Here’s Where Philly’s 10 James Beard Semifinalists Like to Eat

Philadelphia’s 2024 James Beard Semifinalists

Surprising no one, Philly dominates this year’s list of James Beard Award semifinalists. It’s a testament to the depth of talent in Philly’s food scene.

But in a city brimming with amazing food, deciding where to eat can be a challenge — so I asked Philly’s James Beard semifinalists where they go when they’re off the clock. From an old-school steakhouse to a no-frills souvlaki spot, here’s where they dine and drink.

Juan Carlos Aparicio, El Chingon: Semifinalist for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic

Chef Juan Carlos Aparicio of El Chingon / Photograph by Chloe Pantazi

Royal Sushi & Izakaya, Queen Village
Whenever he wants sushi, Juan Carlos Aparicio goes to Jesse Ito’s Royal Sushi & Izakaya to eat a bit of everything. The menu has plenty of sushi rolls (the Bloc Party with king salmon, avocado, cucumber, and pickled jalapeño is particularly popular), sashimi and chirashi, and snacks from tuna guac to chashu (pillow-soft buns with slow-braised pork belly). “Everything is super fresh,” Aparicio says. 780 South 2nd Street

Mawn, Bella Vista
A frequent customer at husband-and-wife Phila Lorn and Rachel Lorn’s Cambodian noodle house, Aparicio recommends the whole fish, which comes pan-seared with a ginger-scallion hot oil and fish-sauce vinaigrette. Other popular dishes include the crab fried rice and khao soi (a Thai curry with chicken, chili jam, onion, pickled greens, and ramen). 764 South 9th Street

Good Dog Bar, Center City
When Aparicio worked at Parc, he’d often end up at Good Dog after his shift. “I always tell people that I kinda grew up there,” he says, adding that it’s still one of his favorite places. “They do amazing wings,” he says, and “a nice burger.” 224 South 15th Street

Friday Saturday Sunday, Rittenhouse
Chad and Hanna Williams’s Rittenhouse favorite won the 2023 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant. Aparicio can see why. “It’s a great experience,” he says, talking about the restaurant’s eight-course tasting menu which features its popular sweetbreads, grilled quail, and New York strip. 261 South 21st Street

Dane DeMarco, Gass & Main: Semifinalist for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic

Chef Dane DeMarco of Gass & Main / Photograph courtesy of Gass & Main

Ocean Harbor, Chinatown
Dane DeMarco says Chinatown “needs to be preserved, especially now with the Sixers trying to build their stadium there,” adding that “Chinatown restaurants can use support more than ever.” Ocean Harbor has held hundreds of people for town hall meetings about the proposed arena before, and it’s just as packed on weekends for brunch. It’s known for its dim sum, but DeMarco says Ocean Harbor’s chicken wings are also “very good.” 1023 Race Street

Nan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle House, Chinatown
DeMarco’s wife is vegetarian, so when they go out they look for places with plenty of meatless options. Nan Zhou has them in spades. DeMarco’s typical order includes “the best shaved noodles,” stir-fried green beans, and soup. 1022 Race Street

Mango Mango, Chinatown
“We always, always, always end our night at Mango Mango,” DeMarco says. The dessert chain has locations across the U.S., including in Cherry Hill, but they’re loyal to the one in Chinatown. “Get the pancake and the mango panna cotta,” DeMarco says. “It’s the best.” 1013 Cherry Street

Yun Fuentes, Bolo: Semifinalist for Emerging Chef

Chef Yun Fuentes of Bolo / Photograph by Gab Bonghi

Royal Tavern, Bella Vista
Yun Fuentes remembers going on dates with his now-wife to Royal Tavern. Today, he lives in the neighborhood and is back to being a regular after the bar reopened. While chef Nic Macri’s menu has plenty to please a crowd — including one of the city’s best burgers — Fuentes says the porchetta sandwich, made with tomato mayo and pickled celery on ciabatta, is “just amazing.” 937 East Passyunk Avenue

South Street Souvlaki, Queen Village
“Any time I’m craving a gyro, that’s where I go,” Fuentes says of South Street Souvlaki, which serves Greek sandwiches, platters, and classics like moussaka. He says he and his mom love visiting. Even when he was living in Puerto Rico, Fuentes would make a stop at South Street Souvlaki while he was in Philly to see his dad. 509 South Street

Doro Bet, University City
Foobooz’s Jason Sheehan loves the Ethiopian-style, teff-battered fried chicken at Mebruka Kane and Hayat Ali’s restaurant so much that he orders enough for leftovers. Fuentes is also a fan. “It’s just so good,” he says of Doro Bet’s chicken, which comes two ways — Alicha (gluten-free and tinged with lemon and turmeric) and Awaze (made with a hot berbere mix) — and with a medley of sauces on the side. 4533 Baltimore Avenue

Jesse Ito, Royal Izakaya: Semifinalist for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic

Jesse Ito of Royal Izakaya / Photograph by Casey Robinson

Pho 75, East Passyunk
Jesse Ito often starts his day at Pho 75. The chef’s go-to order at the classic Vietnamese restaurant is pho with fatty brisket and tendon, plus a side of flank steak and occasionally vinegar onions. 1122 Washington Avenue

a.kitchen, Rittenhouse
“I go to a.kitchen at least once a week,” Ito says. “I get the salad with grilled chicken which is so amazing. But if I go for dinner, I get the whole menu.” At a recent dinner for his birthday, the chef loved the pickerel mackerel toast, then available as a special. He’s also a fan of the gougères with comté and black pepper. “Honestly, the whole menu is all bangers,” Ito says. 135 South 18th Street

Palizzi Social Club, East Passyunk
Philly’s hottest — and perhaps hardest-to-get — membership is one at Palizzi. Ito’s a regular at the late-night spot, where he orders the Caesar salad, crab spaghetti, and chicken cutlet. “It’s more than the food, it’s the vibe and it’s the people,” he says. 1408 South 12th Street

Dionicio Jiménez, Cantina La Martina: Semifinalist for Outstanding Chef

Chef Dionicio Jiménez / Photograph by Tina Stanczyk

Cucina Maria, Bella Vista
The menu at Juana Franco’s BYOB Italian restaurant has everything from chicken parm to housemade pasta, including its popular ricotta gnocchi. But when Dionicio Jiménez visits, he knows exactly what he’s ordering: spaghetti with clams. And for dessert, he says, “the tiramisu, of course.” 768 South 8th Street

Kalaya, Fishtown
Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon’s Kalaya has only gotten better since moving to a larger space in Fishtown. “You never get tired of everything she has on the menu,” Jiménez says of the 2023 James Beard winner’s southern Thai food. Standout dishes include the kamon jeeb nok (dumplings with cod and radish) and tom yum (hot, sour soup with jumbo prawns, barramundi, mushrooms and shallots). 4 West Palmer Street

Los Cuatro Soles, Point Breeze
Jiménez frequents this Mexican spot for the tortas and “really good” tacos. There are three tortas — a classic chicken; Cubana loaded with breaded chicken, ham, egg, sausage, and beans; and Hawaiiana with breaded chicken, ham, and pineapple — and plenty of taco variations to choose from. 1801 South Chadwick Street

Alex Kemp, My Loup: Semifinalist for Best New Restaurant

Chef Alex Kemp of My Loup / Photograph by Nicole Guglielmo

Palizzi Social Club, East Passyunk
Alex Kemp is another industry regular at Palizzi. “It’s one of my favorite spots to get a dirty martini, lamb chops, and a Caesar salad,” he says. “The staff are amazing and it’s just a Philly vibe. I love it.” 1408 South 12th Street

Pietramala, Northern Liberties
Kemp says the food at Ian Graye’s plant-based, BYOB restaurant is “somehow just as rewarding as eating meat,” and enjoys going there for a respite from protein-heavy menus. “One of the best things I had there was the smoked potatoes with this onion chili situation and the beet salad is just fire.” 614 North 2nd Street

Frank Kinyon, a.kitchen+bar:  Semifinalist for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

Sommelier and bar manager Frank Kinyon of a.kitchen+bar / Photograph courtesy of High Street Hospitality Group

Fountain Porter, East Passyunk
Frank Kinyon lives blocks away from Fountain Porter, so he’s there a lot. He’ll order one of the local beers on draft (usually from Tonewood Brewing or Forest and Main Brewing Co.), or choose from the natural wine program. And if he’s hungry, there’s the deliciously simple $6 burger. 1601 South 10th Street

Solar Myth, East Passyunk
Whenever Kinyon wants wine, he’ll go to Solar Myth, a bar, cafe, and avant-garde jazz club all in one. There’s a long wine list, with plenty of white, red, skin-contact, and sparkling options, plus beer and amaro, and tomato or spinach pie if you’re peckish. 1131 South Broad Street

Superfolie, Rittenhouse
Kinyon likes trying whatever’s new on the wine menu at Superfolie, which has an array of white, red, and bubbly varieties. There’s also a cocktail list, beer selection, and ample bar snacks including a cheese and charcuterie board. 1602 Spruce Street

Cybille St. Aude-Tate and Omar Tate, Honeysuckle Provisions:  Semifinalists for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic

Omar Tate and Cybille St.Aude-Tate of Honeysuckle Provisions / Photograph by Gab Bonghi for the James Beard Foundation

Carbon Copy, West Philly
Kyle Wolak and Brendan Boudwin’s Carbon Copy may be a brewery and winery, but the food is no oversight. Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate go often for the mushroom pizza — made with maitake, shiitake, cremini, cream, pecorino romano, Parmigiano-Reggiano, smoked mozzarella and rosemary — plus a salad. 701 South 50th Street

Local 44, University City
Another of Omar’s favorite haunts is Local 44. His go-to order at the neighborhood bar is the cheeseburger, made with pickles, American cheese, lettuce, and BBQ-thousand island sauce, and served with salad or fries. Simply put, Omar says, “their burger is phenomenal.” 4333 Spruce Street

Randy Rucker, River Twice: Semifinalist for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic

Randy Rucker of River Twice / Photograph by Mike Prince

Laurel, East Passyunk
Rucker Rucker calls the food at Nick Elmi’s fine-dining restaurant “creative, focused, and delicious.” While chef Kevin McWilliams’s menu is seasonal, recent favorites of Rucker’s include the boquerones on toast, crab with pumpkin and persimmon (currently available with vadouvan), and monkfish with squid ink. 1617 East Passyunk Avenue

Ember & Ash, East Passyunk
“Ember & Ash is the perfect neighborhood joint,” Rucker says of Scott Calhoun’s cozy eatery. From the whole fish to the chicken sandwich, the food is made sustainably and cooked over wood fire in an open hearth. Rucker always orders the crispy potatoes with comeback sauce, and says Calhoun’s burrata ice cream with caviar (a special that was available around Valentine’s Day) “was one of the best things I’ve eaten all year.” 1520 East Passyunk Avenue

EMei, Chinatown
Rucker’s family orders from EMei weekly. “From the spicy fried chicken to the mapo tofu we love it all,” Rucker says of the menu. His favorites include the cold sesame noodles, white fish and green peppercorn with mung bean noodles, and the dry-fried green beans. 915 Arch Street

Le Virtù, East Passyunk
The Ruckers are big fans of Andrew Wood’s food, dedicated to Italy’s Abruzzo region and made with local, sustainably sourced ingredients. “They always send out salsiccia for Ruby [Rucker’s daughter] to nosh on and that goes a long way,” Rucker says of Le Virtù. “The mussels with n’duja, braised rabbit, and the rotating pastas are always delicious,” he adds. “Don’t forget the gelato!” 1927 East Passyunk Avenue

Mighty Bread, East Passyunk
No matter when you go to Mighty Bread, Rucker says, “it’s a happening place” and “the staff is always welcoming.” His family loves to order the kale salad with turkey and a jammy egg, quiche Lorraine, and tomato pie. 1211 Gerritt Street

A.J. Sarno, Isgro Pastries: Semifinalists for Outstanding Bakery

From left; Michael Sarno, A.J. Sarno, and Gus Isgro of Isgro Pastries in Philadelphia / Photograph by Dominic Episcopo

Villa di Roma, Bella Vista
Sarno visits Villa di Roma often for one of his favorite dishes: chicken livers romano. “The way that Villa makes their chicken livers is unreal,” he says. Sarno also likes the restaurant’s “old-world ambiance,” and how the food tastes “like your grandmother was cooking it.” 934 South 9th Street

Saloon, Bella Vista
“I’ve probably been through the menu 100 times over by now and I love it so much,” Sarno says of the Italian steakhouse. His usual order includes clams pavarotti (clams with shrimp and crab meat), braciole, veal milanese, and steak. 750 South 7th Street

Sarcone’s Bakery, Bella Vista
This family-run business has been baking plump loaves since 1918. It’s the only Philly bakery, besides their own, that the Sarnos frequent. “They make probably the best seeded loaf in the city,” Sarno says. “We’ve been around each other for over 100 years so they’re our go-to.” 758 South 9th Street