So Much Cheese You Could Puke

Nothing says summer like standing in the hot sun watching people wolf down as much cheese as they can eat in two minutes. Such is the annual spectacle sponsored by Stinky Bklyn outside Smith & Vine at the Smith Street festival.

Not sure what inspires people to sign up for this event, especially when the same guy has won for four years in a row - and he wins by a lot. This year he ate 3/4 of a pound of cheddar-like cheese in two minutes. Let that sink in. It is a lot of cheese.

I've watched the Nathan's hot dog eating contest on television, but somehow that grosses me out less than this cheese eating contest. Maybe because I can more easily picture what it would feel like to eat a lot of cheese, although not eat it in just two minutes.

The winning strategy seemed to involve listening to an iPod, taking huge bites, and washing it down with beer instead of water:

And, of course, Brooklyn borough president Marty Markowitz, presided over the whole affair and suggested that we all summer in Brooklyn. I usually do.

The only thing to do after checking out a street festival and watching competitive eating is to retire to the nearest outdoor cafe and drink several bottle of rose with your friends. Happy summer!