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?

Charity Cheesesteaks in Corona

Last Saturday was fun in an interesting way. Philly's Best of Corona, working with Johnnie Excel, set up a cheesesteak eating contest outside of the local Sam's Club. Johnnie's role (mostly) was to draft Southern California's competitive eaters for the cause.

In the first round, we had Frank Paulin, Matt Cohen, Mary Bowers, The Spicialist, and I vying to see who could eat the most 10" cheesesteaks in ten minutes. We functioned as a draw to get people out there, watching and donating. Proceeds would benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

The second round was interesting. Would-be participants would make donations in order to play, and their prize was the chance to square off against store champion Johnnie Excel, who won several cheesesteak contests at the Corona location of Philly's Best last year. A special prize awaited anyone who could break Excel's record 7.5 cheesesteaks in 10 minutes.



Well, it turned out that no one could touch Johnnie's 2011 record. The first round of the contest was won by The Spicialist with 5.5 cheesesteaks, edging me out by one sandwich. It wasn't a terible result. This was my first cheesesteak contest and The Spicialist generally holds a distinct advantage in speed over me (choking on my first bite notwithstanding). At one point I was down two whole sandwiches. Congratulations are in order for victory. He scored a gift card.

Johnnie absolutely dominated the second round. He took it home with 6.25 sandwiches, but you can't convince me he was giving it his all. The donors weren't able to threaten his record in the least, but they had a lot of fun, including one man who succumbed to a "liquid laugh." Excel received the other gift card.

It was all for a good cause. This was my first experience with a competitive eating event related to charity and I will make sure it's not my last. In a strange way, this reminds me of that bumper sticker urging you not to make a ride in the hearse the only time you cruise in a Cadillac.

The aggregated results:

1) Johnnie Excel    6.25 cheesesteaks
2) The Spicialist     5.5
3) Naader Reda      4.5
4) Matt Cohen        3.75
5) Frank Paulin      3.5
6) Mary Bowers     2

The rounds were held about 80 minutes apart. Some of us joked that I could have joined the second round, but better judgment prevailed.

Johnnie Excel and I will post videos of the contest to YouTube soon.

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?