Another year, another dominating performance from Philly chefs and restaurants at the James Beard Awards. (Did you expect anything less?)
The city represented in a huge way at the 2023 showcase of the nation’s top chefs and restaurants, winning three major awards.
In the Philly-heavy Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic category (yeah, we’re just that good), Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon of Kalaya took home the crown, beating out a stellar field that also included Jesse Ito of Royal Sushi & Izakaya in Queen Village and Dionicio Jiménez of Kensington’s Cantina La Martina.
It’s been one heck of a year for chef Nok and Kalaya. The lauded Thai kitchen moved into a beautiful new space in Fishtown in 2022, quadrupling its previous footprint in the Italian Market.
In another major win, High Street Hospitality’s Ellen Yin (of Philly classics like Fork, a.kitchen + bar and High Street) won the national award for Outstanding Restaurateur (for which she was also nominated in 2018, 2019 and 2022).
Friday Saturday Sunday
— Photo courtesy Friday Saturday Sunday
And in perhaps the biggest win of the night Friday Saturday Sunday — Fitler Square’s much-raved-about fixed-menu spot — nabbed the award for Outstanding Restaurant in its first-ever nomination. How’s that for a debut?
Join us in sending huge congratulations to these Philly chefs and restaurants for showing the world what we already know: Philly can’t be beat for great eats.
Hungry for more? Check out our guide to Philadelphia’s James Beard Foundation-honored restaurants and Philly’s Best According to The New York Times, Travel + Leisure & More for even more critically acclaimed restaurants in Philadelphia and the Countryside.
