Winner, Winner; Spaghetti Dinner

FRANKFORT, IL — Six contestants, hungry for fame and pasta, faced off in a test of intestinal fortitude, as each was presented with a pound of spaghetti with sauce and three minutes on the clock to see who could eat the most. The stakes, and carbs, were high and the pressure intense to be crowned the winner in the first of three rounds for Enrico's Italian Dining's Get Sauced Spaghetti Eating Contest held at CD&ME in Frankfort July 22.

Their strategies varied, from slow and steady using a fork, to fast and furious using only their 10 digits on their hands. In the end, it was hands down — then up, then down and up again — that the clear winners were Vince Ambrose, of Tinley Park, and Jeremy Smith, of Plainfield.

Ambrose sauntered up to the challenger's table with the swagger of a man who had been in these types of pressure situations before. He appeared unfazed, perhaps even encouraged, by the crowd cheering and singing Italian songs.

"Ditch the fork, get the hands in there," Ambrose said of his go-to strategy, which he has employed in past competitive eating contests. "I hope I won, I really do. I'm full! I'm full!"

Smith, a first-time competitive eating contestant, began the food frenzy with a different, maybe less direct, tactic.

"More small bites and fewer big ones," Smith said of his strategy in the al dente adventure. "That way I can swallow quick and get to the next bite. Not even going to look around. Just going to keep staring at the bowl until either it's gone or the bell dings."

He admitted he had not eaten anything since lunch that day to prepare for the 6:30 p.m. spaghetti dinner.

But what about using a fork?

"I feel like using utensils for spaghetti will still be the smart way to go because spaghetti noodles can be long, and you don't want to bite your finger while you're trying to make sure you get the whole noodle," Smith said.

In the end, both of the champions of chew managed to eat nearly all of their spaghetti in three minutes; they finished tied with each consuming nearly 15 ounces.

Ambrose and Smith each earned a spot in the championship round, scheduled for Aug. 12. The second round of competition is scheduled for July 29 at CD&ME, 23320 S. La Grange Road, followed by the third round on Aug. 5.

For more information, or to register in the competition, visit Enrico's website here.