SEATTLE — No better way to celebrate Pi Day than with PIE! And competitive eaters Sarah Reinecke and Juan Rodriguez know how to party with pie.
They were invited by Pie Bar Ballard to consume a slice of every pie they offer at the Ballard bar...that's 13 in all.
Reinecke estimated they'd power down around nine pounds of pie each. First one to finish wins!
With all 13 in front of them, they started with Chocolate Cream. Rodriguez ate the entire first slice in 17 seconds.
After taking the early lead, he was asked how he was feeling.
"Grfrth," he said, through bites of Bumbleberry Crumble.
Rodriguez, also known as "Juan More Bite," and Reinecke compete all over the country in competitive eating contests. Now a couple, they met in New York at Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, the Super Bowl of their sport.
After taking a moment to share a kiss, they go back to pushing piles of pie in their respective pie holes.
They say yes, they DO do this at home. They regularly train to stretch their stomachs. But they are also both personal trainers in tip-top shape. Reinecke says one of the reasons she does this is to show others you don't have to be afraid of food.
She polished off one pie by actually scraping her plate clean. Her favorite is Pecan, which she eats in less than 30 seconds.
Pie Bar owner Natalie Bleifuss is surrounded by people eating pie every day. But she says she's never seen anything like this.
At about the ten-minute mark, they both have five pies to go (so eight pies in!). Reinecke's about a half-pie behind. She says she can actually feel the pie up to about her chest.
Rodriguez later said he was cruising until he got to number twelve.
The meat pies, beef, chicken, and turkey, seemed to slow them a bit.
As he approached the final pie, a hearty turkey and vegetable behemoth known as the "Gobble Gobble." complete with a dollop of cranberry sauce, Rodriguez said, "I love it."
His facial expressions said otherwise.
And though Reinecke made a valiant effort to catch up, Rodriguez somehow spooned in the final few bites and won by about three-quarters of a pie!
He downed 13 slices in 17 minutes, 8 seconds. The crowd went wild! And he was presented with the spoils of victory...a Bumbleberry Pie!
Rodriguez was quick to congratulate his girlfriend. She was so close!
"He only beat my by this much. I was strugglin' a little bit at the end. But I love their pies here. Pie Bar makes the best pies!"
So after scarfing down 12-and-a-quarter pies in 17 minutes, she still likes pie?!
"Oh yeah!" she said.
To keep the Pi Day celebration going, Pie Bar Ballard is offering half-price slices all weekend! Just text "PIEBAR" TO 33438 for your half-price coupon. (expires 3/17/19)
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