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September 27, 2024

CT Restaurant Assoc. names 2024 Restaurateurs of the Year, opens voting for other awards

CoStar Red Rock Tavern in Hartford.
By Andrew Larson

The Connecticut Restaurant Association has announced the honorees and finalists for its annual awards gala, set for Dec. 9 at Foxwoods Resort Casino, including its 2024 Restaurateurs of the Year.

The trade group’s board of directors selected three honorees in two categories. The public can choose from more than 70 finalists in 10 other categories until the end of November. 

The CRA’s board selected Eli Hawli and Sam DeVellis, who lead Newtown-based Market Hospitality Group, as its 2024 Restaurateurs of the Year.

Market Hospitality Group recently purchased the former CVS location in West Hartford Center for $5.25 million and plans to open an upscale restaurant there. 

The business owns 10 restaurants in Connecticut, including five Market Place Kitchen & Bars, two Market Place Taverns, two Mercatos and The Wheel in Stamford. Also, it owns two restaurants in New York and Key Largo Fisheries & Market in Florida.

The other selections made by the CRA’s board are Connecticut Hospitality Hall of Fame inductees Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough in Groton, and Red Rock Tavern in Hartford.

Winners in the other categories will be selected based on votes from the public and input from nominating panel members. The finalists are:

VENDOR OF THE YEAR:
Copps Island Oyster
Falvey Linen Supply
Sardilli Produce & Dairy Co.
Soda Service & Alpine Refrigeration
 
CATERER OF THE YEAR:
AMG Catering & Events | Wilton
Ani’s Table & Marketplace | Rocky Hill
Chef Prasad | New Canaan
Herbaceous Catering Co. | Milford
The Bee’s Knees Catering | Avon

SERVER OF THE YEAR:
Mariana Escalera | Puerto Vallarta, Danbury
Christopher Hodson | Materia Ristorante, Bantam
Paige McGuigan | Camille’s Wood Fired Pizza, Tolland
Jeremy St. Louis | S&P Oyster, Mystic
Webster Templeton | Saltbrick Prime, Branford
 
BARTENDER OF THE YEAR:
Jose Colon | Elm City Social, New Haven
Adrian Hurtado | Taco Guy, Norwalk
Suzie Johnson | Fire by Forge, Hartford
Shane McGowan | Wildcat, Hamden
Olivia Olson | ATC South Street, Litchfield
 
PASTRY CHEF OF THE YEAR:
Nick Goodman | Gioia, New Haven
Melissa Knauer | The Benjamin, Ridgefield
Emily Litke | The Beamhouse, Glastonbury
Michelle Nicholson | The Flour Girl Café, Hebron
Jessica Spivey | Oyster Club, Mystic
 
CHEF OF THE YEAR:
Vincent Chirico | The Luke Brasserie, New Haven
Michelle Greenfield | Allium Eatery, Westport
Gen Hashimoto | Hachiroku, New Haven
Damon Sawyer | 29 Markle Ct., Bridgeport
David Standridge | The Shipwright’s Daughter, Mystic
 
PEOPLE’S CHOICE:
Dog Watch Café | Mystic
Grigg Street Pizza | Greenwich
Pho 501 | East Hartford
Sandra’s Next Generation | New Haven
UCONN Dairy Bar | Storrs
 
RESTAURANT NEWCOMER:
Athithi | Wilton
Café Melba | Milford
Gioia | New Haven
Le Mazet | West Hartford
Rebellion Kitchen & Bar | Danbury
 
LITCHFIELD COUNTY RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR:
Materia Ristorante | Bantam
Momma’s Tacos | New Milford
Ore Hill | Kent
RSVP | West Cornwall
 
FAIRFIELD COUNTY RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR:
Bar Rosina’s | Greenwich
Elm | New Canaan
Esh | Fairfield
The Cottage | Westport
 
HARTFORD COUNTY RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR:
Restaurant Bricco | West Hartford
Tiger Belly Noodle Bar | Granby
Union Kitchen | West Hartford
Zohara Mediterranean Kitchen | West Hartford
 
NEW HAVEN COUNTY RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR:
Bar Bouchee | Madison
BLDG | New Haven
Hachiroku Shokudo & Sake Bar | New Haven
Fair Haven Oyster Co. | New Haven
 
TOLLAND COUNTY RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR:
Fenton River Grill | Mansfield
JRego’s Gathering Place | Ellington
Monet’s Table | Tolland
Stix ‘n’ Stones Marketplace | Mansfield
 
MIDDLESEX COUNTY RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR:
Brushmill by the Waterfall | Chester
Café Routier | Westbrook
Gran Arso | Chester
The Essex | Old Saybrook
 
WINDHAM COUNTY RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR:
A Mano Taco Shop | Willimantic
Elizabeth’s Farmhouse | Putnam
Trigo Wood Fired Pizza | Willimantic
Stone Row Kitchen + Bar | Willimantic
 
NEW LONDON COUNTY RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR:
Fat Tuna | Waterford
The Port of Call | Mystic
The Tin Peddler | North Stonington
Whitecrest Eatery | Stonington

To vote, visit http://www.ctrestaurant.org/vote.

The honorees and finalists were nominated by the public and a group of more than 35 food writers, critics, bloggers, and social media influencers.

To purchase tickets and/or become a sponsor of the CRA’s sixth Annual Awards Gala on Dec. 9, visit http://www.craziesawards.com or contact info@ctrestaurant.org.

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