Philly wins two spots on Eater’s ‘2023 Best New Restaurants’

Just when you think the national food media is done heaping praise on Philly, another best new restaurant list hits. This time it’s Eater’s, with a tight 12 spots that range from Pasedena, Calif. to Atlanta to Providence, R.I.

The only city with two entries? You guessed it.

Eater restaurant editor Hillary Dixler Canavan notes the anomaly in the intro — and alludes to the idea that Philly might have nabbed even more spots in a different world: “If any city has embraced that spirit of culinary experimentation this year, it’s Philadelphia ... (It’s worth saying that even narrowing down the options to two involved much discussion and deliberation.) Philadelphia’s restaurant scene has what any diner wants: a tapestry of restaurants created by chefs and operators creating experiences so singular that they could only exist right there.”

Eater gave the nod to West Philadelphia’s Honeysuckle Provisions and Rittenhouse’s My Loup, which swept this year’s crop of best restaurants lists both nationally (New York Times) and locally (Craig LaBan’s Top 10).

Eater Philly editor Ernest Owens praised the flaky Pop-Tarts, hearty breakfast sandwiches, and terrific “Dolla” hoagies that chefs Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate turn out at the small retail space on South 48th Street. While the food merits Eater’s nod, Owens singles it out for something more. “Honeysuckle Provisions is more than just a place to eat: It’s also a culinary gallery for Afrocentric history that can be found in the recipe books sold on its shelves, and on the menu itself. It pays homage to the diversity of its local culture while ensuring its guests are getting what they actually need.”

Of My Loup, Eater correspondent Jaya Saxena highlighted chef-owners Amanda Shulman and Alex Kemp’s ability to cook food that’s both playful and refined. “Pair a clarified cocktail with pickled shrimp and saltines, then dig into a Caesar salad topped with luscious smoked eel and piled with snowy Parmesan shavings. ... Yes, My Loup is decadent. But it’s decadence meant to share, to laugh over, to actually enjoy.”

Both Shulman and Tate have picked up national nods of this caliber before: Esquire recognized Tate for his Honeysuckle popups in its 2020 Best New Restaurants list, and Shulman was named one of Food & Wine’s best new chefs in America earlier this year.

Eater’s beverage-focused sister publication, Punch, released an even trimmer list of best new bars. Among the six winners is Post Haste, the Kensington bar with a sustainability bent opened by Fred Beebe and Gabe Guerrero in June. The writeup commends the bar’s behind-the-scenes efforts to keep its inventory hyperlocal (everything is sourced east of the Mississippi, including the beet sugar in the simple syrup). “But don’t worry,” Punch editors wrote, “the cocktails aren’t served with any save-the-earth gospel that might sour the vibes. Like any reliable local, Post Haste hasn’t lost sight of the fact that its primary job is to serve delicious food and drinks in a fun atmosphere.”