Two Philly restaurants place on this year’s North America’s 50 Best list

Kalaya and Friday Saturday Sunday have once again placed on the North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list, which is a regional subset of the World’s 50 Best organization. The announcement took place Thursday, May 28, at the Sheraton Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana.

All chefs who make the list are presented with a red scarf before the ceremony. At the ceremony, they discover where they placed on the list. Chicago’s Smyth came in first place.

Last September, at the inaugural North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list, three Philadelphian restaurants all snagged coveted places: Friday Saturday Sunday, Kalaya, and Royal Sushi and Izakaya. Chef Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon had also received a special award in 2025 as North America’s best female chef (there is no award granted by the 50 Best academy for the best male chef). This year, she presented the award to chef Mashama Bailey of The Grey in Savannah, Georgia.

Kalaya remains the only restaurant serving Southern Thai food on the North American list.

This year’s list saw some significant shake ups. Royal Sushi and Izakaya, which had come in at number 32 last year, did not place at all and both Kalaya and Friday Saturday Sunday dropped in rankings (Kalaya from number 7 to 11 and Friday Saturday Sunday from number 16 to 40.

Semma, the Southern Indian restaurant with one Michelin star by New York’s Unapologetic Foods, made the list for the first time, coming in at number 41. One could make the argument that they are also representing Philadelphia on the list, given that they are working on opening the restaurant Adda in Fishtown this fall.

In total, there were 18 restaurants that were dropped from the list, which also meant that there were 18 restaurants across Canada and the U.S. that took their places. Last year, two Caribbean restaurants were also named to the list. This year, none were. Canada had an especially strong showing, with 14 restaurants placing on the list.

It remains to be seen if either Kalaya or Friday Saturday Sunday will make it to 2026’s World’s 50 Best list, which is scheduled to be unveiled this November in Abu Dhabi, a controversial choice of location. No Philadelphia restaurant has ever been on a World’s 50 Best list.

This was the second edition of the North American list, which was compiled by the votes of 300 anonymous industry experts (though regional academy chairs, including former Inquirer food editor Jamila Robinson, are not anonymous). A minimum of 25% of these voters are refreshed every year.

Those who make it onto both the World’s 50 Best lists and their regional lists frequently appear in the Michelin Guide. The organizations have much in common, prioritizing fine dining restaurants that serve tasting menus on lists that are updated annually. Unlike Michelin, the 50 Best lists are based on restaurants’ popularity with voters and not the experiences of anonymous instructors. But the 50 Best lists frequently mirror the selections of the Michelin Guide, and Philly’s entrance onto the North American list last year marked a significant foray onto the international culinary stage. (Notable Philly exceptions to this year’s 50 Best are, of course, those with new Michelin stars: Provenance and Her Place Supper Club).

The North American 50 Best list is a broad, ranging look of the continent as a whole (except for Mexico, which is considered part of the 50 Best organization’s Latin America region), whereas Michelin is governed by strict geographic limitations, with territories dictated by underwritten agreements with tourism boards.

The 50 Best organization also awards bars, hotels, and vineyards.

The 50 Best lists, like the James Beard Foundation’s annual awards, can foster community. The awards ceremony drew together chefs who work all across North America and spawned multiple chef collaborations. Phila and Rachel Lorn of South Philly’s Mawn and Sao cooked at one such dinner the night before the ceremony.

And despite Philly restaurants’ falls in rankings, to make the list at all — and to remain on it — was reason for celebration. There was great exuberance at all the events surrounding the ceremony. Machine Shop’s Emily Riddell was present to support her fiancé, chef Michael Rafidi, whose Washington D.C. restaurant Albi placed 6 on the list. Notably absent with Defined Hospitality partner Nick Kennedy, whose health precluded him from attending.

“This is the best feeling in the world,” said Chad Williams, chef and co-owner of Friday Saturday Sunday, as he walked the red carpet entrance to the ceremony. “One of fifty, doesn’t matter where, we’re happy to be here.”