Ribbers never discount the younger taste buds

While 24 adults make up the judging corps that determines the top three ribs and sauce at Naperville's Ribfest, only nine sets of younger taste buds decide who wins Kid's Choice at the annual Fourth of July weekend event.

To many ribbers, it's those mouths they're trying to please the most.

"I think kids know the best," said Butch Lupinetti, who runs Butch's Smack Your Lips BBQ. "Besides, who tells mom and dad where they want to eat?"

The Kid's Choice award is maybe a little more prestigious, as well. Only one of the 17 rib vendors vying for the title can win it. There is no second place like the categories judged by adults.

"Sure we think of the kids when we're putting the ribs out for judging," said Mark Link, owner of Westmont-based Uncle Bub's BBQ. "We add a little more sweetness to the judging ribs because I think kids like it a little more that way."

For the third year in a row 14-year-old Ryan Maher was a judge for the Kid's Choice award. He's fairly confident in his picks.

"I love ribs," he said. "I've grown up at this event, so I think I know what a good rib tastes like."

This year was 13-year-old Breann Tjaarda's first time judging any type of food other than what her mom and dad prepare at home in Aurora.

"I'm just hoping there's nothing too spicy, because I don't really like spicy food," she said. "But I liked most of the ribs I've tried before, so it may be hard to pick a winner."

The choice was not hard for 12-year-old judge Matthew Harrington, who remembered the number associated with his favorite and waited for the leftovers to be put out after judging was done.

"It could win," he said. "We were comparing. I liked it because the sauce was really good and the meat was tender."

Each judge gets to sample the meat off 17 different ribs. The ribs are judged on appearance, taste and tenderness.

"It's a little hard because you've got to stop eating them all after a while and just take one bite," Harrington said.

The Kid's Choice award is a relatively new creation in Ribfest's 22-year history. The winner of Kid's Choice often does well among the adult judges also.

"I think it's an important award," Lupinetti said. "I'd like to win it again. I've only won it once, but the trophy's in my house. And it's lonely."

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=304779">Rib vendor antsy while waiting for judging results <span class="date">[7/4/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=304785">Longtime favorites return to Ribfest winner's circle <span class="date">[7/4/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>