Our series Red Sauce Classics was nominated for a Webby Award. And there’s still time to vote.
Food & Drink Editor Peter Candia’s cooking series where he recreates dishes you’d find at Italian-American restaurants—colloquially known as red sauce joints—was nominated in the Social Content: Food & Drink category.
You can vote here.
Red Sauce Classics
Candia’s original series kicked off late in 2025. Episode 1 showcased an all-time favorite: the chicken parm. Since then, he’s recreated everything from eggplant rollatini and chicken scarpariello to shrimp scampi and cavatelli with broccoli.
To find dishes, Candia taps into his youth, eating at red sauce joints across North Jersey. He also researches some of the most famed restaurants in both New Jersey and New York, while scouring the internet and old books for menus and recipes from now-closed spots.
“I try to showcase techniques used across multiple restaurants, since most places do things a bit different from one another,” he said. “I figure most people, especially in New Jersey, are familiar with these dishes. So, I want to show a unique way to approach them.”
Right now, the series is on pause as he prepares for season two—he’s hoping to return with a Webby in hand.
The Webby Awards
The Webby Awards are one of the most prestigious honors in digital media, presented annually by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.
Now in their 29th year, the Webbys recognize excellence across websites, apps, video, social content, podcasts, and more.
A nomination alone is significant in its own right—past honorees include some of the biggest names in media, entertainment, and technology.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.