The Groggy Frog's Reign Continues as 'Best Wings in Southington' Winner

There’s something about the Wing Fest that just keeps on bringing Jon Lutz back.

The Southington resident isn’t alone either. Hundreds of residents from throughout the area came to the Cadillac Ranch on Wednesday evening to taste the fares of nearly a dozen restaurants and choose their favorite wings during the Southington Chamber of Commerce annual Wing Fest.

“This is great, I love it,” Lutz said. “There are so many different types of wings here and each one is delicious, although some of them should definitely come with a warning.”

Lutz was referring to Giovanni’s buffalo wings, a wing so hot that it literally forced him to break for the bathroom to wash his face and them left him searching for a glass of milk.

Let Patch save you time. Get great local stories like this delivered right to your inbox or smartphone every day with our free newsletter. Simple, fast sign-up here.

That’s the kind of fun you expect to have at the Wing Fest, hosted by the Chamber Women, but the event which has become a popular annual draw has also developed into a critical Christmas fundraiser for Southington Community Services.

“The ladies do a great job with this,” said Art Secondo, president of the Southington Chamber of Commerce. “You look around and there are so many people and so many returning restaurants; it’s an event that really gives some of our small businesses exposure and benefits the entire community.”

Karen Bobik, a member of the Chamber Women group, said while the event began as a way to showcase fares in the community, it quickly grew and the Chamber Women saw an opportunity to do more with it. So in lieu of the full price of admission, the group decided to offer a discount to those who brought a toy that could be used to help a local family in need.

Last year, the chamber was able to use the fundraiser as a way of sponsoring nearly 50 families at Christmastime – and they had a lofty goal to earn more in 2012.

“We’ve gotten such a good response to it. When you look now, it seems like every other person who comes in has a gift or toy to donate,” said Chamber Women member Erika Copes.

The following winners were also announced on Wednesday:

Most Original
First Place: Spice Bar and Grill
Second Place: JD’s Restaurant
Third Place: TD Homers

Southington’s Hottest Wings
First Place: Giovanni’s Pizza
Second Place: Friends Cafe
Third Place: The Groggy Frog

Best Overall Wings
First Place: The Groggy Frog
Second Place: Hawk’s Landing
Third Place: Wicked Stick

Make sure to like Southington Patch on Facebook or follow on Twitter for breaking news, daily updates and more!