Westmore News SS 2019 Feature

MPGDSM ·

750 tacos down the hatch (Repost)

Annual Tacos Tonight eating contest raises $3,750 for Port Chester Schools

Who loves tacos?

That was the question Tacos Tonight host Mario Pablo posed to a crowd of about 200 people before seven men inhaled as many tacos as they could in 10 minutes during Salsa Picante’s annual eating contest. By the end, the tables were covered in onion bits, spilled salsa verde, squished limes, many empty plates and very full bellies.  

The fifth annual Tacos Tonight, which raises money for the Tamarack Tower Foundation (TTF) to aid the Port Chester School District, took place in a parking lot across from the 110 Adee St. restaurant on the night of Thursday, Aug. 15.

The event raised $3,750 for the foundation. The restaurant has also set up a GoFundMe page for those who wish to donate but could not attend the event. The page, which can be accessed by searching for “tacos tonight 5” on the website, will be live until Sept. 1.

“This event is just a thank you all around,” Pablo said in reference to the Port Chester community.

In three hours, about 750 tacos and 25 gallons of margaritas were served. The onlookers screamed for their favorite competitors over “Weird Al” Yankovic’s parody song “Eat It” and motivated them to eat more. Salsa Picante restaurant owner David Dolores walked around the tables and watched to make sure competitors ate every bit before moving on to the next round.

Port Chester resident Jon Lovallo, who won last year’s competition and tied the first two, proved his passion for the tiny stuffed tortillas once again by consuming 21 of them in 10 minutes.

By the end of the contest, three of the men, Lovallo, his brother Joe and 18-year-old Jorge Nieto, had tied. For the first time in the competition’s existence, a three-way tiebreaker was initiated. Joe backed out early because he was too full, but Nieto, who lives in Mexico and travelled to Port Chester to compete in the contest, stayed strong.

After three additional minutes of eating as many more tacos as they could, Lovallo consumed all the food brought to him before Nieto could finish his plate. According to Pablo, both are considered winners of the competition.

Contest winners received $300 worth of prizes including gift cards to Salsa Picante, tequila and restaurant branded merchandise. 

After the competition was over, Lovallo said he felt good. He continued to eat the remaining tacos on his plate even after the time was up.

The technique to winning, he said, is to really love tacos.

Surprisingly, he ate nothing other than tacos before the contest began.

The competition had a few new rules this year: creating a mess, such as throwing up, would lead to a $100 fine, and a competitor had to eat at least 12 tacos to be crowned a winner.

Pablo, who also manages Salsa Picante’s marketing, said the name Tacos Tonight is a play on words for Taco Tuesday, a customary day when restaurants serve discounts on taco dishes.

All the proceeds from the event were donated to TTF to benefit the Port Chester Schools. For $20, adults received two margaritas, an order of three tacos and a shot. Children received a soft drink, an order of three tacos and a surprise gift for $10.

“Tacos Tonight is a great event,” Pablo said. “People come, people support, that’s what it is all about.”

By Victoria Bresnahan


Westmore News AW 2018 Feature

MPGDSM ·

Tacos for tots (Repost)

Salsa Picante’s 4th annual Taco Eating Contest raises $3,600 for the Tamarack Tower Foundation

Three. Two. One. Hundreds in the crowd simultaneously shouted: “tacos tonight!” And with that, 15 full-bodied men started shoving assorted chicken, carnitas and vegetable tacos in their mouths as fast as possible.

On Thursday, Aug. 16, Salsa Picante at 110 Adee St. hosted its 4th annual Tacos Tonight Taco Eating Contest to raise funds for the Tamarack Tower Foundation, and subsequently, the Port Chester Public Schools. Though it was a fierce competition, there was no animosity. The 15 competitors, all from Port Chester except one Greenwich, Conn. resident, were laughing with each other the whole time and were ultimately there for fun, excitement and the kids.

As the men feasted, the crowd went wild with cheers of support. Mario Pablo, the host and one of the event organizers, hyped them up more, describing the contest like a sports commentator.  

“Drink water! Stay hydrated,” echoed Dean Proserpio, a past contestant who decided to sit this year out. “It’s the most important advice,” he later explained.

The contest winner was set to receive $400 worth of prizes—a Salsa Picante T-shirt, tequila, and as a new addition, a custom taco eating championship belt.

One of the contesters, Jon Lovallo, had been crowned the winner at the first two annual showdowns. Last year he couldn’t compete because he was feeling under the weather.

But after 15 minutes of eating, Lovallo successfully reclaimed his throne by demolishing 33 tacos, tortilla shells and all—a taco eating contest record.

“Just eat. You just got to eat. And it’s all about the dressing. You got to dress them right so they’re wet and just eat,” Lovallo said while posing for pictures and basking in his glory. “The belt is new this year and it’s hilarious. It just makes the spectacle of all this even better.”

According to Pablo, more than 350 people attended the party which started several hours before the competition. For $10, they received three tacos, two margaritas and an hour’s worth of unlimited tequila shots. For $5, attendees could refill their taco plate or purchase another margarita and enjoy their meals with friends and family in front of an open-mic stage.

Three hours, 1,280 tacos and 50 gallons of margaritas later, through the community Salsa Picante raised $3,600 for the Tamarack Tower Foundation.

“This event is definitely on the rise,” Pablo said. “Every year, everything increases a little bit. Last year the amount of tacos eaten was 28 and the amount of people attending increased a bit. The first year, the event was inside so it was much smaller. Then we moved it outside and it was huge, we got so much more people than we were expecting. The last two years we were able to control it better, and now it’s this beautiful controlled chaos.”

Besides the championship belt, there were a few other new aspects at the contest this year. Roddy’s Pizza was stationed selling pizza and pasta for those not feeling up for the tacos.

Additionally, several local vendors such as Elegant Empire Jewelers and Patty’s Dominican Hair Salon were raffling off goods and services for the cause.

“It’s a community event on all levels. Both with the people and local businesses,” Pablo said. “There were different tribes that all came together and they all had good things to say, which means next year it will be even better. It’s very influenced by the community.”

Pablo, who was in charge of marketing the event, said it wasn’t hard to get people to come. The event is already known throughout the community. As he continuously tried extending the invites further, he said most people were already on board because they knew the proceeds went toward the schools.

Helping the schools definitely motivated Lovallo.

“David always makes this a great time,” Lovallo said, referring to Salsa Picante owner David Dolores. “But as fun as it is to come hang out with David, this is really about supporting Port Chester Schools. That’s the main reason all of us come out, it’s great to support the kids.”  

By Sarah Wolfpoff

Westmore News SS 2018 Feature

MPGDSM ·

Sesquicentennial celebration kicks off with proclamations, history and cake (Repost)

About 150 people came out to the senior/community center Monday night, May 14, the actual anniversary of the village’s date of incorporation, to celebrate Port Chester’s sesquicentennial, a word that was tripped over and a subject of conversation during speeches the entire night.

150th Committee member and Park Avenue School teacher Jen Carriero-Dominguez said sesquicentennial, meaning 150th anniversary, was a new vocabulary word for her students.

In presenting proclamations in honor of the occasion, some elected officials got tongue-tied pronouncing it.

Those officials were from the neighboring municipalities of Rye, Harrison and Rye Brook, the Town of Rye, County of Westchester, and State of New York.

“This is a unique community that has welcomed immigrants for the last 100 years,” said County Executive George Latimer. “It must be the oldest incorporated village in the county.”

“Port Chester is a great neighbor of Rye,” said City of Rye Mayor Josh Cohn. “It has a rich history of achievement over the last 150 years.”

“We are so thrilled to be here and are in awe of the longevity,” said Rye Brook Mayor Paul Rosenberg. “We are the newest village, just incorporated in 1982. We wish you nothing but the best for the next 150 years.” He read from the proclamation he presented, saying the land that became Port Chester was bought from the Poningo Indians for eight coats, seven shirts and 90 feet of wampum.

Originally named Sawpit from the time when ships docked in Port Chester harbor, the name was later changed to Port Chester by a slim five votes.

It is one of only 12 villages incorporated under a charter and has always been populated by immigrants.

“To me what this celebration is about is the next 150 years,” said Brian Hegt, who represented Governor Andrew Cuomo. “This community is set up for another 150 years of success.”

County Legislator Nancy Barr spoke about “the rich and vibrant history of Port Chester, the shining star of the Sound Shore, one of the most diverse communities in all of Westchester. We picked a date that was not tonight. May 20 is declared 150th Birthday of Port Chester Day in the county. It will be on the jumbotron in front of the County Center.”

“Sawpit reflected Port Chester’s industrial beginnings,” said Rye Town Supervisor Gary Zuckerman. “He described the village as “a giving community that offers many people an opportunity.”

Coming in late after getting stuck in traffic on his way back from Albany, Assemblyman Steve Otis spoke about “the sense of family and the sense of hard work” in Port Chester. “People have character. The American dream continues to happen in Port Chester every day.”

Mayor Richard “Fritz” Falanka announced the names of every current and former elected official in attendance, a very long list.

“It’s a great pleasure to have everyone come back and share this great occasion with the Village of Port Chester,” he said. Speaking of the past Port Chester officials, he said: “Without their hard work, a lot of this wouldn’t be possible. We spend a lot of time trying to get the village’s work done.”

He also introduced the committee that made this and all the upcoming 150th anniversary activities possible, chaired by Mary Strauch and Denise Quinn.

Committee member and architect Norm Davis, who was born in Port Chester, is descended from the Studwells and Lyons, two of the first pioneer families to settle in the area, gave an interesting presentation complete with maps and old postcards, describing Port Chester’s history through landmarks and people.

“Rye settlers referred to the marshy harbor area as Saw Log Swamp, or the Saw Pits, or worse,” he said. “It was simply the place to cut lumber, using the method that gave the place its name.”

The name Sawpit, he said, first appeared in print only in 1732, nearly 100 years after Rye was settled.

Some of the earliest families to homestead here included the Lyon, Bush, Purdy, Bloomer, Merritt and Brown families, he said. The Brown Homestead still stands on Browndale Place. Records place Samuel Brown on this property as early as 1733.

He showed a picture of the John Lyon House on Lyon’s original farmland near Highland Street. The farm, part of what is now Lyon Farm condominiums off King Street, remained in use with cows and sheep until the 1970s when the home was demolished.

The Port Chester Country Club, near the future Park Avenue School, was gone by 1927.

William Ward and his NYC partner saw opportunity in the area and built a factory on Midland Avenue adjacent to the train tracks. By 1851, RB&W “was one of the largest manufacturers in the entire New York area and the largest employer in Port Chester, sometimes including three or four generations form the same families,” said Davis. “They manufactured military hardware in both World War I and World War II.” He said the plant closed in 1973 after a devastating fire wiped out the entire operation.

The Bush-Lyon Homestead “is the home that makes Port Chester an historic icon of Westchester County,” said Davis. Abraham Bush was a sea captain who regularly sailed out of Sawpit. He married John Lyon’s daughter, inheriting much of John Lyon’s land in the process. He said the true age of the Bush Homestead is unknown and it may have been built for Lyon’s sons. The older parts probably date to around 1720. The barns served as slave quarters for several generations.

With incorporation of the village on May 14, 1868 “came a new local government and a new sense of identity,” said Davis. The downtown burgeoned with stores, theaters and hotels.

“The marina, Route 1, the railroad, the shops and the people. Even today, these things remain the forces that give Port Chester a life and a personality that Rye and Greenwich do not possess,” concluded Davis.

Self-taught artist Steve Rossi, who was born and raised in Port Chester, presented three framed drawings of various Port Chester landmarks to the mayor. “These are my birthday gifts for Port Chester,” he said.

Mario Gomez showed a video of present day Port Chester made by Port Chester High School student Eli Taylor-Lemire and PCHS alumnus Donell Clark, a graduate of the School of Visual Arts with a BFA in Film/Video.

Carriero-Dominguez talked about the many cultural and annual events, restaurants and organizations that make Port Chester great and activities that will be going on in the schools to teach about Port Chester’s past 150 years through the arts.

“Being from Port Chester teaches our students about the diversity in the real world, and in our schools’ One World Clubs teach our students how to be virtuous and leaders in global character education competence,” she said.

Village Manager Chris Steers concluded by speaking of Port Chester as an active and healthy community, including the unveiling of the farmers’ market the day before.

“We’re on our way,” said Steers. “As the mayor says, ‘It’s Port Chester’s time.’ What’s happening is because of the hard work of everyone who has come before.”

The presentations were preceded by a reception with passed hors d’oeuvres and followed by birthday cake donated by Neri’s Bakery and the singing of “Happy Birthday” to the Village of Port Chester. The room was decorated with a red carpet, balloons and 150th logos galore.

The next 150th event, PCFest in Lyon Park, originally scheduled for Sunday, May 20, has been postponed to Sunday, May 27 from 2-5 p.m. due to expected inclement weather.

By Jananne Abel

Westchester Magazine AW 2011 Feature

MPGDSM ·

Port Chester Designer Mario Pablo's Westchester-Themed “I Love NY” T-Shirt (Repost)

Wear your sentiments on your chests and show the love for your favorite county with this fun, 100-percent-cotton T-shirt by Port Chester designer Mario Pablo.  It’s offered in black, white, fuchsia, yellow, and baby blue in unisex sizes small, medium, large, and extra-large for $25 at European Boutique in Rye. Also available: poly/cotton crop tops in fuchsia, charcoal gray, and cream in one-size-fits-all for $35 and long-sleeved styles by custom order.

By Laurie Yarnell