May 16, 2012
Apr 15, 2010
11:13 AM
restoronto

T.O. chowhound vies for poutine crown

By Malcolm Johnston

Toronto's Smoke's Poutinerie, ostensibly stung after placing fourth in PostCity.com's Poutine Taste Test of March 2010 (featuring Quebecois taste tester and amateur poutine aficionado Josee Chouinard), has involved itself in an even more high-profile event: supplying poutine for the World Poutine Championships, to be held May 22 at BMO Field. 

The contest, put on by Major League Eating brings together some of the top names in mass consumption, including Crazy Legs Conti, Gravy Brown and Patrick "Deep Dish" Bertoletti. But Smoke's owner Ryan Smolkin plans to include some non-professional competitors, who can win entry into the contest by writing a short story on why they love poutine. Smolkin will judge the entries and determine who's best suited to chow down with the pros.                                                   Mississauga native Ben Do

PostCity.com managed to pull Smolkin away from the deep fryer long enough to get the scoop on who's leading the pack so far. 

Turns out one Mississauga native Ben Do, a University of Toronto student and lover of all things curds and gravy, has caught Smolkin's eye.

The 22-year-old has launched a Facebook campaign to support his bid and currently has 134 supporters backing his candidacy. Do claims to have eaten one medium pizza in one minute 27 seconds; two medium pizzas in five minutes and nine seconds, and seven Trinidadian doubles (flatbread sandwiches filled with chick peas) in two minutes four seconds, and his page has the videos to prove it.                                                                                

Others who wish to enter can visit http://www.smokespoutinerie.com/championship/# — but considering that Smolkin estimates he'll whip up some 300 to 400 pounds of poutine for the event, perhaps a question to ask before putting paper to pen is whether the $750 first-place purse is worth the coronary bypass surgery that's bound to follow.

Smoke's Poutinerie is located at 203 Dundas St. East. 

 

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