CRAZIES Awards Announces 2023 Nominees for CT's Best Chef, Restaurants, Bartender +

29 Markle Photo Credit: Brian A. Pounds/Hearst Connecticut Media

The Connecticut Restaurant Association (CRA) announced yesterday the award winners and finalists for the 2023 CRAZIES Awards Gala. On Monday, December 4, hospitality owners, operators, chefs, servers, and vendors from across the state will come together at Foxwoods Resort Casino to celebrate the success of their industry and honor winners across more than 20 award categories.

 The public can now vote by CLICKING HERE through the end of November for each category: Chef of the Year, Baker of the Year, Bartender of the Year, Server of the Year, Caterer of the Year, People’s Choice, Restaurant Newcomer, County Restaurants of the Year and Overall Restaurant of the Year. Winners will be selected from not only the public vote, but also from our nominating panel members.  

The CRAZIES selection process began in August with an online public nomination process and state-wide chef panel. Subsequently, nearly 40 food writers, critics, bloggers, and social media influencers held multiple meeting to finalize the list of honorees and nominees for 2023. The nominees for Restaurateur of the Year and CT Hospitality Hall of Fame were brought to the CRA Board of Directors, where the overall award winners were selected in each of these two categories.

The full list of honorees and nominations can be found below. Log onto www.craziesawards.com today to learn more about the finalists, vote for your favorites, purchase tickets and/or become a sponsor. For additional information, please contact us at info@ctrestaurant.org.

2023 HONOREES & FINALISTS

HONOREES

RESTAURATEURS OF THE YEAR

• Tony Pham & Rich Reyes – Mecha Noodle Bar

HOSPITALITY HALL OF FAME

• Pellicci’s Ristorante | Stamford

• Shady Glen Restaurant & Ice Cream Parlor | Manchester

FINALISTS

CHEF OF THE YEAR

• David DiStasi – Materia Ristorante | Bantam

• Macarena Ludena – Coracora | West Hartford

• David Standridge – The Shipwright’s Daughter | Mystic

• Jeff Taibe – Taproot | Norwalk

• Colt Taylor – The Essex | Old Saybrook

PEOPLE’S CHOICE

• Elm Street Diner | Stamford

• Garden Catering | Multiple Locations

• J. Timothy’s Taverne | Plainville

• Rein’s Deli | Vernon

• Willimantic Brew Pub | Willimantic

RESTAURANT NEWCOMER

• 29 Markle Ct | Bridgeport

• Esh | Fairfield

• Fire by Forge | Hartford

• Hachiroku Shokudo & Sake Bar | New Haven

• Trigo Wood Fired Pizza | Willimantic

LITCHFIELD COUNTY RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

• Arethusa al tavolo | Bantam

• At the Corner | Litchfield

• Materia Ristorante | Bantam

FAIRFIELD COUNTY RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

• Good Old Days | Newtown

• L’Ostal | Darien

• Taproot | Norwalk

HARTFORD COUNTY RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

• The Charles | Wethersfield

• Coracora | West Hartford

• Union Kitchen | West Hartford

NEW HAVEN COUNTY RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

• Hindsight BBQ | Waterbury

• Strega | Milford

• Tavern on State | New Haven

TOLLAND COUNTY RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

• Camille’s Wood Fired Pizza | Tolland

• Sichuan Pepper | Vernon

• Trattoria de Lepri | Ellington

MIDDLESEX COUNTY RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

• The Essex | Old Saybrook

• Grano Arso | Chester

• Osa | Middletown

WINDHAM COUNTY RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

• 85 Main | Putnam

• Elizabeth’s Farmhouse | Putnam

• Stone Row Kitchen & Bar | Willimantic

NEW LONDON COUNTY RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR

• La Belle Aurore | Niantic

• Port of Call | Mystic

• Via Emilia | Mystic

CATERER OF THE YEAR

• Café Louise | West Hartford

• CT Cocktail Car | New Haven

• The Eatery | Wallingford

• ONTHEMARC | Norwalk

• The Tasty Yolk | Stratford

SERVER OF THE YEAR

• Erin Harrington – Engine Room | Mystic

• Melanie Pabon – The Cottage | Westport

• Erind Qazimi – Mill on the River | South Windsor

• Nina Smith – Vinted | West Hartford

• Meghan Zampedri – Fair Haven Oyster | New Haven

BARTENDER OF THE YEAR

• Shannon Ciralli – Market Place Kitchen & Bar | Avon

• Frank Dean – 1928 Cocktail Club | Branford

• Ryan Pelletier – West Street Grill | Litchfield

• Sam Reyes – Mariposa | Danbury

• Victoria Tenzyk – The Mariner | Mystic

PASTRY CHEF OF THE YEAR

• Franck Iglesias – Foxwoods Resort Casino | Mashantucket

• Melissa Knauer – The Benjamin | Ridgefield

• Jessica Spivey – Oyster Club | Mystic

• Whang Suh – Hen & Heifer | Guilford

• Kim Hoang Wood – le Banh Patisserie | Simsbury

VENDOR OF THE YEAR

• Box 8 Creative | New Haven

• Earth’s Palate Farm | Warren

• Litchfield Distillery | Litchfield

• Seacoast Mushrooms | Mystic