Philadelphia is easily one of the best cities in America for food and drink.
That statement was supported by 14 restaurants and chefs from the Philly area to be named Wednesday as semifinalists for the prestigious James Beard Foundation culinary awards.
Philadelphia had four winners in 2023, but did not pick up a win in 2024. There are 14 hopefuls to bring the recognition back to the City of Brotherly Love.
The semifinalists this year include:
- Outstanding Restaurant - Kalaya (Fishtown) - Originally on the 2023 list of best new restaurants in America as identified the New York Times and chef Nok Suntaranon won best chef in the mid-Atlantic region in 2023 as well. Now the restaurant is up for a national honor.
- Outstanding Chef - Greg Vernick (Vernick Fish at the Four Seasons Philadelphia) - Vernick was the 2017 James Beard Award winner as best chef in the mid-Atlantic. Now he's up for the national award. He has multiple restaurants, but is being recognized for his oyster bar at the Four Seasons in Center City.
- Outstanding Bakery - Machine Shop (Bok Building, South Philly) - The French bakery has been a hit since it opened in 2022, appearing in Eater's list of best new restaurants in America. Owner Emily Riddell has been recognized by Food & Wine as a best new chef (2022). Now the bakery is up for a national award.
The Machine Shop at the Bok Building
- Outstanding Bar - The Lover's Bar at Friday, Saturday Sunday (Rittenhouse Square) - The restaurant itself was a James Beard winner in 2023, now it's cozy little bar is up for an award in 2025.
- Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker - Abby Dahan (Provenance, Society Hill) - She used to be the pastry chef at Parc in Rittenhouse, and at the Park Hyatt in Chicago. Now, she's doing it a 25-seat row home in Society Hill - and being recognized as one of the best at what she does in the country.
- Best Emerging Chef - Phila Lorn (Mawn, Italian Market) - Lorn opened his BYOB in 2023 in the space where Kalaya was before it shuffled north to Fishtown. Before he and his wife Rachael opened Mawn, Lorn worked at Stephen Starr's Pod in University City and Stock in Fishtown. Now, he's got a shot at winning a national award for his work in his own restaurant.
Phila Lorn, Owner, Chef, at Mawn
- Outstanding Wine and Beverage - Càphê Roasters (Kensington) - Thu Pham owns the first, and only, Vietnamese specialty coffee roaster in Philadelphia. Founded in 2018, it's now being recognized as an anchor in the revitalization of Kensington's neighborhoods.
- Best New Bar - Kampar Kongsi (South Philly) - a new category in the James Beard Awards has a semifinalist from a reimagined restaurant at an old locale. Chef Ange Branca created a successor to Sate Kampar and it gained in popularity in 2024 and is now up for a Beard award.
- Outstanding Hospitality - Little Fish (Queen Village) - This cute BYOB only seats 16 at a time, so attention to their guests is of the utmost importance and it's resulted in making a list of semifinalists in the hospitality category.
Little Fish in Queen Village
- Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (PA, NJ, DE, MD, VA) - Amanda Shulman (Her Place Supper Club, Center City), Yun Fuentes (Bolo, Rittenhouse Square), Antimo DiMeo (Bardea, Wilmington, Del.), Juan Carlos Aparicio (El Chingon, Passyunk Square), Anthony Andiario (Andiario, West Chester), Jesse Ito (Royal Sushi & Izakaya, Queen Village).
(Note: Ito was nominated in this category in 2023 and 2024, Shulman was a 2023 nominee for best emerging chef).
Finalists for the awards will be announced by the James Beard Foundation on April 2 with the winners announced at the Restaurant and Chef Awards in Chicago on June 16.
