Business & Tech

Munch Madness: Where Are the Best Eats in Darien, Downers Grove, Lemont and Woodridge?

You've undoubtedly heard of March Madness. Well, this is Munch Madness—Patch's attempt to find the best restaurant in a four-town radius.

You may already be cheering your bracket for the NCAA men's basketball tournament, but do you have what it takes to pick the final four for Patch's Munch Madness? 

We're willing to bet it's more difficult than it sounds.

Munch Madness runs along the same lines as the much-hyped basketball tournament—except it uses Darien, Downers Grove, Lemont and Woodridge restaurants instead of college basketball squads. 

Find out what's happening in Woodridgefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

That's right, 64 restaurants all vying for top status in the county. 

How do they advance, you ask? That's where you come in.

Find out what's happening in Woodridgefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

We're not egotistical enough to tell you what restaurants you do and don't like. That's why we're letting you decide which eateries take home Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four and Champion honors.

Restaurants will be grouped into geographical regions: the Darien region, Downers Grove region, Lemont region and Woodridge region. 

And what type of bracket mania would this be without a prize at the end of the tunnel? 

Print out the bracket—it's set to be unveiled this Tuesday—and fill it out to your specifications and local expertise, and send it back to us at melissat@patch.com.

The person with the most games guessed correctly will win a $50 gift certificate to the Final Four restaurant of their choosing! Each game is worth one point. In the event of a tie, a random bracket will be chosen.

Want to know more?

Here's how it works:

  • The tournament begins March 21 with the championship matchup set for April 13. 
  • Restaurants will advance based on the number of votes they get on each Patch's website and their Facebook and Twitter accounts. The restaurant with the most votes at the end of the matchup will advance.
  • Readers can vote by leaving a comment on the posted article for a given matchup. Twitter followers can vote by tagging a Patch's Twitter handle and adding their vote. And Facebook fans can vote by leaving a comment on the Facebook status that coordinates with the given matchup. 
  • One vote per user, Twitter follower and Facebook fan. If you follow us on all three platforms like you should, that's three votes!
  • Voting periods will be as long as the round in which you are voting.
  • Round 1 begins March 21 and ends March 28.
  • Round 2 begins March 29 and ends April 4.
  • The Sweet 16 round begins April 5 and ends April 6.
  • The Elite Eight round begins April 9 and ends April 10.
  • The Final Four round begins April 11 and ends April 12.
  • The Championship game will be on April 13.
  • Matchups will be posted each day throughout each voting period.
  • Ties in any matchups will be decided based on the last official vote recorded on the Patch website.
  • Not all area restaurants made the cut. Feel free to tell us if you think a certain restaurant got snubbed.

In the meantime, here's a sample of what you will see when asked to vote:

FIRST ROUND MUNCH MADNESS MATCHUPS (REGION)

Restaurant 1 vs. Restaurant 2

Restaurant 1: A brief bio and explanation of what the establishment offers.

Restaurant 2: A brief bio and explanation of what the establishment offers.

Vote in the comments section below now!

Some rules and regulations:

  • All entries must be received by 10 p.m. Monday, March 26.
  • To determine the winner, we will take add up the total number of games guessed correctly. Each game is worth one point.
  • If two or more people tie for the most points, a random drawing will be held to determine the winner of the gift card.
  • Only one entry allowed per person. All participants must be 18 years or older.
  • You can read our official giveaway .

So let the comments begin—and tell your friends. 

Without seeing the bracket, which Darien, Downers Grove, Lemont or Woodridge restaurant is your odds-on favorite to win the title?

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