The jaws of victory: Sarasotans can take on a number of food challenges

The most impressive athletic feat I’ve seen in person came not from Alex Ovechkin, or John Wall, or Cal Ripken Jr., or Darrell Green, all of whom I had the privilege of watching multiple times as a kid.

Those are Hall of Fame caliber players, but none of them matched what I witnessed on July 4, 2013, when I stood in the presence of Joey Chestnut. The man they call “Jaws” was, as always, participating in the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island, N.Y, on Independence Day. My father and I had made the trip from Maryland specifically to see the best eater on the planet.

There were rumors flying that morning of a young challenger, Matt Stonie, being ready to dethrone Chestnut. Those rumors were squashed the second the challenge began. Chestnut pounced on his hot dogs like a lion on a gazelle, and when he was finished, a new Major League Eating record of 69 frankfurters (eaten in 10 minutes) lay in his wake. Stonie managed 51. Chestnut held his hands high, water drenching his chin, pieces of bun sticking to his wet flesh like victory badges. It was as disgusting as it was inspiring, and it was quite inspiring.

Chestnut is now 34, and he’ll once again compete in the contest he has dominated on July 4. It’ll already have happened when you read this. Maybe he won. Maybe he stumbled, like he did in 2015, when Stonie upset the Greatest of All Time, beating him 62-60. Or maybe he set another record, like he did just last year, when he ate 73. (Update: He ate 74. Seriously.)

If you’re feeling inspired by Chestnut’s inhuman performances, or by a new challenger who knocks him off his perch, I have some good news. There are food challenges you can do in Sarasota to whet your appetite, and I’ve laid out a few of them below. There aren’t any hot dog competitions, sadly, but these will have to do.

(And yes, this is absolutely sports content. The Coney Island event is broadcast on ESPN, after all.)

Munchies 420 Cafe

The infamous late-night Gulf Gate spot is home to the Fire in Your (mouth) Hole challenge. They give you 10 wings smothered in their hottest sauce. If you can finish them in under 20 minutes, plus wait two minutes after finishing them to receive any liquids, you win a T-shirt. If you fail, like former “Man v. Food” host Adam Richman did, your picture goes on the Wall of Shame. Contestants must sign a waiver before participating and must be 18-55 years of age. The wings cost $20 and aren’t served after 10 p.m.

Is all of this enough of a warning? In a video on the restaurant’s Facebook page, a man attempting the challenge says the sauce “feels like lava.” That terrifies me to my core, but I'm sure it sounds like heaven to some of you. 

Burritos Mexican Grill

A little bit north of our last spot, Burritos Mexican Grill offers two special food offerings for people to try. The first, the Mongo Burrito, is an eight-pound behemoth containing various meats, rice, beans and veggies, topped with salsa, guacamole and sour cream. If you can finish it in one hour, you get it for free, plus either a free meal a month for 12 months or $50 cash. Your picture will also be used in promos. It costs $50 to attempt. If you want to watch YouTube star Nathan Figueroa crush the burrito in 15 minutes before attempting it yourself, be my guest. He makes it look easy, somehow.

The normal Mongo Burrito might not be the scariest thing on the menu. The Atomic Burrito sauce requires a waiver to be eaten, as its infused with a house-made ghost pepper sauce. You can add the Atomic Burrito sauce to any burrito on the menu for $1 extra, including, I suppose, the Mongo Burrito, which I do not recommend anyone tries, but hey, if you’re crazy enough …

Rico’s Pizzeria

Another Gulf Gate spot — what is it with the people down there? They just can’t get enough of wild food challenges, I guess — Rico’s Pizzeria presents The Big Ritchie challenge. Done in pairs, the challenge presents contestants with a 24-inch pizza with at least three toppings (you pick). It comes out to about 12 pounds of food. If the whole thing is eaten in 45 minutes, including the crust, each contestant gets a T-shirt and $150 in cash to split, plus the meal is free. If you fail, it’ll run you about $60.

Yet again, there’s video of people attempting this challenge online, and man, is the one from professional eater Randy Santel and his friend, Michael Jenkins, intimidating. They manage to take the whole pie down in under 20 minutes. Good luck replicating their success.

If you do attempt any of these, or know of any more in the area, please let me know. I’m rooting for all of you. I hope your stomachs find what they are looking for.