The date and time for the get-together at J & R’s Steakhouse in Long Island has been announced as 2 pm on November 15. Email saltwaterpaul[AT]yahoo.com by November 7 if you are interested in participating.

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• Videos from the San Antonio Dickey’s BBQ qualifier
• Gallery of IHOP All You Can Eat
• Kate Westfall’s food blog from Brian Seiken
• 76 ounce Pompano Beach, FL steak challenge
• Kobayashi has some Halloween costumes on his blog, including the Kobayashi & bun couple

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Paul “Pork-Slap” Arcaria has proposed a meeting at J & R Steakhouse in Long Island, NY some time in November. Email saltwaterpaul[AT]yahoo.com if you are interested in attending.

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Rich LeFevre reports in a comment that he successfully completed the 120 ounce steak challenge at the Brand Steakhouse in 40 minutes. The list price of the steak is $267. Video of his attempt will appear on rawvegas.tv.

update Some pictures have been emailed:

Paul “Porkslap” Arcaria has sent the following email: (pictures of his challenge can be seen below)

On sunday [October 11] I went to Thurmans in Columbus, They had a 3 pounder but that wasn’t enough. I had them make me a 4.5 pounder. She said if I finish it I could name it.
Its called “Pauls East Coast Pile”

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• Joey Chestnut to appear at Edmonton Oil Kings minor league hockey game on Friday
• Badlands Booker to perform “Mamma Mia” rap before Famous Famiglia pizza contest
• Hall Hunt’s Krystal performance mentioned in jacksonville.com
• Big Texan Steak Ranch to appear on the Travel Channel in December
• Wichita State professor has won a local jalapeno eating contest five times

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• Ian Hickman in CiCi’s pizza contest: part 1, part 2
• J & R Steakhouse’s online Wall of Fame/Shame has been updated but does not include recent notable 76 ounce steak finishers such as Furious Pete or Elizabeth Canady. Maureen Kearney is one of the recently added finishers (picture on right)
• Brad Sciullo has been dropped from the AICE rankings. (Cached previous rankings)
• Women only wing eating contest in Columbus Ohio October 9
• Preview of the Newark, Ohio Dickey’s BBQ qualifier

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Route 66 News reports that a book titled “Story of the Free 72-oz. Steak” about the Big Texan Steak Ranch’s signature meal has been published. The book contains a list of a challenge finishers since 1990. (Records before that year have been lost)
The book is available through mail order.

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The BBC’s website has an article about the 72 ounce steak challenge served at the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas:

Americans, of course, are not completely insensitive to those global challenges, and they are not entirely immune to the effects of them either. But it certainly doesn’t look as though the appeal of the steak challenge is flagging. This year has been one of endless bad news for the American economy but the challenge is more popular now than it was last year.

The American appetite for escapism, here at least, outweighs any moral squeamishness people might feel at this grotesque, but compelling, display of excess.

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• 120 ounce steak at Brand Steakhouse in Las Vegas, free if eaten by one person, $267 otherwise
• San Francisco spam musubi eating contest September 6
• CNBC on the effects of inflation on Michael Phelps’ diet
• Saratoga Nathan’s contest Monday to be 12 minutes?
• Gallery of wing eating contest before Bills – Steelers game in Toronto
• Slots still available for Vancouver, BC Nathan’s non-qualifier Monday. The contest will be 6 minutes.
• 1993 article about Czech dumpling contest.
• Nanticoke, PA pierogi eating contest Sunday.

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Amarillo.com has a column about Joey Chestnut breaking the 21 year old record for eating the Big Texan’s 72 ounce steak meal in March. The steakhouse has no plans to start a televised contest despite the fame of its eating challenge.

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• Video of the end of the Apple Ugly eating contest (the trophy was a mounted toilet seat)
• Ian Hickman beats Elizabeth Canady in overtime at Bowie burger contest
• Detailed review of MLE game by Platform Nation
• Skinnyboy eats 8/9 of Big Texan 72 ounce steak
• Gallery of 2008 Philadelphia Nathan’s qualifier
• Picture of Samantha Brown at Italian sausage contest
• MissBusyLady describes her start in competitive eating fandom
• Juris Shibayama sends a letter to the editor about last week’s column (from Crawfish comment)
• Boston hot wing eating contest Thursday
• Donut eating contest in Pittsburgh Friday
• Full results for the Singapore qualifiers on MLE.asia
• Vietnamese sub eating contest in Ho Chi Minh City

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• Final Denver hot dog qualifier report
• Column criticizing Juris Shibayama for finishing “toward the back of the pack” that does not bother to find out his actual placing
• Megamunch blog entry and gallery from the UEPa meeting at Gregory’s Steakhouse
• Report on Tour de Donut in which cyclists can reduce their reported finishing times by eating donuts
• The Serious Sports News Network reports that a congressional committee will investigate allegations that PEDs were used in the Nathans’ finals
• Mini-essay contest for slots in the Bowie burrito eating contest, also lists expected ranked entrants

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• Registration for the Ash Creek (CT, August 17) rib contest and the Myrtle Beach BBQ contest (August 30) opens tomorrow
• Transcript of Joey Chestnut on CNN July 4
• Furious Pete attempts to break Cookie Jarvis’ 76 ounce steak record at J & R Steakhouse (result)
• Jill Stoler’s report on the 120 ounce steak attempts
• Video of amateur contest at Delaplane Strawberry Festival
• 17 Year old eats age in hot dogs
• Video of radio interview of Joey Chestnut and the LeFevres
• Kobayashi has a blog entry about dining at Gray’s Papaya hot dog stand with Stephen Dubner

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• Log of Pat Bertoletti on yesterday’s Steve Dahl show. Bertoletti will be competing against sandwich makers at the Taste of Lincoln Avenue on July 26 or 27.
• Video recorded by Gersh Kuntzman alleging cheating by Kobayashi after regulation time ended at the Nathan’s finals
• Press release about today’s UEPa meeting at Gregory’s Steakhouse
• Short article about Rich LeFevre

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• Preview of the Chinook Winds rib contest. Rich LeFevre and Erik Denmark are listed as expected entrants.
• Steakbellie on the Camden qualifier
• Megamunch finalizes plans for the UEPa meeting. The 120 ounce steak is free if finished.
• Quotes and podcast of George Shea at the Nathan’s finals.
• According to CNN, Heinz’ sales are up 16.5% and profits are up 30.9% over the past two years. Nelson Peltz got Heinz to co-sponsor Nathan’s.
• 11 “Pushing Daisies” themed pie eating contests at the Orange County Fair from July 11 to August 2

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The blog for the Team Emerica skateboarding team reports that several team members attempted the Big Texan 72 ounce steak challenge last night. Danger Ehren from the MTV show Jackass also tried to win a free meal.

Skinnyboy caught the webcast of their attempt last night and has some video captures. He thinks the mohawked diner looks like Pat Bertoletti, but apparently does not eat like him.

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• Charlotte qualifier to take place at Concord Mills Mall parking lot
• Singer/pianist Dr. John competes in a chile pepper eating contest
• Hall of Fame Thurman Thomas to help judge hot dog contest at Watkins Glen
• Video from 2003 Nathan’s finals
• News video of Kansas qualifier captured by Skinnyboy
• Erik Denmark’s Kansas City qualifier report
• Arena Football kicker completes Big Texan 72 ounce steak
  
• Results of Denver hot dog contest qualifier
• Nanticoke PA pierogie eating contest this weekend (date unspecified)
• Steakbellie & sons run in 5K race
• Fake inspirational poster (in the style of despair.com) using a picture of a hot dog eating contest

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(From BaseballThinkFactory) Susan Polgar, the first woman to obtain the rating of chess grandmaster in regular competition, recently dined at the Big Texan and wrote about that restaurant’s signature meal. According to the blog entry, Joey Chestnut was not the first Nathan’s champion to attempt the challenge:

Former Cincinnati Reds Pitcher Frank Pastore did it in a record time of 9 ½ minutes, and held that record for 21 years until Joey Chestnut took the title on March 24, 2008 with a time of 8 minutes and 52 seconds. Another famous person who tried this was Takeru Kobayashi, the six-time hot dog-eating world champion.

It is not clear from the blog entry if Ms. Polgar attempted the 72 ounce steak. She is currently the chess coach at Texas Tech so it was not that long a trip for her. (Picture is from chessphotography)

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The Simi Valley Acorn reports that Michael Watts ate a 6 pound steak at Dakota’s Steakhouse in Simi Valley, California three days after his 25th birthday. By finishing the steak in under an hour, he received $220 from his family, $50 more than the cost of the steak.

CBS3 has a video about Watt’s feast.

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Local news video broadcast March 24 on KAMR about Joey Chestnut breaking the Big Texan’s 72 ounce steak record has been posted to youtube.

Andrew “Skinnyboy” Lane has a blog entry and gallery about his attempt at the Big Texan.

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Andrew “Skinnyboy” Lane announces in his blog that he will attempt the Big Texan’s 72 ounce steak at approximately 4:30 pm eastern, which can be viewed on the restaurant’s webcam.

update Skinnyboy reports that he had about 7 ounces of steak remaining along with the potato when an hour elapsed.

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• Deadspin on the Collegiate Nationals
  
• Mike Golic receives a bib from a fan for his upcoming contest
• “Eating Levi” gets into the Newport Beach Film Festival
• NPR podcast on all you can eat sections at ballparks
• Milk Bone eating contest for humans
• Parody of a hot dog eating contest documentary

Registration for Nathan’s qualifiers opens at noon eastern today

Added 11:15 pm

• Article about “Furious” Pete Czerwinski in which he attempts to break his personal record for a 72 ounce steak
• “Black Day” eating contest for South Korean lovelorn
• Leader board for journalists in the Oakland A’s all you can eat section (PG rated pictures) via Deadspin

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• Eater X & Seaver Miller on the Tyra Banks show
• Kristy Yamaguchi claims to be regional hot dog winner on April 1 “Dancing with the Stars”
• Pat Bertoletti and Damon Serignet and expected Acme Oyster entrants
• Video from Sutter’s Mill burger contest in Albany, NY
• Cincinnati Reds forum thread about Frank Pastore’s Big Texan steak record
• Battle of the Bone Week 3
• Mio “Sakura” Takahashi dines in Hong Kong

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(From anonymous comment) A youtube video of Joey Chestnut setting the Big Texan 72 ounce steak record is available. The video appears to be taken from the Big Texan webcam and lacks audio.

update The 72 ounce steak videos from Joey Chestnut and “Furious” Pete are embedded after the jump
Read the rest of this entry »

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Frank Pastore, former Cincinnati Reds pitcher and current radio talk show host, reports in his blog that Joey Chestnut broke his record for the Big Texan’s 72 ounce steak and side items. Chestnut’s mark was 8 minutes and 52 seconds, breaking Pastore’s 21 year old record of 9 and a half minutes.

update A podcast of Frank Pastore’s appearance on the Hugh Hewitt show is available. Pastore’s segment starts around the 18:50 mark.

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