Six Philly Chefs & Restaurants Score James Beard Award Nominations for 2023

Another year, another dynamite showing for Philly’s chefs and restaurants in the lead-up to this year’s James Beard Awards. (Raise your hand if you’re surprised.)

Today, the James Beard Foundation announced its Restaurant and Chef Award nominees for 2023 — and Philly is once again well represented.

Friday Saturday Sunday — Fitler Square’s raved-about fixed-menu special-occasion spot — nabbed its first-ever nomination, this one for Outstanding Restaurant.

High Street Hospitality’s Ellen Yin (of Philly classics like Fork, a.kitchen + bar and High Street) snagged a nomination in the Outstanding Restaurateur: National category (for which she was also nominated in 2018, 2019 and 2022).

Her Place Supper Club’s Amanda Shulman scored a nomination in the Emerging Chef category, marking the first nomination for both Shulman and the restaurant.

And Philly nabbed a whopping 60% of the nominees in the Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic category, including:

• Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi & Izakaya in Queen Village
• Dionicio Jiménez, Cantina La Martina in Kensington
• Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, Kalaya in Fishtown

Philadelphia’s 2023 nominees were selected from a pool of semifinalists, which included 15 local chefs and restaurants.

Winners will be announced at a ceremony on June 5, 2023.

Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon from Kalaya Thai Kitchen.   — Photo by Visit Philadelphia

Last year, Philly chefs and restaurants scored four nominations and one big win for Cristina Martínez (South Philly Barbacoa, Casa Mexico) in the Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic category.

Find the complete list of 2023 nominees here — and stay tuned to see which Philly chefs and restaurants win later this year.

In the meantime, check out our guide to Philadelphia’s James Beard Foundation-honored restaurants for even more critically acclaimed restaurants in Philadelphia and the Countryside.