Speed Garners Chestnut His Second Straight Mustard Belt

Posted on July 4, 2008 by Gary McCarty

Both Californian Joey Chestnut and Japanese challenger Takeru Kobayashi gobbled 59 hot dogs in 10 minutes in the 2008 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, or whatever it’s called. In a sudden death overtime, with the Mustard Belt going to the firs man to scarf down five hot dogs and buns, Chestnut prevailed.

Officials reduced the main competition to 10 minutes from 12 this year after discovering a document dating to the early 1900s, supposedly, that dictated the contest rules.

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Joey Chestnut to Defend Hot Dog Title on July 4th

Posted on July 3, 2008 by Gary McCarty

Last year American Joey Chestnut defeated reigning hot-dog-eating champion Takeru Kobayashi of Japan at Nathan’s Hot Dogs’ annual Independence Day contest, setting a new world’s record of 66 dawgs downed to win the Mustard Belt. Kobayashi finished with 63. Both had 12 minutes to do the job.

If I eat one hot dog, I’m often sick to my stomach, so I’m not sure how these guys do it.

At any rate, Chestnut is prepared to defend his belt tomorrow, and in advance he gave some eating lessons for Time magazine.

Watch last year’s competition below:

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Bastion of the Desert: Idle Spurs

Posted on July 2, 2008 by Gary McCarty

Stuck out in the middle of nowhere–Barstow, Calif.–Idle Spurs is a haven for the thirsty, hungry and overheated traveler coming to or fro Las Vegas.

Before the demise of Route 66, Barstow was a major stopping point, bursting with activity by people on the way to the Golden State. Now, the city just sort of sits shriveled up with lots of for rent and for lease signs. Even the railway stop is now mostly a museum (actually, two–one for the railway and one for Route 66).

Idle Spurs, however, is a great hideaway and escape, and I enjoy the place so much that I have no problem making a day trip from Los Angeles to eat lunch there. It’s been open since 1950, when Route 66 was still the main thoroughfare from Chicago to California, and to this day it still is filled with customers every time I visit.

The Next Food Network Disappearing Act

Posted on June 30, 2008 by Gary McCarty

Shane Lyons, contestant on Next Food Network Star This is–what?–the fourth season of The Next Food Network Star. The success rate so far is 25 percent, as only Guy Fieri has actually established himself as a star. The three others (season one was a duo) have thankfully disappeared.

As I survey the current crop for the fourth season, I at first rooted for Nipa Bhatt, but she flamed out with her princessly attitude over seafood–and her pouty moods. I don’t know if it was a religious thing or what to despise whole fish, but it wasn’t very chefly for Nipa.

As for my next "star" to root for, certainly Kelsey Nixon is overflowing with personality and bubbliness and could give Rachael Ray a run for little-girling people to death (I guess a lot of people like this approach), but my vote so far goes to Shane Lyons.

Shane, at 20, definitely has good food knowledge, can cook, and exhibits surprising camera presence and savvy. He could be Guy with some down-earthiness and class (though I find Guy’s classlessness actually charming and fun).

Go, Shane, go. You and Kelsey can battle it out, and may the better star/disappearing act prevail.

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Taste of Anaheim: Big But Too Commercial

Posted on June 27, 2008 by Gary McCarty

Taste of Anaheim, June 26, 2008 Like Taste of the Heights before it, I had been meaning to attend Taste of Anaheim (Calif.) for years, and I finally did last night.

On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being best, it was about a 6. Problem was, for every one food booth, there were about five or more commercial vendors hawking their wares.

Plus, at any of these events, the food is almost always doomed to mediocrity, no matter how good the mother restaurant or the composition of the dish. The facilities just don’t lend themselves to gourmet cooking.

That being said, Steakhouse 55, located at Downtown Disney, turned out a fairly good sampling of steak, though it was a bit cold.

If I learned anything from this event, other than to avoid it (too crowded, too little memorable food, no wine samplings), is that, if you want to open a restaurant and have success, make sure it’s an Italian restaurant. Look at the line in my photo for this Italian eatery–huge, as the lines were at all the Italian stands.

The other food stands rarely had more than a handful of people waiting. Pasta, anyone?

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Joe Jost’s: Suddenly, It’s a Baby Boomer Hangout

Posted on June 24, 2008 by Gary McCarty

When I lived in Long Beach, Calif., I was in my 20s, and Joe Jost’s–a neighborhood dive bar and eatery establisted in 1924–was a hangout for people my age, whiling away the afternoon with beers, Polish Sausage sandwiches, and billiards.

On a return trip a couple of weeks back, I noticed that, though young people still frequented the place, there was a considerable, even majority, Baby Boomer presence.

The place is cheap, fun and nostalgic, so why not, I guess? After all, I was a curious Baby Boomer returning after a lengthy absence myself.

One thing did change for me this time, however: I let the bartender talk me into having a liverwurst sandwich, which turned out to be fine–and also afforded me an excuse to return for a good ol’ Polish Sausage (called Joe’s Special on the menu)..

But as I recall, Jost’s used to serve Pabst Blue Ribbon by the schooner. Anybody know if this is true or just faulty memory on my part? (I guess I could’ve asked when I was there, but it was hard enough just getting to the bar to place my order.)

Note also that the sign out front says just Joe Jost/Sandwiches, while the Web site lists it as Joe Jost’s, which is the way everyone refers to it.

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Barbara Lynch: Worst Food Judge Ever

Posted on June 22, 2008 by Gary McCarty

And here I’d always thought that the mercenary, pay-for-vote Karine Bakhoum was the worst Food Network judge ever until tonight when I caught, by accident, a Mac ‘N Cheese challenge for which Barbara Lynch was one of the judges.

Lynch is owner and chef of the "posh" (this figures) No. 9 Park restaurant in Boston.

She also is uptight and, most telling, completely prejudiced against certain contestants based on their food choices and/or looks and personalities.

One of the contestants this evening chose to use potato gnocchi instead of elbow pasta for his "signature" Mac ‘N Cheese dish. Bad decision.

Lynch scornfully dismissed him for not making the gnocchi live on the show, which she said takes "15 minutes." What, Chef Boyardee gnocchi?

The irony is that the other contestants all used elbow macaroni from a box for their ingredient, and they were not called out for using pre-prepared ingredients. Interesting, eh?

I guess this contestant should’ve researched the judges in advance (if he even knew who they were going to be), as one of the search results for Barbara Lynch is a site on how to make gnocchi.

Oops! His bad, her prejudice.

Next up–charm and smiling classes for Lynch, If we’re lucky. Otherwise, please just don’t use her as a judge again.

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Purveyor to the Stars Frieda Goes Public, Sort Of…

Posted on June 19, 2008 by Gary McCarty

For all the cars in the lots and the hassle getting into the place, the crowds didn’t seem all that overwhelming at the first-ever farmers’ market held by Frieda’s, "the specialty produce people."

Celebrity chefs such as Wolfgang Puck and others use Frieda’s routinely, but the public got its first taste a couple of Saturdays ago when the company hosted its first Fresh Marketplace, billed as "not your ordinary farmers’ market."

Well, yes and no, as it was a lot ordinary and some extradordinary. Other than finding some fingerling potatoes, which are rare in supermarkets out here, I found just one item that sparked my interest.

That was the camouflage melon pictured here.

I took it home and had it with my wife for breakfast the next day, and the only way I can describe its taste is to say that it’s sweet and juicy and tastes nothing like a cantaloupe or watermelon.

Frieda’s hosts its Fresh Marketplace each Saturday in June and July at its headquarters in Los Alamitos, Calif.. If you get out there, pick up a camouflage for $3 and let me know what you think.

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Wine & Cars Under the Stars Does Indeed Sparkle

Posted on June 16, 2008 by Gary McCarty

After attending the Wine & Cars Under the Stars fundraiser Saturday night, June 14, at Fairplex Pomona (Calif.), set behind Wally Post’s fascinating NHRA Musesum, whether this was the first ever or annual event. The program was mum.

Nonetheless, it was a fun evening, even though I didn’t stay till the end when they were featuring a 1950s-style drive-in movie in a mock-up setting.

Wine & Cars is a fundraiser for the Millard Sheets Center for the Arts, and its main purpose is to introduce the winning wines from the yearly Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition, held since 1935 in advance of the Los Angeles County Fair (where the wines are featured by the glass).

I found two things really memorable about the evening, one related to food and drink and the other to the vintage and custom cars on display.

Nipa Should Seize Her Golden Moment on ‘Next Star’

Posted on June 14, 2008 by Gary McCarty

Nipa Bhatt, contestant on The Next Food Network Star Even in my semi-retirement, I have only so much time to watch cooking and cooking competition shows, and many I record for a few stolen moments I can find later to turn on the DVR.

So far, The Next Food Network Star is not a show that I’ve placed on my DVR queue since I find that rarely does an actual star emerge from the series. There’s really only one so far–Guy Fieri.

Thus, on this lazy Saturday afternoon, as I flipped through the channels after lunch, I happened upon a rerun of last Sunday’s Star episode.

It made for some fairly compelling drama as Nipa Bhatt, a charming, cute and personable Indian-American who specializes in her native country’s cuisine, stormed away from the judges’ panel after being grilled, saying: "I’m sorry. I can’t take this anymore."

She recaptured her composure and returned to apologize and give what I thought was a well-stated and emotional rationale for why she would make a great Food Network star. Her wrist was duly slapped.