NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – Mark your calendar. Prepare your palette.
Friday, May 13 is World Hummus Day.
That may make it the luckiest Friday the 13th ever.
WGNO News with a Twist features guy Wild Bill Wood found the New Orleans chef who makes his mark when it comes to making hummus.
He’s Alon Shaya. His New Orleans restaurant is called Shaya.
Alon needs an extra menu just to list all the awards he’s racking up.
He just won the James Beard Foundation award for Best New Restaurant in America.
That’s like the Oscar for restaurants.
Shaya opened in February 2015. The doors were barely open when Alon won Best Chef in the South.
Esquire magazine named Shaya the best new restaurant. Again, that’s in America.
And Bon Appetit magazine says Shaya is one of the 50 nominees for best restaurant.
And, one more time, that’s in the entire country.
Alon Shaya was born in Israel. He emigrated to Philadelphia, then he made his way to New Orleans.
He rose through the ranks at John Besh restaurants, and that’s how he became known as one of the best chefs in one of the top food towns on earth.
On International Hummus Day, the invitation is to eat more hummus. And that’s everyday when Alon Shaya is in the kitchen.