Ramy Youssef’s Hot Ones interview becomes love letter to New Jersey

New Jersey got several shout-outs in a recent episode of Hot Ones!

For anyone unfamiliar with the show, it’s an interview series where the host, Sean Evans, and the guest are served 10 chicken wings with increasing hotness. Evans asks the guests questions as they start to realize that the wings are hotter than they expected.

There’s almost always sweating, burping, and chugging milk as the Scoville levels get hotter and hotter. It's quite a journey.

One of the latest interviews was with comedian and actor, Ramy Youssef. Though he was born in New York, Youssef was raised in Rutherford, New Jersey, which makes him an honorary Jersey guy.

After questions about comedy, Evans asked Youssef to elaborate on certain features of the Garden State.

Wawa

“Wawa is iconic. Wawa is amazing. It’s like a gas station store, but really, it’s a culture.”

Jon Bon Jovi

“Oh my God. Legend.” Youssef listened to the Jersey rocker as a kid, he tells Evans.

After taking a bite of his final wing covered in extra hot sauce, per tradition, Evans asks about one of Jersey's points of pride: diners.

He quotes Youssef,

some of the most important conversations I’ve had in my life have been at a diner counter. That’s what you do if you’re from Jersey: you make a decision in a diner at 3:00 in the morning.

He then asks Youssef what his love letter to Jersey diner culture is.

There’s something about something that’s open all night, where you can go and just get a hot meal.

Youssef gets a genuine look of nostalgia in his eye (or it may just be that they’re burning from hot sauce) as he reminisces about the Candlewick Diner.

This is the diner where he made a lot of important life decisions after talking it out with friends.

I think I decided I was gonna get married in a diner booth…. It’s kind of like a pew in a church but with food.

That’s high praise for Jersey’s diner culture!

I have to agree that there’s nothing like the atmosphere while sitting in a diner booth. The food and familiarity bring comfort you can’t quite find anywhere else.

You can watch the whole episode below:

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Kylie Moore. Any opinions expressed are Kylie's own. You can follow Kylie on Instagram.

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