Where Philly’s James Beard Nominees Like to Eat (and Drink)
This year's nominees dish on their favorite places to eat and drink, from a Hong Kong-style bakery in Chinatown to a South Philly bar slinging a $6 burger.
Philly’s 2025 James Beard Award nominees from left: Amanda Shulman, Jesse Ito, Rachel and Phila Lorn, and Paul MacDonald / Photographs by Michael Branscom, Casey Robinson, Michael Persico, Neal Santos
When Philly’s four James Beard Award nominees for 2025 were announced, I couldn’t wait to ask them one question: Where do you like to eat (and drink)?
It’s one of my favorite questions to ask chefs and bartenders. After all, they know what it takes to make excellent food and drinks — and they don’t get much time off, so where they choose to spend it says a lot. When they recommend a place, you know it’s going to be good.
Amanda Shulman, Her Place Supper Club: Finalist for Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic
Her Place Supper Club owner Amanda Shulman / Photograph by Michael Branscom
Gilda, Fishtown
“I wish this was in my neighborhood,” says Shulman whenever she walks into Gilda. And while the Portuguese-inspired cafe may be known for its pastéis de nata, that’s not the only reason the chef visits. For Shulman, Gilda’s breakfast sandwich, The Antonio, is the main event. “It’s so perfect,” she says of the sandwich, which is made with a Portuguese roll and filled with a fried egg, cheese, linguiça sausage, and breakfast sauce. “It’s squishy, it’s salty,” she adds. “Oh, it’s fabulous.” 300 East Girard Avenue.
Kim’s Restaurant, North Philly
“Kim’s is probably our favorite restaurant to eat at,” Shulman says, adding that she and her husband and fellow chef-owner of My Loup, Alex Kemp, make the trip to North Philly when they want “food that is perfect and balanced and seasoned and amazing.” The restaurant has become an institution in the 40-plus years it’s been around and is known for its Korean barbecue, with all the meat cooked at tableside charcoal grills that result in plenty of flavor. Popular dishes include pork belly, beef tongue, and skirt steak (off the not-so-secret secret menu). Shulman likes to order the latter as well as the hanger steak, kimchi pancakes, and watercress salad. 5955 North 5th Street.
Cafe Nhan, South Philly
“Cafe Nhan is one of the places I frequent most,” Shulman says. “Their spicy soups are super soul-reviving, and every time I go there, they just totally make me feel at home.” As a new mom, the chef says she went often during her pregnancy and recently returned with her baby. “It’s such a warm and welcoming place,” she says. “It’s also just insanely delicious.” Shulman’s regular order is the bún bò hûe dac biet, Cafe Nhan’s specialty made with beef brisket, pig feet, steamed pork roll, and house-made pig’s blood cubes with a spicy lemongrass broth. 1606 West Passyunk Avenue.
High Street, Center City
Ellen Yin’s High Street is one of Shulman’s go-tos when she has friends and family in town. The modern American restaurant is a crowd-pleaser, with menus built around seasonal ingredients and local grains. It also offers plenty of choices, from sandwiches and salads to sourdough pizzas and house-made pastas, plus a few larger plates at dinnertime. “They do such an amazing job,” Shulman says of the restaurant. “Chef Christina [McKeough] is really talented.” Shulman visits the restaurant most often for brunch and lunch, and it’s the bread that keeps her coming back. “The breads there just make me feel like I don’t even know anything about bread every time I eat them,” she says. 101 South 9th Street.
Mayflower Bakery & Cafe, Chinatown
Mayflower Cafe & Bakery is known for making some of the best Hong Kong-style buns and pastries in the city. The bakery’s coconut bun is especially popular, and it’s one of Shulman’s must-order items as well. “Their coconut butter bun and their roast pork bun are the biggest treats,” the chef says. Mayflower’s pineapple buns and egg tarts are also a hit with customers, and on the drinks menu, you can’t go wrong with an iced milk tea. Just remember to bring cash or have Venmo ready to pay. 1008 Race Street.
Osteria, Spring Garden
If Shulman had to order just one thing from Osteria, it would be the rigatoni with chicken liver, cipollini onion, and sage. “It’s probably their most famous dish, and for perfect reason,” she says. But Shulman would happily eat any of the pasta at Osteria. “Jeff Michaud makes simple, delicious, and classic pasta,” she says of the James Beard Award-winning chef at the helm of the restaurant, which opened in 2007. “Even though it’s been there for so long, it’s still that good,” Shulman says. “It feels like a restaurant that is classic and timeless, and it’s really inspiring for those reasons.” To end a meal there, Shulman recommends ordering some gelati or sorbetti. 640 North Broad Street.
Oysters, caviar, and shrimp at Little Water / Photograph by Ted Nghiem
Little Water, Rittenhouse
Randy and Amanda Rucker’s newest restaurant is just a short walk from Her Place Supper Club, and Shulman is thrilled to have it in the neighborhood. “Randy and Amanda made such a beautiful restaurant,” Shulman says of the airy, modern space that channels the contemporary coastal feel of Little Water’s cuisine. “It feels so sexy and clean, and it’s a great vibe,” she adds. And the food is delicious, with a seafood-forward lunch and dinner menu that’ll transport you to somewhere by the sea. There are oysters (and a fried oyster BLT), scallops, a crisp Caesar-like salad, hearty gumbo, and much more. 261 South 20th Street.
Zeppoli, Collingswood
Shulman doesn’t make it out to Joey Baldino’s Zeppoli too often, but the pasta there is so good that she says a visit to the New Jersey restaurant is “definitely worth the trip.” The Italian BYOB, which has an emphasis on Sicilian cuisine, has the “most delicious pasta,” the chef adds. While there’s more to the menu at Zeppoli — including larger plates like a Sicilian fisherman stew — a particular standout in the pasta section is the tagliatelle al limone, made with handmade pasta and topped with bottarga or prosciutto (but trust me, you want to get the bottarga). 618 Collings Avenue.
Palizzi Social Club, East Passyunk
The chef is also a fan of Baldino’s other establishment: his South Philly members-only bar, Palizzi Social Club. Shulman’s husband, Kemp, told Foobooz last year the bar is among his favorite places to go as well. The couple loves to order the Palizzi lamb chops, which Shulman calls “the perfect dish.” 1408 South 12th Street.
Royal Sushi & Izakaya, Queen Village
Shulman also likes to eat at fellow James Beard nominee Jesse Ito’s Royal Sushi & Izakaya. Whenever she’s there, the chef will order a smattering of dishes and always makes sure the spinach gomaae, a cold salad made with baby spinach and black sesame sauce, is among them. 780 South 2nd Street.
Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi & Izakaya: Finalist for Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic
Royal Sushi & Izakaya owner Jesse Ito / Photograph by Casey Robinson
Kalaya, Fishtown
Whenever Ito eats at Kalaya, there has to be gui chai on the table. “I love everything there, but the gui chai is my favorite thing,” the chef says. The garlic-chive rice cakes come served with a spicy-sweet soy sauce and make a lovely crispy, chewy appetizer at the start of a meal at 2023 James Beard winner Nok Suntaranon’s Fishtown restaurant. Off the drinks menu, Ito likes to order the tom kha colada, a zero-proof spin on a piña colada that combines turmeric-spiced coconut cream with lime leaf, galangal, and pineapple. 4 West Palmer Street.
Pho 75, East Passyunk
Last year, Ito told Foobooz that Pho 75 was one of his favorite places to start the day in Philly. That hasn’t changed, and nor has his go-to order: pho with fatty brisket and tendon, and a side of flank steak and vinegar onions. “I go to Pho 75 almost every week,” he says. Ito loves the place so much, he says, that his recent plan to bring eight friends quickly turned into a table for 30, as he was joined by other chefs who are fans of the Vietnamese restaurant, including Suntaranon and Michael Solomonov. 1122 Washington Avenue.
Palizzi Social Club, East Passyunk
With his second restaurant, DanceRobot, in the works, it’s been an especially busy year for Ito, so he’s not going out as much these days — but he still finds himself at Palizzi Social Club a couple of times a month. “I go to Palizzi pretty often,” Ito says of the bar, which the chef listed as one of his favorite late-night spots in 2023. While memberships aren’t easy to get, if you have one — or know a member who’ll take you — and want to order like Ito, get the Caesar salad, crab spaghetti, and chicken cutlet. 1408 South 12th Street.
Friday Saturday Sunday, Rittenhouse
For Ito, Chad and Hanna Williams’s acclaimed restaurant — which won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant in 2023 — is a neighborhood spot. So when the chef goes there for dinner, he’ll usually pull up a seat at the counter and order from the à la carte menu. He’s a fan of the restaurant’s New York strip steak in particular and calls it “one of the best steaks in the city.” 261 South 21st Street.
My Loup, Rittenhouse
Alex Kemp and fellow James Beard nominee Amanda Shulman’s French-inspired restaurant is another neighborhood favorite of Ito’s. While the menu changes weekly, the chef loves to order the pickled shrimp with aioli and saltines from the raw section. While you can’t go wrong with your order at My Loup, if you’re ever indecisive, you can always let the kitchen choose your adventure with the “Let Us Cook” option. For $125, diners get a nice mix of dishes, and it’s an easy way for first-timers to familiarize themselves with the restaurant’s fare. 2005 Walnut Street.
Phila Lorn, Mawn: Finalist for Emerging Chef
Mawn co-owners Phila and Rachel Lorn / Photograph by Michael Persico
Fountain Porter, East Passyunk
Husband and wife Phila and Rachel Lorn, the owners of Mawn, have lunch at Fountain Porter a couple of times a week. They’ll sit at the bar and split a beer, but they’ll each get their own burger. Fountain Porter’s $6 burger may be simple, but that’s arguably why it’s one of the best burgers in the city. It’s just a medium-rare beef patty, a slice of American cheese, lettuce, and tomato in a potato roll, plus a couple of pickle chips on the side. And it’s so good you won’t want to share it, even with your partner. 1601 South 10th Street.
Pho 75, East Passyunk
Like Ito, Phila is a regular at Pho 75. He’ll often go with his mom (if they can find parking), and they’ll order the Pho Deluxe, or dac biet. It’s number one on the restaurant’s menu, and for good reason, since it’s full of meat, made with slices of eye-round steak, flank, fat brisket, soft tendon, and beef tripe in a hearty bone broth. As with anything on the menu at Pho 75, the portions are also generous. “My mom will get a small one. I’ll get a large one. It’s the same size, I swear to you,” Phila says. 1122 Washington Avenue.
The Dutch, East Passyunk
“We go to The Dutch a lot for breakfast,” Phila says. The restaurant’s Dutch babies are particularly popular with patrons and stand out from the usual brunch fare. Rachel likes to get the savory Dutch baby with ring bologna, scallion, and powdered sugar, but there are also plenty of options topped with lemon, berries, and whipped cream for anyone with a sweet tooth. 1537 South 11th Street.
River Twice, East Passyunk
Phila and Rachel love to eat at River Twice, Randy and Amanda Rucker’s modern American restaurant. The four-course, seafood-heavy tasting menu changes often, so the experience is never quite the same, but the flavors are always fresh, based on what’s in season and the highest quality ingredients that are available. And when tomato season rolls around, one of Phila’s favorite dishes hits the River Twice menu: Randy’s tomato sandwich, made with heirloom tomato, smoked mayo, gamtae seaweed, and Osetra caviar. It’s “a simple toast but perfectly executed, as is everything Chef does,” Phila says. 1601 East Passyunk Ave.
Ricci’s Hoagies, East Passyunk
Phila’s go-to sandwich spot is Ricci’s. His regular order is the chicken cutlet hoagie, which is served on a Sarcone’s roll like every other sandwich on the menu. A South Philly institution, Ricci’s has been around since 1920 and now has a second location at 1825 Callowhill Street, but it’s the South Philly location that Phila likes to frequent. 1165 South 11th Street.
Dishes featured on Bastia’s dinner menu. / Photograph by Birch Thomas
Bastia, Fishtown
Phila and Rachel have practically had the whole menu at Tyler Akin’s restaurant inspired by Sardinian and Corsican cuisines. They enjoyed everything, but they were particularly impressed by the crudo. Right now, there’s amberjack crudo with strawberry, preserved lemon, chervil, and hazelnut. “His crudo game is really good,” Phila says of Akin. Other highlights include the skate cheeks, storzapretti ricotta dumplings, and swordfish brochettes. 1401 East Susquehanna Avenue.
Tacos El Rodeo, East Passyunk
Once a week, Phila and Rachel will go to the parking lot of the Sherwin-Williams on Washington Avenue to get some of their favorite Mexican food from the food truck Tacos El Rodeo. Phila gets the quesadillas, while Rachel always orders the al pastor tacos — a popular choice with customers. The tacos come with a tangle of lettuce, avocado, and pickled carrots that bring a hint of acidity and make for “an interesting palate cleanser,” according to Phila. 1000 Washington Avenue.
Oyster House, Rittenhouse
“We love Oyster House; we always go,” Rachel says of the Rittenhouse seafood restaurant. Phila doubles down and says it’s “our favorite restaurant in the city.” They love to order the French fries, oysters, and clams, and Rachel will get the burger, too. “I usually get a burger anywhere we go, to be honest,” she says. 1516 Sansom Street.
Paul MacDonald, head bartender at Friday Saturday Sunday’s The Lovers Bar: Finalist for Outstanding Bar
Paul MacDonald, head bartender of The Lover’s Bar / Photograph by Neal Santos
Vernick Fish, Center City
Vernick Fish’s cocktail program is one of MacDonald’s favorites in the city. “I’ve always loved their cocktails there,” the head bartender at The Lovers Bar says. If you have to order one drink, MacDonald says to make it the Southampton Iced Tea — a clarified Long Island iced tea. “It’s a hilarious concept and incredibly well executed,” he says. “It’s the only version of a Long Island iced tea you’ll ever hear me recommend.” 1 North 19th Street.
Andra Hem, Rittenhouse
When MacDonald and his wife want to get cocktails on a date, they’ll go to Andra Hem. The dimly lit cocktail lounge has a laid-back yet luxe Scandinavian vibe, and it’s somewhat unassuming. That’s what makes it the perfect place if you’re looking for “a low-key, comfortable atmosphere that’s not rowdy” and quiet enough that you don’t have to shout at the person you’re there with to be heard. 218 South 16th Street.
Almanac / Photograph by Stephen Recchia
Almanac, Old City
Almanac might be the ultimate bartender’s bar. The Japanese American cocktail lounge above Ogawa Sushi & Kappo offers “a detail-oriented experience” that’s all about the art of making an excellent drink, MacDonald says. Helmed by lead bartender Rob Scott and James Beard Award winner Danny Childs of Slow Drinks, the bar specializes in elevated cocktails made with locally sourced ingredients. “It’s an approach that Philadelphia hasn’t really seen yet,” MacDonald says. “They also do a really good job at shining a spotlight on specific ingredients and specific flavor profiles.” While the seasonal menu is always changing, you can expect classic cocktails that have been thoughtfully revisited and infused with Japanese spirits, such as an Old Fashioned and variations on a martini — including one made with matcha. 310 Market Street.
a.kitchen and a.bar, Rittenhouse
Whenever MacDonald finds himself at a.kitchen for lunch — which he estimates is “a solid 90 percent of the time” — the head bartender likes to order a glass of wine from the restaurant’s “spectacular selection.” He also frequents a.bar next door for its inventive cocktail list and events. “I really enjoyed their ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’ series,” MacDonald says, speaking of the bar’s event program that spotlights a specific type of cocktail, ingredient, or theme. (The event will return in late May with a new format, “a ticketed cocktail experience featuring a special menu that showcases different drinking cultures from around the world,” with themed drinks and snacks on certain weekends, according to an a.bar representative.) 135 South 18th Street; 1737 Walnut Street.
Palizzi Social Club, East Passyunk
As a dad with a busy schedule, MacDonald doesn’t make it to Palizzi Social Club as often as he’d like these days — but when the bartender used to live in South Philly, he was a regular. He’d go there whenever he got off a shift early to order the lamb chops, a Caesar salad (also a favorite of Ito’s), drink some Lambrusco, and hang out. “It was always a nice communal neighborhood experience,” MacDonald says, adding that it’s rare to go to Palizzi and not run into someone you know. “You’re always going to know a bunch of people at the bar,” he says. “It’s a very kind of vibrant community hub for that neighborhood and for the restaurant industry as well, especially late at night.” 1408 South 12th Street.
