The ULTIMATE ChowHound

[Sgt Snackers]

This story on BBC is very entertaining: a fellow in South India has been dubbed the "monster eater" as he can put away two buckets of rice and 75 idlis in one meal! (Many restaurants in South India are essentially "all you can eat" affairs -- making it clear why the guy needed a police escort to keep eating...)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia...

[Pupster]

Ever -- Brillat-Savarin

Still living -- R.W. Apple, but watching Bourdain on No Reservations gives me new respect

[Brian S]

Fictional -- Nero Wolfe

Real life -- either Jim Leff or someone else reading this.

And yes, Diamond Jim was a glutton. A lot of people were in those days. It's amazing to read how much people ate, if they had the money. They used to have parties in NY called "beefsteaks", named after the all-you-can-eat main course.

[Leper]

Sgt Snackers, I believe the ultimate Chowhound that ever lived was Diamond Jim Brady. (Do a Google search about Diamond Jim.)
He was wealthy, discriminating and truly loved food. The owner of Delmonacos in New York once said: "Diamond Jim is the best 10 customers that I have."

[niki rothman]

Thanks! I'm going to google him and check wikipedia - I've heard of him, vaguely - sounds like my kinda man. But I think he was really fat, wasn't he? And that's not comfortable or healthy in the long run. Not too many hugely fat 100 year olds around.

[Will Owen]

Can't remember how old he was when he croaked, but I don't believe he made it to 60. Probably would've gone sooner, were it not for his passion for orange juice! Drank nothing else, but went through gallons of fresh-squeezed (the only kind they had back then) in the course of a day.

But he, too, was much more a glutton than a Chowhound. My personal nominee for the "Ultimate" accolade would be the late, great Julia Child. Unfailing good taste, passion for any kind of good food...and when she was interviewed on her 90th birthday, she revealed that she kept in her purse a list of every In-N-Out burger stand between San Diego and Santa Barbara! MY kind of gal...

[chocolatetartguy]

Diamond Jim, starring Edward Arnold and Jean Arthur, is a biopic of his life.

[yayadave]

I don't know about "ultimat," but check out Rossini. He quit writting operas and went off to Paris to live the high life.

[Whippet]

Actually, I find it disturbing and pretty sad. No teeth? That can severely reduce quality of life and life expectancy. And it sounds as though he must be compulsive or ill to be able to eat so much.

[JMF]

He aint no Chowhound. A Chowhound has discrimination. He is a glutton. Actually I was reading about him earlier today and he is on a special diet now because he is eating himself to death.