Susan Barr
Kern Valley Sun

Those in search of a good meal last Friday night were in luck if

they went to the Chatterbox Café in Wofford Heights.

Wing cook Aaron Phillips, left, stands beside competitor Rob Leathers, restaurant owner Elaine Kennedy and manager Kirk Turnipseed in front of the Chatterbox Cafe's Wall of Flame last Friday after the hot wing eating contest.

Not only did they get a great dinner but they had the added bonus

of seeing some brave souls compete in the restaurant’s new “Wall of

Flame” hot wings eating contest.

Owner Elaine Kennedy, manager Rick Turnipseed and wing cook and hot

sauce creator Aaron Phillips dreamed up the idea of the Friday night

event which has been drawing wing aficionados from far and wide.

Phillips, not surprisingly a hot food lover himself, shared that

his wings are not for the faint of heart. When preparing them he

stated, ‘I have to wear gloves to protect myself and I’m real careful

not to splash sauce on my skin or in my eyes.”

Competitors must sign a waiver and accepts all of the rules before

tackling six of the fiery wings. They have five minutes to finish them

and must wait for a full minute afterwards before drinking anything.

Winner of the junior category was 15 year-old Stephen Brunette of

Visalia. Brunette being Phillips’ stepson had a slight advantage in

that he has accustomed to his stepdad’s hot cooking. After

successfully eating his wings within the time limit, Brunette shared

his winning strategy, “I didn’t stop. I just kept going and ignored

the burn. Drinking a lot of milk afterwards helps put out the fire.

Phillips thinks people are drawn to participate in the unique event

for a variety of reasons but added, “It’s a challenge. You definitely

feel like you’ve accomplished something if you succeed.” Winners

receive a photo, a T-shirt and their name goes up on the Wall of

Flame.

Rob Leathers of Lake Isabella was another of the evening’s

successful competitors. Cheering him on was younger brother Mark

Leathers, also of Lake Isabella who stated that when it came to his

brother’s love of hot food, “The guy is ridiculous, he really is.”

Watching from the sidelines, Turnipseed added, “People love coming

here and watching their family, friends and even their enemies

compete. I’ve heard that some are even taking bets to see who can do

it.”

The jovial atmosphere suits Kennedy to a ‘T.’ “I want this to be a

fun place that people enjoy coming to,” she stated, “I want them to

feel like this is their place.”