VOTE NOW!! CRAzies Awards 2024 Nominees Announced

The Connecticut Restaurant Association (CRA) announced today the award winners and nominees for the 2024 CRAzies Awards Gala. Each year, the CRAzies recognizes the exceptional ability and talent of Connecticut’s restaurant community at this prestigious awards gala. Restaurant owners, operators, chefs, vendors and more will come together to celebrate the success of the industry at Foxwoods Resort Casino on Monday, December 9. VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITES HERE.

On Monday, December 9, 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. Last year’s CRAZIES gala had more than 1,400 guests and generated more than 25,000 online public votes for award winners.

“Connecticut’s restaurant and hospitality industry are a key driver of our state economy, and the CRAZIES awards are designed to tell the stories of the many individuals who make Connecticut one of the most diverse and impressive culinary landscapes in the world,” said Connecticut Restaurant Association President & CEO Scott Dolch. “Congratulations to our 2024 award honorees and finalists, plus a special thank you to the efforts of our nominating panel who provided incredible insight throughout the process.”

The CRAZIES selection process began in July with an online public nomination process and state-wide industry insider panel. Subsequently, nearly 35 food writers, critics, bloggers, and social media influencers held multiple meeting to finalize the list of honorees and finalists for 2024. 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.

The 2024 Restaurateurs of the Year, who will be honored at the CRAZIES in December, were announced as Eli Hawli & Sam DeVellis of Market Hospitality Group. Together their group owns and operates 10 restaurant locations in CT, which includes five Market Place Kitchen & Bars, two Market Place Taverns, two Mercatos and The Wheel in Stamford. In addition, they have two restaurants in New York and Key Largo Fisheries & Market in Florida.

Two Connecticut Hospitality Hall of Fame inductees were also revealed for 2024: Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough (Noank) and Red Rock Tavern (Hartford).

In addition to these honorees, the association announced more than 70 finalists. The public can now vote by CLICKING HERE through the end of November for each category: Chef of the Year, Pastry Chef of the Year, Bartender of the Year, Server of the Year, Caterer of the Year, Vendor 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 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.