Posted by The Sun, NY on June 12, 2008 at 08:25:40:
Local youth has strong showing in national competition
By MATTHEW CHANDLER
For 12-year-old Zack Moore, it was a dream come true.
The Orchard Park youth first head about the “Next Gourmet Burger Kids’ Recipe Contest” while visiting the Red Robin Restaurant that had just opened off Milestrip Road. Children under 12 could create their own recipe for their favorite burger and enter to win a chance at inclusion in the 2007-08 Red Robin Cookbook.
“When I first heard about it, I had missed the chance to sign up” Zack explained. “So when it was coming up again, I told my mom I wanted to enter it.”
While his parents initially were cool to their son’s culinary competition, Zack persisted, and after dining at Red Robin with his grandparents, returned home with an application for the competition.
Thus Zack Moore’s quest to create the best burger began.
With the help of his mom Cindy, who handled the grocery shopping, and his dad Tom, who taste-tested the burgers, Zack turned the family kitchen into a testing ground in his quest for the master burger.
“I love spicy foods, and my dad sells a Thai Peanut Sauce that I put on everything” Zack said. And so it was that he settled on a Thai-themed burger.
“I had a lot of different variations of Thai burgers before I picked this one.”
“This one” is Moore’s final choice for the competition, a burger he calls “Oh My Thai.” It is a hot and spicy half-pound burger packed with jalapeño peppers, Thai sauce, garlic and onions, and topped with beans sprouts and chow mein noodles. After passing the taste-test at home, Zack penned his 100 word essaydescribing why Red Robin should choose his “Oh My Thai” burger to serve in their restaurants across America and submitted it along with his receipe. Then he waited.
“When I first did it I thought I had a pretty good chance (of winning) but then when two months had gone by I figured I hadn’t.”
Four days later, the Moore family received a phone call. Zack’s burger receipe had been chosen and he was a top 10 finalist in the competition that had garnered over 10,000 entries.
“It was cool—I was realy excited” Zack recalled of the day he got the big news.
The 11-year-old was flown out to Denver along with his dad where he presented his creation to a panel of celebrity judges and chefs to determine a grand champion.
“It was really neat, they had the competition at a culinary school and I got to meet a lot of chefs.”
Zack was judged not only on his receipe, but also on presentation and his essay. When the dust settled, the Hamburg youth finished as the first runner-up to the winner of the competition. His “Oh My Thai” burger beat out over 10,000 other burger receipes and narrowly missed the chance to be sold nationwide.
Given his age, one might expect Moore to be dissapointed with his runner-up status, but he took it all in stride.
“I had a great time, it was fun, and I was pretty nervous being up in front of everyone, but I tihnk I did good.”
His dad Scott agreed.
He has been talking about being a chef for a long time and I admire the fact that he folowed through with this.”
Scott Moore called the trip to Denver “an incredible experience” for both himself and his son.
Red Robin was amazing, they bent over backwards to recognize these kids and they made them feel like rock stars.”
He called the competition “a proud moment for me.”
“It was a pretty intimidating atmosphere in front of the judges and he just nailed it—I couldn’t have been more proud.”
His mom Cindy echoed her husband’s thoughts on their son.
We are so proud of him—especially because this was something he did all on his own. He took the initiative and kept on it all the way through.”
For his efforts, Zack received $150 worth of gift card to Red Robin as well as an iPod, an all expense paid trip to Denver, $400 in spending money, and other prizes. He also received high praise from the folks at the local Red Robin in Orchard Park.
Assistant General Manager Don Rudewicz said it was nice to see Moore represent the local area in the competition.
“You never get to see someone from our area so it was great to see how well Zack did.”
Rudewicz noted that the 2008 competition kicks off July 1 and kids interested in their shot at becoming the next Zack Moore can pick up an entry form at Red Robin.
“Kids can get entry forms between July 1 and August 10 and the competition is open to anyone 12 and under.”
As for Moore, will he be among those collecting an entry form and throwing his hat into the ring?
“I’m going to enter again, I had a lot of fun, and I want to try again.”
Anyone interested in purchasing a copy of the Red Robin Kids’ Cookbook, featuring Zack Moore’s receipe, along with 49 other entries, which supports the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, can do so by visiting www.redrobin.com The books are $5 each.