Here are the award winners of the 2023 Mac & Cheese Festival

DESTIN, Fla. – Jackacuda’s Seafood & Sushi was the winner of the celebrated People’s Choice Award at the 2023 Mac & Cheese Festival, which raised $63,000 for the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast, the organization has announced.

Boathouse Oyster Bar earned the Judge’s Choice Award, and Sauce Boss Burger Co. won the Kid’s Choice Award, according to Boys and Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast (BGCEC).

“Our fifth Mac-N-Cheese Festival was a huge success and thoroughly outperformed our own expectations,” said Shervin Rassa, Chief Executive Officer, Boys & Girls Club of the Emerald Coast.

“We are extremely thankful to all that attended, all of our cooking participants, Destin Commons, and all of our sponsors for making this year’s event amazing.”

The 5th Annual Mac & Cheese Festival on March 5 at Destin Commons welcomed roughly 1,600 attendees throughout the day, organizers said.

The family-friendly event featured gourmet, chef-inspired twists on the South’s favorite comfort food. Local restaurants brought their A-game to compete for the best mac and cheese in town. Visitors were able to sample each vendor and cast their votes.

There were three categories in total, Judge’s Choice Award, People’s Choice Award, and Kid’s Choice Award.

The event was made possible by generous sponsors such as Cox, Publix Charities, Step One Automotive Group, Coastal Kitchen, Starpoint Screening, Old Bay Steamer, Emerald Coast Insurance Agency, Dairyland, SimpleHR, and WKRG.

Proceeds from the event benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast, a local non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and enhance the development of boys and girls by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging, and influence through its programs focused on academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles.