3 West Hartford Restaurants Nominated For Major Honors

WEST HARTFORD, CT — A trio of West Hartford restaurants was nominated for awards as part of the Connecticut Restaurant Association's 2025 CRAZIES Awards.

The CRA's seventh annual awards gala will be Dec. 8 at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket (Ledyard).

Earlier this month, the CRA hosted a kickoff party to announce the honorees and finalists.

The CRAZIES Awards are an annual event that "recognizes the exceptional ability and talent of Connecticut’s hospitality community," wrote the CRA.

Nominated from West Hartford are:

• Max’s Oyster Bar, 964 Farmington Ave., West Hartford, for "Service Team of the Year."

• The Laurel, 1046 New Britain Ave., West Hartford, for "Restaurant Newcomer." Laurel chef Ashley Flagg is also up for "Chef of the Year."

• Le Mazet, 975 Farmington Ave., West Hartford, for "Hartford County Restaurant of the Year."

“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,” said Connecticut Restaurant Association President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Dolch.

“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 public can now vote by CLICKING HERE through the end of November for each category. 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 at www.craziesawards.com. For additional information, contact the CRA at info@ctrestaurant.org.