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Coracora restaurant in West Hartford celebrates James Beard Award nomination

Family run and owned Peruvian restaurant CORACORA in West Hartford, Connecticut was named as a finalist for the James Beard Foundation awards for the best CT restaurant. Council General of Consulado General del Peru en Hartford, Elvis Saúl Tuesta Cuadros awarded CEO/Owner Grecia Ludena and her sister/ Head Chef Macarena Ludena as ambassadors of Peru, to commemorate the occasion.
Ayannah Brown
/
Connecticut Public
Family run and owned Peruvian restaurant CORACORA in West Hartford, Connecticut was named as a finalist for the James Beard Foundation awards for the best CT restaurant. Council General of Consulado General del Peru en Hartford, Elvis Saúl Tuesta Cuadros awarded CEO/Owner Grecia Ludena and her sister/ Head Chef Macarena Ludena as ambassadors of Peru, to commemorate the occasion.

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Coracora, a Peruvian family-owned restaurant in West Hartford, could receive one of the country's most prestigious culinary honors as a nominee for “outstanding restaurant” in the James Beard Awards.

Chef Macarena Ludena Jimenez is originally from Ayacucho, Peru. From an early age, she showed interest in traditional Peruvian cuisine. It began when her mother taught her how to cook and developed further in culinary school.

Mother of CEO/Owner Grecia Ludena and Head Chef Macarena Ludena smile as they are commemorated for becoming a national finalist in the James Beard Awards. Family run and owned Peruvian restaurant CORACORA in West Hartford, Connecticut was named as a finalist for the James Beard Foundation awards in the "Outstanding Restaurant" category. Governor Ned Lamont, West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor, and other government officials came to the restaurant celebrate and commemorate the occasion.
Ayannah Brown
/
Connecticut Public
Mother of CEO/Owner Grecia Ludena and Head Chef Macarena Ludena smile as they are commemorated for becoming a national finalist in the James Beard Awards. Family run and owned Peruvian restaurant CORACORA in West Hartford, Connecticut was named as a finalist for the James Beard Foundation awards for the best CT restaurant. Governor Ned Lamont, West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor, and other government officials came to the restaurant celebrate and commemorate the nomination.

"I went to get all the skills I need,” Macarena Ludena said. “My mom never went to school. She learned everything by herself. She thought everything in the school was something I needed to experiment with and get new techniques.

Her family migrated to Connecticut over a decade ago. Her parents, Hector and Luisa Ludena, opened the restaurant in a converted McDonald's, transforming that space into a charming showcase for Peruvian cuisine. They named it Coracora in honor of the town they are from in Peru.

"We are from a small town in Ayacucho," Macarena Ludena said. "Coming here was a little bit sad because we left everything in Peru. All the friendships. But being here with my family and seeing their hard work helped us grow more."

Grecia Ludena, restaurant CEO and Macarena's sister, says it's an honor to bring Peruvian culture in Connecticut to a national level.

"Peruvian food is recognized as one of the best cuisines in the world," she said. "We serve traditional Peruvian food. There's so much to explore, and we want to show that. And that's what we are doing here in Connecticut."

Peruvians are proud of their food, which consists of autochthonous ingredients, and the diverse influence brought to them through migration from different parts of the world.

A handful of officials gathered Tuesday afternoon to celebrate the restaurant's nomination. Gov. Ned Lamont gave a congratulatory proclamation, followed by the Peruvian general consul Elvis Tuesta, who handed out an award from the Peruvian government.

"This is a sign that the Peruvian community is hardworking. In Connecticut, there are more than 30,000 Peruvians," Tuesta said. "They are workers. Some are entrepreneurs. We make a tremendous impact here by bringing the best of our Peru."

The Connecticut General Assembly and the town of West Hartford also recognized the restaurant.

Peruvian cuisine was the “World's Leading Culinary Destination” in nine of the last 10 years, according to the World Travel Awards. The James Beard awards will take place in Chicago on June 5.

The family run and owned Peruvian restaurant Coracora in West Hartford was named as a finalist for the James Beard Foundation Awards in the "Outstanding Restaurant" category.
Ayannah Brown
/
Connecticut Public
The family run and owned Peruvian restaurant Coracora in West Hartford was named as a finalist for the James Beard Foundation Awards in the "Outstanding Restaurant" category.

Maricarmen Cajahuaringa is a journalist with extensive experience in Latino communities' politics, social issues, and culture. She founded Boceto Media, a digital Spanish-language newspaper based in Connecticut. Maricarmen holds a Bachelor's in Social Work from Springfield College, and a Master's in Journalism and Media Production from Sacred Heart University. As a reporter for Connecticut Public, she is dedicated to delivering accurate and informative coverage of the Hispanic/Latino population in the region. Maricarmen is an experienced and passionate journalist who strives to bring a voice to the stories of her community.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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