Ariana Benitez, of Griffith, will be the first to tell you that she’ll be at a buffet with friends or family, and as they’re ready to pay the bill, she’s walking to the table with yet another new, full plate of food.
They’ll usually roll their eyes because Benitez, 25, is what she and they consider a “slow eater.” But she’s also a “big eater,” and that’s how she garnered second place in both Thursday’s pie eating contest and Friday’s fair food eating contest at the Lake County Fair. On Friday, it took her 3 minutes and 15 seconds to polish off a not-insubstantially sized corn dog, ear of corn and elephant ear.
And when she was done, she wasn’t really “done.”
“I feel like I haven’t even eaten,“ Benitez said, smiling. “I could have two more entrees after this.”
The adult contestants were given five minutes to polish off the fair favorites, chosen because they’re what attendees gravitate toward the most, said Special Events Superintendent Mike Fraley. The kids received the same menu, but they were given a loose 10 minutes because they’re kids and no one wanted anyone to get sick like they did a few years ago when contest was just straight hot dogs.
If Fraley had to guess what makes jamming as much food as humanly possible down your gullet a good time, competition is as good a reason as any.
“There’s that big competition on the Fourth of July with Nathan’s hot dogs that’s really popular, but some people are just good at eating and like to compete,” Fraley said.
The “variety” of foods in Friday’s contest is a bit easier to handle compared with Thursday’s pie business, wherein eight adults tried to inhale a slightly bigger than 4.5-pound fruit pie, Fraley said. Brian Doranski, of Schererville, was the victor, leaving only 4 ounces in his tin before giving up the ghost, according to Fair spokeswoman Arlene Marcinek.
Even Benitez had a time with the pie.
“The sweetness just killed me,” she said. “I finished about two pounds, though.”
New to the eating game was Drew Pryor, 4, of Schererville, , who demonstrated how fast he ate his whole plate with interpretive wiggling. His mom, Kristin Pryor, said the judges asked if anyone else wanted to try, and he happily volunteered.
Drew’s older brother, Ian Pryor, 9, came in last place, but he was fine with that.
“I love food,” he said, while older brother, Hayden Pryor, 10, said he wasn’t down with competitive eating because he thought he might get sick.
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Nolan Sepko, 12, of Lowell, won the kids’ heat Friday and was feeling pretty good about his victory. His sister, Dakota Sepko, 19, who came in 5th in the adult division, on the other hand, was flushed and teary-eyed from the discomfort.
“This is my first and only time,” she said. “It was fun to try just for the love of food, but it’s more fun watching other people go through the pain.”
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.