Does New Jersey need another pizza place?

Well, if it's one of NYC's well know joints, sure why not. And if it's ever-expanding, bustling Jersey City, then absolutely.

More and more people are finding it friendlier, safer, and easier to be in JC than New York. Artichoke Basille's Pizza just had its grand opening this past Friday. They're at 246 Bay Street, only a block off of Jersey City's Newark Avenue Pedestrian Plaza.

Of course, their signature pie is an artichoke pizza with spinach and a cream sauce, and both mozzarella and pecorino cheeses. If that doesn't have your mouth watering, there's definitely something on their menu that will.

A lot of New Jersey pizza connoisseurs like to keep their pie simple, but the Staten Island pizza with meatballs, cooked sauce, red onions and ricotta sounds like a destination meal.

The franchise was started by two cousins back in 2008 by Francis Garcia and Sal Basille. There are already 16 locations in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California and Arizona, so they're doing something right. They are planning another Jersey location set for Red Bank later this year.

If you don't feel like making your way to busy Jersey City, you can always wait for the Red Bank location this summer. After all there are plenty of other pizza places in Jersey already. But there is always room for one more, especially one with this kind of rep and track record.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

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Best coffee shops & cafes near NJ beaches

When it comes to food, New Jersey is known for many things such as pizza and pork roll. Don't count us out when it comes to coffee.

With all the hustle and bustle involved in the average New Jersey resident's day, coffee is essential. It doesn't matter whether you're living in the cities of North Jersey or the vacation spots at the shore.

In fact, as the former owner of two Jersey shore coffee houses, Coffee Dot Comedy in Sea Isle City and the Daily Grind in Ocean Grove, I know firsthand how much people at the Jersey shore love their coffee.

With respect to that, I asked my social media following where the best coffee houses at the Jersey Shore were, especially since my two places no longer exist.

Below is what they came up with. (And see this other article for their coffee shop and cafe recommendations for Central Jersey.)

Source: Does New Jersey need another pizza place? (Opinion)