Celebrity Chef José Andrés, whom the president once sued for $10million over a scuttled restaurant deal, has suggested he was thrown out of a party because Ivanka Trump was is attendance.
Shortly after midnight on Saturday night, Andrés posted a forlorn photo of himself standing outside of Cafe Milano in Washington DC.
The ritzy Italian restaurant in Georgetown was playing host to an after-party for the Alfalfa Club’s annual dinner and Andrés says Milano owner Franco Nuschese ensured he was not allowed in.
‘Thank you @CafeMilanoDC Franco Nuschese! I was a guest of the #alfalfaclubdinner2018 ‘everyone’ welcome to the after party, but I’m the only individual not allow in? Is because @IvankaTrump told you so? You should be ashamed of yourself Franco,’ Andréss wrote.
Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner were spotted by Politico at the Alfalfa Club dinner at the Capitol Hilton, an annual event for the elite social club. But the rest of Andrés’ claims could not be independently confirmed.
A White House official told Politico on background that his story was ‘absolutely not true’.
Mexican diplomat Jorge Guajardo, who previously served as ambassador to China, chimed in on Twitter to back up Andrés, though it was unclear if he was present.
José Andrés posted a forlorn photo of himself standing outside of Cafe Milano shorty after midnight on Saturday. He suggested he was not allowed in because Ivanka Trump was is attendance (pictured right with husband Saturday)
The exterior of Cafe Milano in Georgetown is seen in a file photo. The ritzy DC eatery was hosting an after-party for the Alfalfa Club’s annual dinner on Saturday night
‘In a new low for Washington, yesterday @chefjoseandres was asked to leave the Alfalfa dinner after-party at @CafeMilanoDC by its owner, Franco Nuschesse, apparently because his presence made Ivanka Trump uncomfortable,’ Guajardo wrote.
Guajardo claimed that Ivanka Trump walked into the restaurant ahead of Andres and was ‘not comfortable with his presence’.
‘He’s approached and asked to come outside where Franco, who he knows perfectly well for many years, wants to talk to him. Once outside, he’s not allowed back in,’ Guajardo wrote.
‘At the Alfalfa dinner, Franco came up to Jose Andres and gave him a friendly kiss. A little later he would be asked to do the Trump’s dirty work and, like Judas, betray an old friend,’ he continued.
A representative for Nuschese did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment from DailyMail.com. An employee at Cafe Milano declined to comment on the incident when reached by phone Saturday morning.
Ivanka Trump and and Jared Kushner are seen leaving their home in DC on Saturday night on their way to dinner. The alleged incident occurred later in the evening, around midnight
Andrés (seen in 2008) owns restaurants in Washington DC, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Florida and Puerto Rico
The alleged incident comes less than a year after President Donald Trump settled his $10million lawsuit against Andres for an undisclosed amount in April.
The lawsuit dates to 2015 when Andrés backed out of a plan to open a restaurant in the Trump International Hotel in Washington DC, citing then-candidate Donald Trump’s statements ‘disparaging immigrants.’
Trump made the remark in June 2015 that some Mexican immigrants bring drugs and crime to the US, and some are rapists.
Andres, who has several restaurants in the city, is an immigrant from Spain who was naturalized as a US citizen in 2013.
The Trump Organization, while Donald was still in charge, then sued in July of 2015 for breach of contract, seeking $10million.
Andres counter-sued for $8million, and his firm argued that comments made by the now-President made it difficult to hire Hispanic staff or attract Hispanic patrons.