Last night, my wife and I finished our marathon of Master of None’s season 2 and I must admit: boy, what a delight – especially foodwise.

Sure, I could stay here praising great moments like the one where Dev (Aziz Ansari’s character) goes on several dates with very different women thanks to a popular dating app; the last scene on “The Dinner Party” episode where – literally – words could not describe; the lifetime struggle of Denise to be accepted as “Lebanese” by her family; or the amazing episode where the intersecting lives of different New Yorkers are shown.

But no. Today, I’ll talk about one of the main characters that often steal the show: the food.

First and foremost, I think is fair to say that I’m a fan of Aziz Ansari. I don’t know whether this is because of his likeability or my nostalgic feelings towards Parks and Recreation – btw, Aziz, if you read this, I’m still waiting on a Amy Poehler cameo on MoN!

That being said, it’s worth mentioning that Aziz has a serious love for food IRL. The show’s co-creator (along with Anzari), Alan Yang, has even mentioned that “one of the reasons Aziz and I became friends is that we liked food.“.

Maybe that’s why food is so omnipresent in Master of None – and not just any old grub, but the good stuff too, like a three-star Michelin restaurant. Not feeling fancy enough? That’s ok, you can always go to a food truck festival and grab some juicy pork ribs – whether your religion allows it or not.

Our beloved characters are constantly eating around New York City bars and restaurants, and this season we even get to go to Italy!

Just a quick note: I’m sure this will wear off in a few weeks, since we just finished season 2, but I find funny how my wife and I are suddenly shouting “Allora!” and “Buona Notte!” around our house, just to immediately laugh after that. {lol emoji}

“Master of None and the quest to find the best of everything”

In my opinion, Dev is a new kind of character for TV, one that you could call a “casual-urban optimizer”. Let me explain: yes, he goes to fancy restaurants, has great taste in music, wears nice clothes and live in a loft that I wish it were mine. But Dev is not elitist or pretentious about his lifestyle – he just likes to find the best stuff that’s out there, and has fun while at it.

Now the thing is: I can relate to that. I still check Foursquare, Tripadvisor, Facebook, Instagram and whatnot in search for tips before going or even choosing a bar or a restaurant. Where should I go? What should I order? I want to make the most of it! You probably know a Dev – or might even be a Dev too – but is not that common to see someone like this on TV.

Either way, nearly every episode features some notable mouth-watering meal. I’m sure some of it are product placement (it has to, right?!), but since is so well incorporated to the show’s identity, it does not bother, at all. Also, if this is what it takes to dream about a meal like that…

… who cares?!

“I’m getting hungry. Why should I watch MoN?”, you might ask.

Well, Master of None also excels at mixing light and fun subjects that might end up forgotten or even sucked up in our daily rush to get things done with some red flags subjects like religion, parents, racism, feminism, being single, being married… the list, much like our life, goes on.

If you haven’t seen the show yet, go and do yourself a favor. The music is great, the photography is beautiful and the dialogue is remarkable. Dev’s conversations with his friends are the glue that holds Master of None together. It reminds me of another great TV show – Seinfeld: some of the funniest and most insightful moments occur when they are arguing while sitting around a table or just walking down the street.

These scenes make you feel like you’re part of Dev’s crew, and are definitely part of the reason why Master of None is so easy and, much like the food depicted on the show, delightful to binge-watch.

So, who’s up for a bite?