Vernon Establishment Finalist For Major Connecticut Restaurant & Hospitality Association Award

VERNON, CT — A Vernon restaurant is in line for a major award as the Connecticut Restaurant & Hospitality Association has announced the honorees and finalists for the 2026 CRAZIES Awards, an annual event recognizing restaurants, hotels, chefs, hospitality workers and businesses across the state.

Little Mark's BBQ & Grill is a finalist for the Connecticut Restaurant & Hospitality Association Tolland County Restaurant of the Year.

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The association announced the selections during a kickoff event at The Riverhouse at Goodspeed Station. The 2026 CRAZIES Awards gala is scheduled for Dec. 7 at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

Last year's event drew nearly 1,600 guests and generated more than 25,000 online votes, according to the association.

Four receive top honors

Yuta Kamori of Hachiroku Hospitality Group in New Haven was named Restaurateur of the Year. Kamori and his partners opened Hachiroku Shokudo & Sake Bar in 2022 and have since expanded the group to five New Haven concepts.

Charles Mallory, founder and CEO of Greenwich Hospitality Group, was named the inaugural Hotelier of the Year. The honor is new for the 2026 awards and recognizes his work with the Delamar Hotels collection, including recent openings in Mystic and Westport.

The Vanilla Bean Café in Pomfret was selected for induction into the Connecticut Hospitality Hall of Fame. The restaurant has operated for more than three decades.

State Sen. Bob Duff was named Friend of the Industry for his work with Connecticut's hospitality community.

More than 75 finalists selected

The association announced more than 75 finalists across 18 award categories. Public voting is open through the end of November, with winners determined through a combination of public voting and votes from the CRAZIES nominating panel. The public can now vote by CLICKING HERE through the end of November for each category.

Here are the finalists:

• Restaurateur of the Year
  • Yuta Kamori — Hachiroku Group
• Hotelier of the Year
  • Charles Mallory — Greenwich Hospitality Group
• Hospitality Hall of Fame
  • The Vanilla Bean Café — Pomfret
• Friend of the Industry
  • State Sen. Bob Duff

Finalists

• Caterer of the Year
  • Ani's Table & Marketplace — Rocky Hill
  • A Thyme to Cook — North Stonington
  • Cat's Kitchen — Stratford
  • Herbaceous Catering — Milford
  • ONTHEMARC — Norwalk
• Restaurant Newcomer
  • The Bedford — Foxwoods Resort Casino
  • Dandelion — Westport
  • Little Lotus — New Haven
  • Mozz & Co. — West Hartford
  • tacobarn — Sandy Hook
• Chef of the Year
  • Ryan Carbone — Ore Hill & Swyft
  • Valice Francis — Bar Naan
  • Danielle Hartog — Newbrook Kitchen
  • Roland Olah — ROLi
  • Shilimat Tessema — Lalibela
• Pastry Chef of the Year
  • Arlene Cardenas — Marjolaine Pastry Shop
  • Andrea Corazzini — G Café Bakery
  • Stacy D'Angelo — Arethusa al tavolo
  • Whang Suh — Hen & Heifer
  • Seleste Tan — La Bistro
• Bar & Beverage Team of the Year
  • Conspiracy — Middletown
  • Flinders Lane Kitchen & Bar — Stamford
  • MŌLÌ — Greenwich
  • Sherkaan — New Haven
  • Vaughan's Public House — Hartford
• Service Team of the Year
  • Casadoro Ristorante & Bar — Newington
  • Luigi's Restaurant — Old Saybrook
  • Millwright's Restaurant — Simsbury
  • Union League — New Haven
  • Washington Prime — Norwalk
• Hotel of the Year
  • Hotel Marcel — New Haven
  • Lost Fox Inn — Litchfield
  • Mayflower Inn & Spa — Washington
  • Madison Beach Hotel — Madison
  • The Whaler's Inn — Mystic
• People's Choice
  • Crust Issues — Norwalk
  • Echo Craft Kitchen — Watertown
  • Fresh Salt — Old Saybrook
  • George's Pizza & Restaurant — Unionville
  • Máncora Restobar — Hartford
• Vendor of the Year
  • Bold Wood Interiors — New Haven
  • City Fish Market — Wethersfield
  • Mattress Concierge — Hartford
  • Omaha Beef Company — Danbury
  • Westport Farmers' Market — Westport
• Litchfield County Restaurant of the Year
  • Belden House & Mews — Litchfield
  • Ore Hill — Kent
  • The Pink House — West Cornwall
  • The Restaurant at Winvian — Morris
• Fairfield County Restaurant of the Year
  • 29 Markle Ct — Bridgeport
  • Casa Me — Westport
  • Happy Monkey — Greenwich
  • Rowayton Seafood — Norwalk
• Hartford County Restaurant of the Year
  • The Foundry — Hartford
  • The Laurel — West Hartford
  • Gveenah — West Hartford
  • Max a Mia — Avon
• New Haven County Restaurant of the Year
  • Bufalina — Guilford
  • The Luke Brasserie & Bar — New Haven
  • Vyne Restaurant & Bar — Middlebury
  • ROLi — New Haven
• Tolland County Restaurant of the Year
  • Bidwell Tavern — Coventry
  • The Flour Girl Cafe — Hebron
  • Lakeview Restaurant & Bar — Coventry
  • Little Mark's BBQ & Grill — Vernon
• Middlesex County Restaurant of the Year
  • The Essex — Old Saybrook
  • Liv's Oyster Bar — Old Saybrook
  • Marker 37 — Chester
  • The Village Bistro — Chester
• Windham County Restaurant of the Year
  • Black Dog Bar & Grille — Putnam
  • The Hare & The Hound — Putnam
  • The Main Moose — Columbia
  • The Mansion at Bald Hill — Woodstock
• New London County Restaurant of the Year
  • Barbary Coast — Mystic
  • Haring's — Noank
  • The Farm Italy — Mohegan Sun
  • Whitecrest Eatery — Stonington

The CRAZIES awards gala is scheduled for Dec. 7 at Foxwoods Resort Casino.