Study: Jersey’s Favorite Pasta? (We’re #2 in the Country for Most Pasta Lovers Overall)
Rotini pasta with creamy tomato and meat sauce in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on September 10, 2022. (Photo by Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images)
We all love pasta, right? It doesn’t matter what it looks like or how it’s shaped, we love it all. Penne, linguini, shells, rotini, capellini, spaghetti, tortellini, macaroni, manicotti, I love gnocchi, but it’s all good! In fact, I challenge you to name a pasta you don’t like. That’s right, it doesn’t exist. If you are, however, a very picky eater, there’s a pasta dish in New Jersey that data says might just be your new favorite.
A new study by Italian-based baby brand Chicco looked at online search interest in your state for 1) types of pasta noodles 2) types of pasta sauces and 3) pasta dish sides over the past five years. From a whopping 54 pasta-related search terms, they determined the ideal pasta meal in each state. Here’s what they found in New Jersey:
- New Jersey’s favorite pasta meal would start with a delicious bowl of penne, topped with vodka sauce and served with garlic knots.
- Overall, Americans’ favorite pasta noodle was macaroni, their favorite pasta sauce was marinara, and their favorite side was garlic bread.
- The states with the most pasta lovers overall were New York (100), New Jersey (96.41), Massachusetts (95.11), Connecticut (88.79), Washington (85.89), Pennsylvania (84.72), the District of Columbia (83.51), Oregon (77.79), Colorado (75.50), California (75.11). This metric was measured on a scale of 0-100 for overall pasta search interest. The full study also provides context for the states that won most pasta-obsessed — like famous eateries and historic Italian influence!
They also said this about New Jersey, “The Garden State is a United States pasta powerhouse second only to New York. The state boasts a vibrant Italian culture and is home to almost 1.5 million Italian immigrants. Like its neighbor to the North, New Jersey is famous for incredible Italian restaurants like Cenzino Ristorante and Axton’s by Chef Anton. It’s also the home base of Cento, one of the top 10 tomato sauce companies worldwide.”
To find the top U.S. pasta trends, they looked at online search interest for pasta noodles, sauces, and sides over the past 5 years. They also explored 54 pasta-related search terms across the three categories to determine the clear winners for each state. Check out the full study here.
Popular Hot Chicken Chain To Make N.J. Debut
A popular hot chicken chain is making its way to the Garden State. Dave’s Hot Chicken has announced its New Jersey debut per NJ Advance Media. The spicy chicken eatery will be opening on Friday, Dec. 9 at 57 Route 23 in Wayne, New Jersey.
According to the outlet, this will be the first of 14 locations spanning several North Jersey counties. Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic and Union counties are all set to get a Dave’s Hot Chicken in the near future.
The restaurant is known for its “Nashville hot chicken” that has a blend of spices and seasonings that make up the famous spicy flavor. The menu is packed with several menu options like chicken tenders sliders, fries, cole slaw, and macaroni and cheese, among others. The chicken ranges in seven levels of spiciness from “No Spice” to “Reaper.” For drinks, they offer a plethora of soft drinks, bottled drinks, and milkshakes in chocolate, strawberry and vanilla flavors.
Dave’s Hot Chicken was created by best friends Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan, and Tommy and Gary Rubenyan. They started it as a pop-up in 2017 before they set up shop in East Hollywood. They began franchising the spicy chicken eatery in 2019.
Celebrities including Drake, Samuel L. Jackson, and Michael Strahan are among the famous investors that have helped the restaurant expand so rapidly.
Dave’s Hot Chicken now has more than 90 locations throughout the United States, Canada, Dubai and Qatar. The restaurant has plans to open more than 700 locations the outlet reports.
Take a look at their mouthwatering plates below:
Joel Katz is the Morning Show Personality, Assistant Program Director, Podcast Host, Voiceover artist, audio producer, and Digital Content Writer for Magic 98.3. Joel has been working in New Jersey radio since college and started at Magic in 2002 as the Morning Show Host, “I can’t think of another place where I’d fit more perfectly; it’s just a great company with awesome people.” Joel is married to Kathleen, his elementary school sweetheart (they were each other’s first dates at age 9), shares a birthday with his oldest son, Ty, and has twins, Kiera and Liam. Joel runs at least 3.1 miles every day and enjoys playing basketball, doing laundry, saving his turn signal for when he really needs it, kissing dogs through a fence, using coasters, making that cool noise by rubbing his fingers on balloons, and chasing after ping pong balls on a windy cruise ship.
