Phoenix 12-year-old wins sauce boss title in restaurant competition
Mar 18, 2017, 9:00 AM
(Studio Laurent Photo)
PHOENIX — A 12-year-old boy from Phoenix earned the sauce boss title in the Half Moon Windy City Sports Grill’s fourth annual competition this week.
The winner, Jacob Wernick, beat a group of adults and was announced Friday. He also won the people’s choice award.
According to a press release, Wernick received a cash prize of $350 for winning both titles on Monday and a pound of free wings at the restaurant for a year. His Guns a Blazin’ Spicy Mango wing sauce recipe will be highlighted on a future menu.
“I knew that I had a shot at the People’s Choice award with all the people I had there to support me, but I was really surprised when I won first place,” Wernick said in a press release.
The competition, which took place at the restaurant near Highland Avenue and 21st Street, featured six finalists from a group of 30.
A panel of local celebrity judges, including EaterAZ founder Dave Tyda, and Phoenixbites blogger Taryn Jeffries, sampled and voted on the finalist’s submissions.
The judges’ combined scores determined the winner. Criteria was based on the sauces’ overall flavor, originality and appropriate heat.
The runner-up was Paradise Valley’s Mark Motta, a two-time sauce boss champ, for his Seoul Man wing sauce.