Sap Sua, the tight Vietnamese-inspired spot on East Colfax, says its climb toward national James Beard glory has been abruptly put on ice. Owners Ni and Anna Nguyen, who opened the restaurant to strong acclaim, say the James Beard Foundation canceled their scheduled Taste America appearance and cut off a campus-dining partnership after a complaint triggered a third-party review. The fallout has turned the restaurant into a case study in how online speech, local power circles and national awards collide.
According to The Colorado Sun, the James Beard Foundation hired the Alcott Group to look into a complaint about Ni Nguyen’s social media posts and met with the couple on Sept. 12, 2025. The Nguyens say the investigators did not issue a formal ethics finding, but…..