A New Top Dog

A new face hoisted the Mustard Belt at Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest yesterday after 39-year-old Patrick Bertoletti downed 58 hot dogs in 10 minutes. Florida's Miki Sudo chomped through 51 franks, setting a women's world record en route to her 10th title.  

For Bertoletti, the win comes in the absence of all-time great Joey Chestnut who was banned from the contest after signing an endorsement deal with Impossible Foods, a maker of plant-based meats. Chestnut had won 16 of 17 previous contests and tossed back 62 hot dogs last year. The excommunicated champ instead held a charity event in El Paso, Texas, facing off against active-duty service members. 

While the Coney Island event has been held since 1972, the history of the humble hot dog dates back much further. German immigrants began selling the food, which evolved from traditional sausages, from New York City pushcarts in the 1860s.