Grub Street Grub Street New York

We pretty much blocked Hill Country’s “Feed Your Face” challenge out of our mind after walking away from it with a hat, shirt, $65 of free food in our stomach, and equal measures of pride, shame, and pyrosis. But now here’s this Gothamist item telling us that a female competitive eater aced the challenge in, like, eight minutes. Obviously, some are finding the challenge more challenging than others, so before they get eaten out of house and home, Hill Country has taken the not all that surprising move of upping the portions (and price tag) so that you now have to pay $85 if you fail to eat three (instead of two) pounds of meat as well as a cupcake, a 32-ounce drink, and two medium (rather than small) sides. (Unfortunately, Hill Country wouldn't let us photograph the platter.) As the competitive eater’s cakewalk (cupcakewalk?) indicates, we suspect the secret is in speed-eating right out of the gate and downing as much as possible before your stomach even has time to realize it’s full (not the way you want to eat dinner), but are we about to give it another go? No, sir. We’re fine with having an asterisk next to our name on the Wall of Cue.

Hill Country "Feed Your Face" Challenge Not Gluttonous Enough [Gothamist]

Last year, Grub Street Philadelphia reported that 25-year-old Rita’s Water Ice was aiming to open 600 stores by the end of 2009, so it’s no surprise that according to QSR Web, the company will open three locations in Manhattan. The first will open February 14, when all visitors between the hours of 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. will get a free regular-size Italian ice (the first 100 customers will get a year’s supply). Rita’s traditionally does these giveaways on the first day of spring (according to Wikipedia, 1.2 million cups were distributed last year in a ten-hour period). In addition to Italian ices made on site, Rita’s serves frozen custard, “gelati” (actually a combination of ice and frozen custard), and blended custard-and-water-ice drinks. QSR Web doesn’t give an address for the first location, but a Rita’s Facebook page reveals it’s at 2486 Broadway near 92nd Street.

Rita's debuts chocolate chip ice at Manhattan location [QSR Web]
Rita’s Water Ice NYC [Facebook]