Eating Like Pigs For A Good Cause

As I walked into the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center on Thursday, I had to smile; Dean Martin’s “That’s Amore” was playing over the doors. Fitting, since I had come to attend the second-annual “Best Pizza on the Bay,” a community gathering of pizza-makers raising money for a mural being painted at the center.

Having just left college, I have something of a soft spot in my heart for pizza, and when I heard that there was to be a pizza judging at the visitor center involving free samples (limited to one per person) of both pepperoni and a specialty, neither I nor my stomach could resist. Luckily, I had bought tickets before coming because door tickets were sold out ten minutes after the doors opened.

Little Caesars, dear to any college student, was right by the door, giving samplers the largest slices of pepperoni in the building. Pizza Pub was also there, shelling out breakfast pizza as its specialty. All in all, seven businesses offered up their versions of the Italian pie, including the White River Saloon out of Mason and Racheli’s Deli out of Washburn.

I did my best to try a little of everything, and got a bit of a bellyache for my trouble, though it was well worth it. However, I wasn’t the only one tempting fate in the eating department; a pizza eating competition was among the events at the fund raiser.

Four small pizzas vanished with startling speed into the mouths of the contestants, but none so quickly as the unfortunate pie set before Jason Maloney, the director of the visitor center. Standing nearby with my friend Beau, we marveled at Maloney’s speed and shared theories. “He’s ex-military,” Beau declared, himself having served. “You get just ten minutes to finish everything. You learn it’s all about chewing just enough for the food to slide down to your guts.”

Drafted to also participate in last year's the eating competition, Maloney remains undefeated.

When I asked Maloney how he managed to eat so fast, he replied with a little smile, “Oh, I’m a pig.”

“Well, you don’t look it,” I laughed. “Did you prepare for it?”

“Nope. I’m just a pig,” he said.

Whether a pig or not, Maloney certainly has a mischievous streak. After finishing his pizza, he turned to his competitor, Rick Olivo, who had just one piece left, and with a cheerful grin asked if Olivo wanted help. Olivo nodded, still working over another slice, and Maloney ate Olivo's last piece.

In the end, the fund raiser garnered a good $3,000 for the center’s “Community of Life” mural, which will depict animals of the great lakes region and historical figures, voyageurs and the like. The faces of the mural were for sale at the event, and all but two were purchased.

As for the best pizza, Frankie’s Pizza was awarded Best Pepperoni, while the White River Saloon of Mason took Best Speciality with their Buffalo Chicken Pizza. Unfortunately, I didn’t get around to trying that myself... too full at the time. Maybe next year!