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Peter Chang, Oyster Oyster among local nominees for James Beard Awards

By Jason Fraley

The James Beard Foundation announced its nominees for its national restaurant and chef awards on Wednesday, including a number of nominees from the D.C. region.

Ashok Bajaj of Knightsbridge Restaurant Group is nominated for Outstanding Restaurateur for such local restaurants as Rasika, Bindaas and Annabelle in D.C.

Peter Chang is nominated for Outstanding Chef for Peter Chang in Virginia and Maryland.

Angel Barreto is nominated for Emerging Chef for Anju in D.C.

Oyster Oyster in D.C. is nominated for Best New Restaurant.

Maydan in D.C. is nominated for Outstanding Wine Program.

José Andrés is nominated for Outstanding Bar Program for barmini in D.C.

Angel Barreto (Anju) and Amy Brandwein (Centrolina) are nominated for Best Chef for the Mid-Atlantic region of D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

The winners will be announced June 13 at the Lyric Opera in Chicago.

It will be the first time holding the traditional ceremony since 2019, as the event was scrapped in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic safety concerns and hardship on the restaurant industry.

See the full list of nominees here.

KFC founder Colonel Sanders’ signature bow tie and personal planner sell at auction

By The Associated Press
SHELBYVILLE, Ky. (AP) — KFC founder Colonel Sanders ' signature black bow tie, original cash register and dozens of other personal items sold Tuesday night in a public auction, while his former home and another restaurant he owned were up for auction later in the week. With his distinctive wardrobe and goatee, Harland Sanders built global brand recognition for the chain originally known as Kentucky Fried Chicken. He has remained the widely recognized face of the worldwide chain after his death in 1980. “Colonel Sanders was the original celebrity chef,” said Bill Menish, whose firm, The Menish Group, is conducting the auction. “The feedback has been worldwide, so we needed to have an auction that would cater to that worldwide audience.” The largest sale of the night was $30,000 for Sanders' personal 1964 planner with a handwritten list of herbs and spices that was the subject of an early 2000s lawsuit filed by the KFC Corp. to keep the contents private. KFC later dropped the legal action, saying after reviewing the planner the ingredients didn’t match Sanders’ secret blend of 11 herbs and spices and was likely for a stuffing recipe.
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