Mad Me-Shell and the Great Chicago Food Truck Smackdown

I always knew Mad Me-Shell had…well...moxie would be the word to use in polite company. But picking a fight with a guy on Twitter? What was she thinking? It all resulted in some shocking, high calorie street theater. Now, in her very first guest post, the insatiable Mad dishes on what can happen when you talk to strangers. Warning! Amateurs should not attempt the stunt described below, but if you do, keep the Alka-Seltzer handy.

 

Well, T.W., just when you thought my food truck adventures were coming to an end, it happened. I accidentally started a food truck eating challenge via Twitter. There I was, minding my own business one day, when I came across this glorious picture tweeted by a fellow Chicagoan of a sandwich from the SamichBox food truck.

Yes, that is a chicken fried steak sandwich. Isn’t it beautiful? Though I didn’t know the gentleman who posted the picture, the carnivore in me was compelled to tweet my delight over such a creation. I was shocked and dismayed when the owner of said sandwich (we shall call him Butch McGee) said he could only finish half. Now, I might be a lot of things, but a quitter is NOT one. I simply tweeted my disappointment over his lack of appetite. Some Twitter trash talk followed, and the next thing you know, Butch McGee was challenging little ol’ me to an eating competition. And you know I can’t resist a challenge…

Obviously, I asked Zany to accompany me to this historic event. But she’s terribly busy and important and had another ‘lunch engagement.’ GASP. I felt like Bonnie without Clyde. How would I go on? I was forced to bring SG, a colleague who was both appalled and fascinated by this challenge. She thought I was crazy, but was more than willing to take pictures and watch me make a fool of myself. So we hit the streets and quickly spotted the truck, my stomach grumbling in hungry anticipation.

Butch McGee was easy to spot – he was surrounded by an entire entourage of people ready to cheer him on! Color me officially intimidated. But it’s totally normal to eat a huge sandwich from a food truck on the street with a stranger, right? In spite of my nerves, I was quickly distracted by the ginormous sandwich set in front of me.

That’s right T.W.; this wasn’t just any ordinary sandwich. It was two slices of Texas Toast, TWO pieces of chicken fried steak, a huge scoop of mashed potatoes and yes, a healthy portion of sausage gravy to top it off.

Before I had time to second guess this decision, the competition started! Butch McGee started eating with gusto, but I tried to stay focused. I did have several pounds of sandwich to consume before him, after all. Ignoring SG’s cheers, Butch McGee’s jeers and shocked looks from passersby, I tucked into the challenge. It wasn’t hard to stay motivated – the sandwich was delicious and tasted surprisingly fresh and light.

It wasn’t long before I heard SG exclaim over my progress. I finally snuck a peak over at Butch McGee. I was astounded to realize I was far ahead of him. And he was clearly slowing down.

What a wuss.

Stopping only to take a quick sip of water and wipe my mouth (I am a lady, after all), I polished off the last of my sandwich with ease. Butch McGee hung his head in shame while his entourage looked on with expressions shock and awe. I strolled away, feeling full – of tasty food and the sweet taste of victory.

While I don’t plan on building a career winning eating competitions, looking at this snapshot of my success certainly puts a smile on my face. And of course, has me out scouring the streets for my next food truck adventure.

©2012 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved