Jamie Loftus is a hot-dog expert.
Illustration: Maanvi Kapur
Perhaps you have heard the big news regarding this year’s Nathan’s hot-dog-eating contest: After sitting out last year’s battle, Joey Chestnut — by all accounts the GOAT of competitively eating tubes of beef — will make his triumphant return to Coney Island in an attempt to reclaim his title. But Chestnut is not the only hot-dog legend who will be back.
Jamie Loftus, the stand-up comedian “Grub Street Diet” alum, and, most important for the purposes of this announcement, author of the book Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs, will be making her own return to the humble frankfurter’s most hallowed grounds. Tomorrow, she’ll be covering the event for us, live, via Grub Street’s Instagram Stories. “This is my fourth time covering the contest,” says Loftus. “I think it’s a sign of extreme mental wellness.”
So follow along and set your notifications accordingly. The women’s contest starts at 10:45 a.m. — it’s never too early for hot dogs — with the men’s heat starting at noon.
