The 4 restaurants and 3 chefs that defined Philly’s dining scene in 2023

“I’m so tired of Philly winning all the restaurant awards,” a food writing colleague from Cincinnati groaned to me earlier this year, the morning after Philadelphians won more awards at the 2023 James Beard Foundation — five! — than any other city.

I could only laugh at the recency bias dogging my pal from Ohio. He had no idea that “underappreciated”, “overlooked,” and “hidden gem” are the watchwords that season the zesty gravy that feeds our perpetual identity as underdogs. That chip on our shoulder, I’d argue, has always been our secret fire. But we’re America’s darling dining town now, at least for a minute. And it’s well deserved.

I’ve got even better news: Philly’s restaurant scene shows no signs of letting up based on a year that just generated more exciting new restaurants that I can remember in years, while several existing stars re-emerged even better than before. Ready for the tasty highlights? Here’s my scrapbook of Philly restaurant and chef leaders from 2023.

No star shined as brightly as Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, this year’s James Beard Best Chef Mid-Atlantic winner, whose spectacular remake of Kalaya in a soaring new Fishtown space is the Restaurant of the Year. I worried some magic might be lost in the transition from her original BYOB to this airy 140-seater with a skylight, palm trees, and full bar. But Suntaranon found the right partners in Defined Hospitality (Suraya, Pizzeria Beddia) who gave her the resources to share her Southern Thai story on a more expansive level. There’s an entire kitchen crew dedicated to making the exquisite blue dumplings. A broader array of vibrant house-blended curries. Coveted street snacks like crispy gui chai. Colorful shaved ice desserts bigger than your head. And there’s more true here in the charcoal-fired grill producing wonders like goong phao river prawns (my Dish of the Year) and lemongrass-marinated chickens that are roasted with their feet on and glazed with a curried coconut milk sauce. Every time I return, it seems Suntaranon has yet another new dish to present, from a tamarind pork chop to baked Sweet Amalia oysters with glass noodles and Chinese celery. The fact is this talented chef’s repertoire is boundless, and she now has a stage big enough to share it all. Kalaya, 4 W. Palmer St., 215-545-2535; kalayaphilly.com

Amanda Shulman, a Beard finalist this year for Emerging Star, made major moves of her own. As good as her seasonal tasting menus are at Her Place Supper Club, Shulman’s larger second venture, My Loup, her collaboration with husband and co-chef Alex Kemp, is simply magnetic. It’s a boisterous, lively hub of bistro energy off Rittenhouse Square that feels like a party every weeknight, fueled by creative drinks, Philly’s most satisfying côte de boeuf for two, an inspired raw bar pairing razor clams with sunchokes, and creamy uni plumes over look-alike carrot puree. They’ve hit yet another gear in the cold-weather months, with over-the-top creations like the witty Esca-Roll bun stuffed with garlic buttered snails, and amazingly refined classic sauce work (sauce Américaine for lobster vol-au-vents; foie gras-enriched quails) that is Philly’s most inspired French cooking since the late greats Bibou and Le Bec-Fin. My Loup, 2005 Walnut St., 267-239-5925; myloupphl.com

Dane DeMarco is here to remind us at Haddonfield’s quaint new BYOB, Gass & Main, that peering backward into 20th-century cafeteria kitsch can be fulfilling when it’s executed with wit and contemporary swagger. Meat loaf is reimagined with local bison or boar. The seasonal cheeseball is turned into a Birchrun blue cheese-and-vermouth riff on a dirty martini. Chicken croquettes, Ants on a Log (with foie gras), a lighter take on chicken à la King, and, most recently, a grown-up rendition of SpaghettiOs with butternut squash managed to evoke childhood nostalgia — then improve it — with one of the most original culinary perspectives I enjoyed all year. Gass & Main, 7 Kings Court, Haddonfield, N.J., 973-721-3179; gassandmain.com

Philly’s hot vegan scene has been sizzling with new stars like Pietramala and Primary Plant Based. Ground Provisions, the Chester County restaurant-market from chefs Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby, is a reminder of what made them plant-based pioneers at still-cruising Vedge. The relaxed country charm sets a perfect tone for five-course $75 tasting menus from Landau and chef de cuisine Brandon Beringer. Their cooking is closer to the farm source and more spontaneous than at Vedge, but just as inspired. Hyper-seasonal produce shines in dishes like lasagna verde with green garlic béchamel or maitakes with black garlic over Hickory King polenta, with stellar desserts from Jacoby and an intriguting selection of natural wines. Ground Provisions, 1388 Old Wilmington Pike, West Chester; groundprovisionspa.com

Carlos Aparicio has been a fixture on the restaurant scene for decades cooking other people’s food, from the French bread bakery he launched at Parc to the pizza and pasta programs at Zavino and Tredici. But his first solo effort, El Chingón, is a tribute to his birthplace in Puebla, and it has been spectacular in the most accessible way. The casual all-day format has been the ideal showcase for the regional delights of Aparicio’s childhood, leaning on his baker’s skills to produce fresh-baked cemita rolls for overstuffed milanesa sandwiches, colorful concha rolls stuffed with strawberries and Nutella cream, three kinds of meat for trompo tacos (try the Árabes on sourdough flour tortillas). Then there are the vibrant aguachiles, myriad seasonal specials (October chile en nogada, weekend menudo), and numerous veganized specialties that show Aparicio’s boundless creativity for updating Mexican classics has only just begun. El Chingón, 1524 S. 10th St., 267-239-2131; elchingonphilly.com

A number of other veteran chefs stepped out into the limelight with impressive ownership debuts that showcased distinctive personal projects. Yun Fuentes delivered a gorgeous tribute to his Puerto Rican youth at Bolo, the sultry bi-level restaurant and rum bar near Rittenhouse where he put mofongo on a pedestal (with butter-poached lobster!) and offered beautiful updates to classic Latinx-Caribbean flavors like sancocho, pinchos, and bacalaitos. Meanwhile, in South Philly, chef Phila Lorn and his wife, Rachel, paid an impressive homage at Mawn to his family’s Cambodian immigrant story, with next-gen Khmer flavors like fried softshell shrimp in fish sauce caramel, grilled steak and prahok, and a stunning whole fish. Bolo, 2025 Sansom St., 267-639-2741; bolophl.com; Mawn 764 S. Ninth St.; mawnphilly.com