I'm Back (2013)

Happy Halloween, Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year. I've been remiss in my posts but the blog still exists. The urge to write endures and so I shall return.

As usual, the subject will probably be eating challenges - things look bright in 2013, and already I have plans to take on several large challenges all the way from Los Angeles to Orange County to San Diego. There may even be a detour to Las Vegas for a 120 oz steak and a few burgers.

This Sunday, I team with Jamie McDonald, Damon Wells, and Kevin Ross to take on an old nemesis: the huge 54"x54" pizza at Big Mama and Papa's Pizzeria in Burbank. We will be joined by two fellow Wreckless Eaters seeking revenge. Wish us well! Happy times and full stomachs await.

A Necessary Correction

Last Sunday, at the 3rd annual Farrell's Ice Cream Eating Challenge, we witnessed the debut of the Professional Eaters' category.

I misreported the finish of that illustrious 7-man race. Though prizes were only offered to the top 3 finishers (Wells, Reda, Koch), all of the other eaters continued to plow until time was called for Ron Koch.

Shawn Kirby, Matt Cohen, Kevin Ross, and Frank Paulin all ate to the very last moment. Words chosen in the last blog entry incorrectly implied that some of the food warriors gave up early. Competitive eaters have more heart than that. They have more stomach too.

In particular, a couple sentences suggest that Matt Cohen stopped eating early. That wasn't true. Matt finished more ice cream than some of his competitors to boot. Came across a couple high resolution photos (taken by Pablo Martinez) late in the contest showing that the "Sweet Tooth" battled to the end. I'm sorry for my mistake. In the future I will work harder to write more dilligent posts.

Looking forward to the next "sweet, dairy, and cold" contest in Southern California. Will Red Cup bring back a fourth installment of the Gallon Froyo Challenge?

Farrell's 2012 Professional Eater's Contest

On July 15, Farrell's Ice Cream Parlours will bring back its annual Ice Cream Challenge for the third time. The event will be staged in Downtown Brea, along Birch Street. It will last all day and include community events.

For eaters, the actual event should be described as a contest. There will be a stage and several divisions in contention. The winner of each division will win a trophy and a year's supply of ice cream.

However, things are a little bit different when it comes to the brand new professional eaters' division. I discussed different ideas with Farrell's marketing team for months and, along with Matt Cohen, we finally came up with the current format.

Left: I hold all 3 ribbons signifying my prior completion of all 3 "Bellybuster" sundaes, making me a Triple Crown Champion. Right: Matt Cohen hoists the 2011 Men's Trophy

To qualify as a professional eater you'd need to consume a Pig's Trough (6-scoop sundae) in the fastest time possible. The 8 quickest qualifier times would then take on the 6 lb, 30 scoop Zoo Sundae at the final. Whoever finishes their Zoo first will win $500 and a year's worth of free ice cream.

So far, three people have qualified for the professional eater's division: Damon Wells, Kevin Ross, and myself. Matt Cohen (last year's men's champion) will qualify this Thursday night at a special event in the Mission Viejo location. Anyone else who wants to play has until July 5 to qualify for any division. You can stop by any location in Southern California to do so.

A Freak will also be appearing at the special event Thursday night in Mission Viejo. Cohen and I will be participating in a special radio broadcast with Tim Conway. My role is part of a donation fundraiser, in which donors give cash and guess my finish times on all 3 Bellybuster sundaes (basically all 6-scoop sundaes). The donors who most closely guess my times will win prizes.

The final event will benefit Children Hospital of Orange County and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Hopefully more people come out and eat for a cause. The pro division still has four empty slots!

A Challenging Day

December 3, 2011 was a hectic day. I don't know if it'll quite live in infamy, but it certainly pushed the limits. There's a lot of good food in the Los Angeles area, but once the clock struck midnight there was about 16 lbs less.

Started things off at D' Lite Pho Lee in Rowland Heights. For lunch, I tackled their XXXL Pho Challenge. You are given one hour to finish 2 lbs of meat and 2 lbs of noodles. There were no previous winners at the time. Decided there was no real reason to rush - this was the standard pho challenge you see at so many restaurants. It was delicious. And in 25 minutes it was gone. They gave me this really sweet plum soda afterward.

So, really, how big was the meal? The server explained to me that the quoted weights (2 lbs meat, 2 lbs noodles) refer to post-cooking tallies. It's inevitable that the noodles will soak up some of the broth, you also end up slurping up some of the broth, and there's the usual water intake that goes with mass consumption. I can safely say this was over 5 lbs of food. Went in starving, but felt satisfied afterward.

The pho was done by 2 PM. After visiting family in the Glendora area, I met up with two of my competitive eating buddies in Little Tokyo. The Spicialist and Kevin Ross have eaten many massive meals alongside me. The Spicalist wanted to test his ability to handle two challenges back-to-back, mostly as capacity training for an upcoming bout with the 8+ OMG Burger offered by The Catch in Anaheim.

We met up at Wakasaya around 9 PM. It's located in one of those shopping centers you find in Little Tokyo. Their challenge is the 5+ lb Bikkuri Don, basically a large bowl of raw fish and rice with a huge miso soup on the side. You get 15 minutes to thrash the food, or you're paying $50 to the kitchen. Few people have beat this one. Kevin once held the house record here (about 7 minutes), and since he already completed the challenge opted to wait for our next stop.

The Spicialist and I ate deliberately. We dominated those huge donburi bowls. Our finish times were a few seconds apart (he nosed me out), right at the 10 minute line. The server was impressed, remarking that we made it look easy. I didn't mention the pho from earlier.

Amazingly, I didn't really feel anything after this challenge. Not full. Not stuffed. Just "in the zone." Kevin was certainly hungrier than the rest of us, so we rushed off to our final destination.

We arrived at Kosher Pizza World in downtown LA around 10 PM. Unfortunately, my camera battery was very low so I couldn't take many pictures or video. Their challenge is the 7 lb "Ultimate Destroyer Burrito."  You get 30 minutes to try and slay this soy-filled vegetarian beast. It was undefeated at the time.



Kevin went first. Guided by the magical powers of his orange hat, he destroyed the burrito in a record 7 minutes. The audience of restaurant goers were absolutely on their feet for this feat. You can hear me in the video calling out (annoying) color commentary. My hat's off to Kevin for this huge win!

Spicialist ate about 75% of the burrito in 15 minutes

Then, when the dust had settled, The Spicialist and I received our 7 lb challenge burritos. Kevin's record setting performance would be a tough act to follow. I blazed right out the gate, finishing half of my burrito in about 5 minutes.

Things became very difficult at that point. My stomach was nearly capped off. The owner of the restaurant recognized me from my Man v Food Nation appearance and suggested to me that I had a reputation to maintain. I would be lucky to maintain consciousness!

Every bite was now a battle. Water became my best friend, soaking and pushing down every last morsel of food. I was full, but it was still delicious. At about 21 minutes, I finally cleared my huge dish.

Relief, sweet relief sounded in my head. This was almost unbelievable. It was my first time attempting three "mass" eating challenges in one day (8 hour span) with success. It sure as hell wasn't easy. There were moments during the burrito were I really believed I would lose it. Willpower must count for a lot.

Hadn't blogged in awhile, so I figured putting up a quality story would make up for it. Spending too much time editing videos lately!

Concluding Cheesesteaks in Corona

Here is the assembled cast from yesterday afternoon's cheesesteak contest. We're smiling after the rumble, but there was a definite battle at the table.

Some contests go off without a hitch. That isn't always the case, unfortunately, but we still manage to have a good time no matter what's going wrong.

OK, so here's the rundown. It was a 10 minute contest. We would eat all the 10" cheesesteaks we could, and the winner would get $50 cash, a $25 gift card to Mill Creek restaurant, and a gift card to a local racing track. Nothing for second prize and below but a free meal.

The food looked incredible and tasted memorable. However, there wasn't enough pre-made to handle the action of the contest. We started with three sandwiches apiece. Once things got going, the kitchen had to rush to get more food to us. Some of the competitors were true sports. When it was clear that Kevin Ross and The Spicialist were clearly ahead, and food wasn't ready to keep their pace, the others gave them their spare sandwiches.

Matt Cohen, Mary Bowers, and especially Frank Paulin deserve major credit for being team players. Frank spent the last 1:10 of the contest without any extra food placed in front of him. It definitely hampered his performance in my mind.

The rules of the contest did not suit me well. Dunking was forbidden. I don't do well in picnic-style events for that reason. Getting down 4 sandwiches was a fight. In fact, Cohen was level with me until the last few moments, when I chipmunked half a sandwich. He wasn't happy about that.

Mary also struggled with the no-dunk rules. The only guys who weren't affected by the contest format were The Spicialist and Kevin, who managed to pack in 5.5 sandwiches each when the time stopped.

It looked like a tie for first place. And this is where the biggest controversy of the day occurred. The owner of the restaurant naturally holds full discretion over the contest. Seeing that The Spicialist swallowed his food first, he was awarded the tie-breaker win. This surprised Kevin. And, of course, those of us with serious eating contest experience were taken aback as well.

The whole issue stemmed from a lack of clarity regarding the rules for a finish. Part of the problem was that every cheesesteak contest held at Philly's Best in Corona in 2011 was dominated by Johnnie Excel. No one got close to Johnnie, so the winning decision was clear.

But this time, mere bites separated a champion from merely a full stomach. Had Kevin known about the swallowing provision (cleared mouth), I have no doubts he would have made a stronger effort to power down that last mouthful. We were all under the impression that they were counting empty plates to tally results. I expected an eat-off.

That being said, The Spicialist fully deserved to win. He's put in a lot of hard work recently, and proven that he has the tools needed to do well in competitive eating. Results are showing for him far and wide. He put in a winning number yesterday.

Hot words followed the decision, but fortunately better judgment prevailed, things were smoothed over, and all was well. Just so there's no confusion, the tension was not between the two top competitors. The conflict was limited to the nature of the contest decision. It's unfortunate that these things happen, but they do.

That's another eating contest behind us. We're all looking forward to the next one. If nothing else stands in the way, Southern California's finest could clash over corndogs at the Redondo Beach kite festival in two weeks.

Corona Cheesesteak Results 02/26/12

1T)  The Spicialist           5.5 sandwiches* declared champion
1T)  Kevin Ross               5.5
2)    Naader Reda             4
3)    Matt Cohen               3.5
4)    Frank Paulin             3.25+ * no food for last 1:10
5)    Mary Bowers            2.5

Cheesesteaks Return to Corona

There may not be blood, but there will be cheese. Philly's Best of Corona is celebrating its 6th anniversary with another cheesesteak eating contest.

Southern California's crop of competitive eaters will be congregating for this cheesy affair. Mary Bowers, Kevin Ross, Frank Paulin, Matt Cohen, The Spicialist, and I will eat all we can for 10 minutes. At the end, Corona will crown a new cheesesteak eating hero.

Noticeably absent is Johnnie Excel. He's the local hero, with a record of 7.25 cheesesteaks in 10 minutes. I hear there's a bonus on the line if any of the competitors can break his record. Otherwise, the contest will provide the winner with $50 cash and a gift certificate.

Cheesesteaks are fast becoming a favorite of mine. Let's see if I can top 5 sandwiches this time (though I wouldn't mind eating 8). This has been a strange month for me. Normally known for doing challenges, I've snuck in four contests in February.

Is this a sign of things to come? What else does 2012 have in store, besides unanswered questions?

Winging It

Photo courtesy Wingstop Socal facebook


This Saturday looks to be another gathering of the greats in Southern California. Wingstop is hosting a chicken wing eating championship at its Irvine location this Saturday at 1:30 PM. How many wings can you eat in 90 seconds?

Survivors from the qualifying round advance to a 30 second championship round. The winner receives free plane tickets. Runner-up wins a year's supply of chicken wings. Everyone who participates gets free lunch and a T-shirt (particulars still unclear at this point).

I'd like it better if this were a 90 minute contest. The event has already caught the attention of speed demons Johnnie Excel, Kevin Ross, and the Spicialist. It wouldn't be a surprise if Frank Paulin or Mary Bowers showed up as well, as they are Orange County locals.

All five of the previously mentioned competitors have picked up wins in wing eating competitions in the past few months. This will be my first serious shot at a wing contest. I won't make any predictions, because 90 seconds is intense enough to favor any of the people I listed. It's near a university, so I'd expect some collegiate wing eaters to show up too.

It's going to be a fun sprint. It's always nice to hang out with friends. Fortunately for me, it's early enough in the day for me to find something else to eat later.

Corona's Best

The above photo has nothing to do with the current post. Please excuse its presence here. I didn't have a picture of a cheesesteak handy,

This Saturday, an earthquake is shaping up in Corona, CA. The local Philly's Best is working with Johnnie Excel to set up a charity cheesesteak eating contest to benefit people living with MS. And that's cool. It's great to see competitive eaters giving back, and even greater to be a part of it.

Details are still hazy. What's in the offing, however, is the first big confrontation between Southern California's independent competitive eaters in 2012. Excel himself hasn't participated in a contest in months. His record of 7.5 steaks in 10 minutes is on the line.

Matt "Sweet Tooth" Cohen is looking to start the year strong after capturing Farrell's Ice Cream Eating Championship in 2011. Mary Bowers is looking to further her mark on the scene after debuting at the West Coast Hot Dog Eating Championship last year. Kevin Ross (with recent contest wins in wings and sushi) and "The Spicialist" are other possible contenders.

This will be my first short contest of 2012. I'm looking to use the opportunity to gauge my performance against Johnnie Excel. We clashed in 8 short-game contests last year, and Excel came out ahead every time. He's the only remaining independent eater in the area that I've never bested in a contest. So, there's a goal for 2012.

Earlier today, I also realized that Johnnie is one of the few eaters who doesn't have a nickname. I'd like to nominate the appelation "Iron Fist." Last year he had a lock (or damn strong claim) on virtually every contest he participated in. He's collected a lot of souls. Shattered a few dreams. Johnnie "Iron Fist" Excel has a certain ring to it.

On Saturday, will the "Iron Fist" swing high and crush the field? Or, will a veneer of rust allow a new cheesesteak champion to rise up?

Riding the Sunset

If you can eat a 3 lb sandwich in short order, Hollywood's Sunset Deli may have a free meal waiting for you. Their Challenger Sandwich normally costs $30, but finish faster than the current champ your meal is on the house, along with a cool shirt, and your pic on the wall of fame and website. You also earn the right to create a sandwich to be placed on the menu. 

The sandwich comes with several cuts of meat and your choice of cheese. If you have any issues regarding taset or diet, they will gladly sub out one food for more of another. 3 lbs is not going to be a huge test for a serious eater. The issue is getting over the time limit. When I visited last February, the record was 19 minutes, held by a local customer.

My strategy was simple. Use the soda that comes with the meal to moisten the bread and push through the massive meat pile. 19 minutes was not a huge hurdle to climb and I was able to finish just over 16 minutes. The staff could tell I was on my way to a win early on, though they hoped I could do it sub-15. Everything was delicious. I think my only regret was that there wasn't more food to be eaten.

And yes, you do need to eat the pickle to be counted a winner. Time stops when the last bite is swallowed. Whatever glory I earned from this challenge was fleeting. Kevin Ross, newly independent, recently visited the restaurant and topped my time with a finish under 11 minutes.

Burger War

This Saturday at 7PM, Lumpy's Diner in Antioch will host a true gastrointestinal joust. Their 3rd annual Burger Eating Championship will gather the best collection of independent talent since the Derby Deli's West Coast Hot Dog Eating Championship last month.

Competitors have twelve minutes to eat as many burgers as they can. The winner walks away with a custom champion's belt and a handsome cash prize of several hundred dollars. Last year's runner-up, Johnnie Excel, looks to promote to the top slot in 2011.

So who's going to give Johnnie some competiton? There are a few names on the list. Dax Swanson, who's been on a strong run lately, will be there to represent Norcal. Mary Bowers, a recent entrant to the California competitive eating scene, will be appearing in her third contest this Saturday and promises to bring "elegance and etiquette" to the sanctioned insanity.

I will be competing as well, making this the eighth time in 2011 I've shared a contest stage with Excel. It's ironic but I've competed against him more than any other eater. One of these days (or so I vow) I will catch him.

So who else might be playing? There will be plenty of local players to represent the neighborhood. But, other names like Greg Moss, Kevin Ross, Tom Gilbert, and even Stephanie Torres come to mind. We'll have to see how things shape up Saturday night.

Let the burger bash begin.

Video: Me and Kevin at the Stadium

In July, at long last, Kevin Ross and I went after the Big League Challenge at Stadium Pizza in Wildomar, CA. There were no winners so we went in and blazed a trail for future food warriors.

What's in the Big League Challenge, you ask? It's 7 lbs of total food. An 18" pizza with seven toppings, 12 hot wings, a loaf of garlic bread, and a pitcher of soda. The place has one of those soda machines that lets you mix and match flavors. Despite the huge array of choices, we independently decided upon root beer.

Kevin began the challenge with great speed. For a second I thought he'd leave me in the dust, but we evened out and finished with similar times.

Of late I've been busy with video editing. Lots of it. My next relevant post will include some photos from the restaurant.

Monster of a Burger, Part Two

Well, this is what was left of the Monster Burger Combo after 15 minutes. The manager does play-by-play commentary over the PA system as you chow down. He remarked that he never saw anyone tear into the burger the way I did. It only took me 6 minutes to demolish the massive hamburger, but the fries were too much. I stopped eating (and drinking) around the 13 minute mark when I saw it was hopeless.

The manager decided to credit me with his restaurant's first-ever challenge victory in 5 years. That got me a $25 refund and a t-shirt. He was impressed with the way I annihilated the burger and drained over half the pitcher. I was a bit crestfallen that I didn't finish it all.

In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have done this after waging a double cheeseburger war with Johnnie Excel. Lesson learned.

A few weeks later, Kevin Ross rolled in and got even closer to a 100% finish. He nearly finished all the fries! I don't have photos, but he was credited with the second-ever win over the Monster Burger Challenge. Maybe one day we'll both roll in starving and go for broke. I feel like I could take this one on an empty stomach.

Stephen Obar informed me that he also completed the burger within 10 minutes, but was unable to conquer the massive pile of stringy potatoes. This challenge is a beast.

So who's next? Where's winner #3?

Precontest Staredown

I'm trying to figure out what these guys were saying. This photo was taken in the minutes before the 2011 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest Qualifier in Hawthorne. It was a June morning.

Kevin Ross, left, and Matt Stonie are having a war of words. Kevin's staredown is awesome.

Maybe it was a trash-talk session.

Kevin: "This is my turf, and I'll be damned if some punk from upstate is going to walk away with the win."

What is Matt saying?

Leave your answers in the comments section below.