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.

Orochan's Bowl of Lava

Ah yes, we continue with a hot story already in progress. The incredibly spicy Special #2 ramen challenge at Orochan Ramen in Los Angeles will net you a pic on the "Wall of Bravery" if you can survive.

So how hot was it? Well, aside from the few noodles, vegetables, and peppers in the bowl, you are dealing  with red chili powder dissolved in water. It's hell in a bowl. It's gonna be hell in your mouth, hell in your esophagus, hell in your stomach, hell in your intestines... you get the picture.

I powered through the bowl in 20 minutes via sheer stubbornness. As my coworker and friend Steve Mucci put it: "There's no pause button with you." And he's right. I drained the bowl mostly with large gulps, but I used a straw at times.

Luckily the friend who accompanied me was not Mucci, but a medical student from back East. What happened next mixes equal parts comedy, insanity, and medical emergency. We left the ramen house in search of some ice cream to celebrate. My stomach started cramping as we walked, and each step became increasingly laborious.

Well, that should teach me not to eat such hot food on any empty stomach (note to self: your strength is capacity challenges. Skip the hot stuff in the future). I stumbled a bit, the pain in my gut enough to make me double over. Within minutes I was laying on the sidewalk in the Little Tokyo shopping district.

A few kids on skateboards came up to me. They could tell I was in mortal pain, but I waved them away. Damn kids, can't you see I'm hurting? Don't even wanna talk. Get on your boards and get the hell away from me.

My friend had already ran to the local drugstore when he saw me doubled over. He nearly called 911 when he saw me sprawled out on the concrete. Well, the future doctor brought me the right prescription: a roll of Tums, two packages of Pepto-Bismol, and a bottle of water. Everything went down the hatch. Then I waited. The rumbling stopped, and I could walk about.

I felt golden again. Couldn't say no to green tea ice cream at that point.

And this is where I should probably forget to report tackling a team pizza challenge with Matt "Sweet Tooth" Cohen that evening, after the ramen. But what the hell. No pause button.

Hectic Times in South OC

Last week was busy. Between seeing myself on Man v Food Nation (strange and surreal), pioneering a burrito challenge, and winning a Fatburger 6 lb burger contest, life outside the classroom has been without a dull moment.

Before I go through all these recent events, I'd like to report on a burrito challenge from South Orange County that was completed successfully some months back in May 2011. A friend and I ventured to Los Cabos Cantina in Lake Forest, home to the 7 lb "Biggest Burrito Challenge." The challenge is normally offered Tuesday nights, but we got ours on a weekend.

Is it truly 7 lbs, or does that weight include the rice and beans that adorn the sides of the pizza platter? No one on the wait staff could really tell us. It was not a difficult challenge. However, it was an enjoyable one. The meat was incredibly tender, rice flavorful, and the beans complimented well with melted cheese.

The only thing I can say is: bring silverware! They normally only give you plastic cutlery, and I struggled mightily to get things done quickly. My friend and I both finished under 14 minutes. The challenge officially entails a 30 minute limit. Fail to get it done and you'll pay $30 for your disaster. There's no free shirt here, but you do get your photo on the wall.

We celebrated our wins in appropriate fashion, splitting a nacho platter and driving over to a local Golden Spoon for some soft serve. I don't know, at some point it feels like all this eating after a challenge becomes gratuitous. Then again, I'm probably the last person who should be raising that point.

Look for my next posts to include the recent burrito challenge (with video) and the Fatburger contest.

Chile Red

Rancho Cucamonga is home to a very small Mexican restaurant with a very big eating challenge.

This is the Killer Burrito. It comes in several different variants, including one extremely spicy version. They all clock in at the $10-11 range. Eat it in one sitting and receive a free t-shirt as well as your picture on the Wall of Fame.

The restaurant staff on-hand was literally two people, the server and the cook. They insisted to me that the Killer Burrito weighed 3 lbs, but judging from previous food fights this was more in the 4-5 lb range. The burrito was flavorful and tender. Using a fork and knife I was able to get it down in 9 minutes.

The cook couldn't believe it when the server told him I was finished. He insisted on coming out from the kitchen to take a look, and yeah, it was legit. The server then told me the house record was 7 minutes. You know, I probably could have snagged it if I wasn't busy taking photos and fidgeting with my phone.

It might be possible for a mass eater to put away two of these burritos. Apparently one man made the attempt, but only got 25% into the second one before - uh - leaving his soul all over the floor. That was an hour-long effort as well. There are rumors of an upcoming burrito-eating contest at Chile Red, but nothing confirmed. These small places are usually a lot of fun and I liked my time there.

I'd like to go back and sample their spicy Killer. Decked out with jalapenos and hot sauces, it's sure to give a little rush. Maybe it'll help me break the 7 minute record.

Pizza Party In Phoenix

If you're going to throw a party, 24" of pizza should be enough. Venezia's Pizzeria in Arizona has the right idea, naming their two-foot diameter pie the "Party Pizza."

They offer it as a challenge to two people. Put away the pizza in one hour to win T-shirts and your photos on the Wall of Fame. It's not an overwhelming challenge, which may explain why they don't offer the temptation of a refund. I'd venture a guess and say the total pizza weighs in at 6 lbs. Serious eaters should be able to handle this whopper alone.

I went to Phoenix in the summer of 2009 to see my friend - we'll call him "Tap Out" - and we agreed to attempt this challenge together. The pizza came out scalding, but it cooled quickly so we dug in. The pizza was thin-crust and saucy. Nicely seasoned too. We handled half of it in about 10 minutes.

Things slowed down as my partner filled up and the "hungriest guy in high school" needed to pick up the pace. We reached the all-clear in 35 minutes and walked away victorious. "Tap Out" ended the night feeling very full.

At least we didn't Tap Out for real!

No Pho'olin Around

The Sacramento theme continues. Pho Bac Hoa Viet is a small restaurant with two locations in California's capital city, and they serve up their own version of the 4 lb pho challenge.

Meet the Pho King Challenge (try saying it quickly). 2 lbs of noodles, 2 lbs of non-orthodox beef cuts, and a whole lotta hot soupy liquid. You get one hour to eat the solids. No broth drinking necessary to win. Winners get a $30 refund, a free t-shirt proclaiming "Pho King" status, and a picture on the Wall of Fame. Losers pick up the tab and join the Wall of Shame.

You get a plate of roots, shoots, and leaves if you want to vary the flavor, but there's no need to use them. I liked how they set out the big spoon, fork, and chopsticks so elegantly.

They called it a win in 30 minutes. At that time (June 2010) they only had five winners, so maybe they rushed to judgment. There's still a few noodles left here. The server explained that all the previous finishers needed virtually the whole hour. I wouldn't say that 30 minutes is a record to scream off the rooftops though. It's only a matter of time before Johnnie Excel rolls in and swallows this thing whole in 12 [I'm kidding, Johnnie. We both know you could do it]. 

In case anyone wonders, the photo at the top is tilted on purpose. Let's see if anyone paid attention. And, honestly, I won't pick favorites between this and Pho Garden. They each brought their own aroma and palatibility.

You'll definitely get your pho fix if you come to this place. It was a small establishment, but everyone was incredibly friendly. They're thrilled if you want to try their challenge... even more so if you succeed. 

This "Pho King" challenge is not to be confused with the 12 lb version you'll find at Pho King Way in Texas! I guess everything really is bigger in the Lone Star State. Even the pho challenges.

The Legend of Hogzilla

Yucca Valley is home to an interesting restaurant that shares space with a Harley-Davidson Motorcycle dealership. The Route 62 Diner is open Monday through Saturday for breakfast and lunch. The interior was comfortable, there were a couple jukeboxes, and I noticed a fair amount of 1950s and 1960s memorabilia.

And for those who like their food extra large, Route 62 Diner offers the Hogzilla Burger Challenge for $16 (as of November 2009). That's a 2 lb patty with all the fixings on an oversized bun along with a basket of fries.  The motorcycle theme was cool - how often do you find a burger named after a bike?

The burger looked really good. It comes with a lot of vegetables. There's a few slices of American cheese hiding beneath the onion rings, tomatoes, and lettuce pieces. Just think of it as a salad on top of a huge meat slab.

After getting through the burger, I emptied the fry basket onto the plate. Anyone familiar with restaurant challenges will testify that this isn't a huge pile of fries. It was barely a half pound. I've probably eaten more fries at Jack in the Box or McDonalds. Unfortunately, these fries didn't impress. The burger was much fresher and fuller of flavor.

If you finish the combo inside of one hour, you'll get your picture on the wall and take home a t-shirt proclaiming your victory over the Hogzilla. My visit was back in November 2009, when a leisurely finish in 36 minutes was proclaimed a house record. The "shocked" manager told me I was the 16th successful person to tackle the Hogzilla.

Honestly, this place is a little remote. I wonder how many people have eaten the burger by now. Maybe someone's eaten two. Just rode in on their bike, chowed down, and roared off.

Desperado Gang

That's a lot of food. This whole meal is called the Desperado Gang, and you'll find it in Marina Del Rey in a small, friendly eatery called Outlaws Bar & Grill.

Let's see what we have: 2 lbs of hamburger, a thick layer of chili, vegetables, custom bun, guacamole, and a plate of fries. Looking back, it doesn't seem like much, but this was also one of my earliest challenges. Probably in the neighborhood of 4.5-5 lbs, which is on the lower extreme of the eating challenges I take on these days. You have one hour to devour the mess for a free t-shirt and your picture on the wall of fame.

Greg "The Floss" Moss completed this challenge at one point, but I believe his venture came shortly after mine. It had been awhile since I had done anything like this, so naturally I wondered if I would come up short. The hostess had seated me across from the kitchen, and the taunts of the cook didn't help much: "Good luck buddy, there's no way in hell you can finish all that."

Well, I proved him wrong. Eventually. 45 minutes later. This was before I learned the art of pressure, so it was a good leisurely eat. It was actually a really flavorful meal, given all the different tastes, but I could have done without all that bread. The meat was a little crispy on the edges, but it's tough to complain when you get your beef in 32 oz slabs. Eat big and suffer for it.

As I left, the server told me about a really tall, bald guy who tried to eat two of these meals as his friends cheered him on.

She didn't have any names handy. I wonder who that could have been.

Big D's Pizza

Sometimes life is a series of random circumstances. A coworker looked up the website for a small pizza parlor in San Dimas and inadvertently discovered that they had an eating challenge.

My reputation for doing this stuff is not a secret. I called for details and learned that this challenge was as-of-yet undefeated. That added a bit of incentive. It was probably high-difficulty.


It's simple, really: eat one of their large 20x20 square pizzas in 45 minutes and it's free ($20-25 if you lose). Winners also get their name on a plaque and take home a free t-shirt. When I walked in Friday night, the plaque didn't exist yet.

Mathematically, a 20x20 square pizza works out to 400 square inches, or slightly bigger than a 22.5" round pizza. That's huge. Typically, solo pizza challenges don't run bigger than 18" or 20".

But surface area is one thing, and weight is another. I was told this was a 6-7 lb pizza (all depending on whom I asked in the restaurant), of which 4 lbs were just dough. Given my past experiences, I knew it would be close.

Breads and other starches aren't my friends. This pizza boasted a thick crust.


It needed several minutes to cool. 45 minutes would pass quickly, so I decided to go as fast as I could in the beginning.

Doughy.... chewy.... I worked my way around the entire crust to eliminate the largest, breadiest section of the pizza first. About 15-16 minutes in it was more than half gone.

Then, predictably, things slowed down. The staff was convinced at this point that I could be their first winner, but they didn't feel that way when I first showed up. Admissions didn't come til later.

But... it was still a haul. Every remaining piece was a tedious, dry-mouth fight. Lots of chewing. Lots of water. Tension.

My colleague encouraged me to finish the last few pieces while Devo's "Whip It" was still playing over the sound system, but it wasn't happening. The cheese was now like asphalt.

Still, I appreciated the 80s soundtrack that accompanied me through my food fight.


All clear at 42 minutes. And dehydrated. Lots of water would follow those 24 squares of pizza.

It was a fun evening all around. This challenge just needs a little more publicity... I'm sure they'll be getting more takers (and winners) in the near future. Definitely not for the faint-hearted. There were doubts swirling in my mind (and stomach) at the end.

The proof is in the pictures.

Going Whole Hogg

Hoggs Gourmet Grill is one of those little restaurants that may be easily overlooked. That would be a mistake. It's tucked away in the back corner of a shopping center right off the 60 Freeway in Moreno Valley.

Their cuisine is incredibly rich, smoky, and original. That is a winning combination in a culinary world dominated by chain restaurants and mass-produced foodstuffs.

This place is exceptional for the Inland Empire because it actually offers an eating challenge. A few others have popped up lately, but Los Angeles and San Diego counties are still locally dominant.

It's not especially difficult, either. You need to put away a 2.5 lb Quad Hogg Burger with a side of fries during your visit to get your picture on the wall. There's no time limit, and in the words of the incredibly friendly owner Jeff, "about 700 people have done it."


No kidding. A plethora of photographs covered one corner of the restaurant's interior wall. It's like playing Where's Waldo. Good luck finding your photo in the sea of faces.


As for the burger, it was easily one of the best I've ever eaten. You get your choice of cheese, so I went with pepperjack to give it a kick. It was greasy and good.

But... I question whether it really weighs in at 2.5 lbs. After devouring the burger in 4:30, it felt like I could have fit in a couple more. The house record is 2:17, set in November 2010.

I finished the whole combo in 7 minutes, but it didn't matter much since the restaurant doesn't keep time. Just a personal thing.


Afterward, the owner invited me to return one day to attempt the consumption record: two 5-patty Hoggs with a side of chili cheese fries. That's supposedly around 7 lbs of food. I don't think it's impossible! Seems like a video-worthy event.

Thanks again to Donsturdy.com for supporting me on this challenge. It was one of the most delectable as of late.

Here's to the Inland Empire! May their future always be bright.

EZ Take-Out Burger Record

EZ-Take Out Burger is a chain restaurant. Their internal dynamics are similar to In-N-Out, except here you can get deep-fried Twinkies and Oreo cookies. You can also custom-order massive burger towers. In-N-Out abandoned that practice some years ago.

You'd say "Take-4" if you wanted a burger with four patties. Now, it isn't common to find a chain restaurant offering a challenge. This one was posted on the Man V Food blog on the Travel Channel website. I visited last Sunday, February 14.

It's not offered at every location. But, Temecula's EZ Take-Out Burger maintains a Wall of Fame for the successful eater of the biggest burger.


Things started small. Take-7. Take-10. Take-19. This poster celebrates a behemoth "Take-30," successfully wolfed down on October 1, 2009 by a local customer.

I'd need to eat a 31-patty burger to dethrone the champ. That's nearly 4 lbs of beef, along with the cheese, bread, lettuce, and tomato that goes with it. Getting the new record also scores a nifty restaurant t-shirt as well my own photo on the wall.

So what does a Take-31 resemble?


That's one monumental patty stack. There's no way it's gonna stand up. Gotta come in a box... a box that's rapidly soaking up hot cheese and meat grease. Yum!


The burger was as wide as my midsection. Well, almost. I hadn't attempted this much ground beef since tackling the OMG Burger last summer. That hat was probably the most ridiculous thing about this challenge. I didn't keep it on long.

My strategy? Eat two patties at a time, leaving the meager bun toward the end.


It was mechanical. Repetitive. Boring. And finally cold.

The meat was incredibly dry toward the end. Ketchup and soda were my only friends on this one. Bite, drink, swallow... ad nauseam.

Around 45-50 minutes this beast was slain. New record! There was no time limit, but faster is better in my book.

I should point out that two hours before attempting this burger, I competed in the Cravory's first annual Cookie Eating Championship in San Diego and placed second to Johnnie Excel, eating 24 cookies to his 28. That was a close finish in ten minutes. Damn close.


It's not easy to go fast when you've got 4 lbs of cookies in the gut... but I still got it done. What a relief, too. Gotta send my thanks to Donsturdy.com for encouraging me with this challenge.

They're pushing me to make 2011 a year of gargantuan meals.

Next time, I will blog about the cookie contest in San Diego.

Sin City

Last weekend, I paid tribute to a friend who recently moved on. He loved Las Vegas - everything about it, from the excess, to the bright lights, to the fact it never shut down. The city has much less hold on my imagination, but I could find no better way to honor him than to visit his "second home."

We discussed doing eating challenges together, but since the opportunity did not present itself I chose to dedicate a few to his memory. He would have appreciated that... an uncommon artist simply working through a different medium. Picasso worked with paint. I work with plates.


Anyway, I decided to run a gauntlet of challenges that day. My official designation for this attempt would be the "Triple Monson." Keep in mind that "to pull a Monson" means that you successfully completed two challenges a few hours apart. Could I push it to 3?

My day began at Emily's Diner, located in the Fortune Casino just outside Vegas in Henderson, Nevada. It's a nice little spot, totally smelled like smoke, and was full of anxious gamblers. I don't smoke or gamble, but I was there for their 3-lb+ Colossus Burger Challenge. Finish it in 20 minutes, and it's on the house ($20 price tag) along with a nifty shirt and your pic on the wall.

3 lbs of beef is intimidating up close, but I do pretty well with patty stacks. Just unpack it, bite, swallow. The whole burger tower vanished in 10 minutes flat. I outdid myself on this one. No joke, I probably could have gone double or nothing on this burger challenge. It tasted delicious too.


An hour later, I went over to Mr. D's Frozen Custard (in Henderson) to get dessert. Because I thrashed the burger so quickly, I had the sensation of still being really hungry. This was no challenge, but I always read good things about the Royal Turtle Sundae and I wanted to see if it was worth the hype. It was! Vanilla custard, chocolate syrup, caramel sauce, pecans, and a cherry for $5 and change.... probably 12-14 ounces of sugary goodness. And it was worth every penny.

What next? Another challenge of course. It was a toss-up between 100 oz of frozen yogurt and a 24" sandwich. The sandwich won out, because I didn't feel like another sugar rush.


About an hour later, I ventured over to Johnny McGuire's Deli in Las Vegas proper. Now, I was in the city of sin. Johnny McGuire's features a 24" sandwich challenge. Eat it all in 40 minutes to get a free meal, a t-shirt, and your name on a "Wall of Shame" plaque. Since it is Vegas, the challenge features a special punitive twist: failed challenge attempts pay double.. meaning that losers would shell out $50 for an otherwise $25 sandwich. Yikes.

The gambling motif is nice, but the message to me was clear: "DONT LOSE!"


This is a variable challenge in that you can pick any sandwich off the preset menu, provided that it comes loaded with all the vegetables. I've completed the challenge before with zesty turkey, but I wanted a change of pace this time and went with grilled pastrami and swiss instead.

Hmmmm.... grilled pastrami and swiss was not the world's best decision. It was just really dense and heavy. Keep in mind that this sandwich routinely clocks in between 4.5 and 5 lbs, and I already had 4+ lbs rolling through.

I steeled my body... reminded myself why I was here, what I was doing. Couldn't fail.... so I cranked hard to finish at 33:49. Pulled the Monson with several minutes to spare! Sweet!


The plaque is full, but the restaurant plans to buy a bigger one... my previous win needed just over 20 minutes. That empty stomach thing definitely helps!

Well.... I left the place feeling very tired and full. Victory does not come free, even if the food does. I wandered down to the Strip to kill time and give my body a chance to digest. The drive took forever because of traffic, but whatever.... not like I was in a rush or anything.

Pulled into the parking lot for the Sahara Casino, and just rested there a bit. It felt pretty good to just lie back and think about nothing. But, eventually, I would start walking around.


Three brave souls gave it all against the "Big Badass Burrito" at the NASCAR Cafe. Seriously, it's gotta weigh more than the advertised 6 lbs... but either way I was in no shape to tangle with the B3... just watched and kept on walking.

(Photo courtesy Naked City Pizza facebook)

My last stop of the night (in another 4 hours) was Naked City Pizza, located inside of Moon Doggie's Bar a few miles off the strip. They were debuting a NY-style sheet pizza challenge that night - 24" x 16", 4 toppings, 10 lbs of pizza for two people in 30 minutes. Winners would get a free shirt and a clean bill ($35)... though obviously no promise of a clean bill of health with all that cheese and grease. This is the equivalent of two 18" thick-crust pizzas.

My partner for the challenge was Vegas local Tom Gilbert.... he totally dominated the proceedings. I was lucky to get down just over 25% (or 2.5 lbs) in the 17 minutes it took him to mow through the other three-quarters. No doubt, he could have done this thing solo!

In fact, Tom was angling to do a "double or nothing" wager with the owner, but I was in no shape to take on another pizza. We settled instead for dessert: fried dough covered in confectioner's sugar. Mmmmmm.....


Probably, probably.... I should have skipped this. But what the hell, it couldn't have been more than another 2-3 ounces. And it was better than I expected. Ice cream would have been sweeter though.

We became the first team to successfully take down the "Frickin' Huge Pizza Challenge." Another team took a shot after us, but it wasn't very pretty.... I will spare you those details.

The night ended on a social note. It's always a wonderful experience to meet a new personality in competitive eating, particularly when they're a bit more accomplished than you are. It reminds me that there's still room to grow.

On a personal note, I was ecstatic. Three successful challenges and two desserts in a 12-hour span was certainly a new level for me. I felt down about not going faster on the pizza, but it's really hard to complain under the circumstances. I would estimate my total consumption that day at or above 11 lbs.

The drive home through dense fog was certainly a lot less enjoyable. But, I think I put up a fitting tribute in the City of Sin.

I feel I lived up to Matt Cohen's new nickname for me: Mr. Mass Consumption.