First Oregon Trail: Part 4

Here lies the final day of the first installment of "Oregon Mania" 2012. Four days, four challenges in the state of Oregon.

The main event, fittingly, was reserved for the last day. I would be visiting Church St Pizza with Aaron Wakamatsu and taking on a brand new pizza challenge. Aaron knew the owner of the shop and they had been discussing ideas for a challenge for some time. What they agreed upon was a true monster: a 28" pie with quadrants representing the four most popular pizza options they sold.

The total product weighed at least 12 lbs. There was a lot of meat on the pizza. One section was vegetarian, but even that one was stacked high with mushrooms and spinach.

The challenge rules were straightforward. I'd have 90 minutes to eat the whole pizza, crumbs and all, or I'd owe the shop $100. That was a bit costlier than most similar challenges. I thought there was definitely a bit of the wager element going on here.

But before I could fight my way across 12 lbs of pizza, Aaron had to contend with an incredibly spicy pizza. It was spicy as it was, but not enough for the "Spicochist." He added a number of hot sauces and pepper extracts, even complementing his beverages with them. Aaron won but it was a painful and pyrrhic victory.



It was a struggle all right. Things were okay in the beginning, as they usually are. I started strong and finished half in about 14 minutes. Then I became increasingly sluggish. The fuller you get, the slower you go, and I finally eked out the completion mark at 73 minutes. Sweet relief. No need to shell out $100.

Oregon Mania I was a complete success. All four challenges done, and a lot of other good food sampled. Aaron and I already began talking about a second Oregon Mania challenge adventure, which materialized late July. I'll be blogging about that soon.

Aaron also produced two videos commemorating the challenges/stunts we participated in over Oregon Mania and they're linked here.

The first trip was incredible. The second trip would be even bigger and bolder than the first!





First Oregon Trail: Day 3

The third day of Oregon Mania (a play on the annual WWE wrestling event) saw us take the pace down just a bit. We returned to Salem for a stop at Odd Moe's Pizza. This is the location off Lancaster. Owner Michael Sublett knew Aaron Wakamatsu well, heard of my eating antics, and wanted to design a challenge that I would inaugurate.

I remember it was a cool, overcast day. We arrived at the pizza place early, but there was confusion over meeting times. Michael greeted us in the kitchen, talked to us about his restaurant and cooking experiences, and generally seemed very enthusiastic about competitive eating and eating challenges. He was familiar with many of my YouTube videos too.

Odd Moe's Pizza already offered the Suicide Squeeze Wing Challenge, which was your standard hot wing challenge. Eat some chicken wings doused in Trinidad Moruga and Ghost chili sauces without water to get your name on the wall of fame.

Well, I wouldn't be getting away so easily. My challenge would include the 12 Trinidad Scorpion wings, but alongside it I'd also have a medium pizza loaded with toppings and a pint of ice cream. My task was to eat it as quickly as possible and set a house record for future champions to beat.

Michael called it the Triple Play Challenge, in keeping with the baseball theme present with the "Squeeze" wing challenge.

I needed 11 minutes, which became the standing record. For a new challenger to claim victory, they'll need to eat the whole challenge faster than 11 minutes. It's probably around 4 lbs of food total. The pizza was well-cooked, saucy, and the toppings were interesting. The wings were incredibly hot but the burn didn't sink in for several minutes. The ice cream at the end was very enjoyable.

I earned a spot on the wall of fame for my new record. It wasn't a very large meal, but we wanted to include Odd Moe's on our Oregon Mania journey and things worked out well. Owner Michael Sublett was thrilled we stopped by. So much so, that he gave me two bottles of hot sauce and some Mountain Dew as a parting gift.

First Oregon Trail: Day One

Over Memorial Day weekend (May 2012), I made my first "eating challenge" trip to Oregon. I met up with food blogger and spice master Aaron Wakamatsu. We traveled between Corvallis, Salem, and Portland, documenting a 4-day challenge march that culminated in four successful restaurant challenges and lots of food besides.

Day One saw me visit "Burrito Boy" in Eugene and eat their 1.25+ lb lengua burrito for fun, which I followed up with a successful 7 lb Lucky Seven Chicken Dinner at China Blue in Corvallis (with a prize pot that paid for my whole journey). We capped things off with a cookie covered in some of Aaron's hottest sauces that he carries around whenever he eats.



A very promising first day. The chicken dinner was the hardest part, and toward the end it was a struggle to get through. Too much protein. Chewing, water, and just forcing it down. At least I had fuel for the for the gym the next morning.

Salt N Straw

Salt N Straw is a small ice cream shop located in downtown Portland (Oregon). I know they have another location, and operate a truck, but my experience is localized to this one store.

My visit came over Memorial Day weekend, on the same day that I tackled the huge Texass doughnut and handled a 5 lb poutine challenge in record time. This was a dessert of sorts. They have lots of unique flavors, including temporary and seasonal ones. I went with Aaron "The Spicochist" Wakamatsu, food blogger and lover of all things spicy. 

We were there to sample the hottest flavor on the menu. Even ice cream can get hot. Titled "Sweet Heat," it was an apricot flavor with candied chunks of Scotch Bonnet peppers mixed in. Aaron bought a sensible portion while I opted for a whole quart ($8).

There's no knocking the taste or quality of the ice cream here. It stood up to, and defeated, some of my best previous experiences. The apricot flavor was spot on and strong. The heat of the peppers, however, was entirely muted by the candying process.

Sugar and dairy tend to neutralize the effect of capsaicin, so no surprise. I wanted a kick in the mouth. This turned to be more of a novelty. Still, it was one I enjoyed - though I'd recommend getting a more pedestrian flavor to see what this shop is really capable of.

July is National Ice Cream Month. Why not reflect on this one past experience?

(En)grossing Thoughts

Probably some of the most disgusting pictures I've come across are the "after" shots. The ones we take of finished plates. It's an attempt to prove that the meal was really eaten and not merely thrown over the shoulder. It's kind of feeble. Before I resorted to video it made sense. Now it's kind of gross.

What does a tray full of sauce and grease really prove anyway? Obviously a tray full of wing bones and empty ice cream containers don't prove anything. They're good to tack onto the end of a video, but that's it.

And who the Hell smiles after eating 7+ lbs of chicken? That's gotta be the world's second fakest smile.

Because this is the world's first fakest smile, taken after eating 12 lbs of pizza. In the future I'm going to opt for a more realistic post-game pose. Yes, an eating challenge is about winning. I don't need to look like I climbed a mountain, all triumphant and such.

When it's all over, it really feels like a mountain climbed you. And that's nothing to smile about.

Candied Peppers

I'm a sucker for novelty food products. Salt & Straw, with two locations in Portland, features special flavors of ice cream every month.

Last month, when I was traversing Oregon, one of those seasonal flavors was "Sweet Heat Apricot." The sweet heat comes from candied scotch bonnet peppers. Scotch bonnets pack a punch, but after being all sugared up you can hardly tell. The apricot was balanced.

I visited the shop with Aaron Wakamatsu and we went to town. He got a sensible portion, and the quart for $8 called my name. Video upcoming.

Casket Full of Confection

Would you eat a coffin filled with dougnuts? I know I would. At Voodoo Doughnut in Portland, OR, you can get such a coffin for $100.

They'll even let you keep the coffin. It sounds like a great way to spend Halloween. Or, any other day of the year for that matter.

And while you're here, check out my video from the last time I visited their shop.

Moving to Brooklyn

Last weekend's trip to Oregon was an amazing success. I met up with Aaron Wakamatsu, completed five food challenges, and appeared in the Statesman Journal for my big win against a 12 lb pizza.

Aaron is a great friend, an awesome supporter of competitive eating, and an emerging champion of all things spicy. He helped establish two of the eating challenges I dominated, and the groundwork has been set for new challenges in the coming months.

Video material from the trip is still being edited. I'll post it as soon as time permits, along with blog coverage of my individual challenges with photos. There will also be reports sent to www.bestfoodchallenges.com



Image courtesy http://crifdogclassic.com/ 

But as time rolls on, new opportunities emerge. My name is listed as a candidate for the new Crif Dog Classic Hot Dog Eating Contest slated for this July 4th in Brooklyn, New York. Though I didn't ask for it, I recognize that it's an incredible opportunity and I'm campaigning hard for votes.

I need all the help I can get, as I'm up against qualified competition. Just go to their website and vote for the "Freak8r" to send me to Brooklyn!

Oregon Mania

This weekend, I return to the state of Oregon. Hadn't been there since the Summer of 2009. Back then, I ventured North to visit a relative. Eating big was hardly on the agenda, and the one challenge I attempted defeated me.

2012 is a bit different. On the heels of Randy Santel's dominant visit to Washington state, I will make my way back to Oregon. There are two items on the agenda. Meet Aaron Wakamatsu, fellow foodie and all-around good friend, and to eat like a freak.

My roadmap is pretty much set. I'll be tackling several major challenges near Salem and Portland.

1) China Blue Lucky Seven Chicken Dinner (7 lbs)
2) Mad Greek Deli 24" sandwich w/fries (6 lbs)
3) Odd Moe's Pizza Triple Play Challenge (4-5 lbs)
4) The Legend 5 lb Poutine Challenge
5) Church St. Pizza 28" Pizza Challenge (10+ lbs)
6) Voodoo Doughnuts' Texass Doughnut (~ 1 lb)

There may be a heat challenge or two thrown in alongside that. What follows should be interesting blog and YouTube material. See you soon.

Voodoo

Things have taken a negative development at Sushilicious since the previous week. Despite already making an appointment for Friday, I was asked to reschedule because of fears regarding the lunch rush and the pressure on the kitchen staff. Those concerns are serious - how can you do an eating challenge if the restaurant can't accommodate you? Unfortunately, the men's plate record has jumped up to 60. I believe it can be topped, but it's a lot tougher than it would have been last time around.

Since I haven't written about any challenges lately, I will leave some remarks about an interesting donut shop I visited during the Summer of 2009.

Voodoo Doughnuts, with two locations in Portland, Oregon, has a reputation for good confections and an off-beat sense of humor. I arrived in the evening during the weekdays and was greeted by a crowd. After inquiring, I discovered that none of us were from Portland! We were all answering the distant call to try something different.

If you watch Man v Food on the Travel Channel, you'll recall that meandering food host Adam Richman visited this snack hole during the program's first season. They showed you how doughnuts are made, which I thought was pretty cool. This shop has lots of interesting doughnut varieties: The Black Top Mafia, Cock N Balls (dont' ask, because I don't remember and I didn't buy it), Portland Creme Pie (which is supposedly the official doughnut of the fair city), and finally the biggest doughnut you'll ever see in your life, the Tex-Ass Doughnut:

This is what it looks like on a table, next to a nickel - or dime, not really sure, but you get the idea.... the sucker is huge. I think it's roughly the equivalent of six ordinary doughnuts. It was thick, sugary, and heavy.

Any guesses on the nutritional damage? I'd put it around 2500 calories, or enough to power you through an entire week of gym sessions. It's mostly flour and sugar, meaning it was rather airy, but I still believe it weighed about a pound. If you think that ain't much, try going home and eating an entire loaf of white bread doused in confectioner's glaze. It's definitely a rush!

And yes, Voodoo Doughnut's does have an eating challenge associated with the Tex-Ass Doughnut - but you need to go when there isn't an incredible crowd clamoring for sweetness. You have to consume the entire monster dessert within record time - currently about one minute - with nothing but a dixie cup of water to assist you. If you succeed, the doughnut is free and you become the new champion.

Of course, the memorable Tex-Ass Doughnut only costs around $4, so losing this challenge certainly wouldn't spell financial ruin. I remain untested, though I certainly would have tried if the opportunity was open to me. I suppose there's always another chance for Portland?

If nothing else, Voodoo Doughnuts came across as very original. Their product easily surpassed the quality of any doughnuts I'd eaten in Southern California for many years - and for size? I think you'd better not mess with Tex-Ass.

Happy Halloween!