A few months after three restaurants received Philly's first Michelin stars, the city's dining scene is back in the national spotlight, with 14 nominations on this year's list of James Beard Award semifinalists.
Highly acclaimed Kalaya was named a semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurant on Wednesday, and six chefs from the area – five from the restaurants in the city and one in Cherry Hill – accounted for nearly one-third of the nominees in the Best Chefs: Mid-Atlantic category.
MORE: Greg Vernick branches out of Center City with Italian restaurant in Kensington
Greg Vernick, who is opening a new restaurant in Kensington next week, was again shortlisted for a James Beard Award. This time, he's up for Outstanding Restaurateur for his restaurant group Vernick Philadelphia. The award recognizes leaders in the industry who use their establishments as a "vehicle for building community."
Vernick was a semifinalist for Outstanding Chef last year and won the award for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic in 2017. Vernick Food & Drink in Rittenhouse was also recommended by the Michelin Guide last year.
Kalaya is a semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurant for the second consecutive year. The Southern Thai restaurant specializes in food inspired by the childhood of owner and head chef Chutatip "Nok" Suntaranon, who was James Beard winner for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic award in 2023 and made TIME100's list of the world's most influential people last year.
Lovers Bar, below the dining area of Michelin Star-winning Friday Saturday Sunday, is a semifinalist for Outstanding Bar for the second year in a row. Paul MacDonald, the curator of the spinning surprise "Carousel" cocktail menu, was on Wine Enthusiast's Future 40 Tastemakers list last summer.
The James Beard Foundation also recognized a couple up-and-comers, listing Amá's head chef Frankie Ramirez in the Emerging Chef category and Olde Kensington's Emmett in Best New Restaurant. Both categories are chosen based on their likelihood to "make significant impact in years to come."
Ramirez, a self-taught chef who immigrated to Philadelphia from Mexico City at age 16, opened Amá early last year in the Fishtown-Kensington area with his wife Veronica. Before ever leading a kitchen of his own, Ramirez worked his way up from a dishwasher to a line cook and executive chef at several Stephen Starr restaurants.
Emmett, which also opened early last year, was named to Esquire's best new restaurants list in December.
The list of James Beard Award finalists will be released March 31 and the ceremony to reveal the winners takes place in Chicago on June 15.
Here's the complete list of the James Beard Award semifinalists from Philly:
Outstanding Restaurant
• Kalaya
Outstanding Bar
• Lovers Bar at Friday Saturday Sunday
Best New Restaurant
• Emmett
Best New Bar
•Almanac
Outstanding Restaurateur
• Greg Vernick, Vernick Food & Drink, Vernick Fish, Vernick Coffee Bar and Emilia (opens Monday)
Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service
• Dan Siro-Cipolloni and David Suro-Piñera, Tequilas and La Jefa
Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic
• Ian Gray, Pietramala
• Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi & Izakaya
• Randy Rucker, Little Water
• Amanda Schulman, Her Place Supper Club
• Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate, Honeysuckle
• Russ Cowan, Radin's Delicatessen in Cherry Hill
Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker
• Justine MacNeil, Fiore
Emerging Chef
• Frankie Ramirez, Amá