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