Hi {{first_name|friends}}!

Okay, now it feels like we’re really getting in the swing of things! We’ve got one podcast episode out and another on the way next Monday — you can find and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. We’re posting more and more frequently on Instagram. And we’ve opened up our Shut Up ‘n Eat Shop, which is full of awesome goods designed by Matt Timms, who happens to be the subject of today’s email.

At the James Beard Awards last night in Chicago, Lei — the Chinatown wine bar — won Best New Restaurant in America! We’re super proud of owner Annie Shi, chef Patty Lee, and the whole Lei team, who we interviewed a little while ago and who will be appearing on episode three of our podcast, coming out Monday, July 6. Very, very cool — and well-earned!

Back in the mid-to-late 2000s, I wrote a blog that a New York Times reporter once called “the ESPN of indie cook-offs.” He was reporting on a beguiling trend that had thoroughly captivated a certain counterculture of New York’s foodie community—including myself, as an avid home cook and documenter of home cooking-related events on said blog, Not Eating Out in New York. I rarely won any accolades at these events except for my sole third-place finish at the jerky takedown, for making a jerk-marinated pork jerky (how no other contestant also made jerk jerky, I am not sure), but I met some of my best friends at them, and probably learned more about food through them than had I gone to culinary school. Not exaggerating. 

Anyway, that trend—that vital underground piece of food culture—has never actually gone away, because the person largely responsible for it, Matt Timms, still hosts several food Takedowns every year, nearly twenty years after the first Chili Takedown took over a bar in 2007. Catch him at the Garlic Takedown at the Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club on June 28! 

Timms is the creative visionary behind our Shut Up ‘n Eat logo; the illustrator of the gremlin in various configurations of culinary entanglement that you’ll find at our shop. He is that Brooklyn-creative-type-with-multitudes: He draws and paints cats and dogs, and increasingly, public murals. He was an actor and comedian. He’s a community leader, commanding large crowds of chili aficionados and organizing charity events for animals. And we’re also indebted to Timms in another big way: back when he co-hosted a Heritage Radio Network podcast, he introduced a game called Mind Kitchen, wherein the show’s guests had to verbally come up with impressive, hypothetical dishes that they’d make with three or four hypothetical ingredients. It was originally invented by Timms and his sister Zoe during their childhood, and it’s the inspiration for Chef vs. Robot, the game we make our podcast guests play, pitting their response against that of an AI generator such as ChatGPT.   

We asked Matt a few questions so he could share some of his wisdom gleaned over two decades of chili mayhem. Find out what makes a dish takedown-able, the garlic movie you need to see, and why fibermaxxing maybe isn’t ready for cook-off glory.

You've been hosting Takedowns for almost 20 years(!!!), where amateur chefs battle over their best chilis, tacos, mac and cheeses, meatballs, chowders, bacon dishes, garlic dishes, frozen dishes, hot sauces, soups, cookies, ice creams, and who could forget the jerky takedown, aka the world's greatest jerk-off. What makes a food Takedown-able? 

All those takedowns you named are great ideas, because doy! Everybody loves mac and cheese and bacon and chili! I try and pick come-together foods, so great for a big pot and strong opinions. This latest one is garlic. I was at the Garlic Festival in Saugerties recently— a 37 year old festival that reminded me of the garlic festivals in my home town—only huge. Garlic is a get together food. Oh! And you should see Garlic is as Good as Ten Mothers by Les Blank! I just am on a really big garlic kick right now.

Was there any dish over the years that maybe should not have been chosen for a Takedown but was? And why not? 

I did do a “Gluten Free” Takedown, which was a serious misstep. I’m not Gluten Free, none of my friends are gluten free. Why would I think that would be a fun time when I could legit care less? Someone out there, with a gluten problem, should maybe throw a gluten free food party, and get passionate about it.  Why did I think I needed to host that? What a mistake.

You also hosted a Bob Ross takedown — tell us about that? How'd it go? Who won? 

I host painting takedowns for free, as a way to raise money for local animal charities.  I’ve hosted themed painting parties and  invited local artists and  friends to paint Black Velvet, Bob Ross, Cats, Sci Fi and others… There’s a ton of beer, and a live auction to sell the paintings at the end! We’ve raised around $10K for local charities thus far. It’s been completely so great. I’d like to host a Hamburger Painting Takedown next — I can’t be the only one who wants a painting of a hamburger on my wall.

What are some food trends you've observed from your perch of presiding over so many zealous home cooks competing against one another for so long? 

I can tell you, in the early ‘00s when the Bacon Craze was happening — that really catapulted the takedown into a whole new world of attention. Home cooks had something to work with; they made pixie sticks, ice cream, dumplings… Hopefully some other food craze will catch on like that (I hope its garlic… Oh how I hope it is garlic…)  And so yeah, I had to ask google just now what the latest food craze is. It answered “fibermaxxing.” What the fuck am I supposed to do with that? I can’t host a fibermaxxing party. Or can I?!  

You have drawn and painted so many peoples' beloved cats and dogs (including my late Doug the dog) based on photos that the owner sends you. How do you capture the animals' personality so well? 

I’ve always vibed extremely well with animals — we have a real psychic connection and have had some long serious conversations. Painting all these animals (thousands, at this point!) has been a meditative release. That and online poker paid the rent during the pandemic, lol. 

Do you still do acting? You were really funny in commercials!

Thanks! I am a brilliant actor! I spent over 20 years as a stand up comedian and actor — been in a ton of commercials, got to SXSW, had a blast over the years. And I would love to revisit stage time, but I really have given myself over to The Takedowns and All the Bad Cats! If you’re not 110% up on the comedy stage, it shows.  

What was the best chili you've ever had at the Takedowns? 

That’s a tuffy. I love chili in all its iterations- the veg chilis, verde chilis, the different meaty chilis — the purists with no tomatoes or beans, the kitchen sink chilis with a stupid number of seasonings (coffee, chocolate, tequila… ). I usually find something to love. If you don’t burn it, I bet I’ll love it. I might love it less if it’s too tomato forward though…

Annnnnd... the worst chili? 

The worst chili at one of my competitions was one early on that I ruined. She had brought in 2 gallons of her finest, and in setting her up at her chili station for her, I accidentally poured in a gallon of water, waterlogged her whole batch and couldn’t really get it back to one for the competition. She didn’t punch me, but she looked so sad.  

What other amazing work are you working on right now? 

I’ve been painting large art pieces around the city. And I’m working on a children’s book!

Timms’s next event is the Brooklyn Garlic Takedown, to be held June 28 at Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club. Get your tickets now!

Now that you’ve listened to our first podcast episode (you’ve listened, right?), it’s time to vote for the winner of Chef vs. Robot!

Next week, get ready for our interview with chef Paul Carmichael of Kabawa, the no. 1 restaurant on the New York Times Top 100. Matt Gross will be writing about the chicken we ate there in the newsletter, too.