Eatin big in the Southland

Professional eating is gaining momentum - even in the Southland

Palos Heights native Patrick Bertoletti is going to be on ESPN this Fourth of July, and he's preparing intently for his moment on national TV. He sizes up the physical and mental challenges facing him like Tiger Woods before a long drive.

But Bertoletti isn't a professional golfer, nor a baseball player or Olympic athlete. He's simply ranked No. 2 in the world in a new sport that demands nerves of steel and a cast-iron stomach: competitive eating.

» Click to enlarge image

Patrick Bertoletti, a Palos Heights native, will compete in Nathan's International July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest.
(STNG file photo)

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Patrick Bertoletti goes to the finish with eating his 35th dozen of oysters, witnessed by judge Charles Stuart in the eight-minute time limit during the Acme World Oyster Eating Championship in New Orleans in April.
(AP)

Professional eating is mostly known for the ESPN-televised Nathan's International July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Contest, held at Coney Island. But it's also growing around the country, including in Bertoletti's native Southland.

"There's some good talent out here in Chicago," said Arnie Chapman, the founder and chairman of the Association of Independent Competitive Eaters (AICE), one of the two major competitive eating federations.

Set the table

Chapman sees this talent as largely unrealized. Bertoletti is the only big-name competitive eater from Chicago, and he said that the Chicago eating scene isn't as big as that in New York or Houston. He thinks that could change quickly, though. The weak scene is "just based on the lack of sponsorship here in Chicago," Bertoletti said.

Two men who are hoping to change that are Christopher and Dominic Bartolini, owners of Bartolini's restaurant in Midlothian. With sponsorship from companies such as Kohler (maker of toilets "tough enough for big eaters") the Bartolini brothers have established a meatball eating contest now in its third year.

"Some places do candlelight bowls," Christopher Bartolini said. "We do meatball eating contests." The brothers hope to make their contest "the meatball eating competition of the world" and to raise the profile of competitive eating in the Southland.

Last year, the meatball eating contest packed 350 people into Bartolini's, prompting them to move to St. Christopher Church. The contest has a $3,000 grand prize - with a $1,000 bonus for any amateur who can beat the professional eaters to win.

Bring your appetite

Competitive eating can look daunting, particularly when watching professionals such as Bertoletti and past Nathan's champions Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi wolf down 50 or more hot dogs in 12 minutes. In order to do those feats, though, professionals train their bodies and minds as hard as baseball or football players.

"You have to slowly inch your body so you can consume more and more over time," said Bertoletti, who belongs to the second, larger competitive eating organization, the International Federation of Competitive Eating. To prepare for this year's hot dog eating contest, Bertoletti will also try eating smaller quantities as quickly as possible in order to improve his speed and eating technique. At the highest levels of competitive eating, Bertoletti said, you have to push your body past "your breaking point, your maximum capacity."

It's this kind of training that has drawn some criticism to competitive eating. Medical professionals have warned that extended periods of binge eating could possibly lead to medical problems. And Chicago nutritionist Jennifer Vimbor said that binge eating too often wouldn't be healthy.

"These people tend to take in thousands of calories at one time, thousands more than they actually need," Vimbor said.

Because competitive eating competitions often involve unhealthy food such as hot dogs and desserts, Vimbor said regular competitive eaters "may have higher risk of heart disease, cancers and gastrointestinal disorders."

Bertoletti disagreed with the notion that competitive eating was automatically unhealthy. He pointed out that most of the really successful competitive eaters are fit, not overweight. However, Bertoletti acknowledged that binge eating too frequently could be unhealthy.

"I don't see any problem with (competitive eating) - as long as you balance it with a good diet," Bertoletti said.

Clear the table

But competitive eating involves more than just these intense contests. At its heart, competitive eating descends from things such as county fair pie eating contests, and there's still a big role for amateurs.

"One good thing about competitive eating is that it's a way for someone to get publicity and recognition without a ton of equipment," Chapman said. "You just bring yourself and your appetite."

That amateur spirit is what the Bartolini brothers hope to capture with their meatball-eating contest. Anyone can try out for the contest (by devouring a pound and a half of meatballs as quickly as possible)- even those who have never eaten before, like Mark Huguelet, 33, of Midlothian.

"I've seen the past few years of meatball-eating competitions and kind of wanted to try it once," Huguelet said. He finished his meatball plate in 3:45 and thinks he can do better next time. Despite having never done competitive eating before, Huguelet was impressed by the openness of the contest. "It gives everyone an equal shot at going through," Huguelet said.

The Bartolini's meatball contest is the only major sanctioned competitive eating contest in the Southland at the moment, but just about everyone seems to think that eating in Chicago has room to grow.

"Chicago has a lot of untapped talent for food warriors," said Chapman. "Guys from Chicago like to have a lot of fun. It's a great match for (competitive eating)."

posted by Don "Moses" Lerman  # 11:25 AM