St. Valentine's Day Chocolate Massacre

image from NBC

Yesterday, the IFOCE and GoldenPalace.net hosted the St. Valentine's Day Chocolate Massacre at the Chicago Chocolate Company. The contest was seven minutes long to represent the seven men Al Capone's hitmen killed on Valentine's Day 1929. Cheerful!

All the eaters were given plates piled high with milk chocolate hearts and set to devouring them with glasses of milk and other drinks nearby. At the end of the seven minutes, Patrick Bertoletti came out on top, demolishing just shy of two pounds of chocolate in the time allotted, and winning $2,500. After beating Sonya and Joey Chestnut in the corned beef competition and coming in a close third in grilled cheese, we think Bertoletti is definitely one to watch.

Krista and I caught up with Pat after this amazing feat to answer a few questions about the competition.

First of all the chocolate itself: tell us a little about how the texture of the food was different from other competitions you've done. Was it difficult to chew and swallow? Did your liquid of choice affect the eating of the chocolate?

The chocolates themselves are a matter of jaw strength; you have to chew them a lot more than other foods to get them down. This was the hardest contest I have done so far. Eating chocolate in a contest is a humbling experience; I won with just under 2 pounds (which to onlookers really may not seem like a lot). I was drinking hot water with lemon juice, which did facilitate easier swallowing and chewing.

Were the hearts unwrapped or did you have to de-foil them?

The hearts were all unwrapped and put on plates of 19.

Milk chocolate can give you that burn in the back of your throat; did you experience that or any other physical reactions that were unique to chocolate?

I didn't have that burning sensation that you speak of. But after a while the chocolate was unpalatable and was nearly impossible to keep swallowing.

Did your cd player last through this competition?

For this contest I opted to go without a cd player. But right after I went on a spree and bought a new 60 gb iPod, so hopefully my music in the future is safe.

Did our suggtion that you'd be unstoppable with an iPod influence your buying decision?

You know, it did play into the decision. The $2,500 and student discount also played into the decision.

We read an article that said you practiced ahead of time. How did you do in these practice sessions?

In practice I did 2.5 pounds in big chunks.

How did it feel to compete in Chicago, on your home turf?

I was actually nervous to compete and be the top dog because I didn't want to disappoint and because I had never done a sweet or chocolate eating contest before.

We imagine that eaters enter a specific state-of-mind when they are in the middle of a competition. Is there anything else in your life that you can compare that to? That is, can you ever apply what you've learned from competitive eating to another activity or mindset?

The "zone" you are talking about is hard to accomplish in other areas of my life; I can transfer extreme focus and mind over matter to working out and working during a busy shift at a restaurant, though.

Any specific goals for this season?

I want to be in the top five by the end of the year, and to improve upon my totals of past contests. Giving Joey and Sonya a run for their money wouldn't be such a bad thing either.

The IFOCE article about the Chocolate Massacre has this quote: "He has earned a place in the hearts of women all over America." Should the ladies get their hopes up or are you off the market?

I am single, and the posts on IFOCE never cease to amuse me. Thanks for the interest in a Chicago hopeful.