Inspiration
Connecticut’s Celebrity Chefs
Connecticut's stellar dining scene is home to a vibrant lineup of chefs, who've made their marks both locally and nationally. Whether they're collecting James Beard nomination or competing on "Chopped" and "Top Chef" (or both!), these well-known and well-loved chefs are creating culinary magic in every corner of Connecticut. Here are just a few suggestions for a truly star-powered dining experience.
Internationally-famous chefs also frequently expand their restaurant empires with locations here. Don't miss celebrity-backed restaurants like Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen, Todd English's Tuscany, Momosan by Morimoto and Happy Monkey by Jean-Georges.
Chefs on TV
If these chefs look particularly familiar, it's because you may have seen them on your TV screens (in addition to in their kitchens.) These Connecticut chefs have raised the state's national culinary profile on network food shows.
Adam Greenberg
Adam Greenberg, chef-owner at Sparrow in West Hartford, is one of the contestants on the upcoming spring 2026 “Tournament of Champions VII,” hosted by Guy Fieri on Food Network. A four-time “Chopped” champion, he’s also competed on other Food Network series like “Beat Bobby Flay,” “Guy’s Grocery Games,” and “Alex vs. America.”
Tyler Anderson
Tyler Anderson, the chef-owner of Millwright's in Simsbury, is no stranger to TV cameras. He appeared on “Chopped” and “Beat Bobby Flay” before he was cast on season 15 of Bravo’s “Top Chef” in 2017. More recently, he finished as runner-up on Food Network’s “BBQ Brawl” competition show in 2025.
Adam Young
Adam Young, the pastry chef/owner of Sift Bake Shop in Mystic, Niantic, and Uncasville, first appeared on Food Network’s “Spring Baking Championship” in 2017. A year later, he was crowned “Best Baker in America” on the network’s series of the same name. He has since served as a judge on other shows like “Holiday Gingerbread Showdown” and “Chopped Sweets.”
David Standridge
David Standridge, winner of the Best Chef: Northeast award from the James Beard Foundation in 2024, is the chef at Mystic's The Shipwright's Daughter and opened Mystic Fish Camp with his wife, Kathleen, in 2025. He recently appeared on Fox’s “Hell’s Kitchen” alongside host Gordon Ramsay to help judge season 24’s semifinal round. Seasons 23 and 24 of Ramsay’s intense competition show were filmed on site at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket.
Emily Mingrone
Emily Mingrone is the chef-owner of Tavern on State and Fair Haven Oyster Co. in New Haven. She has appeared on “Chopped,” “Guy’s Grocery Games,” and Food Network’s “Best Bite in Town,” which spotlighted great dishes across New Haven (including a lobster tartine at Fair Haven Oyster.)
2026 James Beard Foundation Honors
The James Beard Awards recognize excellence in the culinary arts, food and beverage, and hospitality industries. You'll find some of the country's best talent right here in Connecticut, with several recent winners, nominees, and semifinalists representing nearly every corner of the state.
Connecticut is well-represented on the list of semifinalists for the 2026 Restaurant and Chef Awards, with six honorees:
- David Standridge of The Shipwright's Daughter in Mystic is a semifinalist in the national Outstanding Chef category. Standridge also won the Best Chef: Northeast award in 2024.
- ROLi in New Haven is a semifinalist in the national Best New Restaurant category. The modern European restaurant opened in the summer of 2025.
- Port of Call in Mystic is a semifinalist in the national Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program category. The restaurant and bar was also a 2025 semifinalist in this category.
- David DiStasi of Materia in Bantam, Bolivar Hilario of Community Table in New Preston, and Shilimat Tessema of Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant in New Haven are semifinalists in the Best Chef: Northeast category, representing chefs in the six New England states.
Past James Beard Honors in Connecticut
Connecticut has an impressive history of James Beard nominees and semifinalists. Here's a sampling of current chefs and restaurants who've been recognized over the past two decades.
Brian Lewis, The Cottage in Greenwich and Westport and OKO in Westport - Best Chef: Northeast nominee, 2025; Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist, 2018 and 2022
Michelle Greenfield, Allium Eatery, Westport - Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist, 2025
Renee Touponce, Oyster Club and Port of Call, Mystic - Outstanding Chef nominee, 2024; Best Chef: Northeast nominee, 2023
Coracora, West Hartford - Outstanding Restaurant nominee; 2022 and 2024 Outstanding Restaurant semifinalist; 2022 Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist (executive chef Macarena Ludena )
Tyler Anderson, Millwright's, Simsbury - Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
Whang Suh, Hen & Heifer, Guilford - Outstanding Pastry Chef semifinalist in 2019
Bill Taibe, The Whelk and Kawa Ni in Westport - Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015
Jeffrey Lizotte, Present Company, Simsbury - Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist in 2017
Dan Magill, Arethusa al tavolo, Bantam - Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist in 2016
Shady Glen, Manchester - 2012 America's Classics Restaurant
Community Table, New Preston - Best New Restaurant semifinalist in 2011
Billy Grant, Bricco, West Hartford - Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist in 2008
Jacques Pépin, Madison resident - Lifetime Achievement Award, 2005
Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana - America's Classics Restaurant, 1999
International Celebrity Chefs With CT Restaurants
With Connecticut's proximity to New York and two world-class casinos in the state's eastern corner, household-name chefs frequently expand their restaurant empires with locations here. Sample everything from casual burgers to Peking duck, all with a little celebrity magic.
Gordon Ramsay, Hell's Kitchen, Foxwoods: Ramsay established his presence in Connecticut in 2023 with the opening of Hell's Kitchen at Foxwoods, serving his signature dishes like beef Wellington and sticky toffee pudding. The next year, he filmed two seasons of his intense competition show of the same name in a specially-built studio at the Mashantucket resort casino, with special guests on the series including UConn women's basketball stars Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd (along with coach Geno Auriemma.)
Todd English, Todd English's Tuscany, Mohegan Sun: English's Mohegan Sun staple, which reopened in early 2026 after renovations, features dishes like housemade pastas; duck confit ragu meatballs, and wood-grilled lamb chops.
Masaharu Morimoto, Momosan by Morimoto at Foxwoods: Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto's first Foxwoods restaurant is a hybrid concept, blending casual ramen and izakaya-style dining with his most expansive sushi program to date. Momosan opened in the summer of 2025.
Guy Fieri, Guy Fieri's American Kitchen & Bar, Foxwoods: The Food Network star's restaurant serves flavors as bold as his bleached spiky hair, like the layered "trash can" nachos, a burger topped with mac and cheese and smoked bacon, and a seven-layer dark chocolate whiskey cake.
Martha Stewart, The Bedford, Foxwoods: The celebrity homemaking and lifestyle expert, who famously built her empire at a former farmhouse in Westport, is opening a restaurant at Foxwoods in March 2026. The menu will feature some of her most cherished recipes, like Big Martha's pierogi (inspired by her mother), Kurobuta pork chops, and a classic Niçoise salad.
Bobby Flay, Bobby's Burgers, Mohegan Sun: Flay's Bobby's Burger Palace burger concept is also getting a refresh at Mohegan Sun, reopening in late March 2026 with a revitalized look and feel, according to the casino.
Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Happy Monkey by Jean-Georges, Greenwich: The "fun-loving Latin restaurant" by the world-renowned French-born chef features tacos and tostadas, larger dishes like braised short rib and whole Maine steamed lobster with butter-fried garlic and dried chili, and cocktails with bright, tropical flavors.
More Award-Winning Restaurants
Looking for the best restaurants in Connecticut? Since there are so many great spots to choose from, we turned to the Connecticut Restaurant Association for the 2025 winners of its annual CRAZIES Awards.
The annual event recognizes the exceptional ability and talent of Connecticut’s hospitality community. The CRAZIES selection process begins each year with an online public nomination process, and a group of statewide industry insiders plus food writers, critics, bloggers, and social media influencers who help shape the list of honorees and finalists.
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