The 6th annual Garlicky Greens Eating World Championship came to Legacy Place on Saturday, with reigning world champ Pete “Prettyboy” Davekos taking the title for a second straight year.Davekos had competition from nine others, including Dedhamite Andrew “The Town Crier” Fiegl.
The annual contest is sponsored by restaurant b.good, and features the sautéed spinach they serve on one of their hamburgers.It was run by Major League Eating, and sanctioned by the International Federation of Competative Eating, the world governing body for all “stomach-centric sport.”
Contestants, which included b.good employees and customers, also included Boston’s Davekos, who is ranked number 16 in the world among competitive eaters.Davekos, who won the San Fransisco qualifier of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest by eating 29 hot dogs and buns, is also a championship Ipswich clam eater.
Davekos, the only professional on the stage, won again this year by eating 7.2 pounds of spinach in 5 minutes, besting his previous record of 7.1 pounds last year.He finished his first pound and moved onto the second after only 12 seconds.
Next to him on stage was local real estate agent Andrew Fiegl who ate two pounds of the “garlicky greens.”As the only Dedhamite in the competition he was given the nickname “the Town Crier.”Fiegl, an agent with Donahue Real Estate, wore one of the company’s “I [heart] Dedham” bumper stickers across his head.
Before calling the contestants on stage, Major League Eating’s Mike Antolini went over the rules.Each would have five minutes to consume as much of the spinach as they could, but any “urges contrary to swallowing,” would disqualify contestants.
There were no “reversals of fortune” during the actual contest, but seconds after time ran out Rich “King Hungry VII” Best, a senior at Phillips Andover Academy, lost much of the spinach he had consumed.Fortunately for those in the “splash zone” he turned away from the audience before losing his lunch.
Jon Olinto, co-owner of b.good, said he was pleased with how the event went.His only regret, he said, was that “the evil champ” won for a second year.He said next year he hopes one of the family,” as b.good refers to their customers and employees, will beat the professional.
In addition to winning “eternal glory,” Davekos will receive a years supply of free hamburgers from b.good, and a “fake-gold plated belt.”For his part, Fiegl said that even though it was most disgusting things he had ever done, that it was worth it.
“I’ll be preparing for a rematch next year,” Fiegl said.
[Ed. note: I am the winner of a previous contest at b.good.]
