by senior contributor Brendan Kownacki
Photo credit: Brendan Kownacki
“There’s nothing else to do here other than some old buildings and Ben’s Chili Bowl as far as I’m concerned” barked Sam Barclay, the upbeat competitive eating judge as he prepared to kick off the Ben’s Chili Bowl World Chili Eating Competition.
Major League Eating judge Sam Barclay
The contest itself brought together some of the deepest stomachs in head-to-head eating along with a boisterous crowd who was not going to let a little rain and grey skies get in the way of the delicious schedule of events at the annual Taste of DC.
Blocks of restaurants and culinary companies lined Pennsylvania for yet another year, transforming it into a delectable food avenue with treats for the eyes, nose and especially the palates of the thousands of festival attendees.
There was lobster. There were burgers. There were snacks and sweets—there were local flavors like mumbo sauce and flavors from the far reaches of the globe, all to cater to the taste of anyone who would pop in for a bite. Taste of DC had it all.
But why stop at one bite? That was the understatement of the day on Saturday at the Chili eating championship. These professional mouths on the stage know lots about lots of bites, let’s take a look at just a few of the folks who were ready to dive in:
Joey Chestnut – #1 Ranked Eater in the World
Stats: · Hot Dogs: 69 dogs in 10 minutes · Pierogis: 165 pierogis in 8 minutes · Tacos: 53 soft tacos in 10 minutes · Twinkies: 121 Twinkies in 6 minutes· Grilled Cheese: 47 grilled cheese sandwiches in 10 minutes· Eggs: 141 hardboiled eggs in 8 minutes
Bob Shoudt – #6 Ranked Eater in the World
Stats: · 2013 Chili Contest Champion · Peanut Butter: 36 peanut butter and banana sandwiches in 10 minutes · Salmon Chowder: 312 fl oz/ 23.4 lbs of chowder in 6 minutes
Sonya Thomas – #5 Ranked Eater in the World (center, Pink Hat)
Stats:· Cheesecake: 11 lbs of cheesecake in 9 minutes · Crab Cakes: 46 crab cakes in 10 minutes · Oysters: 47 dozen oysters in 8 minutes
That’s clearly enough experience to tackle practically anything—so let’s look at the challenge at hand. Ben’s Chili Bowl is an icon in DC for many years since Ben and Virginia Ali opened the doors in 1958 and they have been simmering and perfecting the chili goodness since. With 6 minutes on the clock, these gladiators of grub had only one question to answer. HOW MUCH?
Gullets were open and a hungry roar came over the crowd as Joey Chestnut gulped his way to the finish line with 1.875 gallons of chili in 6 minutes to claim first prize. Defending champ Bob Shoudt took second and Sonya Thomas third place. Summing up his feelings afterward, with a big smile and a full belly, Chestnut said the only thing you need to hear to understand his spirit: “I feel like I shoulda eaten a little bit more.”
Take a look here at Joey and the rest of the contestants as they ate their way to the finish line.
