What Are The Top CT Restaurants Of 2023? Here Are The Award Winners

CONNECTICUT —The Connecticut Restaurant Association (CRA) hosted a sold-out crowd of 1,400 guests Monday at Foxwoods Resort Casino to celebrate the state's restaurant and hospitality business, and hand out awards honoring industry stand-outs.

The 2023 CRAZIES were determined by an expert media panel and over 25,000 online public votes, and were awarded to 21 hospitality establishments and workers across the state.

Coracora in West Hartford won the top accolade, 2023 Connecticut Restaurant of the Year, scoring above the other seven county winners and twenty-four total nominees.

Here are the 2023 county-by-county restaurant winners:

Fairfield: Taproot, Norwalk
Hartford: Coracora, West Hartford
Litchfield: Materia Ristorante, Bantam
Middlesex County: The Essex, Old Saybrook
New Haven: Strega, Milford
New London: The Port of Call, Mystic
Tolland: Camille’s Wood Fired Pizza, Tolland
Windham: Stone Row Kitchen + Bar, Willimantic

In the category Chef of the Year, David DiStasi from Materia Ristorante in Bantam won top honors. Finalists included: Macarena Ludena, Coracora (West Hartford); David Standridge, The Shipwright’s Daughter (Mystic); Jeff Taibe, Taproot (Norwalk); and Colt Taylor, The Essex (Old Saybrook).

Other 2023 CRAZIES winners were:

Restaurant Newcomer of the Year: 29 Markle Ct, Bridgeport
Caterer of the Year: Café Louise (West Hartford).
The Server of the Year: Meghan Zampedri, Fair Haven Oyster Co., New Haven
Bartender of the Year: Sam Reyes, Mariposa Taqueria, Danbury
Pastry Chef of the Year: Franck Iglesias from Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket
People’s Choice: J. Timothy’s Taverne, Plainville.
Vendor of the Year: Seacoast Mushrooms (Mystic).

In addition to the voted award winners, the Connecticut Restaurant Association recognized Tony Pham and Rich Reyes as the 2023 Restaurateurs of the Year. The businessmen own and operate five different Mecha Noodle Bar locations, in Fairfield, New Haven, Norwalk, Stamford and West Hartford.

Pellicci’s Ristorante in Stamford and Shady Glen Restaurant & Ice Cream Parlor in Manchester were both inducted into the Connecticut Hospitality Hall of Fame at the gala.

House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora was presented with the Friend of the Industry Award for "his dedication and partnership to the Connecticut’s restaurant and hospitality industry."

In addition to the awards, Wilbur Cross High School was recognized for its restaurant management team winning a National Championship at the National ProStart Invitational this past May.

"The 5th Anniversary of the CRAZIES Awards Gala was a huge success for our association, for our industry, and for the tens of thousands of Connecticut residents we employ,” said Connecticut Restaurant Association President & CEO Scott Dolch in a news release. “The energy and enthusiasm of 1,400 industry professionals coming together demonstrated that Connecticut’s restaurant and hospitality industry continues to be a powerful economic engine, accounting for nearly 10 percent of all jobs in our state. The CRAZIES once again showcased the exceptional talents our industry has to offer, and we look forward to building on this success each and every year as we encourage everyone in hospitality to take part in this annual celebration.”