The first ten episodes weren't that good. The finale really saves this series for me as it was one of the best endings in recent memory.
I think the weird and peculiar situations that some of the side characters had just seemed so off, almost to the point of unbelievable.

While I think the first season emphasized more on food than story. This season was quite the opposite, more story than food.
I liked that the thin gray line between friendship and romance was explored, especially in the last arc. It was the most interesting part of the show to be honest. A sorta will-they-wont-they feel throughout.

I think if you don't relate this back to Season 1, it works surprisingly well. I think if you tie it back then it basically downgrades the first season being all for not but as a complete stand-alone or loose spinoff, it totally works.