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The Z-Burger Independence Day Championship has a new champ and a new record. With the back-to-back-to-back-to-back champion, Furious Pete Czerwinski, out of this year's event, Patrick "Deep Dish" Bertoletti of Chicago stepped up to the plate --literally-- and not only won the 5th annual gala of gluttony, but set a new record for the championship, downing 28 burgers in 10 minutes Wednesday afternoon at Z-Burger in Tenleytown. Along with the burger title, Bertoletti takes home $1,250 in cash and $1,250 in Z-Burger grub. Hartford's Jamie "The Bear" McDonald was runner-up with 25 burgers, Dale "Mouth of the South" Boone of Atlanta downed 17 to finish in third place and Connecticut's "Gentleman" Joe Menchetti and "Munchin Mike" Longo of Stafford finished 14 burgers each to tie for fourth. This was our first time attending the D.C. joint's annual event and also the first time we've witnessed the rapid inhalation of food at such close proximity. In between dodging flying bits of beef and bread and praying for a regurgitation-free afternoon, we were able to observe the different strategies the top finishers utilized. While Bertolletti and Boone each took the smash-a-whole-sopping-burger-into-the-face-while-pouring-water-into-the-mix route, McDonald was a much more civilized eater. Spinning the burger on its axis and taking bites around the edges, The Bear's plan of attack seemed just as effective as the others. After the competition, Bertoletti and Boone were left soaked and covered in burger remnants and, if you didn't know any better, you'd have no clue McDonald just engulfed over a week's worth of burgers. This year also marked the very first time we had our own entry in the contest with Adam Chandler reppin' the Burger Days Crew. In his competitive eating debut, Adam knocked back seven burgers all by his lonesome. Like the burgers he inhaled during the competition, well done, Adam. Well done.