Mashantucket Pastry Chef Nominated For Prestigious Award

MASHANTUCKET, CT — The Connecticut Restaurant Association has announced the honorees and finalists for its 2023 CRAZIES Awards, which recognize "the exceptional ability and talent of Connecticut’s hospitality community each year."

Franck Iglesias of Foxwoods Resort Casino was named a finalist in the Pastry Chef of the Year category.

Hospitality owners, operators, chefs, servers, and vendors from across the state will come together Dec. 4 at Foxwoods Resort Casino to celebrate the success of their industry and honor winners across more than 20 award categories, according to a statement from the association. 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,” Connecticut Restaurant Association President & CEO Scott Dolch said in a statement.

The CRAZIES selection process began in August with an online public nomination process and statewide chef panel. Nearly 40 food writers, critics, bloggers, and social media influencers held multiple meetings 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 association's 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 the association's nominating panel members.