Processing Your Payment

Please do not leave this page until complete. This can take a few moments.

September 28, 2022

CT Restaurant Assoc. names ‘Restaurateurs of the Year,’ other award finalists 

HBJ Photo | Joe Cooper Wood-n-Tap Bar & Grill co-owners Mike Hamlin (left) and Phil Barnett have developed their own online ordering service.
By Greg Bordonaro

The operators of the Hartford Restaurant Group -- owners of the 10 Wood-N-Tap eateries in Connecticut and Que Whiskey Kitchen in Southington -- have been named the 2022 Restaurateurs of the Year by the Connecticut Restaurant Association. 
 
Phil Barnett and Mike Hamlin will be among numerous restaurants operators honored as part of the association’s annual “CRAzies” awards. The CRA this week announced some its top award winners and nominations for other key categories. 
 
A full list of this year’s winners will be revealed at the association’s awards ceremony at Foxwoods Resort Casino on Dec. 5.  

The "CRAzies" selection process began in August with an online public nomination process and statewide chef panel. Subsequently, more than 35 food writers, critics, bloggers and social media influencers sat down to finalize the list of honorees and finalists for 2022. 
 
New this year, the CRA will honor Jacques Pépin with the CRAzies first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award. 

The Connecticut Hospitality Hall of Fame inductees for 2022 will be Blackie’s Hot Dogs (Cheshire) and Sally’s Apizza (New Haven). The 2022 Friend of the Industry Award will go to Speaker of the House Matt Ritter and the Vendor of the Year finalists are Copps Island Oysters (Norwalk), Gulf Shrimp Company (Plantsville), Seacoast Mushrooms (Mystic) and VerTerra Dinnerware (Norwalk).
 
Other finalist categories include: 

  • Chef of the Year. The five finalists for 2022 include David DiStasi from Materia Ristorante (Bantam), Jared Falco from Rosina’s (Greenwich), Jared Sippel from L’Ostal (Darien), David Standridge from Shipwright’s Daughter (Mystic) and Renee Touponce from Oyster Club (Mystic).
  • The Baker of the Year finalists are Kevin Masse from Small State Provisions (West Hartford), Pierluigi Mazzella from Fatto a Mano (Monroe), Selene Tepatzi from Atticus Bakery (New Haven), David Vacca from Nana’s Bakery & Pizza (Mystic) and Rob VanKeuren from Flour Water Salt Bread (Darien).
  • The Bartender of the Year finalists are Sebastian Guerrero from The Port of Call (Mystic), Raasikh Muhammad Joseph from Anchor Spa (New Haven), Juan Meyer from Rosina’s (Greenwich), Jamie Oakes from Millwright’s (Simsbury) and Dimitrios Zahariadis from Viron Rondo Osteria (Cheshire).
  • The Server of the Year finalists are Lamott Britto from Grano Arso (Chester), Melissa Cannon from Restaurant Bricco (West Hartford), Christopher Hodson from Materia Ristorante (Bantam), Jess Saunders from Dockside Brewery (Milford) and Stefano Middei from Winvian Farms (Morris).
  • The Caterer of the Year finalists are Delicacy Catering (West Hartford), DORO Catering & Events (West Hartford), Gourmet Galley Catering (Stonington), Knot Norms Catering (Norwalk) and Shaken & Stirred Catered Events (New Haven).
  • The 2022 People’s Choice Award, where the public selects their favorite dining establishment in Connecticut across any genre of food or style of dining. Finalists from this category are Dockside Brewery (Milford), Flanders Fish Market (East Lyme), HooDoo Brown BBQ (Ridgefield), Mecha Noodle Bar (Five CT Locations) and Sayulita (Glastonbury).
  • The Restaurant Newcomer award highlights the best new restaurants in Connecticut. The 2022 finalists are Chef Jiang (Farmington), Good Old Days Pizza (Newtown), L’Ostal (Darien), Materia Ristorante (Bantam) and Rosina’s (Greenwich).

 
The final category is Restaurant of the Year, where the CRA recognizes four different regional winners, as well as an overall winner from the sixteen nominees.

  • Finalists from the North Region (Hartford & Tolland Counties) are Arugula (West Hartford), Cora Cora (West Hartford), Max Downtown (Hartford) and The Charles (Wethersfield).
  • The South Region (Middlesex & New Haven Counties) finalists are The Essex (Old Saybrook), Strega (Milford), Tavern on State (New Haven) and Union League Café (New Haven).
  • The East Region (New London & Windham Counties) finalists are Oyster Club (Mystic), Shipwright’s Daughter (Mystic), Stone Row Kitchen & Bar (Willimantic) and TAO Asian Bistro & Lounge (Uncasville).
  • The West Region (Fairfield & Litchfield Counties) finalists are Elm (New Canaan), Kawa Ni (Westport), Swyft (Kent) and Tony’s at the J House (Greenwich).

 
 

Sign up for Enews

Most Recent

Most Recent

0 Comments

Order a PDF