From Best Family Dinner to Most Memorable Kitchen Disaster, Here Are the Kitchn TV Awards for 2020
I hope your couch is comfy and your pantry is full of popcorn kernels, because February is the BEST month for watching TV. Sure, Fall gets more attention because all your favorite shows are officially back, but February is when you can actually savor everything. That brusque winter weather isn’t as magical anymore, January resolutions have come and gone, and everyone you know wants to hibernate (or is that just me?). In short: It’s the perfect time to binge-watch something you might have missed last year.
And while, of course, we’re watching these shows for the drama and the humor and the everything-in-between, as food editors, we’re also watching for the culinary moments (or the lack thereof). Which show has the best kitchen? What about the most cringe-inducing dinner date?
So, to celebrate February’s unofficial binge-watching season, or what we’re calling “Watch Week,” we’re kicking off Kitchn’s first-ever TV awards. We reviewed every single show from 2019* and, through fierce debate, we found our winners. If you’re in between shows and not sure which one to curl up on the couch with this February, let this be your guide.
Please note: We do our best to not include any big SPOILERS, but it’s not perfect. We do talk about the essential, but not-too-spoiler-y plot points.
Best Kitchen: The L Word: Generation Q
It’s not come as a surprise that many of the characters from The L Word like to gather around in the kitchen. I mean, just look at the thing — it’s gorgeous. The soft white cabinets with wood accents! The sea foam green backsplash! The huge kitchen island! It’s warm and inviting, but also open and spacious. It’s our favorite kitchen we found in any TV show in 2019.
Watch on Hulu and Amazon Prime.
Best Family Dinner: Fleabag
HOT PRIEST. Whew, sorry, just had to get that out of the way. Back to the awards. We chose Fleabag as the winner for “Best Family Dinner” because of that totally awkward and hilarious first episode in season 2 where Fleabag has dinner with her sister, her brother-in-law, Godmother, dad, and that aforementioned priest. It might not have been fun for the characters in the show, but it was certainly the most entertaining family dinner for viewers last year.
Watch on Amazon Prime.
Most Memorable Kitchen Disaster: This Is Us
No, I’m not talking about that kitchen disaster (you know, the one that basically defined the show.) Because that didn’t happen in 2019. But even still – This Is Us takes home the prize this year because of the celebratory dinner in Rebecca’s new home (episode 5, season 4). She makes Cornish hens which are burned on the outside and raw in the middle. And in true This is Us fashion, this parallels the time when she and Jack moved into their first home together and they mess up their first meal.
Watch on Hulu or Amazon Prime.
Cringiest Dinner Date: You
Basically any time that Joe/Will interacts with Love (his love interest) in Season 2 of Netflix’s You, everyone gets the heebie-jeebies. “Run! Get out! Save yourself!” You want to scream at the TV. The cringiest dinner date, however, is when Joe/Will makes Love her favorite childhood dessert in episode three: Challah bread, Nilla wafers, and hot cocoa. It’s cloyingly sweet in all the wrong ways.
Watch on Netflix and Amazon Prime.
Most Creative Dishes: Naked & Afraid
In case you didn’t already know: Naked & Afraid is a show where two contestants are left with essentially nothing — including no food — for about 30 days. So, they have to forge and hunt for everything they consume (if that’s not “creative,” we don’t know what is!). Plus: they have to do all all this while naked.
Watch on Hulu and Amazon Prime.
Most Unappetizing Show: Game of Thrones
Could there be anything else? We’ve been struggling to eat while watching this show since it aired in 2011, and the final bloody season continued that legacy (even if it didn’t turn out the way many viewers wanted).
Watch on Hulu and Amazon Prime.
Read more:
What to Eat While Watching Game of Thrones
Best Use of Ingredients in a Show: Watchmen
EGGS. That’s all I can really say without giving more of the show away (I’m sorry). But just know that this is the best use of any ingredient maybe ever in any show period. If you haven’t watched Watchmen yet, do yourself a favor and turn on your TV right now. HURRY UP.
Watch on Hulu and Amazon Prime.
*Ok, fine, we didn’t watch every single show. But we still stand behind this (incomplete) list!
Your turn: What were the TV food moments that really stood out to you in 2019? Let us know in the comments!