Hot Dog Drama

The annual Nathan's Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest was held today in Coney Island - and was again mired in controversy. As if we didn't already have enough Wiener Drama here in NYC.

Joey "Jaws" Chestnut won his fifth straight Mustard Belt by chowing down 62 dogs in 10 minutes - while Sonia "Black Widow" Thomas won the first ever Women's Division "Pepto Bismol Belt" by eating 40 dogs.

But back in Manhattan, former champ and competitive eating renegade Takeru Kobayashi (below) allegedly consumed 69 hot dogs at an unsanctioned even on some rooftoop. Kobayashi was ineligible to compete in the official contest because he refuses to sign an exclusive contract with Major League Eating.

And YES, this does sound like a post from The Onion but it's actually the real thing. We take our wieners (and our winners) very seriously here in NYC.

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Happy Birthday to Joey "Jaws" Chestnut

How appropriate that today - the day Americans stuff themselves to the gills - also happens to be competitive eating champion Joey Chestnut's birthday.

Chestnut, 27, is an engineering student as well as the winner of the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest for the past four years. In addition to hot dogs, "Jaws" has won eating contests involving chicken wings, pork ribs, asparagus (?!?) and Krystal burgers (Krystal is the South's version of White Castle).

In honor of his birthday, I plan on consuming Joey Chestnut-worthy amounts of my Stepmom's stuffing loaf today - and my Mom's cornbread dressing on Saturday. With lots of gravy, natch.

Coney Island

Yesterday my BFF and I took a little trip (via subway) to Coney Island, Brooklyn.  Our first stop was Nathan's Famous Hot Dog stand (natch).  However, I was DEVASTATED to learn that they no longer have the Chow Mein Sandwich...

The Chow Mein Sandwich (above) probably went on the Nathan's menu during the Americanized "Chinese Food" craze of the 30's and 40's when dishes like Chop Suey and Chow Mein (which are totally not Chinese at all) first became popular.

I always ordered the Chow Mein Sandwich because the Coney Island Nathan's was the only place in NYC you could get one (it didn't taste that great - but it was unique).  The person behind the counter said they took it off the menu a few months ago (after probably 70 years!).  I was so upset that I wouldn't even eat a Nathan's hot dog - I had a burger instead.

Dessert was my old stand-by - a banana soft-serve cone at Denny's on Surf Avenue.  LOVES the pink cash register...

The overcast skies kept the huge crowds away from the boardwalk. That's the landmarked but defunct Parachute Jump in the background - AKA "The Eiffel Tower of Brooklyn".

Sideshows by the Seashore - and old-school Freak Show...

The Beach was also not crowded, and unfortunately the weather kept the Papis pretty well covered. Damn...

I took this picture from the Steeplechase Pier.  The tall buildings in the background are the Coney Island Housing Projects - some of the roughest Projects in the city.  But with FANTASTIC views...

The overcast skies didn't bother me one bit - it kept the temperature down, and we weren't planning on hanging on the beach anyway.  All in all, the BFF and I had a nice day.

Off To Coney Island ...

My BFF and I are heading to Coney Island today (unless we get rained out) to celebrate his birthday.  We won't be hitting the beach, but there will be a stop at Nathan's (below) for a hot dog (and a Nathan's traditional Chow Mein Sandwich for me), and maybe we'll ride some of the rides.  And, of course, I'll be scoping the Papis.

Look for pictures later tonight or tomorrow.

Wiener Drama!

Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest is VERY New York - loud, brash, self-important, and more than a little bit insane.  Every July 4th at "high noon", a group of gluttons for punishment professional eaters compete to see who can stuff the most hot dogs down their gullet in 10 minutes.  Local guy Joey Chestnut (below), won again this year - consuming 54 delicious Nathan's hot dogs.

This year there was a bit of an Escándalo de la Wieners, when six-time champ Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi (below) was arrested after trying to bumrush the stage.  Kobayashi - who was wearing a "Free Kobi" shirt - did not compete this year due to a contract dispute.

WHO KNEW there could be so much drama and intrigue surrounding a bunch of guys shoving wieners in their mouths?!?

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