The website for the Big Texan Steak Ranch has been updated. A page about Joey Chestnut breaking the 72 ounce steak record has been added. The foreword of the Story of the Free 72 oz. steak, which is now available at Barnes & Noble, can be read online. The webcam for 72 ounce steak attempts remains, but the finishers database, which was removed in 2005, has not been restored.

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• (from Pierre Abry) Food Network page about tonight’s episode (at 6:30 pm) of My Life in Food starring “Crazy Legs Conti , a dreadlocked veteran, Lovely Juliette [sic] Lee, a petite 100lb female rookie, and Patrick Deep Dish Bertoletti, a talented up-and-comer”. The episode will not be rerun in the near future and the series is not available online, so watch it when it is televised if you want to see it.
• Segments from the new tracks on the Best of Hungry & Focused are available on Badlands Booker’s myspace page
• Wing eating contest at the Den Again in Racine, Wisconsin January 25 $500 first prize
• Facebook page about the Seaside, Oregon mayoral campaign of “Consumption”
• Blog entry about Frank Pastore, former Big Texan record holder, from a resident of Pastore’s hometown
• Video of Joel Podelsky’s cheeseburger eating contest at a Newark Beaks game
• Wing eating contest in Beijing
• Don Lerman’s baked bean record (but not Lerman by name) was mentioned on Who Wants to be a Millionaire recently according to a Ray Meduna email

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• Video of Furious Pete’s ice cream challenge
• Ian Hickman & friend complete the 28 inch pizza challenge at the Family Pizzeria in Stafford, VA
• Another NoVA challenge – the Texas Roadhouse in Chantilly, VA offers a 64 ounce steak that is free if eaten in under one hour (requires one week notice)
• 28 inch pizza contest for charity at Polito’s pizza in Wisconsin for teams of three from the Army, Navy and Marines
• 8 lb. + pound pizza challenge for two person teams in Las Vegas
• One pound burger at new Chattanooga restaurant to be named for Obama
• Steakbellie is no longer unemployed
• http://missgluttonsbliss.blogspot.com/ appears to have been pulled down

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Here is some additional information about the challenges featured in the Man vs. Food episodes which debuted on December 3:

Big Texan Steak Ranch 72 ounce steak Amarillo, Texas

• BigTexan 72 ounce steak statistics home page
• 72 ounce steak challenge webcam
• List of all finishers 1991-2005 in the eatfeats.com database
• BBC article about the Big Texan Steak Ranch
• Amarillo.com article about Joey Chestnut breaking the Big Texan’s 72 ounce steak record
• News video (without audio) about Joey Chestnut breaking the record
• Former Big Texan record holder Frank Pastore’s blog entry about Joey Chestnut breaking his record. Pastore was a Cincinnati Reds pitcher when he broke the record for the seventh time in 1987 and is now a conservative talk radio host.
• Video clip from 2000 episode of Ripley’s Believe it or not about the Big Texan starring Rich & Carlene LeFevre

Big Foot Lodge Sasquatch Burger Memphis, TN

update Dec 22, 2008 The Big Foot Lodge changed its name to Kooky Canuck and its challenge burger is now called the Kookamunga Challenge to settle a lawsuit with a California restaurant

• The Big Foot Lodge’s page about the challenge
• The Big Foot Lodge’s Hall of Fame and Hall of Shame. Joey Chestnut is the current record holder at 7 minutes 36 seconds. Roger Robinson has completed the challenge 3 times in 2008.
• Memphis Commercial Appeal article about Jeremy Payne becoming the second finisher of the challenge
• Memphis Flyer article about Pat Bertoletti becoming the first person to finish the challenge
• The picture of the burger below was photographed at a ball in Memphis, so it is probably the Sasquatch Challenge burger. According to the photographer, the woman holding the burger completed it.

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Jill Stoler has a blog entry about Saturday’s get together at the J & R Steakhouse. The results from the 76 ounce steak challlenge:

Joel “The Cannon” Podelsky, 57 minutes
Paul “Porkslap” Arcaria, DQ

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(From Kevin Ross email) A web page has been set up for the Travel Channel series Man vs. Food. The program will feature Adam Richman traveling around the country to attempt restaurants’ eating challenges. The first two episodes will be televised on December 3 and the locations will be Amarillo, Texas (Big Texan Steak Ranch) and Memphis (The Big Foot Lodge). A list of all locations is available on the website.

Earlier this year, a producer placed a casting call on eatfeats for a host for the show.

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RawVegasTV has a video clip of an interview with Rich and Carlene LeFevre conducted while Rich ate a 120 ounce steak at Brand Steakhouse in Las Vegas. Thrillist has a transcript of some of the interview.

updatePokerati has a blog entry about Rich’s feat

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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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