Since there's been all these threads about food I was thinking about food challenges like the steak place where if you can eat 32 ounces of steak you get it for free. At my dorm at CAL we had this thing called the Triple Crown featuring an item from 3 Berkeley institutions. It consisted of eating a hot dog at this place called Top Dog. The dog is a 6" long grilled beef frank in a grilled bun and eating the bun was part of the challenge. Next is a slice of peperoni at a pizza place called Blondies. The slice is about the size of a paper plate and is has doughy crust, rubbery cheese and a river of orange colored grease. The final part is the hardest and is a massive apple fritter from Kingpin Donuts that is bigger than most grown men's hands and is a veritable grease and sugar sponge. All of these had to be eaten in one hour.
It is a 72 oz. steak, and you have to finish the sides, as well. All within one hour. They put you on stage with a big timer. 32 oz.? In Texas? Even I could do that! http://www.bigtexan.com/ History for Caliwankers: The 72-oz. steak came to life not long after Bob opened the doors to the Big Texan Steak Ranch. In those days, cowboys still worked the area ranches and came into town on their days off to get a good meal and have some fun. Both of those needs could be fulfilled at the Big Texan. One day a cowboy came through the front door bragging that he was so hungry he could “eat the whole, darned cow.” Bob grinned as he put the first one-pound steak on the grill and the contest was on. When the cowboy finally yelled, “calf-rope” he had consumed 4½ pounds of tasty Texas beef. Bob vowed from that day forward the dinner would be served “free” to anyone who could complete it in one hour. In those days, the dinner – shrimp cocktail, salad, baked potato, bread and 72-oz. steak – only cost $9.95. Today, challengers pay $72.00 for the experience.
Last spring My Wife and I were eating at "Taste of Texas" on the Katy near the Beltway. The waiter told us that Yao comes there and eats the porterhouse- which is approximately 32 oz after cooking. That is a lot of meat!!! ************************ We ate at one of the Landry's restaurants in Downtown Tues. Vic and Anthony's. I cannot imagine them declaring themselves a big time special culinary fine dining restaurant. We had a downtown destination and picked this place over Zula and Sambuca. We both ordered the 9 oz filet mignon cooked medium rare, lyonaise potatoes, and steamed asparagus. The best item was the bread, followed by the asparagus. Keep in mind we eat healthy now and red meat is a rare treat. Once a month. We seldom eat potatoes or bread and try to eat green vegetables, whole foods, and dry salads with vinegar and oil dressing. We were pumped and excited to have good decadent meal. The food challenge here was to justify paying a $ 157.00 tab for 2 steaks cooked medium wellto well done, lyonaise potatoes that appeared to be drenched in Campbell's cream of mushroom soup with sugar added. I ate about 1/3 of the well over cooked cooked steak-with no seasoning other than butter. My wife ate 2 bites of hers. We were in a hurry to leave and left the meal and wine on the table. I dropped 2 -$100.00 bills ($200.00 on a $ 157.00 tab) and talked to the manager on the way out. I left a good tip - $ 43.00 for the waiter- who was great - despite the Landry's food. I will never dog a waiter because he did not cook it. I told the manager very quietly about the overcooked very fine steak that the grill ruined. I told him because he needs to know how incompetent his kitchen is. I do not mind paying good money for good food, but they ruined beautiful meat. What a waste of 2 good steaks. The food challenge here is getting a good meal at Vic And Anthony's you can eat.
Not really a challenge, but I usually eat a whole bucket of the largest popcorn (retail price $30) at the movies myself. Why? Because I ask them to drench it in delicious artificial movie butter. I love that stuff. I would rather order a tub of butter w/ popcorn in it. I would take shots of the stuff if they would let me.
