Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
‘The Best Thing I Ever Ate’ returns, just in time for Christmas
By now, Thanksgiving is firmly in the rear-view mirror and both Christmas and New Year’s are visible up ahead. With three major holidays all grouped so closely together, it’s definitely a time of year when plenty of us eat a lot more than we usually do (guilty!). That also makes it the perfect time of year to check out what foods those in the culinary know get excited over.
Just in time for Christmas and New Year’s, another season of “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” arrives on Cooking Channel, with a Monday, Dec. 11, premiere, and continuing Monday nights through the holiday season and beyond. Just like in seasons past, each episode queries Cooking Channel and Food Network personalities on a variation of the show’s titular statement.
In the season premiere, the big question is: “Which foods are worth the wait?” These are the dishes that chefs will gladly wait in line for, and Alton Brown (“Iron Chef Showdown”) dishes on where he gets his favorite beef Wellington. Then, former “Worst Cooks in America” host Beau MacMillan gives the lowdown on the Phoenix, Arizona, pasta restaurant where he’ll always wait as long as it takes to get a table, and Duff Goldman (“Ace of Cakes”) fills us in on just why he’s more than happy to wait in line at a special hot chicken joint.
Next week’s episode, airing Monday, Dec. 18, is all about the meat, and former “MasterChef ” favorite Monti Carlo shares where in Los Angeles she’s discovered the best chicharron money can buy. Of course, to Iron Chef Bobby Flay (“Brunch at Bobby’s”), meat is serious business, and he reveals where to get a steak that, according to him, is the best around.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle When a criminal mastermind once again threatens the world, the Kingsman organization springs back into action. After Kingsman’s headquarters is destroyed in an explosive attack, surviving agents Eggsy (Egerton) and Merlin (Strong) head to the United States, where they meet up with the members of Kingsman’s American counterpart, Statesman. With the head of the planet’s farthestreaching drug cartel (Moore) threatening to cause deaths in unspeakable numbers around the globe, the surviving members of Kingsman team up with Statesman agents Tequila (Tatum) and Whiskey (Pascal) to take her down and save the world once again. Director: Matthew Vaughn. Stars: Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Julianne Moore, Colin Firth, Channing Tatum, Pedro Pascal, Halle Berry, Hanna Alström, Edward Holcroft. 2017. 141 min. Action.
their presence in the town, because, as Frankie frantically asks: “Will people remember that the Hecks were here?”
It’s an obvious thematic choice for a final season, but, as the series does so skilfully, Frankie’s questioning and desire to know the family has had an impact is extremely relatable. Thankfully, the series is helping Frankie to find the answer, by reflecting back on memorable events of “The Middle.” The credit scenes of the episode “Thanksgiving IX,” for instance, reflect on the past nine years of Heck family Thanksgivings. Montages such as this one tug at the heartstrings of fans, who have shared these holiday moments for nearly a decade with “The Middle,” and now accept the bittersweet conclusion to such a relatable journey.
The desire to end the series with season 9 came as quite a shock to fans, who have only seen the show increase in depth and popularity. It would seem that the main reason for concluding “The Middle” at this point is to end the show while it still resonates with viewers, without experiencing a dramatic downturn in ratings or interest. In an interview on “Live with Kelly and Ryan,” Heaton addressed this: “We love the show, and we love each other, but you get this sense of when it’s time to leave the party. You don’t want to wait until it’s kind of already over.”
The series, still extremely relevant in a time when many families find making ends meet increasingly challenging, could no doubt have continued to have quite a successful run, but leaving during this pivotal time ensures that the Heck family will not be easily forgotten. Heaton has also been very expressive about the impact of the series and its relationship with its fans. While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, she emphasized that, for the cast, the crew, the writers and the fans, closure is essential. “There are so many people who have been so loyal ... and feel like these characters are their family,” she said, “so we’ll all go on this farewell journey together.”
The journey of the Heck family may be coming to a close this season, but it will forever have a place amongst those legendary family sitcoms that weren’t afraid to serve a thick slice of reality alongside their humorous main course. Reflect on the past eight seasons and hold those memories close as you enjoy some holiday cheer with the Hecks. An all-new Christmas-themed episode of “The Middle” airs Tuesday, Dec. 12, on ABC.