Allen Street Poutine Co. to host 2nd annual poutine eating contest

In honor of National Potato Lovers Month, Allen Street Poutine Co. will host its second annual poutine-eating contest at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4. Allen Street Poutine Co. is located at 242 Allen St., Buffalo.

The public is invited to watch and enjoy the fun. To compete, one must register in person at Allen Street Poutine Co. and provide a nonrefundable $10 registration fee. The competition is coed and open to all ages, and contenders will all compete on the same level. Winners will be judged based on the total weight of Allen Street's famous traditional poutine they can eat in the allotted five-minute timeframe. First-, second- and third-place prizes will be awarded - and, in true Allen Street style - the winners will receive a highly unique trophy.

"We hold this contest each February during Quebec, Canada's, 'La Poutine Week' - where poutine was invented. Last year's contest winner, Kristen Smigielski, consumed 2.06 pounds of poutine in five minutes. Who knows, maybe this year's winner will rival the 25.5 pounds that Joey Chestnut consumed - although he did have five extra minutes," said Jake Fraser, co-owner of Allen Street Poutine Co. 

Allen Street Poutine Co. claims it is the only restaurant in Western New York that specializes in authentic poutine. French fries, gravy and cheese curds are the core ingredients in poutine, a food that originated in Quebec. Allen Street makes its fries and gravy in-house and uses cheddar cheese curds from Yancey's Fancy out of Corfu. Vegan and gluten-free options are available, as are salads and sandwiches. The eatery also offers Canadian snack options and, for fun, it boasts a full-size Ping-Pong table in the upper deck.

For more information about Allen Street Poutine Co., visit allenstreetpoutine.com.