#AllstonMadness Superlatives
We did it! We went through a whole tournament of Allston Madness and it was great! I don’t know what we’re going to do on this page on the next few months to top that! We’re going to get back to regular stories about nonsense, but we wanted to give out some awards for particular stand outs in the process.
The Goddamn Champ: The Avenue
Let’s hear it for them! They had pretty moderate seeding as the start of the bracket but once they had bested the Silhouette, there was nothing that was going to stop them, as they cruised by the remaining competition and won the finals in a squash match. Now it seems weird that good beer and cheap burgers isn’t just what every bar does.
The Cinderella: Shabu Zen
When we put Shabu Zen in the play-in round, we thought there was a chance they might be more popular than we thought. But we definitely thought that Totto Ramen was more popular, and yet it fell to Shabu Zen, who just kept rolling all the way to the the Elite 8. Everyone loves a good improbable run!
Biggest Upset: Lulu’s over Deep Ellum
Really didn’t see this one coming. I’m still not sure how it happened, other than maybe Lulu’s seats more people, and therefore more voters. Still, it seemed like Deep Ellum was a serious contender to win the whole thing. Some people got really upset with this result and to them I will say this: Lulu’s is still very good.
Don’t Miss Out On This Loser: Taqueria El Carrizal
I liked a lot of places that ended up losing in their Round 1 match ups, but there are so many good places that it’s hard to get too upset about any of them. But there’s a deep concern here that people are not going to Taqueria El Carrizal. It’s a great restaurant and is your best chance to eat Central American food without travelling too far from Allston.
Hoped For Better: Allston Diner
There was a lot of good feedback for Allston Diner every time they had a match up. The most vocal portion of the voters seemed to like it. And yet… it was a Sweet 16 Loser. Based on what people were saying, I thought it had a good chance of making the semi-finals. Oh well. I guess Allston has too many residents who don’t leave the house before 3pm.
Most Shameful Run: BonChon
Part of the shame is on our part for including it. We originally stated that we didn’t want any large chains in the competition but we let BonChon in because apparently Google was broken one day and we never did our research to find out that BonChon is an international chain. But still, why did you all have to let BonChon beat all of the more deserving Korean options? K-Town Chicken has better chicken. Myung Dong is a better time. BonChon is probably better than Bibim but only by virtue of being able to stay open for the length of the tournament. Choose better Korean food at places that garner fewer gross health inspections.
Most Likely To Improve: Coreanos
Coreanos put up a good showing for a place that hasn’t even been open for a whole year. They beat their similar rival OliToki and then almost took down Habanero. In future contests, there will probably be even more people who are familiar with their options and they might go even further.
Strongest Induced Craving: Alfredo’s
Every time I did a Round 1 write up for a poll, I would of course get hungry for the competitors. On most occasions I was able to fight the temptation to eat them that day, otherwise I would’ve gone broke and gained 40 pounds over the course of the tournament. There was one particular exception and that was Alfredo’s. As soon as I did a write up on it I thought about how long it had been since I had gone there and the next thing I know I’m walking out with an eggplant parm. So they may have been disappointed by a Round 1 loss, but they hold the special title in this regard that I couldn’t resist them.
Worst Complaining About Seeding Or Results: All Of It
Don’t do that. Next time just vote and live your life.
