Restaurant In Middletown In Running For Major Award From Major Trade Group

MIDDLETOWN, CT — A restaurant in Middletown is in the running for a major honor from a major trade group.

The Connecticut Restaurant Association this week announced the honorees and finalists for the 2025 CRAZIES Awards, an annual event that recognizes the "exceptional ability and talent of Connecticut’s hospitality community." On Dec. 8, hospitality owners, operators, chefs, industry staff 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 hosted 1,500 guests and generated more than 25,000 online public votes.

This year OSA, located at 500 Main St., is competing for Middlesex County Restaurant of the Year. Osa features local food, with a fresh take on "New American" fare.

"Connecticut’s hospitality industry continues to be one of the strongest economic engines in our state, and the CRAZIES Awards celebrate the people and stories that make our culinary scene among the most vibrant and diverse anywhere," Connecticut Restaurant Association President and CEO Scott Dolch said. "Congratulations to our 2025 honorees and finalists, and a special thank you to our nominating panel for their dedication and insight in this year’s process."

The CRAZIES selection process began in July with an online public nomination process and a group of state-wide industry insiders. Subsequently, nearly 35 food writers, critics, bloggers, and social media influencers held multiple meetings to finalize the list of honorees and finalists for 2025.

The 2025 Restaurateur of the Year, who will be honored at the CRAZIES in December, was announced as Esaul Rodriguez of Puerto Vallarta Restaurant Group. With eight locations across the state, Esaul has one of the largest full service Mexican restaurant concepts in Connecticut. He and his team are dedicated to elevating the public’s mindset of Mexican cuisine, especially with his special Vida dinner series at his Stamford location. In addition, Esaul continues to help pay it forward by hosting advocacy and leadership events with Latino owner/operators from around the state.

Two Connecticut Hospitality Hall of Fame inductees were also announced for 2025 — Spartan Restaurant & Bar in Waterbury) and the Willimantic Brewing Company in Willimantic.

The final honoree announcement was for the 2025 Friend of the Industry and Anthony Anthony, Chief Marketing Officer for the state of Connecticut, was selected for his passion and commitment towards statewide tourism and hospitality.

In addition to the honorees, the association announced more than 70 finalists . The public can now vote by CLICKING HERE through the end of November for each category: Chef of the Year, Pastry Chef of the Year, Bar & Beverage Team of the Year, Service Team of the Year, Caterer of the Year, Vendor 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.

Foodies can log onto www.craziesawards.com to learn more about the finalists, vote for their favorites, purchase tickets and/or become a sponsor. For additional information, please contact us at info@ctrestaurant.org.