Best of Connecticut 2009: People
CHEF: DESSERT
Tim LaBant, The Schoolhouse at Cannondale
Wilton, (203) 834-9816 (schoolhouseatcannondale.com)
Caterers have a saying: Serve whatever you want but serve dessert-and make it fabulous. Chef LaBant, a caterer before he opened The Schoolhouse at Cannondale, creates desserts that are the life of the party. Finger food. Miniaturization. The element of surprise. Three treats on one plate-lemon tart, lemonade and a scoop of lemon ice in a tiny ice cream cone. Who knew going to school could be this much fun?
AMATEUR FEMALE ATHLETE
Rachele Fico
It is hard to contemplate the career stats this Oxford resident put together playing softball at Masuk High School in Monroe. Over the course of her four-year career, Fico had a win-loss record of 105-3. Of those 105 victories, 95 were shutouts, 47 were no-hitters and 26 were perfect games, a national record. In addition, she amassed 1,884 strikeouts in 775 innings and two state titles. This fall, Fico begins a new career at the next level, entering Lousiana State University. Look for her on ESPN!
AMATEUR MALE ATHLETE
Donald Brown
Q: When is the last time a UConn running back led the nation in rushing? A: Never. Until last season, that is, when Donald Brown ran for 2,187 yards while leading UConn to an 8-5 record. After the final game, a win against Buffalo in which he ran for a personal-best 261 yards, Brown declared for the NFL and was later drafted No. 27 overall by the Indianapolis Colts. Given that he was cruelly overlooked for national collegiate awards, he no doubt feels he still has a lot to prove.
CHEF: CUTTING-EDGE
Arturo Franco-Camacho
Bespoke and Sabor New Haven, (203) 562-4644 and (203) 562-7666 (bespokenewhaven.com)
Chef Arturo Franco-Camacho was a rising star even before he opened his own restaurants, Roomba and then Sabor and Bespoke in New Haven. With his creativity set free, he became a blazing comet, delighting and dazzling the populace with innovation after innovation. Always a little over the top. Always out front. What does it take to stay cutting-edge sharp? Franco says the essential ingredient is loving what you do, so that your work is your play.
CHEF: NEW
Manuel Romero, Ibiza
New Haven, (203) 865-1933 (ibizanewhaven.com)
Spanish-born Romero's swift ascent from culinary assistant to executive chef is a modern legend. His first apprenticeship, to famed Spanish chef Luis Bolla at Meigas restaurant in Manhattan, was interrupted when the World Trade Center tragedy forced that restaurant to close. Inspired by chef Bolla, Romero went to Spain to hone his skills, then returned to become sous chef at Ibiza in New Haven. A year later he was executive chef, not only presiding over this high temple of modern Spanish cuisine but extending its reach and imbuing it with youthful vitality.
CHEF: LOCAVORE
Kara Brooks, Still River Cafe
Eastford, (860) 974-9988 (stillrivercafe.com)
Chef Brooks knew what she wanted to do well before "locavore" became a buzzword. Now she's picking home-grown salad greens a few yards from her kitchen, foraging for mushrooms and cooking the bounty of the earth so beautifully that the world is beating a path to the out-of-the-way door of Still River Cafe in Eastford.
COACH
Geno Auriemma
He was the "Best of Connecticut" winner last year in this category and his team went right out and win another national championship, UConn's sixth. Under the coach's flawless direction, the team was a hustling, fan-friendly pleasure to watch, and it didn't lose a thing until Barack Obama dropped in some lefty threes on them during an impromptu game of "horse" on his White House home court. Great kids, excellent students, smart players, winners-this is the Auriemma way.
COLLEGE SPORTS TEAM: MEN
Trinity College Squash
This is getting ridiculous. The Trinity men have now won 202 matches in a row, by far the longest streak in NCAA collegiate sports. They've also won the last 11 national championships, knocking off such formerly perennial powers as Harvard and Princeton. How does Coach Paul Assaiante manage to keep the Bantams fresh and competitive every year? For one thing, he casts a very wide recruiting net. Last year's squad featured athletes from India, Jamaica, Pakistan, Sweden, Colombia and Malaysia. Oh, and of course a couple from Brunswick School in Greenwich.
COLLEGE SPORTS TEAM: WOMEN
UConn Women's Basketball Team
The competition from earlier versions of the team is tough, but was this the most impressive sweep yet by the UConn women? After an undefeated regular season, the team-led by Maya Moore, Renée Montgomery and Tina Charles-breezed through the NCAA tournament, winning their six games by the astounding margins of 37, 28, 24, 19, 19 and 22 points, the last a 76-54 thrashing of Louisville in the championship game.
COMEDIAN
Lisa Lampanelli
After being named best comedian last year, the "Lovable Queen of Mean" is back for an encore! Lampanelli's star continues to rise-in the past the year she hosted Comedy Central's roast of Larry the Cable Guy and starred in her first HBO comedy special. Lampanelli is also still regularly killing them out on tour, and this month sees the release of her first book, Chocolate, Please: My Adventures in Food, Fat, and Freaks. Not bad for a "nice girl" from Trumbull.
DANCE TROUPE
Pilobolus Dance Theatre
Washington Depot, (860) 868-0538 (pilobolus.com)
Radically innovative, physically astounding and truly world-renowned, this athletic company of 25 dancers is known for original pieces like "Day Two" (which enacts the second day of the Creation to a soundtrack by Brian Eno and David Byrne) and "Solo from the Empty Suitor" (a comedic homage to Samuel Beckett and Buster Keaton). This year Pilobolus got a Sports Emmy Award nomination for a promo on the NFL Network, in which the troupe turned itself into silhouettes of a Dallas Cowboys star, a Stetson hat, a Mac truck and, well, a flock of Baltimore Ravens.
FEMALE ACTOR
Laura Linney
Since winning our accolade here last year, Linney has been honored by seemingly everyone. She picked up Golden Globe and SAG awards for her work in HBO's miniseries "John Adams," an honorary D.F.A. from her alma mater Juilliard and the Ken Burns Lifetime Achievement Award. We can't do better than Burns in expressing why she's worthy: "There is a special place in heaven for people like Laura Linney, who have given us so many memorable roles invested with artistry, grace and great insight." We can only hope that the buzz about her portraying legendary Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham-for an HBO film scripted by Joan Didion and directed by Robert Benton-is true.
FEMALE RECORDING ARTIST
Cyndi Lauper
Lauper emerged on the pop scene 25 years (and roughly 25 million album sales), ago claiming to be "so unusual," and thankfully, nothing has changed. Lately, she's garnered acclaim for her role in the indie Iranian flick Here and There, which was the top honoree at this year's Tribeca Film Festival, her 2008 CD Bring Ya to the Brink, the summer "Girls Night Out" tour with Rosie O'Donnell, and her ongoing advocacy for the GLBT community through the True Colors Fund. Whatever's next, it's dead certain to be special.
MALE ACTOR
Denis Leary
This ranting stand-up/actor is a winner in our book even though he has never won any of the five Emmy nominations he's received for a variety of roles, including irresistible New York City firefigher Tommy Gavin on his provocative FX TV hit series "Rescue Me." His rage and wit are unleashed in his latest book, Why We Suck-A Feel Good Guide To Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy And Stupid (Viking Adult, November 2008). To feel good he comes to the rescue of philanthrophic causes like The Leary Firefighters Foundation and New Milford Hospital with his wife, author Ann Leary.
MALE RECORDING ARTIST
Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson
Whatever he touches seems to turn to gold (or platinum) but rapper Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson's story is not your typical bad-boy-goes-good tale. Heck, the fact that he survived his rough childhood is miraculous enough, but going from crack-dealing felon to hugely successful hip-hop artist with a 50,000-square-foot mansion (in Farmington) is downright cosmic. Jackson wrote in his memoir, "After I got shot nine times at close range and didn't die, I started to think that I must have a purpose in life." His clique may have changed but he still hangs with the big boys-he recently had a major role in Righteous Kill with Robert De Niro and Al Pacino (filmed in Bridgeport) and stars with Forest Whitaker in the upcoming remake of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
PRO FEMALE ATHLETE
Lindsay Whalen
Drafted by the Connecticut Sun in 2004 as the No. 4 overall pick, Whalen, 27, has been a steady presence at guard ever since. Although the verdict on 2009 is still out as of this writing, in 2008 she enjoyed her best season ever, leading the WNBA in assists, making the first all-WNBA team and finishing second in the MVP voting. She's helped take the Sun to the WNBA final twice, but the championship has proven to be elusive.
PRO MALE ATHLETE
Ryan Gomes
When he played at Waterbury's Wilby High, Gomes excelled but stayed below the publicity radar (UConn never gave him a look). The same happened at Providence College, where he quietly led the Friars and became an All-America selection. Now, to the surprise of chronic skeptics, he's become an accomplished pro, averaging 13 points per game with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He's also remained an exemplary Waterburian, showing up often for local charity events and mentoring opportunities.
SPORTS TEAM: PROFESSIONAL
Connecticut Sun
Uncasville (connecticutsun.com).
Under the guidance of head coach Mike Thibault (who was named WNBA Coach of the Year in 2008), the Connecticut Sun has made the WNBA playoffs for the past six years in a row. Led by former UConn star Asjha Jones at forward and 2008 MVP runner-up Lindsay Whalen at point guard, the Sun continues to play winning basketball before more than 6,500 excited fans per night at the Mohegan Sun Arena.
THEATER TROUPE
National Theatre of the Deaf
West Hartford, (860) 236-4193 (ntd.org)
With more than 130 tours, a Tony Award and a White House visit under its belt, this tireless troupe will open its fall season with a U.S. State Department-sponsored appearance at the Deaflympics in Taiwan. October heralds the premiere of a "silent" documentary, Universal Signs-featuring NTD alumni-at Hartford's Cinestudio. Meanwhile, the Little Theatre of the Deaf (the children's wing of NTD) will tour a new show, Stories in My Pocket, which draws on the full repertoire of stories the company has developed over 40 years. Seems like a great way to celebrate what NTD excels at-showcasing the full beauty and artistry of American Sign Language.
