Crazy Legs Conti was interviewed by Midtown Lunch to promote his midtown lunch today at a watermelon eating contest at Rockefeller center:

Place you discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch: Back to sushi – I relied on Midtown Lunch to give me the rundown on how fast the conveyer belt moved at Sakae Sushi (not fast enough for me) and the crowd at the Todai buffet. Regarding Todai, pickle eating champ Beautiful Brian Seiken is planning an outing to Todai’s plentiful buffet. You need a sizable guy like Beautiful Brian to anchor himself front and center at the sushi bar, then other NYC gurgiators like Nasty Nate Biller and me can form a wedge and really get behind the sneeze guard to take the buffet down. If the head chef isn’t crying into the steam table in an hour, we haven’t done justice to Midtown Lunch!

PermalinkComments (15)

A press release on gonintendo.com announces that a watermelon eating contest between Tim Janus and Crazy Legs Conti will take place at the Nintendo World Store at Rockefeller Center in New York City on May 20.

PermalinkComments

“Footlong”, a documentary about the impact of hot dogs on American culture, can be viewed on revver.com. There are two segments about the 1998 Nathan’s hot dog contest in which Hirofumi Nakajima defended his title by beating Ed Krachie: Segment #1, Segment #2 The second segment ends with a prediction that one day the 30 HDB mark will be broken.

PermalinkComments (4)

• April 21 Trenton, NJ New Britain, CT Hot dog eating contest for college students at minor league baseball game. First prize is a flat screen TV.
• Japanese curry eating challenge at Kenka restaurant in NYC. Curry & T shirt are free if eaten in under 20 minutes.
• Food Battle Stadium contest for women only. Gal Sone makes a guest appearance
• St. Louis tater tot eating contest video
• Cartoon of oyster eating contest
• Goliath pizza eating contest for teams of 5 in Midgeville, GA
• Melon eating contest between two elephants Saturday in Columbus, OH

PermalinkComments (2)

• 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

PermalinkComments (7)

A group from roadfood.com toured New York City hot dog restaurants and took a picture of the Nathan’s Wall of Fame which reveals that the champions from 1984 to 1987 have been dropped to make for space for future winners. Removing these listings eliminates whatever inaccuracies they might have contained, but discrepancies are still present between the remaining entries and newspaper archives.

Maureen Dowd, now a famous columnist, wrote the article about the 1984 contest. She does not mention the winner’s name.

We will see if the truncation of the champions listing will foreshadow modifications to the picture section of the Wall of Fame.

PermalinkComments (7)

AICE News reports that the even-year Carnegie Deli pickle eating contest will take place on May 21.

PressConnects.com reports that Joe LaRue will attempt to defend his pancake eating title in Marathon, NY on April 5.

PermalinkComments (47)

The following request was made by a documentary filmmaker:

Dear Eaters,

A New York based production company is seeking someone from the NY City region who wants to be the star of their own show. We are currently exploring the idea of creating an independent film tracking the journey of an unheralded eater whose goal is to reach the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest on July 4th. The all-access filming would stretch from pre-qualifiers, to the qualifying round, which could be at Shea Stadium, and through to the final in Coney Island. The key is that the subject must be funny, fat and interesting to watch. Interested? Sell us on why it should be you that we follow. Please send your e-mail and a photo and contact details to kannerr@aol.com

Spread the word, and good luck!

PermalinkComments (12)

• Another video of Kenny & Ziggy’s Matzoh Ball Eating contest
• Video from the 2003 matzoh ball eating contest held at Ben’s Deli
• Acme Oyster contest returning in 2008?
• Commenter reports that winner of Des Moines bacon eating contest, Manni, is a gym owner
• Benefit Saturday to preserve Coney Island as an amusement district
• Hall Hunt has a report on his appearance at the Rays Fan Festival
• Collegiate Nationals eating contest mentioned in USA Today

PermalinkComments (1)

An advertisement Crazy Legs Conti did for Daisy May’s Barbecue in New York City can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQn-S1yNDuc The commercial has run on local cable according to the video description.

PermalinkComments (9)

Evansville, IN pancake contest article and video
Elizabeth Canady makes the AICE spotlight page
Gal Sone’s Belguim trip report
Newport, RI IHOP pancake contest February 24
Steerburger eating contest in Albany, NY February 29
The Yankee Doodle is looking for a new location
Tribute to “Stand by Me” vomiting scene on VH1’s “Free Radio” sitcom (from Kevin Ross)
Like eating records, chess records have also been purged from the Guinness Book of World Records
Phillies prank trade for Kobayashi (not Takeru)

PermalinkComments (1)

The New York Daily News has an article about redevelopment plans for Coney Island:

Buried deep in the plans is a provision that says of the 50 blocks being rezoned in Coney Island, only the block that contains Nathan’s – at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Aves. – and one block immediately west would be rezoned for towers.

That means the two-story building, which has drawn millions of hot dog lovers since 1916, could expand to 14 stories – or more – when detailed plans are approved next year.

“Nathan’s would be given more opportunities for development on its property, which could lead to any one of a number of scenarios, including the expansion of Nathan’s or its redevelopment as a new building,” City Planning spokeswoman Rachaele Raynoff confirmed.

Curbed suggests that Nathan’s redevelopment plans include a competitive eating venue.

PermalinkComments (7)

Tomoko Miyake reports that she, Takuya Yamamoto and Taku Izumi arrived in New York City and went to a Japanese buffet. Tomoko appreciated the lack of a time limit as Japanese buffets usually have. She will be doing a film session on Friday.

PermalinkComments (2)

Krystal Square Off finalists offer advice on how to eat as much as possible in as short a period of time as possible in USAToday.com
The Hollywood Reporter on Super Bowl halftime viewing options
Giant sushi roll eating contest for teams of Japanese female college students
Blog entry & gallery by recent Quick Chek sub winner
Picture of Sonya Thomas & fan at Washington Capitals game
NY Daily News on Brooklyn vegan wing eating contest
Andrew “Skinnyboy” Lane attempts 7 pound breakfast burrito challenge (Female burrito finishers receive free food for life)
Don “Moses” Lerman is upset about not being named a jalapeno judge
Krystal Super Bowl photo contest

PermalinkComments (4)

(From “Pig Skin”) A pig skin eating contest will be held at Hawaiian Tropic Zone in Times Square on Thursday at noon to promote the “Ham & Eggs” contest that will be televised on Spike TV during the Super Bowl halftime show. The total purse is $5000. Registration for 8 slots will open tonight at approximately 10pm.

update a press release is available. Tim “Eater X” Janus will compete, former NFL punter Sean Landeta will serve as guest judge and the contest will be six minutes long.

PermalinkComments (36)

The following request for a competitive eater host was emailed to me today:

I came across your site when I was doing research online- I was wondering if you know of a competitive eater that would be interested in hosting our mini contest at halftime of our superbowl party at The Village Pourhouse in NYC. It is a great crowd!
Thanks

Samantha Messinger
Public Relations
133 West 25th Street ste. 7w
New York, NY 10001
212.228.4200 x 8006
samantha AT yourpartyplanning.com

The contest involves sliders and the prize is a $250 bar tab and there is a $75 admission fee according to the Pourhouse website.

PermalinkComments (2)

SuperVegan has a blog entry and gallery from Wednesday’s vegan Buffalo wing eating contest in Brooklyn. Dan McGinley (17 or 18 vegan wings) won the contest. Marc and Corey (no last names) came in second and third.

PermalinkComments

Gothamist has a report on a temporary eating challenge being held in Forest Hills, Queens:

If the folks at On the Grill have their way, this storefront Israeli spot in Forest Hills may become to Queens what Nathan’s Famous is to Coney Island. The restaurant’s chef Tzur Kalaf has no intention of giving up his Glatt Kosher certification and serving hot dogs, though. Instead he’s launched what he calls “The Great Falafel Eating Contest”, which started Monday and lasts until Feb. 28.

The rules are pretty simple: Any participant who eats five falafel sandwiches in 29 minutes gets their meal free and wins a $50 gift certificate to On the Grill. If a contestant doesn’t eat all five sandwiches in the allotted time, then they pay for the number that they polished off.

The author is not aware that IFOCE members are banned from unsanctioned eating challenges. George Shea apparently makes no mention of the ban either when he is interviewed.

The photo of the restaurant sign appears to claim that the challenge is only in effect from 5:30 pm to 10 pm from Monday through Thursday.

PermalinkComments (1)

The myspace blog for Foodvibes has the details about Wednesday’s vegan wing eating contest. An article about the contest mentioned it was filled up, but the blog does not mention that entry is closed. The top prize is $50 cash and $200 in gift certificates.

PermalinkComments

Youtube has a brief clip from the 1996 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest finals in which Ed Krachie edged out Mike DeVito, 22 hot dogs to 20.

PermalinkComments

A press release announces that Foodswings of Brooklyn, NY will hold an eating contest next week:

Foodswings will hold the first ever Vegan Buffalo Wing Eating Contest, sponsored by Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, 6pm on January 16th. Contestants, herbivore and omnivore alike, have registered to battle for prizes donated by Franks Red Hot and local businesses, including cash, T-shirts, tattoo gift cards and of course, ultimate bragging rights.

The rules are simple: 10 pre-registered contestants will have 15 minutes to devour as many fiery hot veggie wings as they can – anyone who pukes is disqualified. Contestants will have to eat the wings to the “bone” (or more literally, to the wooden stick), with only water available.

PermalinkComments (2)

Endless Simmer reports that a matzo ball eating contest returned to Ben’s Deli. The last IFOCE contest at that location occurred in 2004.

My fellow half-Jew friend Bethany and I recently attended the Beloit College Alumni Matzo Ball Eating Contest at Ben’s Deli in NY. We were both shocked be the yellow-yellow color of their balls – much more colorful than my aunt’s bullion instructions could possibly account for. When pressed, the chef admitted they added yellow food coloring for the extra effect. Why, I don’t know – I personally don’t like my Hanukkah feast to look like urine, but to each his own I guess.

PermalinkComments (10)

The Albany Times Union reports that Siena University has added a new seating option for its men’s basketball games:

Beginning Dec. 22 and for all remaining home games, Siena plans to introduce an all-you-can- eat option for its games at Times Union Center.

The school is offering a seat in the upper level that allows you to enjoy an unlimited supply of hot dogs, hamburgers, popcorn and fountain soda.

Come for the game, stay for the gluttony.

The cost per ticket is $25 for adults and $18.50 for children 18 and younger. Wristbands, which come with the tickets, will identify the gourmands. Peanuts are in cluded. Pepto-Bismol is not.

PermalinkComments

Two contests next month have been listed on craigslist:

A rice eating contest in Chicago on December 2 with a $50 first prize.

A falafel eating contest in Manhattan on December 7. The prize is free falafels for a year. There is also a yelp thread about the contest.

PermalinkComments

The following request has been made on craigslist:

Are you a big eater? Can you do it fast? Have you always wanted to be on National TV in an eating contest??

If you think you can compete, you have the opportunity to eat a Thansgiving Dinner as fast as you can on a Morning TV Show this Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. You will be competing against a former eating champion!!

Please contact me, Matt, ASAP at morningshowmatt@hotmail.com, reply to this post, or call (212) 301-5312.

PermalinkComments