The perfect comfort meal for a classic nor’easter in NJ, according to my sons

It's that time of year in New Jersey when winter storms become common play. But just because we call them winter storms, it doesn't necessarily mean snow.

In fact, many of New Jersey's winter storms often equate to rain for the vast majority of us. And for those who don't like the snow, this type of precipitation is more than welcome.

Nor'easters are one of the more common types of winter storms we get here. And although they usually result in some coastal impacts, snow is not always a guarantee.

That got me thinking about what the best comfort meal is to enjoy in New Jersey during a nor'easter. Whether we get snow, ice, or rain, the weather is usually miserable for a decent period of time.

And it's not just miserable for us. If you have children at home, they can get a little stir-crazy as well.

But there are always those comfort meals as a go-to, so I decided to ask my sons what they found as the perfect nor'easter food to enjoy. Needless to say, their answers didn't disappoint.

In fact, most adults would probably get on board with what they said.

Before I get into their answers, let me first share what I thought one of them was going to say.

I expected to hear hot chocolate, but that wasn't even a thought in their minds. Surprising, right? I would think kids of any age would want that.

In fact, they were very quick with their answers. And to be honest? They had two very Jersey answers.

I asked this question back in 2022 when they were 6 years old. Here's what they had to say.

Owen's pick

When asked this question, my son Owen gave what I think is the classic answer. He said hot soup.

And how appropriate is that for a winter storm in New Jersey? Not only is hot soup perfect for almost every cold winter day, but we can also enjoy that cup or bowl courtesy of Campbell's.

Or, have it homemade with fresh veggies. Of course, he doesn't like soup nowadays, but in 2022, it's what was on his mind as the perfect storm food.

As for Campbell's? What better way to enjoy tomato soup than from a company with Jersey roots?

Jake's pick

Jake's answer threw me a bit of a curveball at first. Without hesitation, he said the perfect food for a nor'easter was hot pizza.

And how much more Jersey than that can you get? A hot pie from your local Jersey pizzeria on a cold, miserable day, sounds just right.

Not to mention, we have some of the best pizza in the country, so not calling this a Jersey staple would be an understatement.

This was his choice back in 2022, and I can assure you it's still the same today. Pizza plus kids just go together.

The only thing that would make this better is to have both of their favorites together. Think about it.

A slice of pizza from your local Jersey pizza shop paired with a hot bowl of soup. Now that sounds like a winning combination.

Since they both shared their favorites, let's put it to a vote and see what you think. Sound out in the comments and let us know which meal sounds perfect to you during a classic Jersey nor'easter.

As for any storms this year? We know how incredibly warm the winter of 2023 was so we shouldn't hold our breaths. But still, it's never too soon to start thinking about those perfect-storm meals.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 Sunday morning host Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.