New York Hot-Dog Eaters Take It to the Next Level
At the Nathan’s hot-dog eating contest July 4, competitive-eating fans across the world will be watching to see if Takeru “The Tsunami” Kobayashi can defend his title against the American upstart Joey Chestnut. But here at Grub Street, we’re always more interested in the local angle. New York is representing with two of the country’s top eaters, East Village roommates Tim “Eater X” Janus and Crazy Legs Conti.
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Seemingly Sober Individual Consumes Seven Pounds of Brother Jimmy’s Wings
We’re just back from Grand Central Terminal, where top-ranked American gurgitator Joey “Jaws” Chestnut has retained his title of chicken-wing-eating champion. Proving that he’s only getting stronger in his quest to return the coveted “mustard belt” to America when he faces champion Takeru Kobayashi in the Nathan’s hot-dog-eating contest this year. Jaws set a new record by decimating 7.105 pounds of medium-hot wings in twelve minutes, a good pound more than the visibly shaken onetime champ Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas. We don’t have photos yet, but trust us, the “wingtastic expression of chicken wings,” as emcee Keenan Thompson described it, wasn’t pretty — third-place finalist Tim “Eater X” Janus, wearing a beard of hot sauce in addition to his usual face paint, was reduced to picking chicken scraps out of his teeth with a MetroCard.
Back of the House
On the Machismo of Cooking: Competitive Eaters Make for Macho TVCooking is now an essential part of modern machismo, or so men’s magazines seem to feel. [NYDN]
The International Federation of Competitive Eaters inks a deal with Spike TV to keep their “gurgitators,” including NY locals Crazy Legs Conti and Tim “Eater X” Janus, on the airwaves year-round. [Page Six]
Is it possible to open a restaurant on the D.L. in New York City? In the final chapter of this three-part series, the media weighs in. [Snack]
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Scenes From a Turkey-Eating Contest. Need We Say More?
The Axia 3 Thanksiving Invitational was held earlier today at Artie’s Deli, and the results were encouraging for fans of New York’s competitive eaters. The top prize went to Pat Bertoletti of Chicago, who scoffed down 4.8 pounds of turkey in twelve minutes, but Manhattan’s own Tim “Eater X” Janus came in second, with famed downtown roué Jason “Crazy Legs” Conti coming in fourth. Arturo Rios, of New Jersey, loosely speaking a local, took third. “Crazy Legs is my baby daddy,” the gracious Rios exclaimed. The morning’s big surprise was the disqualification, for “urges contrary to swallowing,” of the world’s No. 4 ranked eater, Sonia “The Black Widow” Thomas. “I was so greedy,” she told us. “I just took too much in my mouth.”
But forget the breakdown. Check out the pics!
