Great Places 22 – National Buffalo Wing Eating Competition
Ok, so I know this great place is a little out of the way, but we have a local gentleman taking place in this event, which would actually be really fun to watch.
The Seventh Annual National Buffalo Wing Festival will take place Labor Day weekend, August 30-31, at Dunn Tire Park in Buffalo, NY, home of the Buffalo chicken wing. Brad Sciullo eats 30 to 40 pieces of gum at once, can down 10 lbs. of tiramisu in one sitting and can chug a gallon of milk in 22 seconds.No, he’s not auditioning for the role of Augustus Gloop in the next installment of “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory,” he’s a competitive eater.
Sciullo, a chef (ironically) at Pasta Lorenzo in Uniontown, is on his way to the National Buffalo Wing Eating competition in Buffalo this weekend, and he is expecting to win.
“I came in third last year,” he said. “But I, and my competitors, think I will win this year.
Sciullo said that growing up, food was always around, and I was always just into it.
“And, then becoming a chef, I was around it even more.”
He said he joined the International Federation of Competitive Eating at age 18 after he saw a documentary, and then his training began. He added that he owes a big thanks to his friends, girlfriend and family for their support of his passion. He said his coach, Orlando Carr, and his manager Adam Taxin are a big part of why he has been so successful in competitive eating.
His training rituals include eating the gum to loosen his jaw muscles and said he practices on light foods such as cheesecake and tiramisu. He also starts by drinking at least two gallons of water.
“If someone wants to get into competitive eating, I always tell him or her to start light,” he said.
He practiced Thursday morning at Pasta Lorenzo by eating the Italian Stallion, a new sandwich at the restaurant. It’s an Italian hoagie sandwich that about 13 inches long and 5 inches tall filled with meats, cheeses, tomatoes and other hoagie condiments.
Owner Joe Carei said the sandwich will be a new feature on the menu, and anyone that can eat the sandwich in 45 minutes or less will get it for free along with a t-shirt saying “I KO’d the Italian Stallion at Pasta Lorenzo.”
“They also will get their name on a plaque,” Carei said.
Carei said this is something he has wanted to d something like this for a long time, and it it’s a fun way to get he customers involved.
By the way, Sciullo ate the sandwich in 8 minutes and 39 seconds.