Devils vs. Rangers Food Showdown: Which Side Are You On?

As you root for the Rangers or Devils, where will you be getting your cheesesteak, pizza and sandwiches?

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The New Jersey Devils are facing the New York Rangers in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Whether you’re lucky enough to have tickets to tonight’s Game 7 or are heading to a sports bar to watch the game, you’re sure to eat some epic food during the games. In honor of our two favorite hockey teams, we decided to have a little fun with a NJ vs NY food showdown of our own.

O’BAGEL in Hoboken

Bagels
New Jersey has top-notch bagels beloved for their soft, hot doughy center. Aside from the typical sesame, poppyseed or egg, there are plenty of creative flavors, too, like Flaming Hot Cheeto at Bagel Nook in Freehold or Princeton, pepperoni-bacon-asiago at Bagel University in Vineland or cranberry orange at Hot Bagels and More (locations in Northfield, Margate, Atlantic City and Somers Point). New York is known for its gigantic bagels, too. Hudson Bagels in the West Village has a sunflower seed bagel, plus tons of cream cheese options for your schmear. And sometimes the toppings make all the difference: Tal Bagels’ six locations have fresh, crunchy bagels with variations of Nova, lox and salmon. And Ess-a-Bagel is a favorite (and NYers have seen their TV commercials). They claim to have started the large bagel trend.

Winner: Toss Up

Breakfast Sandwiches

Is it pork roll or Taylor ham? The answer depends on whether you’re from North Jersey or South Jersey – and we will never agree. But what we will agree on is any NJ breakfast sandwich is better than those made across the Outerbridge. Tops Diner in Harrison has The Hangover, a toasted bagel with ham, chicken sausage, pepper jack cheese, and a two-egg omelet. Or, Pierce Street Bagel Cafe Deli & Grill in Somerset is the place for tomatoes, lox, onions and cream cheese on top of a toasty sesame bagel. If you’re in Chelsea in Manhattan, Sullivan St. Bakery sells a brioche sandwich topped with scrambled egg and prosciutto (instead of bacon). NYers also love their bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches from the local bodega. But nothing compares to a meat-egg-and-cheese sandwich from Jersey – no matter what you call the meat.

Winner: New Jersey

BUFFALO WILD WINGS

Chicken Wings

The average American eats 18,000 wings over a lifetime. Buffalo’s in Wood-Ridge serves Numb Ya Face sauce, Peck Peck makes Korean fried chicken in Teaneck and Jersey Shore BBQ in East Brunswick and Belmar is based on smoking techniques from Texas.

When in NY, Dan and John’s Wings has a recipe for buffalo wings that literally comes from Buffalo, NY. Blondie’s Sports – where you can sit and watch the game, too – offers wings that are crispy yet saucy.  International Wings Factory has an array of flavors like garlic parmesan, black pepper teriyaki, Vietnamese chili mango and tandoori masala. We still prefer our Jersey chicken wings.

Winner: Toss Up

Hot Dogs

New York is known for its dirty water dogs. Go to any street corner and order from a dirty water cart for the absolute best hot dog. Nathan’s Famous is, well, infamous for its menu–a trip to Brooklyn is not complete without going to Coney Island for a hot dog and fresh crinkle-cut fries. New Jersey has its share of famous hot dog places, too: Destination Dogs in New Brunswick, Rutt’s Hut in Clifton or any snack shack or boardwalk.

Winner: New York

FOUR BOYS ICE CREAM: Locations in Englishtown, Farmingdale, Hightstown, Jamesburg, Jackson, Milltown

Ice Cream

You can’t walk around Princeton University without waiting in line for the bent spoon, where you can order artisanal flavors like Cointreau cilantro or lavender mascarpone. Hoffman’s Ice Cream is a staple of the Jersey Shore; walk along the Pt. Pleasant boardwalk with a soft vanilla ice cream cone topped with rainbow sprinkles. And if you’re truly from Jersey, you know Bruce Springsteen is partial to Jersey Freeze in his hometown of Freehold; there’s a wide variety of hard ice cream, soft flavors, dairy-free, sugar-free and lots of sundae toppings.

You can find a great cup, cone or sundae just about anywhere in NY – but look out for a Mister Softee truck and relive your childhood (we bet you can hear the traditional ice cream truck song in your head right now). Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream makes flavors like Sicilian pistachio or lemon poppyseed muffin. Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain is home to the egg cream (seltzer, milk, and Fox’s UBet syrup) plus dozens of sundaes, like ones topped with potato chips and caramel, or vanilla cake soaked in hot espresso (a fave of Chef Bobby Flay). You can’t go wrong in either state on a hot summer day but we’re partial to a scoop at the Jersey Shore.

Winner: New Jersey

DELORENZO’S TOMATO PIES PIZZA in Robbinsville

Pizza

From Brooklyn Square in Jackson, Englishtown and Toms River, to DeLorenzo’s Tomato Pies in Robbinsville to Una Pizza Napoletana in Atlantic Highlands to Razza in Jersey City, Jersey has some of the highest-rated pizza joints in the country. You can’t take a trip to NY without stopping at a pizza joint. New York boasts L&B Spumoni Gardens (don’t let a Jersey upside down Sicilian fool you – this is the original), John’s of Bleecker Street and Di Fara Pizza. John’s of Times Square is a go-to for anyone just getting off the bus at Port Authority. And Totonno’s Pizzeria Napolitana is another spot worth the drive to Brooklyn for its James Beard Foundation-award-winning slices. Some spots have locations on both sides of the tunnels. Denino’s (try a white pie with garlic and ricotta) has locations in Brick, Staten Island and Manhattan. Artichoke Basille’s is in the city and Hudson County. We can’t decide which state takes all the dough.

Winner: Toss Up

Pretzels

We love a hot, salty pretzel that comes out of a hot dog cart on the streets of NY. Sigmund Pretzels on Park Avenue has hand-rolled German-style soft pretzels you can dip in Gruyere paprika for savory or Nutella for sweet. They also serve sandwiches on a fresh pretzel bun. Ardesia serves its homemade NY-style pretzels alongside Dijon mustard and cheese sauce – and wine. On our side of the George Washington Bridge, head down to A&A Soft Pretzels in Oaklyn for a regular or gluten-free pretzel bagel sandwich. Asbury Biergarten is the perfect place along the Shore for music, beer and yes, pretzels – chomp on a giant pretzel with hot beer cheese as you sip on a cold brew. Jerseyites also love their Philly Pretzel Factory-style pretzels, which are delish, but NY wins for its smoky, crunchy pretzels.

Winner: New York

SUB CULTURE in Jersey City

Sandwiches

Jersey has its subs (ever been to Tastee in Edison?) – Tony Soprano’s favorite sandwich is “gabagool” made with capicola and peppers. If you’ve never been to Harold’s Famous Deli in Edison, you are missing out on mile-high rye bread sandwiches stuffed to the brim with deli meat. NY has its own world-renowned sandwich shops, like Carnegie Deli or Katz’s Delicatessen, which was established in 1888, making it NY’s oldest deli.

Winner: Toss Up

Read More:
25 Must-Try Iconic New Jersey Foods
Foodies Love These Towns in NJ
Where to Find Jersey’s Best Pizza
Where to Score The Best Cheesesteaks in NJ
Where to Get Soft Pretzels in NJ
​The Best Wings in NJ
The LPGA Is Coming to NJ for Family-Friendly Fun
The LPGA Is Coming to NJ for Family-Friendly Fun

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