New Jersey’s Favorite Chili

There’s nothing like a hot bowl of chili on a cold winter’s day, it just hits the spot. It’s like being covered with your favorite blanket while you rest in your preferred spot on a comfy couch.

Where chili got its name depends on who you ask, some say it's from Chile, South America, others claim it’s from Texas, and the Canary Islands have also been mentioned as the originator of the delicious meal in a bowl.

No matter where it came from and even though there are several ways to make a pot of chili, most of us have the same kind using the same toppings whenever we indulge ourselves. Do you prefer beans, and if so, what kind? Do enjoy beef, or do you like vegetarian chili more? What do you top it with? Sour cream? Cheese? There are so many choices and the folks at Shane Co. decided to find out our favorite kind of chili in each state across the country.

They noticed that all of these questions have divided us as Americans and as couples who share a table. “Because ways to make chili are as plentiful as couples who disagree about the best way to make it.”

So they surveyed over two thousand people across the country to see which way each state prefers to make it.

So how do we here in New Jersey like our Chili? The survey says our most popular type of chili includes Ground beef, with a combination of black, pinto, and kidney beans. Our favorite toppings in order of preference are: 1) Shredded cheese, 2) Sour cream, 3) Green onions, 4) Crushed tortilla chips or Fritos, and 5) Cilantro. New Jersey's preferred side is tortilla chips and we like our chili spicy cooked on a stovetop.

You can find the full survey for each state here. They surveyed 2,070 participants across multiple demographics and forty-four states. Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming are not included due to a lack of respondents.

Musicals hold a special place in my heart as it I remember a time when my family would travel to the big apple to see the Lion King one of Broadway's longest-running shows. And seeing the performers sing and bring life to a room sure inspired me and helped shape me into the person I am today.

Over the years I've seen a handful of absolutely stunning and amazing performances from Matilda to more recently Beetlejuice which had it's last performance earlier this month at the Marquis Theatre and is now on tour. Though there are plenty of other musicals I'd be willing to go see for different reasons.

Whether it's because the show is a time-tested classic or because it's an upcoming hit. There are just so many to choose from so I'm gonna list the top ten highest-rated based on user ratings on Show-score.com. To also keep things simple we won't be counting plays or shows that are off-Broadway. But shoutout to those shows as sometimes they can be just as good or even better than the ones on Broadway.

So without further ado let's see what the top ten musical's scored out of 100.

One of the more "recent" additions MJ The Musical has only be running for almost a year but had moonwalked it's way into tenth place. It tells the story about the life and music of Michael Jackson. It features some of the biggest hits of his career and got an 86 from nearly 600 reviews. I certainly would go to see MJ though it wouldn't be my first choice.

Coming in at an upside down 6 is SIX the musical, telling the tales of Henry the eight's ex-wives and how they met their fates of being divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, behedged, survived. A rhyme I'm sure most of us have heard at least once. This tragic comedy came from the UK in both book and musical versions before appearing on Broadway where it is now beloved by many as it hit an 86 with over 1k reviews. Of the ones on the list this is one of the ones I would want to see the most as I've listened to the soundtrack and it's quite good.

A timeless classic about a genie and a boy with a magic lamp. This musical started production right around when I was in middle school which is a scary thought... But since it's release it has become a must see for the whole family as it tells the story of Aladdin and the genie. While I would see this version as it's scored an 86 with over 6k reviews. I much rather see the spinoff version Twisted by Starkid as it paints a different perspective on the age old story.

This musical shows a jersey teen struggling with an illness that causes her to age rapidly. Critics and alike loved the boldness of the show as it bring awareness to a serious condition. Alongside that folks said it was funny and had great acting to match. This is the first I've heard of this musical but from the sounds of it, I might just have to check it out.

Broadway's longest running production which started back in 1988 and was the winner of several awards. The Phantom of the Opera announced it would be concluding it's current set this coming April after a huge spike in attendance prevented the musical from shutting down this February. While I don't think I'll be going to see this performance it is still one of the greats despite any controversy it may have.

The book of Mormon certainly is one of the more well known musicals to me, because of it's opening where we see Mormons going door to door like sales men. While it isn't the longest running or the most complex musical it's loved by fans in the states earning a a high score with reviews and placing it in the middle of the list.

Our first 'Must See' according to the score board and it's a topic I like a lot which is history. This musical tells the tale of the Greek myth Orpheus and Eurydice. As Orpheus son of the god Apollo descends into the underworld to save the love of his life. Looking at the stagecraft used as well as a good story I can see why this Greek tale is a must see.

Another time tested hit and the first musical I can remember seeing, I've seen clips of cast members singing on trains, planes and I really want to see them in one place and that's on the big stage. Though being one of Disney's longest running hits the tickets can get pricey. But The Lion King is still one of the big three and for those who haven't seen it well Hakuna Matata.

This is one time you can say we aren't in Kansas anymore unironically. As this Broadway hit tells the story of OZ right before Dorthey dropped a house on it, but we do see the events we are familiar with. I haven't seen Wicked though I certainly want to before it ends. If it ends.

The man on the $20 bill and a huge musical for the generation that actually got people interested in U.S history. Hamilton takes the top spot of this list to nobodies surprise. And I will say it is one of my favorite musicals as it has genius work by Lin Manuel Miranda as well as a compelling story.