Little Mark's is a finalist for the Connecticut Restaurant & Hospitality Association Tolland County Restaurant of the Year. (Chris Dehnel/Patch)
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.
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.