Now that's fast food
CONTEST | Local competitive eater shows he can down more, more, more
He isn't human. Can't be.
Outwardly, of course, he looks the part. His hands, ears, even gelled Mohawk haircut up close, they're all very lifelike.
(Chris Sweda/Sun-Times)
Patrick Bertoletti holds more than 20 world eating records.
With a strong emphasis on soft-form and sweet foods, he also shines in a Chicago specialty, with an impressive -- if not untouchable -- pizza-eating accomplishment. Among Pat's records:
16-inch pizza: 22 slices, 10 minutes.
Doughnuts: 47 glazed and cream-filled doughnuts, 5 minutes.
Grits: 21 pounds, 10 minutes.
Ice cream: 1.75 gallons, 8 minutes.
Key lime pie: 10.8 pounds, 8 minutes.
Kolacky: 44 cherry kolaches, 8 minutes.
Oysters: 34 dozen Acme oysters, 8 minutes.
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches: 42, 10 minutes.
Waffles: 29 (8-ounce) waffles, 10 minutes.
Whole turkey: 6.91 pounds roast turkey meat, 8 minutes.
To learn more about the super eater, or to find out about one of his upcoming competitions, visit Bertoletti's Web site, www.deepdisheats.com. He also is a regular on Steve Dahl's show between 5:30 and 6:30 a.m. Fridays on Jack FM (WJMK-FM, 104.3).
Jerry Soverinsky
But when you see what he does, you think: He must be a machine. A Terminator of sorts. With a binge eating kind of superpower.
He's 23-year-old Patrick Bertoletti, the second-ranked competitive eater in the world. And during this stormy Sunday afternoon, in Mi Tierra Restaurant in Little Village, he's eating jalapeno peppers. Lots of them; 127, to be exact. In eight minutes.
Burp.
At the La Costena "Feel the Heat" Jalapeno Eating Challenge, Bertoletti easily outpaced an elite field of professional gurgitators, his closest challenger -- 105-pound Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas -- coming in second with 117 peppers. And despite what to all onlookers was an overwhelmingly impressive masticatory achievement more than worthy of the contest's $2,500 first place prize, the soft-spoken Bertoletti, whose lofty performance expectations rival those of any world-class athlete, was far from satisfied.
"I was aiming for 200, but the jalapenos were harder than I'd expected," Bertoletti explained somewhat apologetically, just minutes after the final tally was announced. Wiping perspiration from his face as mariachi music blared in the background, he waved to a vocal group of fans who strained to get a peek at the Chicagoan who has carved out an international reputation as one of the world's most gifted speed eaters.
"I started eating competitively about four years ago," Bertoletti said. "My sister Susan told me to enter this local pizza contest, she knew I'd be good at it. Even though I won, I knew I could do better. I began looking into other competitions, and discovered the IFOCE [International Federation of Competitive Eaters]. From there, I started entering their contests, I got a lot better."
The New York-based International Federation of Competitive Eaters -- now officially promoted as Major League Eating -- oversees and sanctions cash-sponsored eating contests throughout the world. Some have become quite famous (Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest is perhaps the best known), and several of its top-ranked competitors have made side careers from their prize winnings.
"I've won probably $150,0000 since I started doing this," estimated Bertoletti, "but it's not really about the money for me."
The Kendall College graduate, who works as a cook for a local caterer when he's not traveling to eating contests as far away as Prague, Czech Republic, says that while he has his "competitive streaks," his motivation to compete stems more from finding his niche with a discipline in which he excels.
"I played sports my whole life but was not very good," he said. "But with [competitive eating], when I do my best, it shows. I can definitely leave my mark."
Leaving his mark is perhaps an understatement. In the past few years, Bertoletti has set nearly two dozen world records ("I think 22?" he says, not quite sure at the current total), becoming one of MLE's most popular and accomplished competitors.
"Pat Bertoletti is quite simply one of the best competitive eaters ever," gushed Ryan Nerz, spokesman for Major League Eating. "His jaw strength is phenomenal, his swallow timing exquisite. ... [He] is extremely appealing to sponsors ... because he is young, charismatic, articulate, knowledgeable in the culinary arts and distinctive looking."
Bertoletti says competitive eating contests require different techniques, depending on the food, and jalapenos are no different. Interspersed between rapid-fire chewing of the plump La Costena peppers, Bertoletti chugged nearly 100 ounces of chocolate milk (a stand-alone achievement), a necessary antidote to the jalapeno heat. Throughout the machinelike process, he looked unfazed, focused on the task at hand, an iPod blaring motivating tracks of encouragement.
"It's a mix of Mexican Cheerleader and Dillinger Four," Bertoletti revealed. "I listen to it during every contest ... I know how many songs I need to get through for the contest, and it helps me stay focused."
As the crowd thins and Bertoletti adjusts his belt buckle, he appears slightly winded, if not tired. Understandable for the grueling eight-minute workout he's just endured.
"My body's not gonna be happy with me tonight," he says matter-of-factly, rubbing his stomach lightly for effect. "Jalapenos aren't fun."
It's a perfect afternoon for resting on a couch anyway, I mention, gesturing to the steady rain shower outside.
"Not gonna happen," he says, gathering his gear and preparing to leave. "I've gotta head to work. I had to cut my shift short this morning to make this contest, I've got another four hours [of work] tonight."
Now that's a work ethic.
You'd expect nothing less from a world champion.
Jerry Soverinsky is a local free-lance writer.