Cooper wins Beard Foundation chef award

5/8/2007

BY KATHIE SMITH
BLADE FOOD EDITOR

R.J. Cooper

Winners were announced for the 2007 James Beard Foundation Awards at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall on Monday evening. This included the Best Chefs in America presented by American Express Co. in 10 regions.

For the Mid-Atlantic region, a tie was awarded between R.J. Cooper of Vidalia in Washington D.C. and Frank Ruta of Palena in Washingotn D.C.

Mr. Cooper was among the four celebrity chefs at the Taste of the Nation Toledo on April 29.

The winner of the Great Lakes region was Grant Achatz of Alinea in Chicago.

Besides the chef/restaurant awards, book awards and special honorees were named.

Read more in later editions of The Blade and toledoblade.com.

See a multimedia presentation on Taste of the Nation Toledo 2007

View the photo gallery.

View excerpts of RJ Cooper's appearance at Labib and Karyn Hajjar's home:

Cooper explains what he is preparing for the Taste of the Nation Toledo.

RJ Cooper of Vidalia in Washington D.C.

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