We all know Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start to summer. Technically it is still spring, but the weather is nice and warm, the sun is shining (even when it rains!), kids are jittery with only a month left of school, working stiffs are waiting for summer fridays, and restaurants and bars boast their gardens are open. It’s summer already!

One of the hilights of summer has got to be the eating contests. Here in Brooklyn, we’ve got that Nathan’s hot dog eating contest in Coney Island, in which a scrawny Japanese kid puts our XL heavyweight eaters to shame. First it was televisions, then cars, then baseball, and for the past few years the Japanese have been overtaking our hot dog eating contests. Eating contests are a cornerstone of our culture and we simply cannot cede that away.

There is an opportunity to redeem ourselves and beat the Asians at their own game in August at the 11th Annual Tofu Eating Contest.