Westmore News SS 2019 Feature
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