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MARCH MADNESS SHOWDOWN - SWEET 16 RESULTS, ELITE 8 MATCHUPS

Posted by The LunchMen Friday, March 25, 2011

What a round! The Sweet 16 match-ups certainly lived up to their billing, all the contests were close, with a few exceptions, and we even had to go to a double secret probation style tiebreaker to decide the battle between Tony’s Downtown and El Burrito. Here are your results:

Diprato’s over Café Millwood


Did anyone see this coming? Certainly not the Publican, who, upon learning that his new favorite lunch locale had been upset by none other his least favorite restaurant, threatened to retire from the blogosphere completely unless the judges stepped in and declared a mis-trial. Sorry Publican, but the masses have spoken, and DiPrato’s moves on.

Hunter Gatherer over The Mousetrap


This was close for a while, but HG pulled away late. Both teams are final four worthy, but The Mousetrap may have been hampered by the fact that most of its clientele is too old to know how to get on the internet and vote. Next year we’ll allow people to vote via telegram also to avoid any accusations of ageism against the Lunchmen.

No Name over Mathias


The most lopsided victory of the entire round. No Name took advantage of Mathias’ relatively unknown status amongst the downtown eaters. Thus far, NND has cruised to the Elite 8 with no real challengers – can they continue on now that the competition gets even tougher?

Other Store over Andy’s


In the end, The Other Store, for all its flaws with service and timing, is just too damn delicious to be denied. They can lay an egg for sure, but the upside for TOS is as good as any place in town. Andy’s finishes a respectable run, and will surely be back next season.

Kingsman over Drake’s


In the battle of cholesterol, the Kingsman comes away with the W. I would say the Kingsman’s fried pork chops are the Jimmer Fredette of this tournament; we’ll see how far the Kingsman can ride them.

Immaculate Consumption over End Zone


In the end, the Zone has too many people complain of an occasional bad experience to overcome the solid consistency Immac has been serving up for years. No one seems to be noticing that Immac is quietly advancing ever closer to the final four. Could this be a sleeper pick to win it all?

Garden Bistro over M Café

In a battle of two teams no one really expected to make it this far, Garden Bistro surprises everyone when its fans come out of the wood works to sing it praises. They’ve had a nice run, but can they really go any further? Not likely, especially considering their next opponent:

El Burrito over Tony’s Downtown

This one was a dead heat the whole way. In the end, Tony’s could not overcome its lack of ventilation. Since atmosphere and experience are an important part of the equation, El Burrito’s open air dining and friendly staff pushes them over the top in this case, where both restaurant’s food is equally delicious. That is the second #1 seed to fall this round.

Here are the region finals, with the winners moving on to the final four:

TANK REGION FINAL

(5) DiPrato’s vs (2) Hunter Gatherer

After their epic upset of Millwood, does DiPrato’s have enough left in the tank? The Hunter Gatherer has been steadily plowing through the competition in a march to the final four. Will their dominance continue, or does DiPrato’s have another upset in them?

RABBIT REGION FINAL

(1) No Name v. (2) The Other Store

This chalk match-up pairs two opposites. No Name is quick, efficient, and full of working stiffs on their lunch break. TOS is slow, eccentric, and frequented by Forest Acres housewives fresh off the tennis court. No Name has yet to be challenged in the tourney, but that could very well change if fans of TOS’ Greek Turkey turn out to vote.

PUBLICAN REGION FINAL

(1) The Kingsman v. (2) Immaculate Consumption

Another chalk match-up with contrasting styles. Immac is the sort of place you go the day after going to Kingsman so you can feel better about your diet. The question remains, though – who is better suited to advance?

FRODO REGION FINAL

(4) El Burrito v. (2) Garden Bistro

Here we have two restaurants that are probably happy just to have gotten this far. To underestimate either though, may be perilous, as both have shown the ability to knock off some serious competition. In the end, it may come down to whose fan base shows up with more support.

Thanks to all who have participated thus far, and keep those votes coming – either leave a comment to this blog (at the top), or email us at lunchmen@gmail.com

Results will be posted Monday, March 28

-Rabbit

4 comments

  1. Ben Says:
  2. TANK REGION FINAL

    (2) Hunter Gatherer over (5) DiPrato’s

    I have to go with Hunter Gatherer because of my dislike for DiPrato's. I simply can not get over the insult they all a side with their sandwiches. The condiment size cup of potato salad keeps away.

    RABBIT REGION FINAL

    (1) No Name over (2) The Other Store

    TOS has a great sandwich in the Greek Turkey Original but there slow service keeps them from moving on in this matchup. No Name has great food, fast, and reasonably priced.


    PUBLICAN REGION FINAL

    (1) The Kingsman over (2) Immaculate Consumption

    Give me fried veggies.

    FRODO REGION FINAL

    (4) El Burrito over (2) Garden Bistro

    Freshness v. freshness. A real toss-up but I'm going to have to with El Burrito because there is still a lingering smell that was the rug shop in front of Garden Bistro.

     
  3. Anonymous Says:
  4. Hunter-Gatherer
    The Other Store
    Kingsman
    Garden Bistro

     
  5. Anonymous Says:
  6. Hunter-Gatherer
    The Other Store
    Immac
    El Burrito

     
  7. Mrs. Tank Says:
  8. Hunter-Gatherer
    No Name Deli
    Immac
    Garden Bistro

    - Mrs. Tank

     

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Rabbit, Tank, and The Publican are three dudes just trying to get through the work week here in Columbia. Rabbit is a Columbia native, Tank is from Charleston, and The Publican hails from Greenville. Rabbit's favorite lunch spot is the No Name Deli on Elmwood, where you may find him putting down a grilled chicken salad and a side of vinegar pasta. The Publican usually wants to find food to cure his all-too-common hangovers. Tank claims no favorite lunch spot - he lives for the thrill of the hunt.

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