Governor Lamont Announces Contest To Win Ultimate Celebrity Foodie Experience With Chef Scott Conant at Upcoming Launch of the New Connecticut TV-To-Table Trail

Grand Prize Winner Will Join Chef Scott Conant as Guest Judge in Live Cooking Challenge Featuring Connecticut Chefs Seen on National Television

(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Ned Lamont today announced that food lovers have a chance to win an exclusive invitation to the upcoming launch of the new Connecticut TV-to-Table Trail, including the opportunity for one grand prize winner to join celebrity chef Scott Conant as a guest judge in a live cooking competition featuring some of the state's most recognizable culinary talent.

The Connecticut Office of Statewide Marketing and Tourism will officially unveil the new trail during an immersive culinary event on October 5, 2026, that will celebrate Connecticut chefs, restaurants, and food destinations that have been featured on national food shows.

"Connecticut has become known for finding creative new ways to showcase what makes our state worth experiencing, and food is a huge part of that story," Governor Lamont said. "Some of the most talented chefs in the country are cooking right here in Connecticut, and many of them have captured national attention on television. This new trail and tourism experience will give people another reason to seek them out, visit their restaurants, and discover just how extraordinary Connecticut's food scene has become."

The upcoming event will be emceed by Conant, a James Beard Award-winning chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and longtime television personality who has been at the forefront of Italian and American dining for nearly four decades. A recurring judge on Food Network's Chopped, Conant is a Connecticut native, born and raised in Waterbury. His new Martone Street line of pasta sauces is also rooted in his Connecticut heritage, named for the Waterbury street, where his grandparents grew up.

"Connecticut is my first home and will always be my forever home, so being part of a trail that celebrates the chefs and restaurants putting this state on the national culinary map is especially meaningful," Conant said. "There is incredible talent here, and I'm excited for people to experience it firsthand-and to have a little fun with some of these chefs in the kitchen."

Guests at the event will have the opportunity to taste dishes from Connecticut chefs and restaurants featured on shows, including Chopped; Guy's Grocery Games; Cupcake Wars; Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives; Best Bite in Town; and others, while watching top chefs compete in a live cooking challenge judged by Conant.

One grand prize winner will earn a seat alongside Conant at the judges' table to help select the winning dish. The winning chef will receive $2,000 to donate to a food-related charity of their choice.

The soon-to-be-launched Connecticut TV-to-Table Trail will become the latest in a series of experiential tourism initiatives developed by the Connecticut Office of Statewide Marketing and Tourism to turn cultural moments into reasons to visit the state. Other recent initiatives, including the Connecticut Pizza Trail and Connecticut Christmas Movie Trail, have generated significant national media attention and helped introduce Connecticut destinations, businesses, and attractions to new audiences.

"Food has become one of the most powerful ways travelers experience a destination, and Connecticut has an incredible story to tell," Ellen Woolf Rubrich, Connecticut's state brand director, said. "What makes this trail so much fun is that people may already know these chefs from television, but now they can experience the real thing-sit at their tables, taste their food, and explore the Connecticut communities where they're creating it. It takes something people recognize on screen and turns it into a reason to get in the car and experience Connecticut for themselves."

How to enter the Connecticut TV-to-Table Trail launch contest

Anyone interested in entering the contest should:

• Visit CTvisit.com
• Complete the short Connecticut foodie trivia quiz
• Submit an entry by 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Winners will be selected at random and notified on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, using the contact information provided on the contest entry form.

Additional details about the Connecticut TV-to-Table Trail, including the participating chefs and restaurants, will be announced during the October 5, 2026, launch event.

The new launch comes as Connecticut tourism continues to show strong growth. In 2025, the state welcomed 72.2 million visitors, an increase of 3.1% over the previous year and more than twice the national growth rate. Tourism generated $20.1 billion in total economic impact, including $12.3 billion in direct visitor spending, while supporting more than 125,000 jobs across the state.

For more information about tourism in Connecticut, visit CTvisit.com.