Upcoming eating contests
eating challenges
(All Connecticut eating challenges and contests in database)
Zoi's in Seymour, CT will hold a pizza eating contest for 3 person teams on April 19. According to Stephanie Wu, the purse will be $2500 ($1500 to winning trio). Teams must raise at least $300 to compete.
Brandon "Feast Mode" Carr won this morning's paczki eating contest at Eddy's Bakery in Ansonia, CT. Defending champion Manny Cambra was runner up.
Eddy's Bakery in Ansonia, CT will hold a paczki eating contest on February 9 awarding $200 ($150 to the winner).
CT Mirror reports Connecticut governor Dan Malloy visited Bear's Smokehouse in Hartford to promote owner Jamie McDonald's policy of hiring ex-offenders for his restaurant.
Miki Sudo upsets Joey Chestnut at Foxwoods Turkey
update Videos: snapchat | Doug Schwartz
Update The Norwich Bulletin has an article and gallery
Official results Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
| 1st | 8.8 | Miki Sudo | 1st win vs Chestnut or Stonie since 2013 |
| 2nd | 8.4 | Joey “Jaws” Chestnut | 2nd non-Stonie loss of year (Morgan @ Native Wings) |
| 3rd | 5.7 | Geoffrey Esper | |
| 4th | 5.4 | Michelle “Cardboard Shell” Lesco | |
| 5th | 5.2 | Gideon Oji | |
| 6th | 5 | Yasir Salem | |
| 7th | 4.8 | Juan “more bite” Rodriguez | |
| 8th | 4.6 | Eric “Badlands” Booker | |
| 9th | 4.3 | Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas | |
| 10th | 3.2 | Daniella Gioia | |
| 11th | 2.8 | William “Wild Bill” Myers | |
| 12th | 2.4 | Crazy Legs Conti | |
| 13th | 1.2 | Brian Woodard | |
| 14th | 1 | DJ Douglas |
update Adam Benson reports that Miki Sudo has upset Joey Chestnut
Joey Chestnut appeared on Fox 61 yesterday and said he had a upcoming lobster eating contest which has yet to be added to the MLE calendar.
Winners of previous IFOCE/MLE turkey contests
| 2014 Nov 22 | 1st | 9.35 | 10 min | Joey “Jaws” Chestnut | Foxwoods World Turkey-Eating Championship | Mashantucket, CT |
| 2011 Nov 22 | 1st | 5.25 | 10 min | Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas | Wild Turkey 81 Eating World Championship | Manhattan, NY |
| 2007 Oct 10 | 1st | 6.91 | 8 min | Pat “Deep Dish” Bertoletti | MLE Chowdown – whole turkeys | Las Vegas, NV |
| 2006 Nov 22 | 1st | 4.8 | 12 min | Pat “Deep Dish” Bertoletti | Axia 3 Thanksgiving Invitational | Manhattan, NY |
| 2005 Nov 23 | 1st | 4.19 | 12 min | Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas | GoldenPalace.com Thanksgiving Invitational | Manhattan, NY |
The Norwich Bulletin has an interview with Joey Chestnut about defending his turkey title Saturday at Foxwoods Casino. He is hoping for a 2016 comeback after a "rough year" and thinks competing against women is "unfair" since their bodies are built for expansion. Joey also offered six tips to Gear Patrol in maximizing Thanksgiving food consumption.
A press release announces that Joey Chestnut, Miki Sudo, Michelle Lesco, Badlands Booker, Yasir Salem, Gideon Oji and Crazy Legs Conti are expected to compete in the turkey eating contest at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT on November 21. If Matt Stonie misses the contest, he will have a 365+ day winning streak, since his most recent defeat came at last year's turkey eating contest.
Jamie McDonald will lead a team driving a 5-ton M925 military transport truck in the "Space Race", a convoy of unconventional vehicles traveling from Hartford to Cocoa Beach, FL. Episodes about the event will be web-streamed in 2016.
Registration will open Monday on majorleagueeating.com for a new bratwurst eating contest in Tulsa on October 24 and a turkey eating contest ($10K purse) at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut on November 21. Registration is now open for the chili eating contest at Taste of DC on October 10.
Jamie McDonald will lead Hartford-area chefs in the 2015 March of Dimes Greater Hartford Signature Chefs Auction on October 15.
Zoi's Pizza in Seymour, CT will has increased its purse for Wednesday's pizza eating contest to $1600 ($1000 to winner). Entrants must raise $250 for charity.
Hartford Business gave its Best New Start-Up award to Jamie McDonald and his restaurant Bear's Smokehouse, which saw its revenues quadruple in 2014 and currently employs 75 workers.
Stephanie Wu announces that she and Manny Cambra set the house record for the challenge pizza at Randy's Wooster St in Connecticut. They are the 5th duo to succeed in over 2062 attempts.
Bear's Smokehouse, Jamie McDonald's restaurant, won HYPE Hartford's award for Best Launch last night.
Joe Menchetti has set up a crowdrise page seeking donations for his participation in a pizza eating contest at Zoi's pizza in Seymour, CT on June 24. The contest will award $500 to the winner and entrants must raise at least for $250 Project Purple.
Geoff Esper became the first person to finish the Bearwich challenge at Bear's Smokehouse and claim the $500 prize.
Jamie McDonald give a talk with Simon Majumdar of the Food Network on March 25 at the Mark Twain House in Hartford.
Connecticut Mag has an article about Jamie "The Bear" McDonald, who is scaling back his competitive eating career to focus on his restaurant, Bear's BBQ.
Bodybuilder Manny "The Manimal" Cambra won this morning's packzi eating contest at Eddy's Bake Shop in Ansonia, CT with a total of 12 paczkis in 5 minutes. update The New Haven Independent and WTNH have articles.
Eddy's Bakery in Ansonia, CT will hold a paczki eating contest on Tuesday awarding $200 to the winner. If the victor is a resident of Ansonia, he or she will receive the title of honorary mayor for the day.
Jamie McDonald has been named to the 40 Under 40 list in the new issue of Connecticut Magazine.
The New York Times has a review of Bear's Smokehouse in Hartford mentioning owner Jamie McDonald's competitive eating career. OmNomCT has a blog entry abour the Bearwich sandwich challenge awarding $500 available at that restaurant, which will be attempted by bodybuilder Manny Cambra today.
A press release announces that the total amount gambled at Foxwoods in Mashantucket, CT in November 2014 declined by 8.2% from November 2013 ($510 million to $468 million) despite holding a MLE turkey eating contest before Thansgiving.
"Gentleman" Joe Menchetti appears in WFSB's segment about the Triiple Triple burger offered by Wayback Burgers.
WTNH has a video of Joey Chestnut helping at the New London (CT) Food Center before the turkey eating contest at Foxwoods. (via United Way of SECT)