Massachusetts Is The Funniest State In The Country

Shiny Smile Veneers recently shared the ten funniest states in America, and it turns out Massachusetts is number one. "Humor tends to be relative and often regional, so we set out to discover which cities in the U.S. are the funniest," they said. In the Bay State, there certainly is a lot to smile about based on the results of this research. Not only was Massachusetts ranked the funniest state, but Boston also finished as the funniest city.

How does one determine where the funniest places in America are? Well, Shiny Smile Veneers compiled and analyzed an extensive range of data and assigned scores to specific categories. In total, there were five topics identified. They were residents per comedy club, residents per comedy festival, search volume per city and state, residents per comedy special host city, and residents per top comedian’s home state. A point total was assigned to each topic. Shiny Smile Veneers then totaled the points to create the stack ranking.

Massachusetts edged out New York by a narrow two points (95 and 93 out of 100). However, Boston beat out number two Los Angeles by a surprisingly wide margin. Here, the score was 94 to Los Angeles and San Francisco's second-place tie result of 79 (also out of 100).

Here is what made up those impressive first-place finishes. Much of it had to do with Boston's standup performance. Boston had the largest number of residents per comedy club. "Boston and Philadelphia are the only two cities that have a 'very high' search volume for the most popular comedy specials," Shiny Smile Veneers explains. Massachusetts then tied with New York and Missouri for the states that most comedians call home.

Bill Burr, Amy Poehler, Jennifer Coolidge, Steve Carell and Conan O'Brien are just some of the legendary comedians that are from Massachusetts.

Ticketmaster currently has over 30 major comedy shows on the Boston calendar for the month of November alone. This further emphasizes how much Massachusetts being one of the funniest states that's great for comedy. Major players such Chelsea Handler, Pete Davidson, and Dane Cook (another Massachusetts native).

I'm a guy who moved from New Jersey to Boston; growing up, Sicilian pizza was pretty easily available. I incorrectly assumed that all Americans enjoyed this kind of pizza selection. However, when I moved to Boston, I realized that it's much harder to find that delicacy here. But there are also a few unique places that are cooking up Sicilian pizza in Massachusetts.

As an expert on Sicilian, I will tell you that it has to be prepared properly in order for it to be worth the calories. Here, I will detail three establishments where you can find great Sicilian pizza in Massachusetts. Sure, you may have to travel a bit, but these places are worth your time.

Before we cut into this delicious style of pie, let’s define our terms. Traditional Sicilian pizza is cut into square or rectangular-shaped slices. The crust is thicker and crunchy. Though this pizza is obviously heavier, it still can be topped with your favorite pizza add-ons. A sprinkle of oregano is a subtle but often important finishing.

Though strip pizza in Rhode Island is similar, one significant difference with Sicilian is that it is not baked on a focaccia style dough. In fact, Palermo Pizza NJ defines what distinguishes Sicilian Pizza and what makes it different from regular pizza. “The dough rises differently with this kind of crust because more oil is used in the recipe as opposed to a regular pizza crust recipe,” they said, when describing how this is made in a rectangular pan.

In Massachusetts, the three locations that are serving up great Sicilian Pizza are quite different from each other, but have this menu item in common. One of them happens to be a favorite of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Tucked into a quaint New England, Harvard Square street, Pinocchio's is where you need to go if you want Sicilian pizza of all varieties. It's also where you will see Mark Zuckerberg's photo all over the wall. This was the go-to spot for Zuck while he was attending Harvard. In fact, it's a place he still makes sure to stop into when in town. As for the pizza, there are 20 different toppings you can find atop the hot Sicilian pies. These pies come in a 9-slice or 15-slice size option. The 15-slice pie comes in two boxes and can feed up to nine people. During the school months, Pinocchio's stays open until 2 am on weekends.

At 289 Hanover Street in the North End of Boston, Umberto's can be easy to miss. However, once you recognize their old-school sign, you know you are in for a treat. They are old-school: it is a cash-only establishment where the large trays of piping hot Sicilian pies are continuously served. Typically, it's cheese only, but you will not be disappointed as no other flavor is needed. The single line usually reaches the door, but it moves quickly. It also gives you time to decide which arancini (their famous rice ball) you'd like to add to your order.

Leone's Pizza and Sub has been family-owned and operated since 1954. They are located right on Broadway and open seven days per week, from 8 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. Their Sicilian pizza is the standard menu option here. It is available by the slice, in a half tray or full tray. The whole tray also comes in two boxes (16 slice) and costs $40. Their Sicilian pies also come in a tomato basil option and a spinach and garlic. Leone's sub menu contains over 30 options. This includes a fried meatball sub.

Right in the heart of Cleveland Circle, Pino's is a fan-favorite of Boston College students. Though the crust is a perfect combination of pillow and crunch, the secret here is actually in the sauce. Pino's describes it as "delicious, garlicky tomato sauce with in-house seasoning, cooked on a pan." $20 gets you nine Sicilian slices at Pino's. If you want to add variety to your order, they also have alfredo pies, white pies, and buffalo chicken. Like Pinocchio's, Pino's stays open until the early morning hours on the weekend to help accommodate the college crowd.