The Connecticut culinary community came together last night to celebrate hard work, passion and excellence in the field. Winners from each of the eight counties around the state and the eight winners were – Materia Ristorante in Bantam (Litchfield County); Bar Rosina’s in Greenwich (Fairfield County); Restaurant Bricco in West Hartford (Hartford County); Hachiroku Shokudo & Sake Bar in New Haven (New Haven County); Monet’s Table in Tolland (Tolland County); The Essex in Old Saybrook (Middlesex County); Trigo Wood Fired Pizza in Willimantic (Windham County); and The Port of Call in Mystic (New London County). The overall winner who was named 2024 Connecticut Restaurant of the Year went to Bar Rosina’s, who earned the award over the other seven county winners and twenty-four total nominees.
The Connecticut Restaurant Association (CRA) announced today the award winners and nominees for the 2024 CRAzies Awards Gala. Each year, the CRAzies recognizes the exceptional ability and talent of Connecticut’s restaurant community at this prestigious awards gala. Restaurant owners, operators, chefs, vendors and more will come together to celebrate the success of the industry at Foxwoods Resort Casino on Monday, December 9. VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITES HERE.
On Monday, December 9, 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 had more than 1,400 guests and generated more than 25,000 online public votes for award winners.
The Connecticut Restaurant Association (CRA) announced yesterday the award winners and finalists for the 2023 CRAZIES Awards Gala. 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.
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 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.
Nestled in a strip mall in the Broad River section of Norwalk, you could easily miss Antojos Columbian restaurant. You’ve probably driven by, and barely noticed it, or you may remember our write up on this hidden gem back in 2017. Whether you’re new to Antojos, or a loyal customer, you’ll want to pay attention. They are serving up some seriously tasty authentic Columbian fare, and some exciting new menu items have recently dropped. We felt they were ready for their close-up. Enjoy the photo journey, complete with menu names for easy ordering. Get that drool cup ready…
I can admit when I have a problem. Connecticut has several great food trucks, and I social media stalk a bunch of them. The addiction is obviously the food, then there’s this game of being able to track down the truck or trucks in question. Will I be free? Where will the truck be? What time? And for how long will they be there?
One that I played cat and mouse with recently was The Colombian Hot Dog, a mobile trailer that specializes in Colombian fast food. They were put on my radar by a local photographer friend who spent some time shooting The Colombian Hot Dog crew in action one summer night. He suggested I check them out, but it took a while since the truck is only parked in Norwalk one night per week.
You could speed right through the Broad River section of Norwalk and not even know Antojos was there. Being from Norwalk, and still residing here, I pride myself on knowing what’s in the area, but this small Colombian restaurant that opened last December was off my radar until recently. If not for a couple of friends—both of whom are Colombian—who posted mouthwatering photos and their own rave reviews of Antojos, I still might not have noticed Antojos as it sits in the corner of one of New Canaan Avenue’s strip malls, in the space that was formerly Lou’s Pizza.
Antojos is a small spot, with seating for maybe 25 customers. There’s booth seating on one side of each table, with cushy pillows for added back comfort, and chairs on the other side for non-booth loving people. Also, there’s a wooden bin of silverware on each table, so you won’t have to bother asking for an extra fork or spoon should you require a fresh one, or for sharing purposes. Walk in, have a seat, and you’ll promptly be greeted with fast, friendly service.
Just as the crisp Fall air reminds us that winter is around the corner, Brasitas in Norwalk (and the original location in Stamford) transports us to the warm Caribbean or to sunny South America.
Colorful in tropical hues of marine blue, coral and yellow, the decor of Brasitas feels very much like a Caribbean beach front café…as authentic native art from Colombia, hand picked by owner Jaime Guerrero and his wife, Nubia, adorn the walls, and brightly colored embroidered pillows line the banquettes. Two to three times a year the husband and wife travel to their native Colombia in search of new recipes and native art.
The Norwalk location, opened in 2008, is managed by Jaime’s nephew, Fabio Rojas, and has a loyal following among lovers of authentically prepared and beautifully presented Pan-Latin cuisine.
