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Fifteen falafels in my bowl, dude -- but not for long
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The St. Louis chapter of the U.S. Bartenders Guild hosted a cocktail competition.
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Belly dancer Jane Samira Blakemore shakes it up with cafe owner Natasha Bahrami
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Game faces
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He's got this.
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The instant before the contest began
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The smile before the heartburn
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Don't stop!
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Lookin' like a chipmunk
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A funny face--or one of dyspepsia? You make the call.
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Serious competitive eaters stand during the competition. "Goes down quicker," we're told.
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Another pre-contest smile
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Mid-contest. (Note that the expression of the dude in the previous picture has changed considerably.)
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Not an easy place to get to...
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He didn't win.
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He did. Champ Kyle "The Hammer" Hanner and Natasha Bahrami
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Falafel-eating contest winner Kyle "The Hammer" Hanner (left) and runner-up Mikey Berner (right), congratulated by Natasha Bahrami
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The exterior of Cafe Natasha's, located at 3200 S. Grand (at Wyoming)
Dense, chewy, rough-textured falafel is a very challenging food for a competitive eater, said Kyle Hanner. Hanner, aka “The Hammer,” still managed to lap the competition, inhaling 15 balls of the stuff in 2:35 yesterday. (Runner-up Mikey Berner ate his 15 in 3:35.) Hanner has won 23 competitive-eating contests this year, he said, including toasted ravioli, hot wings and fruitcake.
The contest was the main attraction at the fourth annual Falafel-Eating Championship and Hummus Block Party at Café Natasha's and The Gin Room. The event, which has featured a live camel in years past, hit a snag this year. Because of some city ordinances, explained one of the Cafe Natasha employees, it was not feasible to host the camel (or the llama or the alpaca).
Despite the lack of camels – and a ripping thundershower that dampened the first hour of the event – a good time was had. The Spirits of Saint Louis Distillery and the St. Louis Chapter of the U.S. Bartenders Guild hosted a three-tier cocktail competition, a belly dancer shimmied, and the hummus flowed.
Café Natasha's and The Gin Room
3200 S. Grand
314-771-3411
