We could think of no better way to send off summer than by stuffing our faces (or, rather, photographing contestants as they stuffed their faces) with frankfurters, so we joined the convivial Labor Day crowd at Bangers & Lace for the bar’s second-annual hot dog-eating contest. Participants had five minutes to shovel ’em in, and the champ (who claimed victory in an overtime nail-biter after downing 21 franks) pocketed a pair of Bears’ tickets.

Photography: Peter Ranvestel