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2021. Aurora. A woman sits down at StevO's Pizza and Ribs to take on the OMG 28-inch pizza challenge. One hour, no breaks, a hundred bucks on the line. And before she can really get going, the owner tosses her out.
That was Raina Huang, who goes by "Raina is Crazy" to about a few million people online. StevO's owner Steve Wieand accused her of being a professional eater trying to scam his challenge. Which, I mean, she sort of is a professional eater. That is literally the job. The whole thing went viral through Denver7, and it got ugly enough that Wieand's daughter Stephanie publicly apologized and said her dad regretted how he handled it. Other restaurant owners around town saw the clip and basically said, hey, come try our challenge instead.
Well. She took them up on it. Five years later, she is coming back.
Per Denver dining coverage published Nov. 3, Huang is running a three-stop Colorado food-challenge tour the weekend of Nov. 6 through 8, 2026. This is the part people should pay attention to, because these are not some private influencer thing. You can actually show up and watch.
Here is the rundown.
Friday, Nov. 6 at 10 p.m., she is at Chubby Fish in Thornton, going after almost five pounds of sushi. The outlet notes fans could even enter to win a seat for it. A late Friday night watching someone inhale five pounds of sushi is a very specific kind of plan, and honestly it is the exact kind of plan I would make.
Saturday, Nov. 7 at 2 p.m., she moves to Toki Ramen and Rice. And in honor of her visit, Toki is launching its brand new "Hell Spicy Ramen Challenge" starting that same day. So even if you are not there to watch Raina, that challenge sticks around for the rest of us mortals.
Sunday, Nov. 8 at noon, she wraps it up at Ma's Kitchen & Bar.
The Friday stop is the one I want to dig into, because Chubby Fish is kind of a sleeper. It is at 10048 Grant St in Thornton, 80229, phone 720-907-8888, open daily 4 p.m. to midnight. Those late hours are rare, which is why a 10 p.m. eating challenge is even possible there.
It is an all-you-can-eat spot, and the pricing is genuinely reasonable. $30.99 for adults,
Here is the thing about all-you-can-eat and competitive eaters. The math is terrifying for the restaurant. Raina going after five pounds of sushi at a $30.99 flat rate is the exact scenario that got everyone nervous at StevO's in the first place. But Chubby Fish is leaning into it, turning it into an event, letting fans win a seat. That is the smart play. You do not fight the viral moment. You host it.
If you have not followed this corner of the internet, Raina Huang was born Oct. 20, 1994, and she is based in Los Angeles. She dropped out of school to do competitive eating and social media full time. Before a big challenge she typically fasts and exercises, which is the part people do not realize. It is not just a huge appetite. It is training.
And she has the receipts. Huang announced she completed restaurant-challenge wins in all 50 states after finishing the Kodiak Arrest challenge at Humpy's up in Anchorage, Alaska. Reportedly the fifth person ever and the first woman to pull it off. So the woman Steve Wieand threw out of his Aurora pizzeria in 2021 went and beat a food challenge in every single state. If you ask me, that is the best possible comeback story, and now the comeback literally comes back to Colorado.
The same dining roundup flags a couple of other things worth knowing. The Thanksgiving Dip returns to Pony Up, which is the kind of seasonal sandwich that quietly disappears before you get to it twice. And Marczyk's FineBurger opens at 7980 E. Northfield Blvd. on Nov. 5 with free signature-burger bites. Free burger bites in Northfield the day before Raina's tour kicks off. Rough weekend for anybody trying to eat clean, Hayley would tell you.
But the headline here is the tour. Three restaurants, three days, one eater with a chip on her shoulder and a very good reason to have one. Thornton Friday night, Toki Saturday afternoon, Ma's Sunday at noon.
Mark the dates. Show up. This is the kind of local moment that only lands in your lap every so often.