influenced countless other groups. Host Jeremy Schneider is joined by NJ.com music writer (and Jersey’s Best Podcast producer) Bobby Olivier to discuss anything and everything about Thursday — from Jeremy’s memories of seeing them live for the first time at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville (5:50) and what makes Thursday timeless and iconic (8:20) to which of their albums reigns supreme (20:28). Bobby and Jeremy then draft their favorite Thursday song (26:40) before Bobby goes through the Garden State Gauntlet, Thursday edition (49:26)!   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

Everyone knows the Taylor Provisions Company as the biggest name in Taylor ham and pork roll — they literally invented it all the way back in 1856, and their cherry red packaging is as synonymous with the stuff as eggs, cheese and kaiser rolls.  What you don’t know is the family behind the company is rife with enough scandal, infighting and legal drama to make the Taylor ham/pork roll name controversy look like a footnote. Host Jeremy Schneider is joined by NJ.com enterprise writer Brianna Kudisch, who wrote "The untold story of Taylor ham: Inside a N.J. family legacy tainted by scandal, cruelty and a tawdry affair," the story that details the drama that surrounds the company. Jeremy and Brianna break down the history of the company and how it invented Taylor ham as we know it and why the government made them change the product's name (5:51), the woman who has taken over the company and ushered in an era of scandal (9:45) and multiple harassment lawsuits (15:00). Then Brianna goes through the Garden State Gauntlet, Taylor Provisions edition (38:40)! Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you! Follow Brianna at @BriannaKudisch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy New Years from Jersey’s Best Podcast! While 2025 may have been the year this podcast launched, we’re just as excited for 2026! And as New Jersey prepares for the New Year, we have some New Year’s resolutions for the Garden State. Host Jeremy Schneider is joined by comedian Jourdan McKinley to prepare for the New Year with pledges related to the 2026 World Cup coming to MetLife Stadium, some of New Jersey’s best movie theaters and the food trends we want to see (and not see) in 2026. Jourdan also explains the biggest issue facing New Jersey in 2026. Then Jeremy puts Jourdan through the Garden State Gauntlet, New Years edition! Happy New Year! Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you! Follow Jourdan McKinley at @jourdanmckinley  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Merry Christmas Eve, fellow Jerseyans! Jeremy is off throwing bagels at elves so we are re-running one of our favorite episodes of the year! We'll be back with a new episode next week — happy listening! Our, uh, colorful New Jersey language unites us, even if it separates us from the rest of the country. Host Jeremy Schneider is joined by comedian and noted Bennie dissenter Allie Mae to break down all their favorite Jersey slang, from saltpepperketchup (7:34) and 20regularcash (14:42) to the more obscure Jersey Slide (16:29) and Goosey Night (22:38). They also bond over which New Jersey highway has not yet been lost to corporate America (13:36). Then Allie takes on our trickiest Garden State Gauntlet yet, identifying Jersey town nicknames (41:38).  Email us! [email protected]  Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you!  Follow Allie Mae at @defaultprogrammer  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Jersey’s Best Podcast is going out to eat! Because of all the myriad things New Jerseyans adore about the Garden State, there’s one thing we love above it all — food. We’ve done a delicious job of documenting New Jersey’s culinary obsession on Jersey’s Best Podcast. And this week is no different — we’re breaking down the best things we ate in New Jersey in 2025. Host Jeremy Schneider is joined by Michael Barreto aka Mikey Mortadella, the manager at Judy & Harry’s in Asbury Park, as they go down the list of the best meals of the year. From pop-up smash burgers down the Shore (16:26) and Vietnamese egg coffee in Bergen County (21:51) to a final meal at a legendary New Jersey diner (24:42), an Iberian pasta dish that showcases why anchovies are so overlooked in cuisine (31:23) and why the dining scene is a pillar of humanity in New Jersey (40:37), Jeremy and Mikey break down a very tasty year in Garden State eats. Then Jeremy puts Mike through the Garden State Gauntlet, 2025 food edition (49:45)!  Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you! Follow Michael Barreto at @Mike_Barreto  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Holidays from Jersey’s Best Podcast! The holiday season is in full swing, and what better place to be for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Years than New Jersey. But we know the holidays can be stressful as you look for things to do with your family — and fine, thing to do to get away from your family. So we’re here to help! Host Jeremy Schneider is joined by NJ.com data reporter Katie Kausch to discuss all the funnest things to do in New Jersey during the holiday season. Jeremy and Katie draft the ultimate New Jersey holiday experience, ranging from snowshoeing in one of New Jersey’s most scenic state parks (6:25) and visiting holiday-themed aquariums (9:30) to building menorahs while eating latkes (12:38) and hitting the mall to meet Santa, even if it’s the worst time of year to be there (15:11). Then Jeremy puts Katie through the Garden State Gauntlet, holiday edition (35:16)!     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NJ.com’s intrepid food team just released its biggest story ever, the 99 best restaurants in New Jersey! The list covers every county in the state, every type of cuisine you can think of and runs the gamut from fine dining to divey greasy spoons. Host Jeremy Schneider is joined once again by NJ.com food writers Pete Genovese, Lauren Musni and Chris Burch to break down everything that went into the story and some of their favorite spots that made the rankings, everything from a food truck in Morristown (6:29), a sandwich shop in a shipping container (15:21) and one of the state’s elite diners (16:49) to elite Korean barbecue (24:33), soothing ramen (22:44) and the best Iberian restaurant in the state (27:15). Then Jeremy and the team break down the top 10 of the NJ.com 99 best restaurants list (30:55), including crowning the No. 1 restaurant in the great state of New Jersey (50:30)! ⁠Read the full list of Jersey's 99 best restaurants here! ⁠ 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.  Follow Lauren at @laurengisellemusni Follow Chris Burch at @swishburch  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Thanksgiving from Jersey’s Best Podcast! We have a lot to be thankful for in New Jersey this year… but plenty to be embarrassed of, as well. Jeremy is joined once again by Jersey City comedian Nick Fierro to give thanks for some of our favorite things in the Garden State in 2025, and also to crown some Garden State turkeys — the people that made New Jersey look so bad we want to disown them. Listen in as Jeremy and Nick break down why they’re thankful for old men doing karaoke in Secaucus (5:17) and a very specific Thanksgiving sandwich (10:09), plus the New Jersey turkeys who got a little too excited at a Korn concert (33:51) and cursed out their own restaurant’s customers (38:53). Then Nick goes through the Garden State Gauntlet, Thanksgiving edition (43:11)!  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

We’re the DEVILS! Yes, the Garden State is home to plenty of professional sports teams. But only one of them puts New Jersey and New Jersey alone in their team name — the Devils of the National Hockey League! With the NHL season in full swing and the Devils playing well, it was time to talk puck. Jeremy is joined by NJ.com Devils beat writer Ryan Novizinsky as they break down what the Devils mean to New Jersey (2:52), the way the Devils have embraced the Garden State in ways other New Jersey sports teams don’t (6:59), what the franchise lost when it left the Meadowlands (10:22), what it gained when it came to Newark (13:11) and if Devils fans are crazy (17:52). Then Ryan gives us the outlook on the season for the Devils (24:35) before going through the Garden State Gauntlet, Devils edition (35:27)!   Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you!  Follow Ryan Novozinsky @RyanNovoNHL Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Jersey highways are a fact of life in New Jersey — a necessary evil. If you want to hit the Jersey Shore, go shopping at Garden State Plaza, or head down south to Atlantic City, you’re not just taking a highway — chances are you’re taking several. You probably have a preferred route, you know which roads to skip and when to skip them. So this week, we’re handing out our second edition of the Roadie Awards to best and worst New Jersey highways! Jeremy is joined by New Jersey musician/coffeemaker/skateboarder John Cozz to break down why New Jersey is so obsessed with our highways (2:40), if New Jerseyans are actually the bad drivers in this state (7:30) and how highways shape New Jersey life in many ways (9:56). Then Jeremy and John give awards (12:13) to the state’s ugliest highways, best highways for food and the highways we will defend for the rest of our lives. Finally, Jeremy runs John through the Garden State Gauntlet, John Cozz edition (42:30)!  Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you! Follow John Cozz at @john.cozz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While the Garden State’s culinary riches are diverse and delicious, there is no type of cuisine New Jersey does better — or loves more — than Italian food. There are more than a million Italian-Americans in New Jersey, and it feels like there are more than a million Italian restaurants in this red sauce-obsessed state. Old school spots serving up chicken savoy, and pillowy ravioli. New school sports specializing in spicy rigatoni, paper thin chicken parm and bolognese with garlic bread crumbs, and everything in between. So NJ.com’s illustrious food team did what it does best — ranked them! Jeremy is joined by NJ.com food writer Pete Genovese to break down why we’re so obsessed with Italian food (2:06), why it’s sauce and NOT gravy (5:33) and how Italian-American food differs from what is served in Italy (6:45). Then Jeremy and Pete break down some of their favorite restaurants from NJ.com’s list of the 51 best Italian restaurants in New Jersey (10:28) — including crowning a New No. 1 in the state (38:11). Finally, Pete eats his way through the Garden State Gauntlet, Italian food edition (40:11).  Email us! [email protected]  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

New Jersey is obsessed with haunted, creepy and scary stuff all year long — but even more so during Halloween! So what better time to talk about the state’s most famous cryptid, the Jersey Devil! Jeremy is joined by comedian and New Jersey legend Chris Gethard to break down why New Jersey loves the Jersey Devil so much (2:35), the creature’s disputed origins (8:59) and what he symbolizes about the Garden State (16:59). Chris explains why the state is intrigued by the devil in general (18:23), the importance of Weird N.J., the magazine that shaped childhoods across the state (31:59) and then schools Jeremy on more of New Jersey’s legendary cryptids (36:51). Finally, Jeremy puts Chris through the Garden State Gauntlet, Halloween edition (41:27)!  Email us! [email protected]  Follow us! @jerseysbestpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Blue Sky Subscribe to NJ.com, our journalists need you!  Follow Chis Gethard at @ChrisGeth, and read him at WeirdNJ.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices