Litchfield community home to Connecticut’s top restaurant

Arethusa al tavolo won the inaugural CRAzies award as the state’s best restaurant for 2018, bestowed by the Connecticut Restaurant Association. Arethusa al tavolo won the inaugural CRAzies award as the state’s best restaurant for 2018, bestowed by the Connecticut Restaurant Association. Photo: / Photo: / Image 1 of / 102 Caption Close Litchfield community home to Connecticut’s top restaurant 1 / 102 Back to Gallery

Arethusa al tavolo won the inaugural CRAzy award as the state’s best restaurant, bestowed by the Connecticut Restaurant Association.

Located in Bantam and owned by Arethusa Farm proprietors George Malkemus and Anthony Yurgaitis, Arethusa al tavolo focuses on “farm-to-table” cuisine emphasizing fresh ingredients. For the statewide accolade, Arethusa al tavolo beat out three other regional winners in Bread & Water in Middletown, Present Company in Simsbury and Oyster Club in Mystic.

It is the 24th installment of the annual awards, which the Connecticut Restaurant Association renamed the CRAzies this year.

Chef Chris Sheehan of Max Downtown in Hartford won chef of the year over Brian Lewis of The Cottage in Westport, Luke Venner of Elm in New Canaan and Matt Storch of Match in Norwalk, with Storch having been named a winner earlier this year in an episode of the Food Network show “Chopped.”

The Ridgefield-based Chef’s Warehouse was named vendor of the year, with The Griswold Inn in Essex and The Place Restaurant in Guilford inducted into a Connecticut Hospitality Hall of Fame.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman