Courtesy Lefty Karropoulos

​

Gaze upon this burger and despair.

Limelight's executive chef, Lefty Karropoulus will make a deal with you. Finish his pound-and-a-half burger in 20 minutes or less and he will rename it after you.

The catch is that both the patty and one of the sauces topping the burger are infused with ghost chilies. 

Sure, there's a habanero sauce, too, but the heat of a piddling habanero doesn't hold a candle to a chili that is currently being weaponized by the Indian military. 

Still not impressed? Perhaps some perspective will help. On the Scoville scale a habanero rates between 100,000 to 350,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHUs). The hottest recorded ghost chili was measured at just over 1,000,000 SHU's. Pepper spray is rated at around 5,000,000 SHU's. Eating something with 1/5 the heat of a cop's pepper spray probably explains why the restaurant requires you to sign a waiver.

Twelve brave souls have made the attempt but only one has succeeded, and that's why the dish is currently called the "Michael Katto Burger." 

Actually, Lefty himself managed to bolt one down in six minutes but that was only after a customer claimed it was an impossible task. The closest anyone else has gotten is halfway and the remainder all gave up after one or two bites.

The precautions necessary to handle weapons-grade chilies and how our intern felt after just a taste, after the jump.

More >>

Jonathan McNamara

The good news: to win you only have to eat one.

​​The average person's stomach can hold about a liter of food, or close to two pounds' worth. But who wants to be average? All over town, restaurants are offering up contests of confection, defying brave eaters to ingest more food than they should eat in a week -- daily recommended values be damned!

Armed with a big mouth and an empty stomach, our intrepid writer Zach Fowle has dared to become one of these food fighters -- travelling metro Phoenix to face new challenges and prove to the animal kingdom that man belongs at the top of the food chain.

The 2011 All-Star Home Run Derby went down Monday night, and it was a grand old time. Expensive beer flowed; Little Leaguers raced across the field on tiny legs in attempts to catch fly balls; the stands of Chase Field, packed to capacity, rose and ebbed as Adrian Gonzales and Robinson Cano blasted white asteroids into the stands

And thanks to my Big Unit, I was there.

Flashback: remember when I told you guys the Big Unit was my favorite hot dog in town? That was before I had to scarf it.

More >>

How much do we love Nutella, the crazy-good hazelnut spread where the mere act of smearing it across a piece of bread is akin to a religious experience?

Not as much as this man.

Furious Pete, a professional competitive eater from Ontario, Canada, is about to get 200 grams of fat heavier after conquering a 750 gram jar of Nutella containing over 4,000 calories and 400 grams of sugar.

That's right. An entire jar. In under four minutes. Without a drink of water.

We'll never look at Nutella the same way again.

Jonathan McNamara

The aftermath of Saturday's Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Qualifier at Arizona Mills Mall.

​Next time you prepare to chow down on a plump, all-beef hot dog, ask yourself this question: how many can you eat in ten minutes? Two? Four? If you think that kind of lazy eating is going to cut the mustard with the International Federation of Competitive Eating, you'd better go back to the fridge...and eat it.

Several competitive eaters worth their salt (an obscenely large amount of digested salt) met once again on the field of gurgitory battle at Arizona Mills Mall for the qualifying round to advance to the annual Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest held on July 4 on Coney Island. Hundreds sat in attendance as Master of Ceremonies Richard Shea introduced the competitive eaters.

More >>

Jonathan McNamara

James King prepares for disaster.

​​The average person's stomach can hold about a liter of food, or close to two pounds' worth. But who wants to be average? All over town, restaurants are offering up contests of confection, defying brave eaters to ingest more food than they should eat in a week -- daily recommended values be damned!

Armed with a big mouth and an empty stomach, our intrepid writer Zach Fowle has dared to become one of these food fighters -- travelling metro Phoenix to face new challenges and prove to the animal kingdom that man belongs at the top of the food chain.

Twenty pounds of pork butt and brisket. One pound of macaroni and cheese. One pound of baked beans. One pound of collard greens. One pound of potato salad. One pound of coleslaw. One pound of French fries. One pound of wedge salad. One pound of corn bread. One pound of fried pickles. And an entire whole pecan and date pie.

This is what awaited the intrepid teams of eaters during the inaugural Leg of Beast Feast at Big Earl's BBQ May 24. A grand total of 30 pounds of food, split between six people and set to be eaten in 17 minutes. Mother of god.

More >>

The Big Kahuna Challenge

​The average person's stomach can hold about a liter of food, or close to two pounds' worth. But who wants to be average? All over town, restaurants are offering up contests of confection, defying brave eaters to ingest more food than they should eat in a week -- daily recommended values be damned!

Armed with a big mouth and an empty stomach, our intrepid writer Zach Fowle has dared to become one of these food fighters -- travelling metro Phoenix to face new challenges and prove to the animal kingdom that man belongs at the top of the food chain.

'Sup, brah? It's time again for another installment in the ongoing saga of "Why Zach Will Be Dead by 35," or as we like to call it, Feasts of Fury.

The latest food battle comes to us from Hawaii by way of Maui Dog (3538 E. Indian School Rd., 602-464-3063), the best little island-style hot dog and slider shack Phoenix has to offer. Owner John Stamatakis came up with the idea for the place two years ago and took it to the desert, bringing treats like shaved ice, SPAM sliders, and the Big Kahuna Challenge, which consists of:

• ​Two shaggy-style Kahuna Lava Dogs -- half-pound beef dogs bathed in chili, Maui cole slaw and Monterey Jack Cheese
• Two Shaka dogs of your choice (I go with the Island Dog, a brat adorned with Chipotle mayo, Maui mustard, coconut, pineapple and bacon; and the Hana Dog, an all-beef link topped with Chipotle mayo, avocado, pico de gallo, cilantro, bacon and Monterey Jack cheese)
• Two double beef sliders
• One small basket of French fries
• One small basket of tater tots

Finish in 30 minutes and the $35 meal is free, plus you get your picture on the soon-to-be-created Wall of Fame as well as a special Maui Dog t-shirt that gets you 15 percent off any future purchases you make while wearing it. Hot damn! If you fail, you have to pay the full cost of the meal, but you get a little punch card fully stamped and good for one free future meal.

So far, Stamatakis says, only one person has been able to complete the challenge, and he did it with about six minutes to spare. All five of the other competitors failed miserably; I'll be the seventh person to attempt it.

More >>

sheknows.com

​I met Blair River just one time in 2010. As I was sitting down to attempt my first-ever Quadruple Bypass Burger, he was just leaving Heart Attack Grill, his friend having finished two of the meaty monstrosities while he himself had just downed three of the regular Bypass Burgers he got for free for weighing more than 350 pounds. He was a 6-foot-8, nearly 600-pound grizzly bear, and he was smiling, filled with the contentment brought about by a satisfying meal.

It wasn't until I learned of his death last week that I realized whom I'd been speaking with. The 29-year-old former state wrestling champion had long been the face of Heart Attack Grill, appearing in the restaurant's commercials glorifying weight and indulgent food. He died last Tuesday, not of a heart attack, but of complications with pneumonia.

It would be foolish for anyone reading of River's death to take the consequences of overeating lightly. According to the Center for Disease Control, obese men have a 40 percent greater risk of pneumonia compared with those of normal weight, and men who were are obese are twice as likely to get pneumonia. The CDC notes that obesity increases the risks of coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, respiratory problems and certain cancers.

But no sooner had River passed than the talking head emerged to lambast Heart Attack Grill, the culture the restaurant encourages, and the very notion of overeating in general. Jeanne Sager of The Stir voiced outrage at Heart Attack for making light of River's obesity, exploiting him to make sales and encouraging his -- and our -- unhealthy behavior.

More >>

​The restaurant space on the northeast corner of Mill and University must've been built over an Indian burial ground, because the spot is cursed. Once upon a time, Ruby Tuesday stood there, but its reign didn't last. Soon after its demise, the diner Sucker Punch Sally's took over -- but this occupation was much shorter.

Now the space is inhabited by DiVerti Bar & Grill (4 E. University Dr., 480-284-5972), an East-Coast-style grub pub that turns out decent food and righteous drink specials. Despite the grudges of Native American ghosts, it's my humble(-ish) opinion that DiVerti will survive, if for no other reason than the Overstuffed Sandwich.

If you're unaware of the joys of the Overstuffed Sandwich, get thee to DiVerti and try it out. It's a gloriously filling menagerie of your choice of meat along with provolone cheese, tomato, a slab of cole slaw and a handful of French fries (inside the sandwich! Crazy talk!) between inch-thick slices of fresh-baked Italian bread.

​You can pick them up for $8.49 normally, but the truly bold will take on the $25 Overstuffed Sandwich Challenge: three Overstuffed Sandwich platters, complete with fries, in one hour. Finish all three within the time limit and you get your name up on the wall of fame, which is currently BLANK. I could be the first! I like being the first.

Which is why I'm at DiVerti for the first annual Diverti Overstuffed eating challenge. Though eaters can now take the challenge any time they wish, this day's gala is the kickoff.

More >>

Zach Fowle

The Big One

​The average person's stomach can hold about a liter of food, or close to two pounds' worth. But who wants to be average? All over town, restaurants are offering up contests of confection, defying brave eaters to ingest more food than they should eat in a week -- daily recommended values be damned!

Armed with a big mouth and an empty stomach, our intrepid writer Zach Fowle has dared to become one of these food fighters -- travelling metro Phoenix to face new challenges and prove to the animal kingdom that man belongs at the top of the food chain.

Howdy, y'all! Feasts of Fury is back and ready to take on more brave feats of eating prowess! My apologies for the long hiatus. I've been digesting.

​Today's meal is a big ol' steak: The Big One, a 32-ounce porterhouse that's a slab o' beef of Western-style proportions. The challenge can be found at Bill Johnson's Big Apple (3757 E. Van Buren, 602-275-2107), an Arizona steakhouse with a rich history. Sit back while I indulge ya'll.

Bill Johnson, apparently, was a Jack of All Trades, having been at separate times in his life an entrepreneur, pilot, actor, stunt man, hypnotist, inventor and cowboy. He was also one of the country's original shock-jocks and ran a radio show right out of a makeshift jail-cell in his original restaurant on Van Buren. Bill would ramble away on air almost every while diners indulged in his restaurant's southwestern fare, and the show was eventually broadcast on several local radio stations.

The location I'm sitting in tonight is the very same Johnson started broadcasting from in 1956. The place has an authentic Old West feel, from the country music playing on the speakers to sawdust on the floor to the oral hygiene of the servers. The place is all wood and steer horns, and reminds me of a truck stop. Our server had a six shooter strapped to her waist which may or may not have been real.

More >>

Zach Fowle

​The average person's stomach can hold about a liter of food, or close to two pounds' worth. But who wants to be average? All over town, restaurants are offering up contests of confection, defying brave eaters to ingest more food than they should eat in a week -- daily recommended values be damned!

Armed with a big mouth and an empty stomach, our intrepid writer Zach Fowle has dared to become one of these food fighters -- travelling metro Phoenix to face new challenges and prove to the animal kingdom that man belongs at the top of the food chain.

Eating vast amounts of food is fun and all, but there's a severe and obvious lack of sexiness involved. For some reason, most people don't find my spit-glistening, food-flecked face appealing. Who knew?

It's time we upped the pretty around here, and where I live there's no better way to do that than by involving yourself with the dozen lovely ladies that make up the Tempe 12.

Zach Fowle

The grill, fully loaded

​In October, Tempe12 began hosting monthly eating contests exclusively for fraternities and sororities, dubbing the series The Greek League Eating Contest. Each house sends a representative to be teamed up with one of the sexy 12 in a battle of food supremacy. The first event is taking place at Lobby's Beef Burgers and Dogs (3141 S. McClintock Ave.), where contestants will be challenged to eating a three-pound burger in the fastest time, with a 10-minute cutoff.

The winner of each month is awarded the coveted Tempe12 paddle, and for this contest the good folks at GotVape.com provided a nice assortment of vaporizers and grinders for the prizes. First place takes home an iolite vaporizer, second place wins a grinder, third place wins a lanyard.

I happen to be in a fraternity (Phi Sigma Kappa, if you're curious, the GREATEST FRATERNITY IN ALL THE LAND). A brother of mine signed me up, saying house pride was on the line. How could I say no? I may have also been influenced by the knowledge that I'd be paired up with my very own Tempe 12 model who would eat alongside me. But house pride was the main thing!

More >>