I had actually never heard of Adam Richman before a dribble of news leaked out (
via a Craigslist ad, for one thing) that the mighty Man v. Food host was in Nashville shooting some segments.
And despite my reportorial efforts, I still can't say where he might be tonight, tomorrow or this weekend. (The crew is in town until Sunday, according to the ad, now removed.)
But I did get to see Richman — whom I have since learned is an unlikely heartthrob in the food scene — Wednesday night, when his show was taping one of its trademark extreme eating challenges at Rooster's Texas-Style BBQ and Steakhouse at 123 12th Ave. N.
Though I knew the media wasn't officially welcome, I managed to stroll in and get a seat near the action (but out of camera range).
I'm no fan of competitive eating, but it was an entertaining night. And long, of course — I took off at the five-hour mark. (As we learned when Guy Fieri came to town to shoot Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, the actual action is just a small part of the proceedings; there's hours of setup time, shooting of incidental elements, exhortations to the crowd, interviews with audience members, signing of release forms, etc.)
On this particular evening, Richman wasn't competing; he was coaching two country singers as they attempted to conquer The Roost, a platter replete with a 72-ounce sirloin, a large baked potato, two slices of Texas toast and a big salad.
They sat side by side, but each man competed separately, meaning two 72-ounce steaks sat on the groaning table. That's nine pounds of beef.
