Tournament of Champions: Is the West Coast stronger than the East?

After watching the first season of Tournament of Champions, it’s safe to say that if you were a serious foodie, you would do just about anything to live on the West Coast.

Brooke Williamson, who won the entire tournament, was from the West Coast bracket. Antonia Lofaso was the No. 1 seed and she made it all the way to the semifinals. And while there were a few upsets, there were far more among the East Coast chefs, with legends such as Alex Guarnashelli, Rocco DiSpirito and Marc Murphy all going out in the first round.

Then there is the upcoming Tournament of Champions 2, which for the first time will include a play-in tournament for the final spots. Four chefs have been invited from each coast to cook and compete for the coveted No. 8 seed in each bracket.

Is the West Coast the stronger Tournament of Champions bracket?

Now let me be clear that I am in no way saying that East Coast chefs are inferior to their West Coast counterparts. I live on the East Coast and wouldn’t give that up for all the sushi in the ocean. But when it comes to competition, maybe the West Coasters do have a slight edge. Maybe they know how to compete and are more willing to put themselves out there.

When you look at the contestants for Season 2, it is telling that the majority of the heavy hitters are returning for another shot at winning it all while of the three East Coast chefs named above, only Marc Murphy is returning to try and take the title away from Williamson.

Are East Coast chefs soft? Do they have an issue with the blind judging format? Are they worried about their reputations? I just don’t know.

However, the fact that Tournament of Champions mastermind Guy Fieri had to have a play-in tournament to determine the West Coast bracket No. 8 seed and didn’t have to do the same for the East bracket is a bit revealing.

Maybe I’m reading too much into it. But I will say that the East needs to seriously represent on Tournament of Champions 2. The pride of East Coast foodies everywhere is on the line and we need to show Williamson and the rest we can cook with the best of them.

What do you think Guilty Eaters? Do you think the West Coast will roll to another victory or do you think the East Coast has a shot at winning it all? Leave a comment below and let us know or join the conversation on our Twitter page.

*This article has been edited, as a previous version stated there were only West Coast chefs competing for a No. 8 spot in the bracket. Both the East and West Coast will have a play-in tournament for the eighth spot in their respective brackets.