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It can take two years for a restaurant to get approved for outdoor dining. One Philly councilmember is trying to make it easier

Philadelphia City Council is taking yet another crack at streamlining the city’s complex and drawn-out permitting process for outdoor dining.

At-large Councilmember Rue Landau introduced legislation Thursday to expand the “by-right” areas where sidewalk cafes can exist without a special zoning ordinance. The proposed bill, if approved, could hasten the daunting permitting process and dramatically increase the space available for outdoor dining.

Currently the law allows sidewalk cafes to be licensed in certain areas that are largely centered on Center City and smaller commercial corridors in East Passyunk, the Italian Market, Manayunk, and other neighborhoods throughout the city. Restaurants outside those corridors must ask their district Council member to get legislation approved to authorize a sidewalk cafe license. The step can add months to a process restaurateurs say is already lengthy, confusing, and costly.

All restaurants seeking sidewalk cafes must submit copies of plans to Philadelphia’s Streets Department and Department of Licenses and Inspections separately for approval before securing a $1 million insurance policy and paying an annual $227 licensing fee, according to the application’s website. Approvals and disapprovals should be ready within 30 days of applying.

In reality, restaurant owners said, the process often involves thousands of dollars to keep an architect on retainer, as both departments can take months to review plans. And in the interim, at least one restaurant owner alleged, businesses can be fined for having tables and chairs outside while they wait for a decision.

The sidewalk cafe at Gleaner’s Cafe at 917 S. 9th Street, one of the addresses covered under current outdoor dining legislation.

Landau believes the new legislation stands to remove one hurdle from a system that is overall in need of reform.

“The ordinance process alone takes many months, and is just one part of a lengthy and convoluted process,” Landau said in an interview Wednesday. “Currently, it takes approximately between 18 and 27 months just to put a couple of tables and chairs outside of your business.”

Sidewalk cafes are different from streeteries, which occupy parking spaces and require a $1,750 licensing fee alongside myriad approvals from different city departments, depending on the structure. Both face similar challenges.

Sidewalk cafes and streeteries proliferated during the pandemic, allowing many restaurants to keep serving patrons as COVID-19 limited indoor dining. At their peak, there were roughly 800 sidewalk cafes or streeteries operating in Philly. That number fell drastically after 2022, when the city made streeteries permanent and announced a web of since-revised regulations that many restaurants could not keep up with, often requiring businesses to consult engineers and architects to build structures that the city might request to be torn down only months later.

Restaurant-goers dine at tables and chairs on a sidewalk outside Parc.

Philly needs to fix its controversial ‘streetery’ outdoor dining program, city controller says

There are just 28 active streetery and 287 active sidewalk cafe licenses in Philly as of November 2025, according to L&I’s business license dashboard.

“The current outdoor dining licensing process in Philadelphia is characterized by complexity and high cost, which pose significant barriers for businesses seeking to utilize outdoor dining opportunities,” City Controller Christy Brady wrote in an August 2024 report on the licensing systems.

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What would the proposed law change?

Landau’s proposed legislation would increase the number of streets in Philly where sidewalk cafes are considered “by-right,” which means business owners would not have to call on City Council to preapprove their tables and chairs.

Landau held more than a dozen listening sessions with community members in eight Council districts, she said, and worked with the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association to consult over 100 Philadelphia restaurant owners before drafting the legislation.

From Sept. 2024 | Bob & Barbara’s must take down its new streetery for South Street repaving after spending $50,000

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The proposed bill still follows the tradition of councilmanic prerogative, allowing each district Council member to select which streets receive the “by-right” designation for sidewalk cafes. Councilmember Jamie Gauthier included the entirety of the 3rd District — encompassing the majority of West Philly — while others carved out several streets. Councilmembers Cindy Bass and Brian O’Neill have yet to designate streets, Landau said.

The bill will then go to the streets subcommittee for a hearing, Landau said, where blocks can still be added.

“There’s plenty of time for councilpeople to get some skin in the game,” Landau said. “We don’t want to be exclusive here.”

Bass, who represents the 8th District — which includes parts of Mount Airy, Germantown, and West Oak Lane — and O’Neill, who represents Northeast Philly in the 10th District, could not be reached for comment.

The now-dismantled outdoor dining area at Booker’s Restaurant and Bar at 5021 Baltimore Ave., which some once considered to be one of the most beautiful streeteries in Philly.

How do restaurant owners feel?

The proposed legislation is cold comfort for Jeremy Page, general manager of the West Philly brunch institution Booker’s. The restaurant’s application for a revamped sidewalk cafe has languished with L&I since he filed in April, Page said.

While Booker’s sits squarely within Gauthier’s district, the restaurant won’t be spared any red tape. It already secured the necessary ordinance and spent $2,000 on an architect to draw up plans for six outdoor tables.

“I was very surprised I had to do that. Nobody tells you,” Page said. He said he was heartened by Landau’s legislation. “It feels like someone finally sees what’s going on and is locking in to make a change.”

Setting up the new outdoor space was bittersweet: Between 2020 and September 2025, Booker’s had a 33-seat sidewalk cafe enclosed with wooden slats that staff would decorate with string lights, flowers, and garlands. It was lauded by some as among the city’s most beautiful outdoor dining arrangements.

From 2021: Booker’s is one the most beautiful streeteries in Philadelphia

When the city announced its new outdoor dining regulations in 2022, the structure was no longer compliant, Page said. But Booker’s kept the structure up for three years as it searched for a workaround, incurring roughly $10,000 in fines until Page said he finally tore down the covering in September. It has been replaced by simple tables and chairs.

The change resulted in a loss in business that forced Booker’s to let go of five staff members, Page said.

El Chingon at 1524 S 10th St. It took two years for the Michelin-award Mexican restaurant to get a sidewalk cafe license.

“I miss it so much,” Page said. “It’s extremely impactful when you are getting fined for something that was legal at one point and then, all of a sudden, is not legal anymore.”

Carlos Aparicio recalled a similar experience. The owner of South Philly’s El Chingón, now a Michelin-recognized restaurant, spent two years going back and forth with different city departments until his 12-seat sidewalk cafe was approved in fall 2023.

During that time, Aparicio told The Inquirer, he was hit by fines and told by an L&I officer that the agency would remove his tables and chairs. After that, he started hiding the furniture at his house during off hours.

From 2023: Someone has been mass reporting illegal sidewalk cafes in Philly to 311. Some people want user FD22 to stop.

“It was very confusing and upsetting,” Aparicio said. “We’re not doing anything bad. We’re not selling drugs. We’re not trying to do anything but build community.”

El Chingón is just one block outside East Passyunk Avenue’s by-right area. Aparicio estimated he spent $10,000 after securing his zoning ordinance to retain an architect, an engineer, and a lawyer to help him navigate the permitting process.

It’s experiences like these that incense Landau, she said.

“All the restaurants that we spoke to, they all said that the city does not waste any time to fine them or tell them what it’s doing wrong, but it’s not there to help them in a positive way,” Landau said. ”We must cut red tape to make it easier for restaurants to do a very simple thing: put some tables and chairs outside.”

Staff writer Anna Orso contributed to this article.

November 20, 2025
Thanksgiving wine pairings are notoriously tricky. Here’s why you should skip the ‘serious reds.’

With turkey day around the corner, now is the time to stock up on suitable wines for your family’s Thanksgiving feast. To find a complete list of my go-to holiday wine suggestions, all of which are stocked in Pennsylvania’s Fine Wine and Good Spirits stores, let’s focus on the most challenging item on the holiday wine shopping list: a Thanksgiving-friendly red, like this fruity young pinot noir from Oregon.

Many people think the reason red wines are hard to pair for this holiday dinner is that turkey is a white meat that favors white wines, and there is some truth to this. Generally speaking, lighter, paler, and younger reds make the best picks for any poultry-centric meal. However, there is another complicating factor in that most red wines are dry — meaning not sweet — and the lightest reds in the fine wine space tend to also be quite tart, especially the classic styles like Italian Chianti or French Burgundy. These traits, which are usually food-pairing assets, become distinct liabilities at American Thanksgiving dinners because of the sky-high sugar content of this holiday’s traditional sauces and sides. The drier and more acidic a red wine tastes on its own, the more problematic it will taste with cranberry sauce or marshmallow-topped sweet potato casserole.

That’s why the best bet is to skip the “serious reds” at this meal and instead opt for something that is fresh, fruity, and lightweight, like this crowd-pleasing Oregon pinot noir. The sappy freshness of its raspberry and strawberry flavors will partner nicely with both the turkey and its cranberry sauce. Even better, it has cross-generational appeal at a great price and is light enough to crack at noon and continue sipping on all day.

Firesteed Pinot Noir

Firesteed Pinot Noir

Oregon; 13.5% ABV

PLCB Item #4999, on sale for $15.69 through Nov. 30 (regularly $17.69)

Also available at: WineWorks in Marlton ($15.99; wineworksonline.com), Canal’s of Glassboro in Glassboro ($16.99; canalsofglassboro.com), and Total Wine & More in Wilmington and Claymont, Del. ($17.69; totalwine.com).

November 20, 2025
Stephen Starr’s Borromini should be a showstopper. Instead, it’s a shrug.

Borromini’s 100-layer lasagna looks like a miracle of noodle engineering. It’s the kind of “more is more” pasta spectacle that commands its own showcase box on the menu, puts curious diners in chairs, and requires a team of three dedicated attendants in Borromini’s vast kitchen to meticulously construct its layers — a tall stack of pasta sheets alternating with microscopic schmears of ricotta, creamy béchamel, and tomato sauce — that get baked, sliced, then crisped on one side, to be served atop a puddle of pomodoro.

Its intricate ridges are beautiful to behold. But to eat, this lasagna is more like a doorstop than a showstopper. The layers are so tightly compressed, it’s closer to a muddled mush than a deck of delicate harmonies, a squidgy blur of cheese and dough whose individual virtues could have been more compellingly conveyed in 10 layers rather than 100. Add a slow-cooked, jammy tomato sauce that leans sweet rather than bright and lively, and the final effect is one-dimensional. It has subtly evolved over the course of my multiple visits, but each time it prompted a disappointed shrug.

The 100-layer lasagna at Borromini has been constantly evolving. This version, eaten in November, three months after opening, has been called “the final version” by owner Stephen Starr.

Borromini, 1805 Walnut St., on Aug. 16, 2025.

That’s not the thrill I expected from the marquee dish at this glitzy $20 million, 320-seat trattoria, whose dramatically lit column facade glows red over the northern edge of Rittenhouse Square. Stephen Starr’s first major hometown restaurant in years (and his 41st overall) is arguably the biggest opening in Philly in 2025. He went all out transforming the former Barnes & Noble into what many have aspiringly dubbed “the Italian Parc,” a two-story Roman-themed palace with vaulted ceilings, an intricate stone chip floor, and walls lined with 3,000 bottles. Starr brought on legendary New York restaurateur Keith McNally to design the space (Starr has syndicated McNally’s Pastis bistro to multiple cities since they partnered to revive it in 2018).

He also enlisted a hive of respected culinary minds to create the menu over the course of 90-plus tastings, with his corporate food team and Borromini’s executive chef, Julian Alexander Baker, collaborating with Mark Ladner, the former chef of New York’s now-closed Del Posto, where Starr first tasted a magical rendition of that lasagna many years ago.

Stephen Starr (left) and chef Mark Ladner discuss Borromini’s version of Ladner’s signature 100-layer lasagna during a menu tasting at Borromini on July 15, 2025.

Ladner initially declined to recreate that decades-old hit when first asked. Starr should have listened. But Ladner — now the chef at Babbo, which Starr reopened in New York in October (and where a meaty version of that lasagna is also a menu feature) — ultimately gave in.

There are plenty of other, more admirable dishes on the menu here, including the focaccia di Recco from another consulting chef, Nancy Silverton, the LA star with whom Starr runs Osteria Mozza in D.C. The hot crisp of her flatbread’s wafer-thin rounds sandwiching tangy stracchino cheese is the one dish I order every time. I loved the contrast of silky braised oxtail that gathered in the frilly-edged ribbons of the house-extruded mafaldine. And the calamarata pasta loops, paired “Sicilian lifeguard”-style with look-alike rings of tender squid, chili spice, and golden raisins, is exactly the kind of delicious, obscure regional dish that shows how infinitely surprising the world of pastas can be.

The focaccia di Recco at Borromini is layered with tangy stracchino cheese.

The “Sicilian lifeguard” calaramata with calamari and golden raisins at Borromini in Philadelphia, on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025.

But Borromini is more about polishing the familiar than unearthing regional quirks. And that big lasagna has become an apt metaphor for why Borromini’s food too often seems off. No matter how grand the ambitions of a dish (or this restaurant in general) may be, stellar Italian food comes down to finesse, touch, and soul — elements that a kitchen-by-committee cannot engineer. In a town with exceptional Italian restaurants in varied styles, not to mention a population with a deep reservoir of red-gravy family nostalgia, the room for error is slim for a dining experience that averages just under $80 per person (before tax and tip).

The crisply fried squash blossoms stuffed with lemony ricotta and the hamachi crudo dressed simply with Meyer lemon and olive oil were tasty, if not necessarily distinctive. The arugula with shaved raw artichokes would be my salad pick. The massive, fork-tender osso buco, a 1-pound shank drizzled with brown jus over saffron risotto with a marrow spoon poking skyward from its bone, is as close to textbook Milanese perfection as Borromini gets.

The osso bucco at Borromini in Philadelphia, on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025.

Borromini’s kitchen, however, struggled with consistency on several other traditional dishes. My favorite of the restaurant’s minimalist Roman-style pastas is the bucatini all’Amatriciana that’s brought to the table in the pan. But will you receive the version I tasted most recently, its simple tomato sauce vividly infused with the juniper- and pepper-sparked savor of properly rendered guanciale? Or will it taste bitter from the scorched nubs of cured pork I encountered at a previous meal?

The pasta all’Amatriciana at Borromini in Philadelphia, on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025.

People dining in at Borromini in Philadelphia, on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025.

I might agree with my Italian server, Thomas, that Borromini’s carbonara is one of the best I’ve tasted in Philly, its mezze rigatoni tubes glazed in a golden shine of well-tempered eggs and guanciale fat. Too bad it was already cold when I took a bite the moment it arrived at my table.

A number of the pastas were notable, including a spaghetti bright with lemon, butter, and pasta water, a deft display of minimalist satisfaction. I was also a fan of the Sardinian gnochetti with blue crab, uni, and tomatoes that brought a burst of seafood savor some other pastas lacked — like the linguine with clams that was virtually brothless, or the lobster spaghetti that was bountiful with crustacean but whose sauce lacked depth. The short rib agnolotti might have been excellent had their dumpling dough not been so thick.

The cacio e pepe has been consistently disappointing. Its peppercorn-speckled noodles were pasty and dry, with no halo of creamy sauce to spare. The clam pizzetta was a floppy round of spongy dough piled high with chopped Italian clams that radiated raw garlic. The $125 bistecca alla Fiorentina, a 2-pound prime porterhouse centerpiece for sharing, was so achingly oversalted, it wasted an otherwise stellar slab of beef that had been lovingly massaged with confit garlic butter.

The kitchen’s other stations turned in mixed results, as well. I much preferred the crispy-skinned dorade with salsa verde to the branzino with white beans, which was also horrendously oversalted. The eggplant parm was stiff with too much breading, though the splurge-worthy bone-in veal parm for $72 was good (unfortunately, they’ve since resorted to a boneless version). The lamb chops with salsa verde were more memorable, as was the rabbit cacciatore served in its metal crock with peppers and Castelvetrano olives, a rustic gem inspired by feedback from yet another consulting voice, the legendary Lidia Bastianich.

The mafaldine with braised oxtail ragu at Borromini.

Folks dining in at the bar at Borromini in Philadelphia, on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025.

It would be wrong to call Borromini a total bomb. Any place with a steady deluge of crowds putting it on target to generate $20 million in annual revenue has to be doing something right, and that would be its La Dolce Vita vibes. These sprawling rooms are a boisterous and glamorous crossroads for a broad swath of Philadelphians out for a night in their finest — fueled by flutes of “mini-tinis” (which my guest gleefully declared “filthy” with salty burrata brine), sweet-side Negronis, and Cynar-spiked espresso martinis.

Starr’s greatest talent may be his gift for building energetic public spaces that feel as if they’ve always been there. And while Borromini lacks the corner space and open cafe windows that allow Parc in its al fresco moments to become part of the fabric of Rittenhouse Square, McNally has crafted a Fellini-esque stage set of leather booths, honeyed light, and linen-draped wooden tables that feels magnetic — especially the undulating copper bar on the ground floor, where an intriguing collection of 100-plus amari and digestivi awaits.

All my servers — five different people over the course of my visits — were personable, outgoing, and well-prepared to make smart pairing suggestions.

I should have stuck with their suggestions to indulge those digestivi with desserts. The airy tiramisu here backfired, its lightweight cloud of whipped mascarpone lacking the richness to counter an overzealous cocoa shower and the wickedly acidic twang of ladyfingers soaked in espresso.

My favorite finish was sour in the best way possible: a hollowed-out lemon stuffed with sweet-tart lemon sorbetto. You’ve maybe seen something just like this in your neighborhood Italian place, brought in from the Italian frozen dessert powerhouse Bindi. But this was Borromini at its best, transforming something familiar into a better, fresher, more elegant version of itself. It will make you smile even as it puts a pucker on your face.

The lemon sorbetto served inside a hollowed-out lemon at Borromini in Philadelphia, on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025.

Borromini

1805 Walnut St., 215-596-1000, borrominiristorante.com

Lunch served Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dinner served Sunday through Wednesday, 5 to 10 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday, until 11 p.m. Brunch Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Dinner pastas and entrees, $19-$72.

Wheelchair accessible.

There are several gluten-free options, including high-quality gluten-free pasta, which can be substituted with most sauces.

Drinks: The bar program offers 19 Italian wines by the glass, ranging from $12 house wines to $27 Franciacorta, a deep bottle list with more prestige options, Italian cocktails heavy on the expected spritzes and Negroni variations, and a list of nearly 100 amari and digestivi.

Menu Highlights: focaccia di Recco, squash blossoms; hamachi crudo; artichoke-arugula salad; pastas (spaghetti al limon, gnochetti sardi with crab, oxtail mafaldine, spaghetti all’Amatriciana, carbonara, “Sicilian lifeguard” calamarata); polpetta; rabbit cacciatore; dorade; osso buco; sorbetto al limon.

Borromini, the new Italian restaurant on Rittenhouse Square, in Philadelphia, July 29, 2025.

Some of the first-floor dining area at Borromini in Philadelphia, Pa., on Tuesday, August 12, 2025.

November 20, 2025
We asked you to predict Philly’s first Michelin Star winners. Here’s how close you were
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How our readers’ votes Compare To the Michelin Guide

By

Charmaine Runes

Nov 20, 2025

The Michelin Guide provided some shocks on Tuesday night. Here’s how accurate our readers were.

Last week, we asked our readers which restaurants deserved Michelin recognition. On Tuesday the long wait for Michelin Stars in Philly ended when the winners were revealed at a ceremony at the Kimmel Center. Here’s how close Inquirer readers were to the Michelin Guide’s recommendations…

Yes

No

Royal Sushi & Izakaya

64%

35%

Friday Saturday Sunday

62%

37%

Kalaya

58%

41%

Zahav

50%

49%

Vetri Cucina

46%

53%

Provenance

38%

62%

Vernick Food & Drink

36%

63%

Her Place

35%

65%

Mawn

33%

66%

My Loup

27%

72%

Honeysuckle

22%

77%

Andiario

21%

78%

Pietramala

21%

78%

Parc

21%

79%

Yes

No

Royal Sushi & Izakaya

64%

35%

Friday Saturday Sunday

62%

37%

Kalaya

58%

41%

Zahav

50%

49%

Vetri Cucina

46%

53%

Provenance

38%

62%

Vernick Food & Drink

36%

63%

Her Place

35%

65%

Mawn

33%

66%

My Loup

27%

72%

Honeysuckle

22%

77%

Andiario

21%

78%

Pietramala

21%

78%

Parc

21%

79%

Yes

No

Royal Sushi & Izakaya

64%

35%

Friday Saturday Sunday

62%

37%

Kalaya

58%

41%

Zahav

50%

49%

Vetri Cucina

46%

53%

Provenance

38%

62%

Vernick Food & Drink

36%

63%

Her Place

35%

65%

Mawn

33%

66%

My Loup

27%

72%

Honeysuckle

22%

77%

Andiario

21%

78%

Pietramala

21%

78%

Parc

21%

79%

Yes

No

Royal Sushi & Izakaya

64%

35%

Friday Saturday Sunday

62%

37%

Kalaya

58%

41%

Zahav

50%

49%

Vetri Cucina

46%

53%

Provenance

38%

62%

Vernick Food & Drink

36%

63%

Her Place

35%

65%

Mawn

33%

66%

My Loup

27%

72%

Honeysuckle

22%

77%

Andiario

21%

78%

Pietramala

21%

78%

Parc

21%

79%

Yes

No

Royal Sushi & Izakaya

64%

35%

Friday Saturday Sunday

62%

37%

Kalaya

58%

41%

Zahav

50%

49%

Vetri Cucina

46%

53%

Provenance

38%

62%

Vernick Food & Drink

36%

63%

Her Place

35%

65%

Mawn

33%

66%

My Loup

27%

72%

Honeysuckle

22%

77%

Andiario

21%

78%

Pietramala

21%

78%

Parc

21%

79%

Readers

Michelin Guide

Only one restaurant – Friday Saturday Sunday – received both a star from the Michelin Guide and a yes from a majority (62%) of our readers.

Readers

Michelin Guide

Two other restaurants were given a Michelin star but received majority no votes from our readers – Her Place and Provenance, with only 35% and 38% of readers voting yes.

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Readers

Michelin Guide

Royal Sushi & Izakaya clinched a 64% yes from our readers. While it was snubbed for a Star, it still secured a Bib Gourmand – a category for establishments with excellent, albeit not star-worthy, food for the price.

More than half of our readers also voted yes for Kalaya and Zahav. Although they didn’t receive a star, they both earned a spot on the guide’s list of recommendations.

Readers

Michelin Guide

None of these restaurants received a Michelin star, which our readers agreed with.

But stars aren’t the only way the guide gives restaurants their flowers. Vetri Cucina, Vernick Food & Drink, My Loup, Honeysuckle, and Pietramala all landed spots on the guide’s recommendations list.

Pietramala also received a Green Star award for its commitment to sustainability.

Hungry for more Michelin coverage? Check out our recap of last night’s ceremony and the most vital 76 Philly-area restaurants of 2025.

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Staff Contributors

Design, development, and reporting: Charmaine Runes

Data: Charmaine Runes and Aileen Clarke

Editing: Sam Morris

Illustration: Steve Madden

Copy Editing: Brian Leighton

Topics mentioned in this story

Kalaya Friday Saturday Sunday Royal Sushi and Izakaya Zahav Vetri Cucina Provenance Vernick Food & Drink Her Place Mawn My Loup Honeysuckle Andiario Pietramala Parc
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November 20, 2025
The cost of Thanksgiving dinner dropped this year, agriculture group says

Here’s one thing to be grateful for this holiday season: A typical Thanksgiving dinner is more affordable this year than last, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

The average cost of a Thanksgiving feast for 10 people — including turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream — will cost $55.18, or $5.52 per person, the group found.

That number varies by region. The Thanksgiving grocery haul was cheapest in the South, at $50.01, and most expensive in the West, at $61.75.

This is the third year in a row the price has declined after reaching a historic high of $64.05 in 2022.

The farm group, which has tracked Thanksgiving meal prices for 40 years, compiled data from grocery stores in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. It did not take into account promotional coupons or deals found online or in-store.

The star of Thanksgiving — the turkey, of course — helped bring down the overall cost of dinner this year. The average price of a 16-pound frozen bird decreased by 16 percent from last year to $21.50, or $1.34 per pound. The report said that its volunteers tracked prices during the first week of November but noted that grocery stores have been featuring Thanksgiving deals to draw in customers and are likely to lower prices further ahead of the holiday.

“Farmers are still working to rebuild turkey flocks that were devastated by avian influenza, but overall demand has also fallen,” Faith Parum, an economist at the American Farm Bureau Federation, said in a statement. “The combination will help ensure turkey will remain an affordable option for families celebrating Thanksgiving.”

Low wheat prices helped bring down the cost of items requiring flour, such as dinner rolls, stuffing mix and frozen pie crusts. But the cost of vegetables shot up, the farm group found. A a one-pound veggie tray of carrots and celery increased more than 60 percent, while sweet potatoes increased by 37 percent. The AFB attributed those increases to hurricane damage in North Carolina, the country’s largest producer of sweet potatoes, and possible supply-chain disruptions, such as from weather or labor shortages.

The Thanksgiving holiday comes right after more than 41 million people were left without food stamps this month because of the government shutdown. Many Americans are reporting higher grocery prices, while also feeling the financial pinch from increases in electricity bills and housing costs.

November 20, 2025
All three Philly men who earned Michelin stars share this common thread: They’re proud ‘Wife Guys’

Representatives behind Philly’s three Michelin starred restaurants are lauded for their culinary skills, hospitality, and showmanship. But the men involved with each of them also have this shared trait: They’re all certified Wife Guys.

For those uninitiated, a wife guy is a colloquial way to refer to someone who is all about their marriage and finds ways to talk about their devotion whenever possible. (There are some instances where this phrase is used snarkily, but in this case, we mean it genuinely as a compliment and in earnest.)

A night of Michelin culinary stars and even a few cheesesteaks: Philly’s big showing in the restaurant awards

When chefs Amanda Shulman and Alex Kemp stepped on stage to receive Her Place Supper Club’s one-star honor, Kemp stepped to the side, opting not to be photographed alongside the Michelin Man.

“Amanda is the hardest working woman in show business,” Kemp told The Inquirer on Wednesday. “She deserves this. I felt super proud of her, but I didn’t want to take her thunder.”

While Kemp is part-owner of Her Place, Shulman founded the restaurant and is the face (and chef) of the project.

Emcee for the night, Java Ingram, remarked on stage how Kemp’s gesture to step aside was “classy.”

He wasn’t the only one paying tribute to his wife that night.

Power couple Chad and Hanna Williams, who are behind star-winning restaurant Friday Saturday Sunday, also displayed their love for each other. Chad Williams could be seen on stage holding his wife and kissing her cheek after they received their award and Michelin jackets.

“Love and partnership is the foundation of this restaurant,” Williams later told The Inquirer of his display. “We got married in the kitchen for God’s sake. To have earned a Michelin star is my greatest accomplishment but to have done it with my wife is a dream come true.”

Finally, there was Provenance, the surprise of the night, pulling off a star within the atelier’s first year of opening.

Michelin international director Gwendal Poullennec asked Nicholas Bazik on stage what his inspiration was. While holding the mic, he pointed to his wife, Eunbin Whang. “She’s right over there,” Bazik said as the crowd erupted in “aws.” Whang demurely approached Bazik on stage, covering her face, tearful and proud as Bazik draped his arm around her.

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“There would be no Provenance without my wife,” Bazik told The Inquirer, citing her influence on his “culinary identity,” blending French and Korean culture and cuisine.

So is love a prerequisite to getting a star?

Bazik seems to think so.

“Everybody needs a constant, something that can help center them. This is a hard job that oscillates between insanity and reality checks. Love is that thread.”

Kemp concurs.

“Or maybe it’s being a ‘family guy,’” he quipped when asked by The Inquirer for his take. “Amanda is a very easy person to love. She’s my best friend. We do everything together. We spend every moment of the day talking or working together.”

He added, “I love being a wife guy. It’s cool being a wife guy.”

November 19, 2025
Is there a difference between a Michelin star, Bib, and recommendation? Yes, but all are good for Philly restaurants
Tuesday night had Philly seeing stars — three, to be exact.

Three Philadelphia restaurants won coveted Michelin stars at the Northeast Cities award ceremony at the Kimmel Center, the city’s first after announcing in May that the prestigious restaurant rating system was finally going to include Philly.

The ceremony also honored restaurants from New York City, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Boston, which also made its Michelin debut as the gastronomic guide has expanded rapidly around the United States in recent years. Anonymous Michelin inspectors were dispatched to Philly months ago to scout, dining in secret and often visiting the same places repeatedly to ensure consistency.

And while Michelin tends to be synonymous with stars (and, yeah, tires), there are other ways to earn recognition. Thirty-one other Philly restaurants — including three cheesesteak shops — earned Michelin honors below the star level. These included 10 Bib Gourmands and 21 recommendations.

What’s the difference between a Michelin star, a Bib, and a recommendation? And who won top honors? We explain.

What is a Michelin star?

A Michelin star is the most prestigious honor a restaurant can earn from the Michelin Guide and typically recognizes fine dining restaurants.

Restaurants do not apply to be inspected, nor can they be nominated. Anonymous inspectors visit restaurants repeatedly throughout the year — often on different days and at different times — and rate them on the following criteria, according to the guide’s website:
- Quality of ingredients
- Harmony of flavors
- Mastery of culinary techniques
- Consistency across menu and time
- How a chef’s personality is reflected in the food
Thomas Keller high-fives the the Michelin Man during the announcements Tuesday at the Kimmel Center.

Restaurants can earn up to three Michelin stars. One star is a restaurant that is “worth a stop,” according to the guide, for top-quality ingredients. Two stars is a “worth a detour,” while a three-star restaurant is “worth a journey” for cooking that feels like art. Three-star ratings are rare. Only New York City’s Sushi Sho hit the star maximum on Tuesday.

Stars are awarded annually, and restaurants can gain or lose Michelin stars over time, kind of like experience points in a video game. They can also be a big boost for business: Chefs told Eater that one Michelin Star is worth a 20% jump in sales, while other chefs have reported three stars can increase them up to 100%.

Which Philly restaurants earned Michelin stars?

Provenance, Her Place Supper Club, and Friday Saturday Sunday all earned one Michelin star at Tuesday night’s ceremony.

Chefs Chad and Hanna Williams took over Friday Saturday Sunday in 2016, transforming the old Rittenhouse Square restaurant into a James-Beard Award winning tasting experience that mixes Caribbean, Asian, and soul food references. “The long, narrow, lively, and warmly run restaurant is up a steep flight of stairs — and those stairs will seem even steeper when it’s time to leave,” Michelin said of the restaurant, which plans to expand. “Expect an atmosphere as spirited and enjoyable as the food.”

Friday Saturday Sunday, run by chef Chad Williams and his wife, Hanna, earns a star at the Kimmel Center on Tuesday.

Her Place Supper Club is another multicourse menu, only this one was born from the dinner parties chef Amanda Shulman threw in her college apartment while a student at the University of Pennsylvania. Shulman is known for explaining the inspiration and makeup of each dish as it’s set in front of diners, which Michelin wrote contributes to a “a real communal feel.”

Chef Nich Bazik’s Provenance is the youngest Philly restaurant to receive top honors, open for a year in August. Bazik oversees an elaborate, seasonal 20- to 25-dish tasting menu that combines French and Korean flavors often inspired by his wife, Bazik said at Tuesday’s ceremony. Provenance is a “high-wire, high-stakes performance defined by precision,” Michelin wrote.

Provenance sous chefs Zac Cohen (left) and Nicholas Piwinski present a collection of canapés to guest at the Headhouse Square restaurant on Oct. 17, 2024.

What is a Bib Gourmand?

The Bib Gourmand celebrates restaurants “that serve exceptional food at great value,” according to the Michelin Guide’s website. It was first announced in 1997 as a more budget-friendly companion to the stars.

Previous honorees range from Katz’s — the iconic no-frills Jewish deli on Manhattan’s Lower East Side — and a counter-service-only sandwich stand in Atlanta, to small taquerias, dim sum restaurants, and the occasional hole-in-the-wall.

Like Michelin-starred restaurants, Bib Gourmand awardees can use the designation in their marketing. In some cases, the honor has saved restaurants from closing.

A trio of cheesesteaks from Angelo’s Pizzeria, which earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand on Tuesday.

Which Philly restaurants earned a Bib Gourmand?

Ten Philly restaurants took home a Bib Gourmand on Tuesday night. Naturally, three of them were cheesesteak shops. Here’s the full list:
- Angelo’s Pizzeria
- Dalessandro’s Steaks
- Del Rossi’s
- Dizengoff
- El Chingón
- Famous 4th Street Deli
- Fiorella
- Pizzeria Beddia
- Sally
- Royal Sushi & Izakaya
Cemita clasica, remolacha, and al pastor tacos at El Chingón, which earned a coveted Michelin Bib Gourmand on Tuesday.

What is a Michelin-recommended restaurant?

Michelin-recommended restaurants are simply “establishments serving good food,” according to the guide’s website. They are judged on the same five signature criteria as starred restaurants.

“A restaurant in the Recommended selection is the sign of a chef using quality ingredients that are well cooked; simply a good meal,” said Michael Ellis, the former international director of Michelin Guide books, in the post. “It means that the inspectors have found the food to be above average, but not quite at star or Bib level.”

In other words, shoot for the stars and hopefully fall among the recs.

The Philadelphia chefs acknowledged at the Michelin Guide announcements Tuesday at the Kimmel Center.

Like restaurants with a Bib Gourmand, those that earned recommendations can also use the notation as a marketing tool. Admittedly, the designation used to be a bigger deal before 2020, when Michelin digitized the guide. Before, recommendations were listed in bound red travel guides that the tire company first used as a sneaky promotion to nudge people to take more road trips (and thus, buy more tires).

Recommended restaurants are not precluded from earning stars later on. In fact, insiders think of it as a watchlist for establishments that might get a star in the future.

The hot tamales from Honeysuckle at 631 N. Broad St., which is now a Michelin Guide recommended restaurant.

Which restaurants did Michelin recommend in Philly?

Michelin recommended 21 restaurants in Philly. They are:
- Ambra
- Forsythia
- High Street
- Hiroki
- Honeysuckle
- Illata
- Kalaya
- Laser Wolf
- Laurel
- Little Water
- Mish Mish
- My Loup
- Pietramala
- River Twice
- Roxanne
- Southwark
- Suraya
- Vedge
- Vernick Food & Drink
- Vetri Cucina
- Zahav
Honeynut squash with husk cherry, habanero, and pumpkin seed tahini at Pietramala. The vegan Philadelphia restaurant earned a Michelin Green Star for sustainability, as a well as a recommendation.

Were there any other awards to take home?

Yes. Aside from earning a recommendation, chef Ian Graye’s vegan Northern Liberties BYOB Pietramala also earned a Green Star for demonstrating a commitment to sustainability.

There is no specific formula for awarding a Green Star, according to the Michelin Guide website, though criteria such as environmental footprint, the use of seasonal produce, resource management, and how food waste is treated are considered.

Ian Graye, of Pietramala earned a Green Star award at the Michelin Guide announcement event at the Kimmel Center.

“Chef Ian Graye seeks out foragers and small local suppliers for plants, herbs and fruits and also does his own fermenting and preserving,“ read the blurb included in the Michelin Guide for Pietramala. “His menu offers a selection of around 10 dishes designed for sharing — around three per person should more than suffice when ordering — and his cooking comes with a slight Italian accent.”

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November 19, 2025
Did Michelin get it right? The Inquirer food team weighs in on its Philly picks.

Last night, Michelin entered the Philadelphia dining scene for the first time. Three restaurants got a one-star rating: Friday Saturday Sunday, Provenance, and Her Place Supper Club. Another 31 got recognition from Michelin, as either a “selected” restaurant or a Bib Gourmand.

So did the vaunted international arbiter of dining get it right in Philadelphia? Well, we have some notes. Restaurant critic Craig LaBan sat down with food reporters Michael Klein and Kiki Aranita, who both attended Tuesday night’s awards, to chat about what Michelin got right and what they missed.

The Philadelphia chefs acknowledged at the Michelin Guide announcements Tuesday at the Kimmel Center.

A night of stars and surprises

Craig LaBan, restaurant critic: I was not surprised by the stingy amount of stars given, or even those who received them, but there were notable snubs, including in the value-oriented Bib Gourmands, where some of their choices were big, blatant misses. Vetri Cucina missing out on a deserved star might have been my biggest “oh boy” moment.

Mike Klein, food reporter: I liked how Michelin seemed to ignore a lot of what we would consider “obvious” picks and seemed to look deeper than other outside groups. (I’m referring to the national magazines, which basically only amplify the local critics’ work.)

Kiki Aranita, food reporter: I’m surprised that so many cheesesteak joints got recognition but almost no Asian places, save for Hiroki, Kalaya, and Royal Sushi & Izakaya. I feel like we’re more of a Vietnamese food town than a cheesesteak town, but you’d never guess it from looking at the Michelin Guide. I’m also surprised to see Hiroki recognized but not Ogawa. Based on my deep survey of omakases for The 76.

Chef Marc Vetri (left) and Chad Williams, of Friday Saturday Sunday, during the cocktail hour, at the Michelin Guide announcements Tuesday at the Kimmel Center.

CL: And the lack of attention to Mexican food! I’m thrilled for Carlos Aparicio at El Chingón, one of my longtime favorites — but that is one of the most exciting genres in Philly right now.

MK: Maybe Michelin felt it needed to jump into the cheesesteak debate.

CL: So cliché. And also, Dalessandro’s? C’mon! Angelo’s and Del Rossi’s belong, but I had a memorably bad cheesesteak at Dalessandro’s this spring that looked like the beef had been fed to a wood chipper before it was slapped it on my bun.

Also, if we’re really talking about delving into Philly’s street-food sandwich cred — why not a special hoagie or roast pork place? John’s Roast Pork comes to mind. This felt like an obligatory street-food addition from inspectors with little background in Philly food.

MK: My biggest surprise was that Jesse Ito’s omakase counter didn’t get a star (the izakaya got a Bib), and I suspect that was because the inspectors could not get in. Though “everyone” seems to put it on their best-of lists, Michelin apparently didn’t pull strings.

Chef Jesse Ito and Mia Colona at the Michelin Guide announcements Tuesday at the Kimmel Center.

CL: I also agree with Kiki on the subject of Asian restaurants, which are among our most exciting dining destinations: Vietnamese, Cambodian, Indonesian, and Chinese, of course. Mawn was a noticeable omission, but I suspect they simply didn’t put in the work to get a table, or wait for one at lunch. Sort of lazy, to be honest.

Let’s talk about the snubs

CL: On the subject of Royal Sushi & Izakaya, it’s clear to me from talking to Jesse, who’s seen a copy of the blurb they’re publishing, that they did not get into the omakase. Again, that seems like they just didn’t do the work required of a respected authority on fine dining. But, well, it’s just the first year. Also, a Bib is exactly the correct rating for the izakaya — and a great kudos for that side of the restaurant.

MK: Snubs: Jean Georges. He wins everywhere. Why not here?

CL: Why not JG? Because it’s not a good restaurant. I had one of my worst scouting meals of the summer there this year. The menu seems both dated and aimless and not well-executed. I had a fish dish with a strawberry-tahini sauce the color of Pepto-Bismol that I still shudder to remember.

MK: Snubs: Nothing for Stephen Starr, who only has one one-star in his entire portfolio (Le Coucou). Wasn’t Barclay Prime even worth a Recommended?

CL: I do think Barclay is the best steakhouse in Philly, and possibly Starr’s best, most consistent restaurant. But how often does Michelin recognize steakhouses? Barclay is less formulaic than most, but it’s less cheffy than your typical Michelin nod.

Joe Beddia (from left), Greg Root, Nick Kennedy (rear), Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, and Roland Kassis with the Michelin Man at the Michelin Guide announcement Tuesday at the Kimmel Center.

KA: Craig, are you at all surprised Kalaya didn’t get a Star?

CL: Yes, I was a little surprised Kalaya didn’t get a star. It’s not really a tasting-menu place. But the flavors are so explosive, the personality in [chef] Nok [Suntaranon]’s cuisine is so vivid and distinct, it seems like a slam dunk, really. But it’s also a very big restaurant. Anything could have detracted from the experience — the service, the noise, whatever. I do think her cooking measures up to the criterion they’ve stated.

What were you happy to see?

KA: I did think they took an expansive view of independent, chef-driven restaurants.

CL: I was surprised and thrilled with all the attention directed to Pietramala, our best vegan restaurant right now — and one of the best in all genres, period. The extra award for his pursuit of sustainability was spot on, because it is next-level.

Ian Graye, of Pietramala earned a Green Star award at the Michelin Guide announcement event at the Kimmel Center Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, in Philadelphia.

KA: I was absolutely thrilled by that. I also did point out to [chef] Ian [Graye] that his green star was made of plastic.

MK: My hot take is that many of the Recommended restaurants are being poised for stars in the future, assuming they step it up. But hey: Vernick, Vetri, and Zahav? That I don’t get.

KA: Mike, I agree — and that is how Recommended restaurants work. They show us what inspectors have on their radar.

I think Michelin more than any other list or awards entity analyzes what is on the plate, and is it delicious? (Sure, we can argue about what is delicious — but it’s delicious to them at a particular time.) [The World’s] 50 Best does seem to celebrate restaurants with excellent PR, while James Beard [Awards] looks at many different aspects of a restaurant, to the detriment of delicious (at times).

Hanna Williams looks on as husband Chad Williams and Lynette Brown-Sow FaceTime after the Michelin Guide awards Tuesday at the Kimmel Center.

What would you like to see Michelin consider next year?

KA: I would hope that they think about entering Chinatown.

MK: To Kiki’s point: Nothing from Chinatown?

KA: Let’s really drive that home. Nothing from Chinatown but three cheesesteak places?

CL: For the next guide, I’d love them to better explore Philly’s traditional sandwich culture beyond cheesesteaks, our great Chinatown, our fish house legacy (Oyster House could have been a bib).

MK: P.S. Everyone I saw at the awards ceremony came away with something. Maybe not the star they craved, but hey — Michelin is no small potatoes.

Amanda Shulman (right) and Alex Kemp react after winning the prestigious Michelin star for Her Place Supper Club at Tuesday’s Michelin ceremony at the Kimmel Center.

CL: My big takeaway is that this is just the beginning. Michelin has made its initial preferences known, but will surely add to its recommendations every year. Places like D.C., whose dining scene I believe we can compete with, only has more stars because it’s been at it longer. My only hope is that restaurateurs keep cooking from the heart, and that they don’t alter what they do simply in pursuit of a star.

I think the aspects of this city that have made it such a draw for out-of-town chefs in recent years (the affordability, low bar to access, a sophisticated audience) will equally draw chefs who aspire to build a Michelin-style restaurant here. It will cost less to do it than D.C. or NYC! (Even if Nich Bazik might protest that fact). In Philly, everything now is on the table, and I’m kind of more excited than I expected to be to see now where it heads.

November 19, 2025
One of Philadelphia’s Michelin-recommended restaurants will be closing for good on Friday

Barely 12 hours after Michelin included the fine-dining destination Laurel among its list of Recommended restaurants, chef Nicholas Elmi delivered the news that its final night of service would be Friday.

Laurel’s closing after 12 years had been set in motion over the summer, as Elmi told The Inquirer in June that its lease was ending and that he wanted to open in Rittenhouse.

Wednesday’s announcement on Instagram included word that reservations were available for a seven-course meal prepared by Elmi and chef de cuisine Kevin McWilliams.

Chef/owner Nicholas Elmi, general manager Jane Fryer, and chef Kevin McWilliams outside of Laurel on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023.

Although honored with the Michelin accolade, “I feel like I’ve known what’s been going on over the past year, so I’ve already gone through the whole gamut of emotions,” Elmi said. “Last night was incredibly motivational for me — it made me redouble my efforts and figure out what my next step is. So that’s where I am: keeping my options open, keeping my eyes open, and trying to remain inspired.”

The closing a week before Thanksgiving after a five-month wind-down was intentional. “Everyone’s starting new jobs in December, so it lets them take a week and a half off, get through Thanksgiving, decompress a little before moving on to the next stage of their lives and careers,” he said. “And it gives me the month of December to clear the place out and get myself organized. Winding down a business isn’t just flipping a switch — there’s a lot of paperwork to get through right now.”

Elmi said he was looking forward to family time as well as focusing on his Bala Cynwyd restaurants Lark and the Landing Kitchen, as well as the Pump House events venue, which he own with Fia Berisha.

What’s next for Elmi and Laurel?

The new restaurant will not be the same as Laurel, he said. “As the culinary landscape of Philadelphia has changed, Laurel needs to be updated, whatever form that takes. There are a couple of different concepts we’re playing with right now. I think Michelin is certainly going to improve the aspect of fine dining in Philadelphia, and I want to take some time to figure out what that means to me in the context of how I’ve grown up cooking and doing fine dining over the past 20 years.”

He said he was unsure if the Laurel name will continue.: “There’s a big part of me that understands Laurel is a recognized, branded name. But Laurel was also a little, tiny, beautiful restaurant stuffed into an apartment on a street in South Philadelphia. It was so intimate and so fun, and it represented a really cool moment in my life — being able to cook like that, and cook so freely.

“There’s part of me that wants that to remain a memory, not only for myself but for the people who worked there and for the guests who came through over the past 12 years. So I’m still struggling with the idea. I’d love to carry the name on, but that name carries weight, and there’s an expectation that comes with it. Moving into something different isn’t off the table.”

November 19, 2025
Philly’s big Michelin night! | Let’s Eat
What a night! Nearly three dozen Michelin restaurants in the 215!

Also in this edition:
- Our favorite pies: It was a crumby job, but someone had to do it.
- Mmm. Milk buns: This new burger shop bakes its own.
- Changeover: A new BYOB from a Mexican chef.
— Mike Klein

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A very Philly Michelin night

For the first time ever, Philadelphia has a Michelin star. Three, in fact. Plus 31 other restaurants with Michelin acclaim, including three cheesesteak spots!

We lay out last night’s winners and what it all means. (Beyond the fact that you might never be able to be a walk-in anymore.)

Our favorite pies

You say you’re not baking this year? No worries. We scouted outlets for pie, and we’ve found bakeries that are a cut above. Check out our map.

Where to eat along Marathon route

Sunday’s Philadelphia Marathon wends from Old City out to Manayunk. If you’re watching with kids, here are 10 restaurants that can accommodate everyone relatively painlessly.

Chef puts his stock in milk buns

Chef Yehuda Sichel of the sandwich shop Huda has gone into the burger biz with Huda Burger, set right in the middle of everything in Fishtown. The secret sauce, as it were, is his fluffy, house-made milk buns.

A look back at the Inquirer Food Fest

🤤 A recap of some of the tastier bites from last weekend’s Inquirer Food Fest.

🧁 Watch Eagles star Jordan Mailata and his wife, Niki, judge the Great Inquirer Bake-Off.

Scoops

Luna Cafe in Kensington is making a short but substantial move, ceding its home at Third Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue for a new space two blocks away at the Luxe (1705 N. American St.), allowing owner Sarah Varisano to grow the brand without leaving the neighborhood she’s called home for 13 years. Varisano, who started Luna in Old City 10 years ago as a new Drexel University MBA grad, will close the current cafe after brunch service on Dec. 14 and expects an April reopening. Luna’s familiar identity — full-service brunch, breakfast, coffee-to-go — will remain, while its bar and beverage program will expand. Evening hours will be added Thursday through Saturday. A key Luxe draw is the large outdoor courtyard, which Varisano expects to activate with about 50 seats for brunch, evening service, collaborations, and pop-ups.

Palm Vintage Cafe — cafe by day, high-end cocktails and sushi by night — is on the way this winter to 1414 S. Penn Square (next to La Colombe and across from City Hall at the Residences at the Ritz Carlton). Houston Yang, who also owns the new Fushimi sushi counter at Two Liberty Place, and friend Mike Beja, an engineer, plan to offer pastries, breakfast sandwiches, salads, lunch sandwiches, and coffee from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Then it goes to cocktails, sushi, caviar, oysters, and light food till 10 p.m. The tropical motif is meant to evoke a relaxed island escape in the middle of Center City.

Mei Mei in Old City is undergoing renovations. Meanwhile, owner Jay Ho is taking over the former Izakaya Fishtown space next spring with Kato, an homage to his Taiwanese father and the food he grew up eating, amped by his love of Korean, Thai, and Vietnamese cooking. Ho plans to keep the front bar intact but will transform the back sushi counter area into additional dining space with the option for private dining.

Capperini, a luxe spot serving an Italian-Mediterranean menu with a liquor license, is on its way to 137 S. Easton Rd. (at Wesley Avenue) in Glenside. Co-owner Ilya Vorobey, whose partners include the crew from Capri in Queen Village, says it should open next spring.

Restaurant report

Antonio Garcia, longtime chef of Italian restaurant Ariano in downtown Media, will open his own BYOB, Taquero, on the same block. The menu will pay homage to his Mexican roots. Above is fideo seco — noodles in a chipotle broth, served with queso fresco, crema, lump crab, and avocado. Read on as Lisa Dukart runs down the other specialties in advance of Taquero’s opening Monday on Veterans Square.

Briefly noted

Rocket Cat Cafe is not coming back to Fishtown. The long-delayed LeoFigs decided to have some fun with its neighbors with a bit of a ruse.

Percy in Fishtown has rebranded to all-day diner after mixed reviews. Pancakes for dinner under the El!

Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings, the acclaimed Shanghainese restaurant that scored a “Michelin-recommended” tag at its flagship in Queens, has set Thursday for the opening of its first Delaware location in the Christiana Shopping District, 101 Geoffrey Drive, Newark.

St. Oners, Tired Hands Brewing Co.’s eatery at 2218 Frankford Ave., will mark the release of its cannabis-inspired beer Stoner Hands on Thursday (3-10 p.m.) with an a la carte Mexican pairing menu from chef Antonio Hidalgo. Attendees get a sample pint of Stoner Hands, a 5.5% ABV terpene-infused pale ale.

Chef Nana Araba Wilmot, whose cooking is shaped by her Ghanaian heritage and informed by French, Spanish, Southern, and Asian traditions, will host a Love That I Knead Supperclub installment themed to the cultural and culinary ties between Ghana and Jamaica. The BYO dinner, hosted by 5to9 Hospitality Group, will be from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Sunday in Fishtown. It’s three courses plus welcome bites ($120 for chef’s table, $95 for general seating). A portion of proceeds benefits the Walkgood Jamaica Hurricane Relief Fund. Details are here.

Paris Baguette’s first South Jersey location will ribbon-cut at 3:30 p.m. Monday at Moorestown’s East Gate Shopping Center (105 Mall Link Rd.). Franchisees are IT professionals Ami and David Shah.

Tickets for the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America: Philadelphia 2026 — it’s March 18 at the Grand Belle at the Bellevue — are now online.

❓Pop quiz

What is the manufacturer PepsiCo doing with Doritos and Cheetos to make them more healthful?

A) frying them in avocado oil

B) baking them first in olive oil

C) eliminating artificial colors

D) making the chips thinner

Find out if you know the answer.

Ask Mike anything

What is happening on Washington Avenue near Front Street? It looks like a huge space, and yet from what I can tell online, it is a coffee shop? — Amanda J.

It will be the first Philadelphia location of Trung Nguyên Legend, the powerhouse Vietnamese coffee brand behind the G7 instant line and animal-free “weasel” coffee. Grand opening is noted in its social media as Nov. 29. It started in 1996 in Vietnam’s Central Highlands and has grown into a global chain of philosophically themed cafés and franchises, now pushing into the United States. “Weasel coffee?” you ask. That’s Vietnam’s famed civet-style brew; traditionally made from beans eaten and excreted by civets, it’s now recreated by Trung Nguyên through an enzyme-fermentation process that mimics the flavor without using animals.

📮 Have a question about food in Philly? Email your questions to me at mklein@inquirer.com for a chance to be featured in my newsletter.

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November 19, 2025