Ten contestants arrived at b.good restaurant at Legacy Place Saturday, Oct. 3 with an appetite for sautéed spinach and a hunger for victory.
Local residents competed against b.good staff and even a defending professional eating champion in last Saturday’s sixth annual Garlicky-Greens Eating championship.
“Everyone does burger eating contests,’’ said b.good owner Jon Olinto, “we wanted to be a little more original.”
The rules are simple: Whoever eats the most one-pound bowls of a sautéed spinach dish, flavored with garlic and extra virgin olive oil, in five minutes takes home a world championship belt and wins free b.good burgers for a year. The spinach concoction is also used as a topping for b.good burgers.
“Our family is our customers and we hope someone in our family wins,” Olinto said before the contest started at 3 p.m.
With background sounds of Dropkick Murphys and Eminem to set the stage, Mike Antolini of Major League Eating introduced the contestants, who traveled from as far away as California, Illinois and New York.
“Today is a battle for the ages, of the Titans, and for the b. good championship of the world,” he said. “The winner will exhibit a combination of hand speed, jaw strength and stomach capacity.”
Dedham resident Andrew Fiegl, nicknamed the Town Crier, stomached two pounds of spinach in the five-minute competition.
“I didn’t expect it to be so garlicky,” said Fiegl, an employee with Dedham’s Donahue Real Estate Company. “I would go for it again (next year), but I’d plan to be a little bit more prepared.”
The win ultimately went to defending champion and professional eater Pete “Pretty Boy” Davekos, of Boston, who polished off seven bowls in five minutes. A fierce competitor, Davekos, a Waltham native, is New England’s top-ranked Major League Eater, and has been featured on ESPN consuming 29 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes and 32 hamburgers in eight minutes.
Contestants in last Saturday’s Garlicky Greens Eating championship traveled from as far away as California, Illinois and New York, but one Dedham resident put in a good finishing off two pounds of spinach.
Taking a tip from Davekos, Fiegl said next year he would guzzle down more water.
“The water really washes out the taste and makes it easier to swallow,” he said.
Legacy Place general manager Beth Winbourne stopped by the competition to see how the contestants made out and support the restaurant, which she said is doing well in its fifth and newest location.
“The b.good guys are a riot and they’re big into the community,” she said. “They’ve been awesome to work with and this is a great crowd, despite the rain.”
B.good also has locations in Boston, Brookline, and Cambridge and advertises a low-cost, healthier fast-food food options in the area. In addition to burgers and fries, it also offer shakes and veggie options.
