Tomato Nation

last updated 25 August, 11 AM

We've crowned kings in the snackets for cheese, ice cream, and cereal. Now it's time for yet another series of showdowns in the grocery aisle, as the Bunkler Snacketology Clinic enters the longest, strongest aisle of all: The N Cookie AA.

TN food-bracket vets will remember how the tourney works (the N.C. Double Scoop bracket is right here, if you'd like to have a look), but we're doing things a little differently this time around.  First, we're separating the wheat from the chaff with a series of preliminary polls; you vote on multiple favorites to choose who continues to the bracket proper, and suggest any selections we may have missed.

After we've built the bracket, business proceeds as usual: we (that's me and Keckler, back from a well-deserved snacket break) post the commentary on the match-ups; you vote in the corresponding polls; everyone involved talks trash about…well, whatever the cookie equivalent of fruitcake is.

Watch the front page, GrubReport.com, or the TN Twitter feed (that's username "TomatoNation") for updates.  You'll have a day or two to vote each slate, and then we close the polls, tally the results, update the bracket, and start the process over again for the next round.

You can also find updates and instructions on this page throughout the tournament.

Questions? Interested in sponsoring a round with an ad or a prize? Drop an email to bunting at tomatonation dot com.

Where do we vote?

Right here on TN.  As of this writing, voting is open for the Pepperidge Farm preliminaries, and for the Keebler preliminary.

How could you leave off [cookie] and include [other cookie]?!

With only 64 slots in four areas, we couldn't include everything. For this particular snacket, we've tried to solicit as much outside input as possible, but it's…a popularity contest.

Why is [x] in one category but [y] in another?!

Again: 64 slots; 4 flights of 16 each.  We do our best to classify everything correctly within the limits of the bracket structure, but the bracket structure…has limits, and we won't be able to please everyone.  Inevitably, some folks will feel like their favorite cookie got shanked in the draw, or that we aren't scientific enough, but we encourage you just to have fun with it.

You should absolutely email me if you spot any mistakes, but please understand that "I think your ranking of Kipferl is BULLSHIT!!!1!" is more of a difference of opinion than an error.

I don't actually like cookies that much.  What's the next bracket?

1) Probably candy, God help us.  2) What are you, some kind of pinko?