Short List: Best food eating challenges

Welcome to The Short List, where each week we pick a topic and share our favorite things about the Tampa Bay area.

You don't have to be a competitive eater or Adam Richman of "Man vs. Food Nation" to take on food challenges in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area.

But you might have to consume in volume and with speed, such as wolfing down a 5-pound burrito or a 12-pound gyro in one sitting. Or you might have to endure sweat-producing heat from chicken wings that scorch the tongue.

There are a surprising number of food challenges in the Tampa Bay area from a belly busting platter of nachos at a Dunedin pub to a 12-pound pizza at a Bradenton restaurant.

In most of these challenges, the palate is more pained than pleased. But people do it for the glory and a prize - a T-shirt, a free meal or their name on a wall.

Here are five gastronomical tests to put on your bucket list:

1. Fan v. Food at Tropicana Field's Centerfield Brewhouse: Two tickets to a Tampa Bay Rays game awaits the hearty eater who can finish a 2-pound, multiple-stack burger topped with 16 slices of bacon and a pound of cheese on a bun with a 1-pound side of fries. Oh, and you have to do it in 30 minutes. Batter up!

2. Inferno Soup at Nitally's Thai Mex Cuisine: More than 90 people have tried and failed to eat the 48 ounce serving of this toxic hot Asian soup made from ghost peppers. The challenge, which offers a $1,000 prize if successfully completed, will be retired after the 100th attempt. The restaurant also offers a 5-pound burrito and a 20-taco platter challenge both adorned with its killer "Inferno" sauce.

3. Hercules Challenge at Gyro King: Two people, one hour and a 12-pound gyro. This is another Bay area challenge that has eluded every team that has tried it - so far. It costs $75 and you'll get $500 if you complete the task.

4. Davy Jones "Wings" Challenge at Rapscallions: Featured on the Travel Channel's "Man vs. Food Nation" series, the goal is to down 10 tongue-scorching chicken wings doused in habanera pepper sauce. Eat 'em in 30 minutes and join the handful of hot heads that have claimed victory.

5. Six-Pound Challenge at Frontier Steakhouse Cattle Company: If you're hungry for beef mosey over to this place. A 6-pound steak, baked potato and a salad must be consumed in 75 minutes. Someone actually finished this challenge in 32 minutes and they're probably still mooing about it.