Joey Chestnut's Chokehold, Ignacio Mattos' New Restaurants, and More
Joey Chestnut's Chokehold, Ignacio Mattos' New Restaurants, and More
Plus, hot dogs, gelato, and free NYC ice cream
Food news from New York and beyond. . .
The Fourth of July holiday featured the annual Nathan’s hot dog eating contest, during which Joey Chestnut got into an altercation with a protester on stage. The professional eater won the annual event by devouring 63 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes — while putting a protester in a Darth Vader mask in a chokehold during the competition. The man rushed the stage in front of Chestnut, who dropped the person until guards could carry him away. Chestnut then continued to consume the wieners for the win. To date, Chestnut has won the competition 15 times.
More peculiar facts about Nathan’s annual hot dog eating contest. “Participants are given 10 mins to down as many hot dogs as possible. The first event using the new ten-minute time limit was in 2008. The previous time limit was 12 minutes.” Click the link for more.
A magical gelato shop is set to open in Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the shop, run by local Jay Bliznick and backed by magician Penn Jillette, will offer much more than frozen treats. A team of magicians, jugglers, ventriloquists, and other performers will both entertain the crowds and scoop the gelato. The shop — called Sideshow Gelato — will also house a museum of oddities.
Free scoops from Ample Hills Creamery on opening day, July 7, from 6 to 8 p.m. at its new Upper West Side Scoop Shop (526 Amsterdam Ave). Look for shop-specific flavors like Night at the Moo-seum — with “salty pretzel swirls, fossilized chocolate flakes” inspired by the nearby Natural History Museum.
The newest restaurants from Ignacio Mattos have opened in the new Lower East Side hotel, Nine Orchard, in the Jarmulowsky Bank Building. Corner Bar, an American bistro/tavern, and Lobby Lounge are two of three of his spots, which will be followed by Amado Grill in September. Of Corner Bar, Resy notes, it’s “a warm energetic restaurant inspired by America's legendary taverns.” Check out the menu below.
Which chain makes the best fried chicken? Eater staff weighs in.