Connecticut Restaurant Association President & CEO Scott Dolch chats with Renee DiNino about this years CRAzies!
Photo: Renee
HONOREES & FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 2023 ‘CRAZIES’ AWARDS
Connecticut Restaurant Association Will Host 5th Annual Awards Gala on December 4 at Foxwoods Resort Casino
BRANFORD, CONN. - The Connecticut Restaurant Association (CRA) announced yesterday the award winners and finalists for the 2023 CRAZIES Awards Gala presented by Sysco, LLC, which recognize the exceptional ability and talent of Connecticut’s hospitality community each year. On Monday, December 4, hospitality owners, operators, chefs, servers, and vendors from across the state will come together at Foxwoods Resort Casino to celebrate the success of their industry and honor winners across more than 20 award categories. Last year’s CRAZIES gala brought more than 1,200 guests together and generated more than 20,000 online public votes for award winners.
“Connecticut’s restaurant and hospitality industry are a key driver of our state economy, and the CRAZIES awards are designed to tell the stories of the many incredible individuals who make Connecticut one of the most diverse and impressive culinary landscapes in the world,” said Connecticut Restaurant Association President & CEO Scott Dolch. “This year’s gala is positioned to be our best yet, and we can’t wait to bring everyone together on December 4. Congratulations to our 2023 award honorees and finalists, plus a special thank you to the efforts of our nominating panel who provided incredible insight throughout the process. We look forward to celebrating the growth of this spectacular event as we honor five years since the launch of the CRAZIES.”
The CRAZIES selection process began in August with an online public nomination process and state-wide chef panel. Subsequently, nearly 40 food writers, critics, bloggers, and social media influencers held multiple meeting to finalize the list of honorees and nominees for 2023. The nominees for Restaurateur of the Year and CT Hospitality Hall of Fame were brought to the CRA Board of Directors, where the overall award winners were selected in each of these two categories.
New for 2023, the CRAZIES is expanding the category of Restaurant of the Year by adding finalists from each of the eight counties in the state. The top restaurant from each of county will receive a CRAZY for best restaurant and then one restaurant from the eight county winners will be selected as the overall Connecticut Restaurant of the Year.
The public can now vote by CLICKING HERE through the end of November for each category: Chef of the Year, Baker of the Year, Bartender of the Year, Server of the Year, Caterer of the Year, People’s Choice, Restaurant Newcomer, County Restaurants of the Year and Overall Restaurant of the Year. Winners will be selected from not only the public vote, but also from our nominating panel members.
The full list of honorees and nominations can be found below. Log onto www.craziesawards.com today to learn more about the finalists, vote for your favorites, purchase tickets and/or become a sponsor. For additional information, please contact us at info@ctrestaurant.org.