March 31, 2026
Provided Image/Nicole Guglielmo for Emmett
Emmett, the Levantine restaurant in Olde Kensington, is one of seven chefs, bars and restaurants from Philadelphia that were named finalists to this year's James Beard Awards.
Seven of Philly's top bars, restaurants and chefs were named as finalists for the 2026 James Beard Awards, the prestigious culinary foundation announced Wednesday.
The list of local honorees includes Kalaya, Emmett and the Lovers Bar, as well as chefs Justine MacNeil of Fiore, Jesse Ito of Royal Sushi & Izakaya, and Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate of Honeysuckle on Broad Street.
Almanac, Little Water, Pietramala and Radin's Delicatessen in Cherry Hill were among the restaurants from the area that were named semifinalists in January but didn't make the cut.
The winners will be revealed during a ceremony in Chicago in June. Here's the full list of the finalists from Philly:
Kalaya: The acclaimed Thai restaurant in Fishtown has received a number of accolades, including Nok Suntaranon winning a James Beard for best chef, Mid-Atlantic in 2022.
Emmett: The Olde Kensington-based Levantine restaurant opened in January 2025 and serves a rotating menu with dishes from several Mediterranean countries. In December, it was named on Esquire's list of best new dining spots in the country.
The Lovers Bar at Friday Saturday Sunday: While the contemporary American restaurant received one of the city's three Michelin stars in November, this nomination is for its bar program. In August 2025, head bartender Paul MacDonald was named to the Future 40 Tastemakers list from Wine Enthusiast.
Justine MacNeil, Fiore: The Italian bakery in East Kensington is open for breakfast and lunch with pastries, sandwiches and pasta dishes. MacNeil previously held stints at the Dutch, Craft and Del Posto before opening the beloved eatery with her husband, Ed Crochet, in 2019.
• Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi & Izakaya: While the acclaimed chef is known for the sushi and pub fare spot in Queen Village, he also opened Dancerobot in September. It was one of the most highly anticipated openings of the year.
• Amanda Shulman, Her Place Supper Club: Shulman, who is also the owner of My Loup, started Her Place as a pop-up supper club in 2021. She's since been named one of Food & Wine's best new chefs and earned a Michelin star in November.
• Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate, Honeysuckle: The husband and wife duo's restaurant in Poplar celebrates dishes in the African diaspora. In 2020, Tate was named chef of the year by Esquire and was on the TIME 100 Next list.
The Mid-Atlantic category includes chefs from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Nathan Flaim, the chef behind Italian grill Luca in Lancaster, was also named as a finalist in this category.
