The Food Network gets a taste of 160over90

January 14, 2011 • 10:51 am • POSTED BY nbenson

We are eaters here at 160over90. We may fill our days with thoughts of creativity, consideration, and dedication to our clients and our work, but simultaneously we are thinking with and about our stomachs. Often, our Boomerang Table is adorned with treats including gourmet sandwich spreads, individually wrapped icing-frosted sugar cookies or a colossal chocolate volcano. So, when a local sandwich shop reached out to one of our employees with the opportunity to appear on a Food Network eating challenge, we as an eating (and living and learning) community could not resist.

160over90 employees are frequent customers at Jake’s Sandwich Board (shout-out to Mike, Kyle, Jon and Brendan) and it is their frequent visits to – and Mike’s tweets about – the restaurant that gave us our big TV break. In preparation for their upcoming feature on the Food Network’s Outrageous Food, Jake’s reached out to 160over90 in search of  “eaters” to participate in food-tastings, introduction scenes, and the infamous “5-lb Philly Challenge.” So although the taping fell on a particularly busy day in this office, we knew what we had to do.

On the morning of the shoot, Kyle and Marci headed down to Jake’s bright and early to taste five of their cheesesteak varieties: the Philly Wasabi, Charlie Brown (a peanut butter and bacon special), Fire Steak, Steak & Egg, and your basic cheesesteak with onions. If that isn’t the breakfast of champions, I don’t know what is. Then, later in the day, Jenny B. and our design intern Shannon enjoyed some of “the best sandwiches in Philadelphia” during the show’s introduction scenes.

To round out 160over90’s national television debut, I competed in Jake’s Ultimate Philly-Themed Challenge:

1 2-foot cheesesteak

4 soft pretzels

12 Butterscotch Krimpet Tastykakes

24 Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews

1 Champ Cherry Soda

…in 45 minutes or less

Typically, this challenge is meant for just one person (a feat once attempted and failed by our very own Justin LaFontaine, but for entertainment’s sake, I competed in a 3-on-3, girls versus boys, all-out food war. In order to plow through the monstrous serving of food, I channeled my inner college-student-post-bars eating habits, developing tactful digestive strategies including the creation of Peanut Chew and Tastykake sandwiches and soft pretzels topped with cheesesteak meat.

Curious about who won? Make sure you tune into Outrageous Food in the upcoming months and look out for the episode featuring Jake’s Sandwich Board. I will tell you one thing, though: The challenge was a tough fight, but definitely worth the participatory t-shirt and subsequent stomach pains that may last me until the show’s airdate.

A BIG “Thank You!” to everyone who came out to Jake’s last week to participate in the eating extravaganza and provide moral support (through bouts of laughter) to the challengers. I think it is now safe to say that 160over90 can officially expand its agency profile to include (not-so) professional acting spots. Anything for food and friends!