I look forward to the last few weeks of September every year because I get to stuff my face with food at the San Gennaro festival. This celebration of calories is like no eating competition you’ve seen on TV before, not even the hot dog eating competitions that are strangely popular. The street food, the endless amount of street food, is sold in a 10 block radius within NYC’s Little Italy and the rows of food stands are interrupted only a few times: by little booths selling clothes and random trinkets, plus a few people trying to convince you to play carnival games that make you spend $50 for a plush toy. There are also restaurants that get their own stands with outdoor seating, which is great but also probably more expensive. No cars are allowed to pass (although the streets are so crowded that it takes 10 minutes to walk 2 mini steps) and garland awnings in red, green and white hang over the beginning and end of every street above the police officers on watch.

If you did not attend this year, which is probably a good thing because you haven’t gained several pounds and are now not in need of a whole new wardrobe, here were the caloric highlights. 

Mozzareppas

Fried Reese’s

Piña Colada (in a coconut)

Eggplant Parm Hero

Pizza

Penna a la Vodka

Zeppole

Cappuccino Gelato