WATCH: West Hartford Restaurant Wins Huge Industry Award

WEST HARTFORD, CT — Diners and staff at a critically acclaimed Peruvian restaurant in West Hartford are celebrating this week after earning one of the state's biggest industry awards.

And they weren't alone as far as West Hartford's dining scene was concerned, with a local catering outfit also feted.

The Connecticut Restaurant Association named Coracora, located on 162 Shield St., West Hartford, its 2023 Restaurant of the Year Award winner, part of the CRA's annual awards program on Monday, dubbed the "CRAZIES."

Coracora was one of seven county winners named as part of the awards, also garnering enough support to win the overall title for Connecticut.

Monday's honor for Connecticut comes as the restaurant this year just missed getting a national James Beard Award this year, dubbed the "Oscars" of the restaurant industry.

In addition, Coracora chef Macarena Ludena was a finalist for the "Chef of the Year" CRAZY, but she just missed out.

Coracora, however, wasn't the only West Hartford establishment to have a CRAZY night at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket.

The "Caterer of the Year" award went to Café Louise, which is located at 1156 New Britain Ave.

Meanwhile, the owners of a small restaurant chain that also has an eatery in West Hartford was named the 2023 Restaurateurs of the Year, according to the CRA.

Tony Pham and Rich Reyes of Mecha Noodle Bar earned that honor and they own and operates five different locations around the state (Fairfield, New Haven, Norwalk, Stamford and West Hartford).

The West Hartford Mecha is located at 975 Farmington Ave., West Hartford

In addition to Connecticut's site, Mecha eateries are located in Boston, Mass., and Brookline, Mass., with locations opening soon in Washington D.C. and Columbus, Ohio.

A total of 1,400 people attended the ceremony Monday, a sell-out, and the awards were based on "an expert media panel and over 25,000 online public votes."

Also in attendance was Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, who congratulated all the winners, especially Coracora for winning the highest CRA award of the night.

"This is a great family-owned Peruvian restaurant and I recommend checking it out if you’ve never been," wrote Lamont on "X" (formerly Twitter. "The homemade yucca fries are so good."

CRA officials said the night's events — the fifth such program in the association's history — were a massive success for the restaurant industry, which has experienced post-pandemic difficulties regarding operations and staffing.

“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 and Chief Executive Officer Scott Dolch.

“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.”

The Connecticut Restaurant Association is a full-service, not-for-profit trade association dedicated to supporting every type and size of restaurant.

For more information on Coracora in West Hartford, click on this link.

For more information on Cafe Louise in West Hartford, click on this link.

For more information on the Mecha Noodle Bar chain, click on this link.

For more information on the Connecticut Restaurant Association, click on this link.

From Jan. 25: 'West Hartford Restaurant Named Semifinalist For 'Oscars' Of Eateries'