Yardbarker: Competitive Eating

A race to the finish: the food? a 17" burrito and 5 lbs total, watch the video to see the results

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 01:07:25 -0500

Me vs. Joey eating a burrito from burittozilla. This was the day before our funnel cake eating contest where he beat me decisively.

I hope you enjoy it

pat deep dish bertoletti

deepdisheats.com

Me eating a 7.5 lb burger in 7 min 15 seconds - Video

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 23:52:53 -0500

This is from a recent trip down to memphis at the kooky canuck restaurant. I started out strong but my speed was fleeting, trying to set a new record was the driving force and motivation. I was the first person to eat this burger after 700 attempts 2 years ago. It took me a little over 11 minutes to do so. A year later I was awakened with a drunken message from my good friend joey chestnut who informed me that my record was no longer that with him setting the bar at 7 minutes 35 seconds. For over a year I stewed about a glorious return to take it back, i got my chance a few weeks ago.

For the most part, it's easier in eating challenges/ contests when it's a set amount of food and a time to beat. An eating contest requires a lot of unknowns and variables. It's difficult mentally to stay focused when you don't know how much you've eaten, or how much longer you can force food down your gullet before fighting the urge to make a pile of reversed undigested food particles onto your plate. For some reason i find it easier when It's a set amount of food and a time you have to beat. This helped greatly in breaking this record. I knew what I needed to do and kept reminding myself that the 9 hour drive would not be worth it to fall short. I did not have my best eating stuff but like the great nolan ryan I willed myself to keep eating and clearing that 80-20 meat to fat goodness. 2 minutes in I wanted to throw up my hands in defeat because meat was not sliding smoothly down my gullet, every bite and swallow more intense and difficult than the previous, requiring massive amouts of liquid to make any progress. I fought for every gram and ounce and came out the new record holder. Just another day at the competitive eating office.

Sorry for the lack of posts, but thankfuly the eating season is upon us resulting in more frequent posts

-patrick deep dish bertoletti

deepdisheats.com

Contest Update and Competitive Eating is Healthier Than RUNNING!?!?..

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 21:12:09 -0500

Hey all, this is Joey... Last Saturday I competed in a Mac N Cheese eating contest that was held at the half-time of a San Jose Stealth Lacrosse game. This was my first contest since October, so I was anxious to push my body hard. The Mac N Cheese was thick and had cooled down by the time the contest started, but it tasted good and that made it easy to stomach. I was able to eat 10.5 pounds of Mac N Cheese in the seven minute contest. I was really moving in the beginning, finishing the first three pounds in about 90 seconds. After the contest, the Stealth team kicked it into gear and beat the Colorado Mammoth. I was able to meet some of the Stealth Players, they are a pretty cool group of guys and they really have fun with their sport. The Locrosse Players kind of reminded me of the young guns of competitive eating (Pat, Hall, Tim, Me) almost a fraternity.

The day after the contest I took it easy. My body handled the Mac N Cheese fairly well, I was a little lethargic and there was the expected end results ; ) but by monday I was feeling good. So good that I decided to go to the gym and run( I used to run a lot). Man, that was a mistake. I must have ran too hard because my body is mad at me. I am not kidding, from one of my big toes, to my left shoulder and almost every where in between, I am feelin PAIN. The torture run was two days ago and I still have not found the right meds to take away the pain. There are not too many contests that leave me feeling this crappy for this long.

Can it get worse for me?.. Yes!! Last week I agreed to visit my sister Carmel in Arizona and run in the Pat's Run, April 14 http://www.patsrun.com/tempe.php. The run is only 4.2 miles and I have like fiftey-one days to get ready for it (yes, I counted), but I am a competitive person and I want to do my best. Unfortunately, that means I am going to have to make my body used to this kind of pain. In no way am I expecting to get mistaken for a Kenyan (Who are traditionally the best distance runners in the world), but with some hard work and a lot of agony, I am hoping to finish in 32-35 minutes.

And for those of you who took the title of this post too seriously... I know running is one of the healthiest activities on the planet, only falling behind one that I can think of (wink wink ; ) I also know that making my body healthier will alow me to push myself to a more extreme limit during eating contests.

First Event of 2009 brings JC Bobble Head

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 19:09:15 -0500

Hey Barkers... First, I need to apologize for taking a ridiculous hiatus from making any posts. I have left Pat holding the ball for too long.lol..

My competitive eating season is getting ready to start and I am ready. For the past few weeks I have been getting ready for a macaroni and cheese eating contest that is going to take place during an intermission of a San Jose Stealth Lacrosse game. This Saturday's Stealth game against Colorado will be Major League Eating Night, and the first 3000 people that get into the stadium will get a Joey Chestnut bobble head. That's right, there is a Joey Freakin Chestnut bobble head. This will be my first time competing in San Jose, and a lot of friends and family will be seeing me in action for the first time. Mac N Cheese is one of my favorite foods, so I am looking forward to throwing down some serious poundage.

With the arrive of the first contest of 2009 comes the realization that my fouth year of being involved in competitive eating is coming to an end. When I started competing in contests, I never would have though I would be pushing the limits of this strange sport. My rise in competitive eating has come at a price. I have sacrificed relationships, hobbies, and even advancement in the career i was involved in before I began competitive eating. But the benefits I have enjoyed far outweigh the sacrifices I have made. Traveling around the country, I have met thousands of happy people at events, and I have made friendships that will last the rest of my life. I have been able to make a good amount of money doing what I love, EATING. I am extremely happy that I have been able to gain knowledge of my body and that I have been able to excel while maintaining good health. I am really excited to see where this year brings me.

Here are the details for Major League Eating Night at the Stealth game this saturday.

Location: HP Pavilion, in San Jose
Time: Game Starts @ 7:30PM, Mac N Cheese Eating contest will be betweed teh 2nd and 3rd periods.

Tickets are available at http://www.sjstealth.com/tickets/season-seats

A pizza challenge from way back

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 23:10:55 -0500

This is a video I found on my old camera of me eating a giant 29" pizza. It weighted in at a hefty 11 lbs and it took me 34 minutes to complete it. I hope you enjoy it, the video does little justice in showing how growsed out I felt near the end. I didn't eat pizza for 4 days after as the stringy onions I chose as my topping claimed a spot on my olfactories.

I hope you enjoy it.

-pddb

deepdisheats.com

How not to be a Douche Bag - the smart oven

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 09:58:00 -0500

Douche bags are incapable of preparing a warm meal for themselves. If they don't know their way around the kitchen, I'd doubt they'd be skilled in pleasing a woman. Douche bags eat shitty, fast food on a regular basis because the thought of preparing a home cooked meal intimidates them. It's bad enough douche bags can't even clean their kitchens, let alone cook boil hot dogs on the stove top.

Trying to break the 12" pizza guinness world record.

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 01:17:54 -0500

This happened in fort pierce florida at big apple pizza. We are attempting to break the guinness world record that stood at roughly 2 min and 14 seconds. My favorite part is when I stick my tongue out to show I'm done and a piece of crust falls out. -pddb

what else is a drunken competitive eater to do when he is left with a camera, steak knife and beer can?

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 04:16:17 -0500

Posting a short video after hearing all the challenges and talk of shotgunning beer. There is no better reason to get kicked out of a gentlemans club at 9 am based on consuming 8+ beers in this manner on a school bus on the way to a strip club. Exactly like what happened to me 2 years ago at the wing bowl. -pddb deepdisheats.com

A chugging contest post contest in nyc

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 22:43:12 -0500

I wasn't going to post this video but I recieved a sh-t talking message from joey after the contest and decided it was a good idea. Don't listen to the sound because I sound like a stupid frat boy. -pddb

A youtube video from the recent krystal sqaure off in chattanooga

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 03:57:24 -0500

This is a youtube video I found for the krystal square off this past weekend. Joey won with 93 burgers I finished 2nd with 85 burgers and kobeyashi ate 84 burgers for 3rd

Across the pond and back

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 04:17:18 -0500

Time is a great thing when reflection is concerned. There are reflections of past travels, how far competitive eating has taken me and changed a once fickle, shy, and chubster kid into a promising young glutton that will one day be able to call himself a man. Hopefully being able to grow some decent facial hair and not need to use just for men formula to color it. As well as top the 50 hot dog and 100 Krystal barrier. I owe a lot to eating, a slight boost in my bank roll and having little responsibilities to name. It's kind of messed up being able to live the dream of being a professional eater. The amount wasted on partying and eating out is more than most people should spend. I will have no gripes or bad memories to name when I'm on my death bed and competitive eating is discussed. When asked what I'll do with the winnings I may take the high road and claim it's going towards my pizza place, Baptista's(after my Italian grandfather). In all honesty I will likely spend it on travels around the world eating at the best restaurants. There are some that find comfort in expensive furnishings, toys, property, and bmw convertibles (Joey Chestnut has one sweet ass ride)/ mid life crisis mobiles/ penis extenders. For me, experiences are what they will go towards; making a detour to the uk to eat at some restaurants is not anything I would think twice about. Knowing no stone or continent went unturned and that a solid effort in making a dent in the world's delicacies is a feat I aspire to accomplish. Out of all senses my taste is the most deeply embedded into my dna and forces an unhealthy and voracious obsession. Food memories go back to as a kid cooking pancakes in my underwear and trying out new omelet fillings(my favorite, a 6 egg omelet stuffed with a can of chef boy rd beef ravioli. Finish it in the oven so it's not cold in the middle and to curb the faint botulistic flavors). Moving on to my trip to the Czech Republic, is there anything more ludicrous than a music festival wanting to fly you out to Europe to eat in a couple competitions? I refused to believe that this trip was taking place as me getting exited about prospects leads to distress. I.e., getting all riled up for a Jeff Foxworthy game show and it goes down in flames. So when I settled into my lot airlines seat headed to Warsaw it was an acme anvil lifted from my cranium and consciousness. This meant that the one they call patricio el drunko pina colada el diablo pollo loce tengo muy intoxicato deep dish black out bertoletti may be kind of a draw when it comes to eating contests. (Don't try and copy that name I'm in the process of getting it trademarked and changing my birth certificate). It would also mean that people in another country would enjoy my bad taxi driver, sex pistols, used to be hip but is now reserved for Mexicans, the trendy, and white trash but will be cool again in 3 years haircut. Did I mention a majority of hiptrendster d bags from Los Angeles too? They actually wanted me to show off my skills, does life get any better than this? What suckers? I celebrated this realization with 3 Tylenol pm. I wanted to enjoy this new found appreciation in as groggy a state as possible. It put me on my ass, 7.5 hours later and 20 pages past the last dog eared pages I awoke and dug into some toffee coated peanuts. I hate airplane conversations. It's like getting stuck talking to your close talking great uncle or getting caught conversing with the principal after he's had too many hurricanes and saltine crackers( doesn't he know he should hand out safety glasses when we locks in for a close talk)? But I had no other options, a 7 hour layover in Warsaw and not a damn clue. A naughty and nice length list of restaurants, foods, weird things a gringo has no fing clue about. Currency, taxis, taxis that wont kidnap me and bring me to a court where charges of making too many pollock jokes in America are finally brought against me. Insert Tony Clifton quote here; "Those dumb pollocks have gone through enough" My neighbor answered all questions without commenting on my sunken eyes thanks in part to over the counter narcotics. I set off to kill 7 hours the only way I know how, by eating. When one restaurant was closed the most logical thing was to kill 30 minutes by eating next door. Check out all my pictures in the nuveo 8/12 album for descriptions of the food as well as more photos from this trip. I will post them all in a newer blog bums Warsaw was rebuilt after Hitler destroyed it in dubay dubay 2 and was rebuilt from old drawings/ paintings. It has a fake old and tarnished feel. Like furniture granny spent a bundle on thinking it was antique but is crushed to find it's fake taking it to the antique road show; Prague on the other had is gilded, gothic, and has an overabundance of earthy/monochromatic figures, churches, and vertical construction. It's the city of gold or that hideous packer yellow is you ask me. My arrival was accompanied by calls of "Cheap sex" in a sleazy Slavic accent, cheese schnitzel sandwiches with mayo (smazey syre), and pilsners galore. I was put up in a downtown hotel where the door keys were actual keys hooked up to obnoxious baseball sized weights to reduce theft. It looked and smelled like Abraham Lincoln was assassinated there. The following morning was market with the fried delicious cheese still clinging to my olfactories and fighting to keep a noticeable flavor on my taste buds. Andrej and I then set out to do some radio spots. Saying I stood there with aliens would do justice in describing how little I understood what they were saying. I'm pretty sure they said I had a small one and the gluttonous bastard from the USA cannot hold a candle to their countrymen when the national fruit (plum) is involved (in an eating contest). I just nodded and smiled a lot, and ate 10 dry Czech donuts in a minute. The next day marked Halla Hunta Hoover's arrival as well as some late night drinking of the original Budweiser and some other choice pilsen beers. Budweisers turned into the dawn of the contest nad would mark our first competition which was voted on by fans. The foods would be a large pizza, 30 pickles, and a liter of ice cream. Or foods based on a pregnant woman's maternity repertoire. I was pushing for watermelon with cool ranch Doritos crumbled on top and garnished with garlic dill cheese curds. The following morning was pleasant; thank god the Czech Budweiser doesn't produce that same dreaded bud mud that the domestic brand is famous for. That would have caused some problems riding the limo to the trinkobrani music fest. For some reason we were served champagne and Hall, Andrej and I split a bottle. Be it cockiness, ignorance or needing a Ferdinand Point pick me up but we coated our stomachs with the bubbly and were temporarilly more fluent in the local tongue. The eating took place in front of a massive crowd of teens and young twenty something's. Multi round/food contests are my favorite because forcing the food to settles easiest when your brain knows you don't have to eat the same dreaded foods. Forgetting you just ate is easy when you can switch focus to a new and fresh food/flavor. For that reason the Spike TV St. Me Day chow down was my favorite contest and performance of my career. The pizza was no joking matter as its diameter easily outstretched 20 inches and weighted 6-8 lbs. The corn, ham and mushrooms made for an interesting combination to stomach and palate. Apparently my request for bacon, onions, and green olives was lost in translation. The crust was the most difficult part, it was insoluble in water and back like cardboard. But the middle was warm, soft and wet so it balanced out the pie and made it somewhat quick once the crust was painstakingly forced down risking esophageal and oral damage. I never got out to a fast pace so I took the leisurely route and paced myself. With half the pizza down I concentrated on all the crust and used mass amounts of liquid not seeing any reason to dunk it. The remaining interior was no problem and I finished the pizza in 12-14 minutes. I then got to enjoy the venue, crowd and watch Hall and Kamil finish. Hall dominated Kamil and that Slavic Italian favorite using Bertoletti/ Janus amounts of liquid to get it down. They cleaned the table and brought the pickles, I could not resist them pre contest and ate a few. I knew they'd be tasty with a hint of sweetness a mild sour finish that would require lots of molar action. Besides this I hadn't a clue on eating pickles competitively. The pizza was a good warm and I felt all my senses relaxing, my legs, stomach, and throat all work in harmony clearing the pickles. The 30 pickles (2ounces each) took me 4-5 minutes to consume. I mimicked my hot dog eating style by stuffing in 2 at a time using lots of water to force the soured cucumbers into my digestion tract. Once the pickle table was cleared I felt another wave of adrenaline pass with another nipping at its heels. By this point I was zoned in and glared into the liter of the floral Czech dessert and listened to the countdown from ten in Czech. It would take roughly the same amount of time as the count down for me to raise my spoon in victory. Hall was a few seconds behind. Seeing Kamil put his innards on display directly after was an amusing sight. 3 rounds of mild foods is a cake walk in comparison to the hellacious premise of eating dumplings for an hour. The post contest festivities included talks with fans and former Czech eating greats and a sampling of the locally distilled slivovice (plum vodka). Luckily there was a chef preparing local specialties and we we sampled, caramelized sausage with a perfectly balanced sweet Dijon sauce, curried and garlic marinated chicken and pork, goulash, and starborno beer. The many Czech punk bands performing supplied a steady and stomach settling background. The following day marked a fresh but intestinally clogged day. Having half assed researching the plum dumpling did not leave me with a good feeling about the contest. An hour with no expectations or clue about technique and massacring numerous of the national delicacy was a hard prilosec to swallow. Not only did we have to eat for an hour but no drinks were allowed while condiments could include melted butter, powdered sugar, and coconut. We were brought over to break the standing record of 191 dumplings; I told reporters 200-250 was my goal basing it on a whim and faith in my stomach capacity. The thought did cross my mind that we were getting set up by coming in for this. Never in my life have I prepared for something like this, neither mentally or physically. The only ways to eat were all out or pace, I settled into a medium- fast pace. I took my time and let my ipod do its work drowning out the crowd and my bodies disgust with this sour concoction of whole plums stuffed in dough, boiled, then cooked in butter. It would take 3 dillinger four albums to get me through. I stood as the others sat clearing my first 30 ahead of all. The dumplings were each filled with pits and the crowd/ eaters could keep track of the numbers by gazing at a mammoth chalk board that had all the current counts. The dumplings were kept in warming boxes and arrived at perfect temperature consistantly during the contest. I watched the former champ for tricks but found him to eat them with a spoon and was doing so at a tortoises crawl. He would periodically hold up his stopwatch as if to say there's no way you can keep that pace up. It's too bad I only learned how to say cheers and fried cheese schnitzel in Czech because a curse word would have sufficed. Upon hitting the 200 mark in under 35 minutes I sat down and felt a rush of fructose and pigments into my face. At this point a meth addict's need for a fix was the strength of my desire to have a glass of water. A refocusing of efforts was necessary.At this point I didn't want any dumplings to cross my palate or field of vision.This was where the powdered sugar came in. I played with my food like randy from a Christmas story pushing it around in disgust. To get the last plate of 30 down I pulverized them in my mouth with little passing into digestion. My saliva enzymes were rendered useless. I would de pit 10 at a time and then shove them all into my mouth and repeat. With the 30 down I asked for 5 more. All the while I was told to relax and not puke as I figured everyone wanted me to make a nice plum deposit onto the stage and into a bass drum. The announcer kept informing me of the remaining time pleading with me to hold on and not blow it. I finished a winner cramming 233(just over an ounce each) of the dumplings down in 1 hour. A severe case of cotton mouth and a stained face worse than anything wylers light has thrown my way. The color returned to my face and I stopped looking like uncle fester with pigments and energy reconfiguring within. Along with the grand for winning an obnoxious amount of alcohol was given out in prizes. Slivovice and starborno was the only thing getting forced down my gullet that night. We spent time in the crowd taking pictures with fans and talking to our newly acquired friends. I was offered a mysterious drink in a kofola bottle. Refusing at first led the girl to inform me that it contained plum vodka. It was the same trick I used to pull from high school, and so I took a huge gulp. It brought a smile to my face to know the language is the only thing that separates us. It's odd to know young people everywhere are sneaking alcohol into musical venues. I once had a hobo buy me an 18 pack for a friend and I to share before and during a dillinger four show. Drinking that high life in a door less stall made me feel like a king. We were then barraged with constant jokes about our over consumption as people would shield their food from us as we approached. It's kind of like the "wouldn't like to get stuck behind him in a buffet" that we get at home but better. I will forever remember the fans we met backstage and the conversations in broken English.I couldn't of been happier to supply them with English curse words to text into the festivals computer that would display them on the jumbotron in a scrolling marquis. It was yet another case of the same people but different language. There are visual memories that cannot be captured in print so I strongly suggest a visit to the Republic of Czech. If you wont be making the trek any time soon check out the pictures of all my meals and sightseeing. I flew to England 20 kilos overweight thanks in part to the alcoholic prizes in my checked luggage. I did manage to consume about 45 dollars worth of cheese, diet cokes, champagne, and treats in the lounge to offset all overage charges. My goal on this detour was to visit St. John restaurant, eat an English breakfast, see big Ben, and flick off the guards at the royal palace. The dinner at St. John was well worth the detour, I ordered everything I wanted and ate like my date with the electric chair was fast approaching. I sat mesmerized and overtly stuffed from this meal that rose to the top of my list for meals I've consumed thus far. Being able to take a simple dish of roast beef bone marrow a mere meat butter and turning it into something magical. While simplicity has its limitations, limitations don't exist for this perfectly executed and simple dish. I enjoyed every minute of this trip and to my outward quest to conquer the world over in competitive eating.Hopefully it's not my last overseas and on someone elses dime. chow pddb deepdisheats.com

A video from myrtle beach bbq pork competition

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 02:41:51 -0500

This is a video that a fan took and sent to me, I hope you enjoy it. Joey may have won but I didn't hear anyone yelling joeys name in the contest. I was pretty full after this one, I ate anywhere from 11- 14 lbs of sandwiches as well as a gallon plus of hot pigs blood. I was asked how many plates I had but I was too overcome with exaution and that fading unnerving sense of burnt adrenaline to count. I may have lost to joey but I felt "on" that day and am pleased with my pace and lack of hitting the wall. I did slow down to let him overtake me but he's a great eater and he deserved that win. I could certainly feel the sandwiches filling up and at the 6 minute mark I could feel that burden of capacity, but thoughts of nausea were in the farthest crevice in the back of my brain. It's contests like these that I strive for, it was my first good performance in a while and I couldn't be more pleased. I am also happy because I was not included in any of the mayhem that occured post contest where lots of shoving, falling, and drinking too place. And thanks to fan brad vincent for the awesome footage -pat deepdisheats.com

This is the video from my krystal square off qualifier

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:03:54 -0500

This was taken from last weekend when I qualified for the krsystal square off finals in chattanooga on sept 28th. -pddb deepdisheats.com

I have a new website

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 03:20:49 -0500

Hello Barkers, FIrst off I have to say thanks to all in the yard that have supported my/ our blog. It means a lot to me knowing people are interested. I am exited to say that I have a brand new website that is up and running and thought you'd be interested in checking it out. www.deepdisheats.com Please check it out, any feedback is welcome. I also have shirts for 15 bucks( that includes shipping) thanks again for all the support. -pddb

the last white castle video

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:01:52 -0500

One more video of me training with white castle

A drunk video of me doing a Krystal burger practice

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:00:21 -0500

This is me doing my best hasslehoff impression but I'm actually training for the krystal square off on sept 28th. Who could have thought that a drunk craving can also turn into usefully training session and pabst blue ribbon sponge. I leave tomorow for Prague. There is a 35 year old plum dumpling contest that is taking place that will include myself and Hall hoover Hunt competing against other czech eaters. It will be an hour of eating and should be a blast. I will upload videos and picture links when I return. -pddb

Video from jimmy johns freaky fast sub chowdown

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 20:54:56 -0500

This is a video from my last contest where myself, gravy brown, and Patrick Van Damn took on 3 of jimmy johns fastest sandwich makers. The goal was to eat the sandwiches faster than they could make them and have no sandwiches remaining at the end of 10 minutes. We didn't even stand a chance, I think I ate around 10-14 ( 8") sandwiches in 10 min.

A recent training run for the 4th of July

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:16:02 -0500

One of my last practices before Coney Island. -PDDB

Physically and Psychologically Ready

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:01:39 -0500

Barkers!!! I am back in the yard and hungry. A couple of days ago I was lucky enough to eat in front of a large audience at an event called Hooterpalooza? and yes, there were many Hooter girls. The 4th of July is around the corner and I have been pushing my body several times a week with hotdogs. This event was a great chance for me to practice getting into a rhythm while being surrounded by distractions (hot girls, goofy announcers, slow eaters). The hot dogs were good and the crowd was great. My performance was okay? I ended up eating 43 dogs in 8 minutes? 43 is a considerable amount less than I wanted to do. I do know why my numbers were low and I am doing everything in my power to correct the issues before the big show on the 4th. Overall, it was a great event I and I will not turn down any future opportunities to attend a Hooter's party. The 4th of July is going to be intense?The crazy little man from Japan will be coming to new york willing to do anything for victory, but so will I. We are going to push each other to limits that we would never attain without the competition of the other. People ask me if I like Kobayashi? I usually side step the question and respond by saying that I respect his ability and appreciate everything he has done for Competitive Eating. It is rare that I tell people that I do not allow myself to like Kobayashi. I have found that when I am pushing my body through the most uncomfortable pain, I can dig down and push harder when I really do not like my opponents. During practices, I tell myself that the only thing that will hurt more than the training is finishing second. I have felt the pain of falling short in a big contest and it is a feeling that I want Kobayashi to have a second serving of. Last year Kobayashi broke in front of the world and I smiled. When Kobayashi lost control and forced himself to eat what had already been eaten, my self-inflicted pain was justified. Satisfaction also came when Kobayashi did not give up and coast to second place, he fought to the agonizing end. I have a lot of respect for kobayashi and someday I will be able to look at him without wanting to force him to suffer, but that day is not coming any time soon. Joey

Nathan's on the 4th

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 04:41:12 -0500

The 4th of july is less than 2 weeks away and it's crunch time in terms of training and preparation. Joey Chestnut is the king of hot dogs with Kobeyashi a close second. Last year, no doubt was left as to the champion of hot dogs and bun. Joey dominated, crushing the world record and forced kobeyashi to have multiple reversals. My memory is studded with a vivid recollection of the massive crowd, joeys overall dominance with conquest of mind over body, and a branded memory of joey en-robed in the stars and bars. The roar of those fans is not a sound I will forget. To sum up my performance, I gave it my best shot, but fell flat on my ass. In a marathon I tripped on my shoe laces at the 20th mile and stopped to put Vaseline on my my nipples at the 22nd mile, only to limp/ waddle across the finish. I finished but not with the force and power I had visualized. I felt a surge of power and adrenaline all bottled up and a by product of the stadium size crowd. After 5 minutes the edge faded and the speed like effect once pumping through my arteries dissipated. To sum it up, my jaws got tired and I ran out of capacity. Looking forward to 7/04/08 I am taking measures to overcome these barriers. It will be difficult to offset the jaw fatigue because nathans does not keep promises of awarding a year supply of hot dogs(for 2 years in a row). Besides this cheapness the realization occurred in that joey and kobey have both accomplished the holy grail of eating contests. Any past victory against either is bush league in comparison. No one will tout my victories over both in chicken wings and turkey as the reason I will win nathans. They don't mean much to me. This is a contest to hang your mustard belt and gastric band on. In that sense it's the last and eluding major victory that my career desperately needs to elevate it greatness. It's my thought that upon retirement I will be know as a good eater, but there is not much evidence to support the case that my legacy will be marked as a "great" eater. I am a year behind them both in everything quite consistently. My style of eating is composed, reckless, and barbaric. Cooking and eating are my passionate traits, I am putting every ounce of passion, focus and strength into this competition. Joey can be beat, but it's going to take a perfect day with mind and body operating in maximum output mode. I will do everything from my steamer pack of tricks to prepare. I will have no regrets when all is left at the table(minus the dogs) meat sweats and all, and if another garlicky salchicha crammed down my esophagus is a human impossibility. I can feel the excitement starting to build within and in all likely hood my abilities will be peaking on the 4th of july. I would suggest all on the east coast to show up early to surf and stillwell on coney island or to check it out on espn and espn hd at noon eastern chow. Patrick Deep Dish Bertoletti

A sweet promo for the spike tv

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:48:50 -0500

This was used to promote the ham and eggs contest during the super bowl halftime show on spike. pddb

Trying to quench my thirst after eating 227 chicken wings at the Philly Wing Bowl

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:43:38 -0500

It's not me opening my throat and pouring it down but I enjoy watching this video. I definitely enjoy a good chugging contest. I can drink like I eat but I need to competitively eat to offset the alcohol, it's the perfect balance. chow -pat deep dish bertoletti

a recent appearance on the early show

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:49:49 -0500

I was on the early show this past monday eating pizza. It was rough to say the least. Especially after eating 14.5 lbs of strawberry shortcake the day earlier and staying out all night watching the celtics game. Gluttonous amounts of strawberry shortcake+ worst hangover ever+ cold dominos pizza at 7 in the morning= me wanting to throw up on the host. I hope you enjoy it. chow pat deep dish bertoletti

Video from a recent gyros eating contest

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:40:09 -0500

This is from a gyros eating contest a few weeks back. Niko niko gyros sponsored it and it took place in Houston. I edged out joey by 1.25 gyros in the 10 minute contest. I ate an even dozen 12 oz gyros to his 10.75. It's a very humbling food to say the least as a dozen of anything doesn't sound like much. We did save room for some suvlaki and shots of ouzo. pat deep dish bertoletti

Ice cream eating video

Fri, 23 May 2008 16:16:55 -0500

Here's a video from when I attempted to break the guiness record for most ice cream eaten in 30 seconds.

My thoughts on Stockton and eating asparagus

Mon, 05 May 2008 16:16:10 -0500

Going into this competition I knew that my stomach capacity and technique were in proper order. The more elements that are controlled going into a competition the better. But no matter how many elements you control the unknown is always the food. The only consistent food on the circuit has been Krystal hamburgers and Ash creek ribs. Consistent is defined as being consistently good and fast by having food at ideal temperatures and skillfully prepared. When the food is in question the totals will vary from year to year based on preparation and speed during the competition. If the food was overcooked or cold the numbers will suffer. This is not a complaint but a way of the circuit. Honestly, if I had to cook for myself and other eaters I would not be too pleased in preparing food knowing its consumption will be at breakneck speed. For most competitions normal things that tie into eating go out the window. For example, normally one eats when hungry. It's rare to be hungry going into a competition as butterflies and excitement trump all other feeling a normal brain exhibits. While most eat food for flavor and nourishment, textures are the only thing that registers during contests. Afterwards conversation and reflection will stem from thoughts on how chewy, crunchy, or slimy the food was. The higher the level of eater the less all of these outside or unknown factors come into play. Once everything else is tuned out and the mind is dialed into consumption mode it doesn't matter that the food was ice cold or meat needed a hack saw to cut into consumable bites. As all eaters have the same food, if it was difficult, it was difficult for everyone. It took quite some time to be comfortable and perform when dealing with the outside factors. There is no comfort when facing Joey Chestnut in battle. This was the case in Stockton a week ago. This contest has forced me to refocus my efforts in eating. I have gone into every competition with the burning desire to be victorious no matter the opponents. There have been times where victories have come as disappointment as the level of eating was not up to my standards. There have also been competitions where 3rd place finishes have brought happiness and contentment because a new level of concentration and performance had been reached. Following this contest disappointed in my performance because of a slow and clumsy start, as well as struggling to stay competitive in the 2nd half of the competition where the thoughts that saturated my cranium. This contest along with peanut butter and jelly, and waffle house waffles will continue to be a humbling discipline. The numbers will never truly reflect the difficulty and unnatural feeling it takes to process and consume these items. Out of all foods these 3 in seem like ones god never intended to be consumed in high volume or speed. The best analysis is to compare the asparagus to steel wool. Never have is it been such a struggle to clear mouthful after mouthful and to know that you are chasing a runaway horse. There was no way I was catching Joey on that day. The entire competition consisted of a panicked catch up mode. With 5 lbs downed by us both in 4 minutes it was a limp across the finish. Each mouthful required vast amounts of liquid to clear (the warm pink lemonade not helping in the least). It was strictly a jaw and throat strength showcase. Never before has a contest taxed every function that is required of a top gurgitator. It challenged capacity, jaw strength, speed, stamina, and speed of swallow. In the end, Joey showed a true champions desire and determination to power through all feelings and brain functions. A point came with 1 minute remaining where the margin was 1 spear. It became obvious that I could take this contest in front of Joey's home crowd. I saw victory and let it slip through my grasp. My brain knew the necessary means to achieve this yet a disconnect between brain and body function existed. It was a point of mental and physical failure as neither would respond in the dwindling seconds. Asparagus was forced in yet my body fought every attempt to let it pass down my esophagus. It's provides evidence that Joey is a true champion; a champion knows how to coerce every ounce of drive and performance out of their body, doesn't make excuses, and gets the job done. My goal has been to be the number one eater in the world. That obstacle rivals world record pole vaulting heights as I push myself mentally and physically to best Joey and Kobayashi. Upon reflection it seems I've been going through the motions for quite some time. It took a losing record against Joey in "08 to realize that I am not having the same amount of fun that I once did in competition. When I can look inside and realize that it's an honor to be the number 2 ranked eater and not be so focused on performance, the zone I got in, and speed, I will be far better off. Somewhere through the 100+ contests I lost sight of the fact that this sport although serious should be one of enjoyment and fun. The payoff is in the journey, friendships, and knowledge of new boundaries and limits one can push their body in search of supremacy and greatness. My next competition will be on May 10th in Minneapolis Minnesota as I attempt to qualify for Nathan's famous annual 4th of July competition. My goal is to come close to my personal best of 49 hot dogs and buns and to win. If you're in the area you can check it out; @12:30 pm Cub Foods Grocery Store 15350 Cedar Avenue South Apple Valley, MN 55124 Also, for those interested in major league eating go to http://www.majorleagueeating.com/ Chow, eat up and eat well, Patrick Deep Dish Bertoletti

Asparagus Festival and thoughts

Sat, 03 May 2008 03:39:39 -0500

As I continue to blog, it will be clear that I am little private. So, when I wrote this blog I did not post it until I convinced myself nobody would read it (and I edited it..buzzed... haha).... I was able to walk away from the asparagus contest with a victory, but I have been shaking my head and trying to figure out why things are not coming together the way they should. The contest took place at the Stockton Asparagus Festival and there were a ton of people. From the moment I arrived at the festival I felt like I was the hometown eater and a lot of people were in my corner. I was amazed at how many people told me they have been following my eating success since my first victory in Stockton three years ago. It is great to go to these events and only see happy people. It is not at all like work. The competition in this contest was serious. The contest attracted eaters from New York, Tennessee, Illinois, Washington and Oregon. The asparagus were perfect!!! They tasted much better than the ones I made. I was able to finish my first pound ahead of every one, but I got into an awful habit of watching and reacting to Pat Bertoletti. Pat was eating with a beautiful rhythm, while I was eating in response to Pat. After every pound I would be ahead of Pat by several spears, but instead of continuing to eat at a fast pace I would slow down and wait for Pat to catch up and then I would race to finish the next pound? I could not stop focusing on Pat. I really wanted to just get into my own rhythm and worry about my own pace, but I couldn't. Unfortunately these habits did not start with this contest. About a month ago I ate with the same lazy technique, in matzo ball contest. Even my training mentality for the past few months has been crappy. Instead of training to do my best, I have been training just enough to win. I don't know why my head is in the wrong place and I don't know what it will take to correct me. When I think back to last year, I cannot believe the amount of intensity and dedication I had. Other eaters have started to notice the decline in focus and they believe I am becoming complacent. I wish it were just complacency, that can be solved with a kick in the ass. In the end of this contest, I was given credit for eating 8.9 lbs of fried asparagus (I think I only ate about 8.3 lbs., and Pat was close behind). People that are new to Competitive Eating will learn that sometimes the numbers do not exactly add up, but it is rare for the actual placing to get screwed up. Pat did great and he would have edged me out, if there weren't so many people pushing me to win in this contest. I don't know if the video shows it, but I could feel myself respond to the cheers from the audience. In case you are wondering, my piss stunk of something fierce. All I can do now is look forward to my next contest and hope to break out of my funk. Good Night, Joey

3 pounds of asparagus in under 3 minutes!

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:33:02 -0500

I am in the midst of training for the Deep Fried Asparagus Eating Championship. The contest takes place April 26th at the Stockton Asparagus Festival. I currently hold the record for deep fried asparagus, 8.6 pounds in 10 minutes. This year, my biggest competition will come from Pat Bertoletti. Pat is a great eater and whenever I get lazy he pulls off an upset. The chances of Pat walking away with a win in this contest are slim to none. I will let you all know how the contest goes down. Joey

Pat "Deep Dish" Bertoletti... in the Yard

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:29:40 -0500

Asparago is the name and competitive eating is the game. First off I want to thank Yardbarker for allowing me to blog about the growing sport of competitive eating. I would also like to welcome all readers. I am a Chicagoan and have lived in parts of Chicago for my entire 22 years. The competitive eating circuit has been good to me and has ignited a passion in mass consumption of food. I started at a pizza contest after getting 4th place and the Greek goddess of overeating (Glutonnia) looked down upon me and decided that I had what it took to continue in search of gustatory glory. After that fateful day over 3 years ago I started entering contests all around the states convincing anyone I could to be my travel partners. I have over 100 contests under my belt and still get complete enjoyment out of every minute of it. Thankfully that belt has not grown in girth. The camaraderie with other eaters, the competition, travel, the element of getting in the zone, and that there is no coach or teammates to help you is what leads to my contentment in this sport. It's a sport of pure mental fortitude and it's an exiting feeling when you are dialed in and consume astronomical and inhuman amounts of food. I am currently ranked number 2 by the Major League eating organization with achieving that number 1 ranking my overall goal. Eating background aside, my weekly profession has just as much to do with food as the later part time job/ hobby. I graduated with a bachelors degree in culinary arts from Kendall college last year and have been obsessed with everything food ever since. Flavors are what define my life and experiences while everything else takes a back seat as far as I'm concerned. Now that you know a little something about me the subject at hand must be addressed. Our first Yardbarking blog will focus on the deep fried asparagus contest in Stockton California this April 26th. It's a 10 minute contest and will find myself going up against the number 1 ranked eater- Joey Chestnut. It's a food I have not competed with in 2 years and is one I will be a little rusty on. The only solution to overcome this is to do a practice run where I will borrow the deep fat fryer at work and to cook off a batch of golden tempura battered vegetables. There are a few different tests that would be beneficial in this practice run. One would include matching a liquid that would mask the noxious taste of the asparagus. Another would entail picking a technique that I will use in the competition. This would include finding the quickest and most efficient way to eat the asparagus and will aid in getting into a rhythm during the contest. This is more like a football coach outlining plays and game plans on a chalk board. Some include eating 2 or 3 at a time, eating the tip first, and or taking 2 bites then taking a gulp of liquid. The chosen technique is something I will strive to implement during the length of the contest. It's best to go in with an idea so time is not wasted in figuring it out during the contest. Going in too cocky without a plan usually ends up in a sub par finish or having to borrow a technique from someone else if their technique is faster and better than yours. My plan of attack is to eat 2 spears at a time and to use as much wylers pink lemonade/ raspberry to get it down. Hopefully my gallon of hollandaise sauce will make it through airport security unscathed. There is no better dipping sauce for asparagus in my book. It is a crap shoot as to who will come out on top. Joey will be hard to beat but nothing is impossible. I like to think that he is getting lazy and will not likely bring his a game. He has been king of the hill for too long and it's time for his rein of terror to end. In all likelihood the contest will be close. I don't imagine the winner out eating second place by more than half a pound. The winner of this event will be the eater that manages to get into the best rhythm as well having the best command of mind, body, and coordination on eating day. The rhythm is the most important part of the contest. It's a lot like dancing; it has to be a series of smooth movements and transitions. My white boy dancing should not be used as an example as to what good rhythm is. The desired moments would include bite, bite, bite, chew chew, and swallow. Some gulps of liquid will be thrown in, a belch here or there would be nice. And the piece de resistance would include a gentle shaking of the midsection and or jumping up and down forcing the food to settle into the bottom of the stomach, the smoother the process and less choppy the better. I can only hope that on April 26th my mind and body are in sync. I will make sure that my capacity and technique will be where they need to be, I just hope that my mind and body will meet me half way and that I can eat the way I know how. Ciao, eat up and eat well, -Pat "Deep Dish" Bertoletti

Joey Chestnut in the Yard!

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:28:54 -0500

HELLO ALL!!! I am happy to be blogging on Yardbarker. This is the first sports website to list eating as a sport. Even I hesitate to call it a sport (haha). Along with my goofy eating friend Pat Bertoletti, I will keep the Yard informed of upcoming events, my training, and the lifestyle of the best eater in the world. By blogging, I hope to clear up a couple misconceptions about Competitive Eating and expose everybody to the crazy world of Competitive Eating. I am looking forward to the everybody in the Yard helping me find new challenges and new ways to improve my ability. Joey