Chicago resident Patrick "Deep Dish" Bertoletti is scheduled to compete in the Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest in New York's Coney Island on Monday.
Bertoletti, 26, has finished third in three of the last four years, but he doesn't just devour food. He's also a chef for Chicago's Jewell Events Catering. We caught up with "Deep Dish" last week before his trip to New York.
Q: What are your hopes for Monday's contest?
A: My hope is to actually win. In years past, I was always aiming for second or third place. I've kind of had a Cubs' fan — a loser's — mentality. This year I want to win.
Q: How do you prepare for competitions?
A: This particular competition, I'm on a very strict diet where I eat high carbohydrates, but very minimal calories. … I do roughly three hot dog practices a week and on the days off I don't eat at all.
Q: How long do you train for competitions?
A: This is the biggest competition so this is the only one I actually train for with the food. I started roughly two months ago, and about a month ago I really focused in. … I work with good food. Part of my job is I have to taste to make sure it's good. I don't know many people who can just taste food and not eat more.
Q: What is your strategy?
A: I'm going to do my last practice on Friday in New York. On Saturday and Sunday I'm just going to drink a lot of fluids to keep my stomach expanded. … On contest day, I'll drink some fluid in the morning.
Q: How did you get interested in competitive eating?
A: I was always a big eater growing up. Growing up in a big family, I was the youngest. It was my way of distinguishing myself throughout my family. I always ate too much. About seven years ago, my twin sister convinced me to do my first contest in Chicago, and I did really well. That's where it all started.
Q: What do you do when you aren't training for a competition?
A: I read a lot of food literature. I like history. I watch a lot of bad Charles Bronson movies. I'm a big fan of the teenage girl novels called Girl Talk (by L.E. Blair), and I like live music.
Q: What is your favorite food to eat in competition?
A: I like (all) sweet foods, but I really like ice cream, because I don't get any effects from it.
Bertoletti, 26, has finished third in three of the last four years, but he doesn't just devour food. He's also a chef for Chicago's Jewell Events Catering. We caught up with "Deep Dish" last week before his trip to New York.
Q: What are your hopes for Monday's contest?
A: My hope is to actually win. In years past, I was always aiming for second or third place. I've kind of had a Cubs' fan — a loser's — mentality. This year I want to win.
Q: How do you prepare for competitions?
A: This particular competition, I'm on a very strict diet where I eat high carbohydrates, but very minimal calories. … I do roughly three hot dog practices a week and on the days off I don't eat at all.
Q: How long do you train for competitions?
A: This is the biggest competition so this is the only one I actually train for with the food. I started roughly two months ago, and about a month ago I really focused in. … I work with good food. Part of my job is I have to taste to make sure it's good. I don't know many people who can just taste food and not eat more.
Q: What is your strategy?
A: I'm going to do my last practice on Friday in New York. On Saturday and Sunday I'm just going to drink a lot of fluids to keep my stomach expanded. … On contest day, I'll drink some fluid in the morning.
Q: How did you get interested in competitive eating?
A: I was always a big eater growing up. Growing up in a big family, I was the youngest. It was my way of distinguishing myself throughout my family. I always ate too much. About seven years ago, my twin sister convinced me to do my first contest in Chicago, and I did really well. That's where it all started.
Q: What do you do when you aren't training for a competition?
A: I read a lot of food literature. I like history. I watch a lot of bad Charles Bronson movies. I'm a big fan of the teenage girl novels called Girl Talk (by L.E. Blair), and I like live music.
Q: What is your favorite food to eat in competition?
A: I like (all) sweet foods, but I really like ice cream, because I don't get any effects from it.