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Category: Restaurants

  • One of Philly’s most acclaimed bakeries has permanently closed

    One of Philly’s most acclaimed bakeries has permanently closed

    Facing mounting personal, legal, and financial pressures, acclaimed baker Tova Du Plessis has permanently closed Essen Bakery and said she is considering filing for bankruptcy protection, six months after she and her husband announced unexpectedly that they were “hitting pause for a few days.”

    The four-time James Beard Award nominee’s shops, on East Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia and Berks Street in Kensington, never reopened after the announcement on May 31, which blindsided her estimated two dozen employees.

    In late July, Tova Du Plessis told The Inquirer that she and her husband, Brad, were “navigating deeply personal challenges” and hoped to reopen in September. Meanwhile, disgruntled former employees and investors had been left in the dark.

    Essen Bakery’s location at 110 W. Berks St. on Oct. 29, 2025.

    Du Plessis said it took a long while before she realized that reopening was not an option. “I don’t think that I can really pull off what I need to — not just to be open, but to make it financially sustainable,” she said. “There always was that potential, but after what I experienced, I just don’t have the confidence, the head space, and the people in place.” She also said her struggle with narcolepsy, the chronic interruption of the sleep cycle, had worsened.

    Du Plessis said she had explored different plans to relaunch or restructure Essen but couldn’t make any of them work. “I think I just needed to come to terms with that,” she said.

    The early days

    Du Plessis, who turned 40 last summer, grew up in a kosher home in Johannesburg, baking challah for Shabbat each week. She and Brad, her high school sweetheart, relocated to the United States while she pursued a biology degree at the University of Houston with a goal of becoming a doctor. Following a trip to Paris, she pivoted toward cooking. They headed to California, and she enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in Napa Valley, where she specialized in baking and pastry arts.

    Chocolate-halva babka, one of the specialties at Essen Bakery.

    While working at the Restaurant at Meadowood in Napa, she met chef Michael Solomonov during his visit as a guest chef in December 2011. Soon after, she and her husband moved to Philadelphia, where she worked as a line cook at Zahav before becoming sous chef at Citron & Rose, the Main Line kosher restaurant that Solomonov and Steve Cook briefly consulted on. She then served as executive pastry chef at the Rittenhouse Hotel.

    In 2016, she leased a storefront on East Passyunk Avenue near Dickinson Street to launch Essen, which became known for its challah, babka, laminated pastries, and seasonal breads. Great reviews followed, including four James Beard Award semifinalist nominations for Outstanding Baker between 2017 and 2020.

    By 2022, with Essen outgrowing Passyunk Avenue, Du Plessis began looking for a second, larger location. In January 2023, she signed the lease on a newly constructed building on Berks Street, a half-block from the Market-Frankford El near Norris Square, at the corner of Berks and Hope.

    Brad du Plessis and Tova du Plessis at the Kensington location of Essen Bakery, 110 W. Berks St.

    Financial strain

    Tova Du Plessis said financial pressures began mounting last spring. She is facing a lawsuit filed by their Berks Street landlord over unpaid rent, and the space, just off Front Street, is being shown to prospective tenants. The landlord of Essen’s East Passyunk Avenue location has found a new tenant, Du Plessis said last week.

    The Du Plessises are also in arrears on a loan repayment to Frank Olivieri, owner of Pat’s King of Steaks. Olivieri said he and his wife, Nancy Schure, had provided a “substantial” amount of money last year to help fund the Berks Street shop, which opened in November 2024 after nearly a year of delays Du Plessis attributed to contractor issues and permitting. Initially investors, Olivieri and Schure later converted their ownership stake to a loan, he said.

    Essen Bakery’s signature black-and-white cookies.

    Olivieri said they had been customers of the Passyunk Avenue location when Brad Du Plessis contacted them last year to ask if they would be interested in investing. Olivieri said he noticed issues with day-to-day operations, and eventually, he said, “It just seemed like we were becoming more like counselors rather than investors.”

    Later, Olivieri said, the couple ignored his advice and grew silent. “You have to have an open line of communication to be successful, and unfortunately that’s one of the components that was missing,” he said.

    Employee fallout

    It was the silence that distressed the idled Essen employees, too. They told The Inquirer over the summer, after its July report that the bakery owners hoped to reopen, that they were given no clues about the business’ future. Several former employees disputed the couple’s assertion to the newspaper that they had been taken care of during the shutdown.

    In the days after the closing, one former employee said, workers messaged the couple to say that they couldn’t pay their rent and were desperate to learn when they would be able to work again. “After several promised reopening dates came and went with no opening, they simply stopped responding to staff,” said the worker, who asked for anonymity because they wanted to move on with their life.

    Essen Bakery’s first location opened in 2016 at 1437 E. Passyunk Ave.

    Another employee, who had worked at Essen from September 2024 until the shutdown, aired her grievances in a TikTok video. Others told PhillyVoice, in an article published Aug. 13, that they were suffering and that the Du Plessises were blocking the accounts of people who discussed the situation on social media.

    Personal strain

    Tova Du Plessis said that just before the shutdown, she and her husband were “discovering issues in our relationship that we didn’t understand, and it was impacting the business in such a drastic way. Running the business was our escape from dealing with our issues.”

    The stress in their marriage “was just magnified because we were running a business together,” Du Plessis said. “It was undeniable — it was a problem we had to face head-on.”

    Initially, they thought that a brief shutdown would suffice, “but as we tackled those issues, we were discovering how deep and difficult they were,” she said.

    The loss of income added further stress. Brad Du Plessis, who had left his job in wine sales in April 2024 to work with his wife, got a new job over the summer. “But then I had to face the reality that I didn’t have another partner or investor,” she said. “I didn’t feel I could do it on my own.”

    Looking ahead

    Last week, Du Plessis said she was attempting to sell all of Essen’s baking equipment. She said she believed that bankruptcy was the next step.

    Despite Essen’s failure, Du Plessis said she remains proud of what it accomplished. “It made me really feel like I’m part of a community,” she said.

    Recipe: Essen Bakery’s black-and-white cookies

    She said she wants to take several months before making her next move. “I’m still too affected by the burnout and the loss,” she said. “It’s not just giving up the business. It’s a whole bunch of family and relationships.” Du Plessis said she wants to return to baking, possibly even for someone else. Brad Du Plessis, who declined to comment for this article, is working again in the wine business. “He’s really in the position he should be in,” she said.

    “For a long time, I was afraid I’d be looking at bankruptcy and divorce — and I’m happy to say I’m probably just looking at bankruptcy,” Du Plessis said last Friday. “To me, that’s a happy ending, or a beginning, depending on how you want to see it. I actually feel like this experience may have saved our marriage.”

    Tova Du Plessis, owner of Essen Bakery, poses for a portrait in front of her former bakery in Philadelphia, on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025.
  • A new BYOB looks to bring the flavors of Mexico to Media

    A new BYOB looks to bring the flavors of Mexico to Media

    Editor’s note: Taquero has pushed back its opening date and now plans to open on Dec. 1.

    The longtime chef of Italian restaurant Ariano in Media is readying to open his own eatery on the same block, where he’ll turn his attention to paying homage to his Mexican roots.

    Chef Antonio Garcia began dreaming up Taquero about three years ago and set the plans in motion for his restaurant at 111 Veterans Square last spring. After more than 18 months of work to convert part of a former office building, Taquero will open Nov. 24.

    The BYOB will look to set itself apart from other Mexican eateries in the borough by showcasing a mix of traditional and modern Mexican cuisine, with an emphasis on authentic dishes. The menu will give a nod to Garcia’s hometown of Toluca, while also sampling from elsewhere in the country.

    In conceptualizing his restaurant, Garcia said he wanted to do “something that’s going to make me proud, for me and my family.”

    Some of the restaurant’s offerings are dishes his grandmother made when Garcia was a child, while others borrow from the street food scene in Mexico City, where he spent time before coming to the U.S. nearly 25 years ago.

    “Everybody says their grandma is the best cook. My grandma was, like, insane,” Garcia said. “Everything she cooked was so delicious.”

    Fideo seco is made with toasted pasta, lump crab, chipotle broth, avocado, crema, and queso fresco.

    One nod to her is fideo seco, a traditional Mexican pasta dish made with spaghetti-like noodles in a chipotle broth and served with queso fresco, crema, lump crab, and avocado.

    Other entrées include carne asada, enchiladas, a Mexican-style pork chop, and Mexican-style paella, a spicier take on the Spanish version that’s more chipotle-forward.

    Appetizers will include guacamole; the popular street corn, elote; empanadas; and sopesitos, a tortilla-like base formed into a small bowl to hold toppings like beans. There will be soups, like pozole, made with seafood and hominy, and salads, including a beet-forward option and Garcia’s take on the Caesar salad. Taquero — which translates to taco-maker — will also have a selection of five tacos: fish, birria, carne asada, shrimp, and vegetarian, each served in housemade corn tortillas.

    Some dishes will be served in a classic molcajete, like this one with steak, shrimp, chorizo, salsa tatemada, and panela cheese.

    Desserts, including flan and xangos, a tortilla-wrapped cheesecake served with ice cream, round out the food offerings, which will change seasonally.

    The BYOB will also offer three mixers: a traditional margarita, a paloma, and a daily special. Diners can bring beer, wine, or champagne, with no corkage fee, or sip on a selection of Mexican sodas or the fruit-forward agua fresca.

    The restaurant will launch with lunch and dinner service, with a goal of adding breakfast in the new year.

    In keeping with his desire to make authentic dishes, Garcia is using goods imported from Mexico, including various types of chorizo.

    Garcia plans to split his time between the kitchen and the floor, tapping Jose Rigoberto, who’s been working in the kitchen at Fellini Cafe for years, as his sous chef.

    While Garcia has been focused on Italian cuisine, Media residents may have already sampled some of his Mexican dishes during Ariano’s Mexican Monday nights.

    Ariano’s former owner, Anthony Bellapigna, encouraged Garcia to pursue dishes that were true to his roots, which helped lay the groundwork for him to open his own restaurant. Fittingly, Bellapigna also helped create the copper-topped tables in Taquero, which he, Garcia, and Rigoberto hammered by hand to create their dimpled designs.

    The restaurant has been a labor of love for Garcia, who has been hands-on in the redevelopment of the space, including ripping up the drywall.

    The restaurant spans roughly 1,200 square feet across the first and second floors of the three-story building. It has 14 seats on the ground floor, where diners can see into the kitchen, while the main dining room is on the second floor and features a selection of ceramic Mexican plates on one wall.

    Diners seated on the first floor can see the action in the kitchen.

    Seeing it all come together, Garcia said he’s both nervous and happy, but with the opening on the horizon, he’s more happy than anything.

    Taquero will be open six days a week, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, with dinner service starting at 4 p.m.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • Popular Bucks County steakhouse was forced to close amid landlord dispute, its owner says

    Popular Bucks County steakhouse was forced to close amid landlord dispute, its owner says

    With hundreds of reservations on the books and the holidays approaching, Rocco’s at the Brick Hotel in Newtown, Bucks County, abruptly closed last weekend. The closure, which left about 50 employees out of work overnight, was not the restaurant’s decision, according to the owner.

    The sudden closure was prompted by a dispute between the steakhouse’s ownership and the property’s landlord, who also controls the liquor license, said David Gelman, son of Rocco’s owner Marc Gelman.

    David Gelman said that Rocco’s was forced out of business because the landlord, Verindar Kaur, had filed a change on Friday with the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board to remove Rocco’s LLC, Marc Gelman’s corporation, from its liquor license.

    The ability for Rocco’s to sell alcohol was part of the business’ operating agreement, in effect since the restaurant opened in January 2018. Kaur owns the liquor license while Marc Gelman operated the restaurant, paying her a fixed monthly fee and a percentage of proceeds in addition to what David Gelman described as “Center City-level” rent.

    Contacted Sunday by email, Kaur said she was “unable to speak with anyone.” She did not reply to a follow-up email Monday.

    David Gelman said his first inkling of imminent trouble was Thursday night, when Kaur emailed him and his father to say that she would terminate the agreement unless a new financial arrangement was reached by the following day. The PLCB confirmed to The Inquirer that on Friday, it received a notice that the license’s corporate structure and officer were being changed. This move nullified the management agreement, David Gelman said.

    “This is not something we wanted to do,” Gelman said. “But we can’t operate without the liquor license [per the agreement]. There was no way to rectify the situation.”

    Rocco’s last night was Saturday.

    Gelman said that Kaur’s actions constituted a breach of both the lease and the management agreement and said his father planned to file a lawsuit seeking damages.

    “There’s a clause in the lease that [operating a restaurant] is contingent on having a liquor license from her, so by interfering with that license, she’s breaching her own contract,” said Gelman, a lawyer.

    The restaurant had “hundreds of reservations” on the books for Thanksgiving and corporate holiday parties, he said.

    Gelman said the restaurant was informing customers that they could be accommodated at the Pub in Pennsauken and Library II in Voorhees, other steakhouses operated by the Gelman family in South Jersey. Those who hold Rocco’s gift cards can call Rocco’s number or contact it through the website for a refund.

    Remaining inventory, including seafood, meat, and produce, was relocated to the Pub and Library II to prevent waste.

    Rocco’s, named after the son of chef-partner Cole Caprioni, occupies the ground floor of the Brick Hotel, parts of which date to 1763.

    The Mercer-Bucks-Central Jersey Eateries Facebook group was trying to help Rocco’s employees find new jobs.

    Kaur previously operated the restaurant at the hotel, featured in 2016 on the Gordon Ramsay television show Hotel Hell, before Gelman’s company took over. On camera, Ramsay declared, “I want to shut this place down,” over cleanliness and customer-service issues.

    “Ninety five percent of what was on the show did not happen that way,” Kaur told the website NewtownPANow.com in 2016, adding the producers drummed up drama for ratings.

  • Fully booked: The ‘Michelin effect’ is being felt at Philly’s honored restaurants

    Fully booked: The ‘Michelin effect’ is being felt at Philly’s honored restaurants

    As chef Nicholas Bazik climbed into bed late Tuesday night, he checked the reservations at Provenance, his posh restaurant in Society Hill. Business at Provenance, with its 25 seats and $225 French-meets-Korean tasting menu, had been respectable especially since September, when it appeared on Bon Appétit’s list of the country’s best new restaurants.

    Bazik discovered that Provenance was fully booked, 30 days out. The next day at noon, the next round of tables was snapped up in six minutes, he said.

    Chef Nicholas Bazik of Provenance, with wife Eunbin Whang, accepts a star at the Nov. 18 Michelin Guide ceremony.

    The so-called Michelin effect was at work. Provenance — as well as Her Place Supper Club and Friday Saturday Sunday, both in Rittenhouse — received one star from the Michelin Guide at Tuesday’s Northeast Cities ceremony, placing them in a rarefied league of 280 so-honored U.S. restaurants.

    In city after city since Michelin’s arrival in the United States two decades ago, newly starred restaurants report full books, wait lists stretching weeks or months, and in some cases double- or triple-digit growth in reservations. Winning a Michelin star — one or especially two or three — is no small task, and customers are known to travel to dine at a starred restaurant.

    Her Place Supper Club chef Amanda Shulman (left) and husband Alex Kemp take a photo at the Sixers game Wednesday. Shulman rang the bell at the start of the game.

    At Her Place, where it’s been what chef-owner Amanda Shulman called “a whirlwind of a week,” it’s difficult to determine Michelin’s impact. “We’re a small restaurant to begin with, but we’ve definitely seen a jump in email inquiries that are keeping our reservationist/administrative queen Natalie busy, along with a bump in social following. Truly a surreal experience and we’re just excited to welcome in more new faces.” (The Sixers invited Shulman to ring the bell before Wednesday’s game.)

    Friday Saturday Sunday already was one of Philadelphia’s hardest reservations, even before it won the James Beard Award for best new restaurant in 2023, and owners Chad and Hanna Williams are planning an expansion to the rowhouse next door.

    Chefs Marc Vetri (left) and Chad Williams during the cocktail hour, at the Michelin Guide announcement at the Kimmel Center.

    Restaurants that were included in Michelin’s Bib Gourmand (best value) and “recommended” categories also reported an uptick in business.

    “It’s been an outpouring of positivity,” said Louis Novak, general manager at Famous 4th Street Deli in Queen Village, a Bib Gourmand recipient where all business is walk-in. He reported “exceptional” sales. “It’s also a ‘Day 1’ mentality moving forward. It’s a responsibility to live up to being a Michelin award winner.”

    At chef Jesse Ito’s Royal Izakaya in Queen Village, a Bib recipient, the line is longer and the weekday wait list is growing earlier than usual, said Daisy Zeijlon, who handles the restaurant’s publicity.

    At Sally (Bib), a pizzeria near Fitler Square, business was up 10% since the announcement, said owner Cary Borish.

    At Mish Mish (recommended), Alex Tewfik was ebullient on Sunday: “Being in South Philly, and the Eagles being the last monoculture we have left as a city, our Sundays have been brutal. Today, they are no longer brutal, which is, in ways, a sort of godsend situation.”

    Although hard numbers were hard to come by so far, the good vibes are everywhere as the restaurant industry enters its typically busy period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.

    Chef Chris Kearse of Forsythia with his wife, Lauren, at the Michelin Guide announcement.

    “We have received such amazing support from the culinary community,” said Chris Kearse, chef-owner of Forsythia (recommended). “It feels like the whole city has come together to celebrate the excitement of the awards, and we’ve been touched by how many guests have stopped in to sit at the bar and share a celebratory drink with our team.”

    Al Lucas — a partner at Defined Hospitality, which operates Suraya (recommended), Kalaya (recommended), and Pizzeria Beddia (Bib) — said reservations “have already been very robust so we really cannot tell the impact quite yet. We have, however, seen a lot of anecdotal positive responses through Instagram, emails, and DMs.”

    Ellen Yin, who owns High Street (recommended), said it was too early to tell Michelin’s long-term recognition; “however, the energy is palpable.”

    Study after study has cautioned that Michelin acclaim does not always translate to success.

    A report in the Strategic Management Journal challenges the assumption that Michelin stars only help restaurants, finding that starred establishments are actually more likely to close due to increased operational pressure.

    Daniel B. Sands of University College London examined New York restaurants deemed “at risk” of earning a star by tracking those that received favorable New York Times reviews and later Michelin recognition. His analysis and interviews with owners revealed that while stars boost prestige, they also intensify strain along the value chain. Landlords, suppliers, and employees often demand higher compensation, while staff may leverage the star to seek better opportunities or launch competitors.

    At the same time, customer dynamics shift: New diners arrive with heightened expectations or tourist motivations, and regulars may visit less often. Some restaurants make costly adjustments to accommodate new guests without increasing revenue. Sands concludes that Michelin stars can bring mixed outcomes, with some businesses thriving but others buckling under the added pressure.

    Can the good vibes last? “Having seen bumps from things like being on lists [and] getting accolades in the past, the ‘pop’ doesn’t always last,” said Tewfik, at Mish Mish. “I’m aware that we’re in uncharted territory with Michelin, but usually it dies away in a few weeks. So we’ll see, but for now, we’re so so so thrilled.”

    Philadelphia chef Marc Vetri, who took Michelin nods for Fiorella (Bib Gourmand) and Vetri Cucina (recommended), tempers exuberance through experience. His first major award was in 1999, when Food & Wine named him one of its best new chefs. “These awards, while exciting and give the city a big boost, are not a magic pill,” Vetri said.

    “Lists, awards, Beards, Michelin — it’s all the same,“ he said. ”Over time, they will bring more visitors, and if you have a good reputation and you are consistent, if you keep putting in the work and [are] evolving, more people will come. That’s the award: The customers who keep coming back. People are going to be very sorry if they think a nod from anyone is going to validate them and make them super busy. That’s just not how it works.”

  • Mama’s Pizzeria on the Main Line will close its doors this week

    Mama’s Pizzeria on the Main Line will close its doors this week

    Mama’s Pizzeria, which has served its signature cheesesteak with a three-cheese blend twisted throughout finely chopped sirloin on the Main Line since 1960, is closing its doors next week.

    Second-generation owner Paul Castellucci Sr. said the last day will be either Nov. 28 or Nov. 29, depending on how much meat and bread remain.

    Castellucci had planned to close up the Bala Cynwyd shop after his son, Paul Jr., earned his accountant’s license. He is slated to graduate from St. Joseph’s University in 2026.

    But the timeline was moved up with the elder Castellucci’s recent health issues. The 65-year-old grill man is set to have triple bypass surgery in January, but will start preoperative assessments the first week of December.

    A Main Line cheesesteak shop’s nearly 70-year-old tradition will soon be history

    Paul Castellucci Sr., who has two stents from previous heart issues, was complaining to his cardiologist about shortness of breath. The doctor asked if he had any shoulder pain.

    “Do you know what? I do,” he responded. “I’ve had shoulder pain for 40 years.”

    Over the years, the entire Castellucci family was put to work at Mama’s: kids, grandkids, spouses, cousins.

    Paul Castellucci Sr. started working the grill in 1974 at age 14. Fast-forward to 2025, and “I’m the only one who stayed,” he said in March.

    Paul Castellucci Jr. (right) takes an order from a customer while his dad, Paul Sr., runs the grill at their family restaurant, Mama’s Pizzeria.

    Since word of the closing began to spread on social media, business has picked up.

    Store hours are traditionally 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. But on Saturday morning, orders started rolling in around 10:30 a.m. By 12:30 p.m., the phone was ringing incessantly, orders were piling up, and there was an hour wait for walk-ins.

    The restaurant was even concerned about running out of rolls.

    “I’m feeling it,” Castellucci said.

    Customers who ordered by phone or in person on Saturday took turns wishing him good luck with his surgery and good health in the new year.

    That all has to make me him feel good, right?

    He thought for a second.

    “It really does,” he said.

  • Michelin Guide honored this Philly cheesesteak shop, but apparently botched the order

    Michelin Guide honored this Philly cheesesteak shop, but apparently botched the order

    Stephanie Maslanik was sitting on her couch Tuesday night when her phone dinged with a text message from a friend. But she was doing something with the kids and didn’t look at it right away.

    “Then I opened it up and I was like, ‘Whaaaat?’ It took me a minute to put two and two together and I gave it to my husband,” she said. “I told him, ‘Does it say what I think it says?’”

    Steve and Margie Kotridis (right) with their daughters, Stephanie Maslanik (left) and Christina Kotridis (middle), and grandchildren Charlotte, 1, and a very bashful Steven, 4, outside Dalessandro’s.

    It was exactly what she thought it said: It was a video clip of that evening’s Michelin Guide Northeast Cities ceremony, where Dalessandro’s — the family’s cheesesteak shop in Roxborough — had been among the recipients of an award.

    Their old-school corner shop was officially Bib Gourmand royalty — Michelin’s category for great food at a great value. Dalessandro’s was one of three cheesesteak shops that impressed arguably the world’s fussiest food critics.

    Maslanik blew up the family group chat: her parents, Steve and Margie Kotridis, and her younger sister, Christina.

    Michelin Guide honors 34 Philadelphia restaurants

    “I’ve been in the food business for 50 years, and this is a dream,” said Steve Kotridis, 63, who with his wife, 67, bought Dalessandro’s from the founding family in 2008. William Dalessandro opened in 1961 at Henry Avenue and Wendover Street, a year after its founding on nearby Ridge Avenue.

    Michelin is living up to its reputation of international mystery. As of Saturday, the Kotridises said they had not heard from Michelin (though Dalessandro’s is listed on its website, accompanied by an unrelated photo). It is also not clear why the Kotridises apparently never received an invitation to the gala. The owners of the other Bib Gourmand cheesesteak shops, Nish Patel of Del Rossi’s and Danny DiGiampietro of Angelo’s, were seated in Marian Anderson Hall that night.

    Steve Kotridis was doing paperwork and knocking around the house that night — Margie was in Florida for a niece’s shower — and he didn’t read his daughter’s text until the next day.

    He had never realized that a cheesesteak place could even be eligible for a Michelin award, “but certainly if one would be, this would be the place,” he said. “It’s validation.”

    Steve and Margie Kotridis at their Dalessandro’s Steaks in Philadelphia on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025.

    The Dalessandro’s scene

    On Friday afternoon, the line at the ordering window was just as long as on any other chilly Friday afternoon in late November. Inside, the spatulas slapped and the rib eye sizzled on the flattop. The crew cheered in unison at each tip left by a customer.

    “I’ve been getting a lot of people telling us it’s their first time coming, but it’s mostly our really good customers who are saying, ‘Everybody knows now,’” Margie Kotridis said.

    Steve and Margie Kotridis at their food cart on 17th Street in the early 1990s.

    Steve and Margie come from food families. Her late father, George Tsihlas, owned Towne Pizza at 19th and Pine Streets from 1967 to 1994. Steve’s mother, Antigoni, now 92, still oversees a series of food carts in Center City — including the cart outside the United Engineers Building at 30 S. 17th St. that Steve ran for 30 years.

    Soon after they were married in 1982, they bought a building in Lafayette Hill and opened a diner, Stefano’s Restaurant & Pizza. After two years, “we had to get rid of it,” Margie said. “We were throwing plates at each other.” They went back to vending but kept the building, now home to the Persian Grille.

    Meanwhile, Steve had been a Dalessandro’s customer. “I sat down at that counter and I’d put two cheesesteaks down like it was nothing,” he said. “I’ve lost weight since then.” (His go-to is a cheesesteak with American cheese, fried onions, salt, black pepper, and long hots.)

    In 2008, five years after William Dalessandro’s death, the Kotridises bought the shop and kept it much as it was.

    They shut down for 10 weeks at the start of the pandemic in March 2020. The setup, where takeout customers were smushed against people eating at the counter, could not continue in the new social-distancing world.

    The Kotridises installed two windows — one for ordering, one for pickup — and locked the front door. (Regulars can ask to come inside to eat, especially when the patio is full or the weather is bad.) A friend set them up with an ordering system that displays wait times and names on a monitor outside and provides text alerts. There’s no yelling. An electronic voice calls out customers’ names and directs them to the correct window. It’s still cash-only.

    This sketch of Dalessandro’s Steaks by John Donohue was part of a recent show called “The Art of Philly Dining” at Gleaner’s Cafe and Gallery.

    The typical wait is 10 to 15 minutes during the week, but an hour Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, as the line wends along the sidewalk and traffic snarls on Henry Avenue.

    About the Dalessandro’s steak

    Dalessandro’s serves an old-school sandwich: The rib eye is chopped fine — almost minced. The cheese is layered atop the beef, not mixed. The Amoroso’s roll is softer than the crispy-crusted, house-baked breads from such newer-generation shops as Del Rossi’s and Angelo’s. Dalessandro’s chops its fried onions in a huge, toothsome dice.

    A cheesesteak from Dalessandro’s in Philadelphia, on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025.

    Dalessandro’s flatly resists the recent industry move to Cooper Sharp American cheese. “We brought it in like a year ago and we tasted it,” Margie said. “All Cooper Sharp is, is sharp American cheese. We already use sharp American cheese. We made [test] cheesesteaks. Nobody could tell the difference.”

    Asked what made their steaks stand out to Michelin, Steve said: “I’m not sure. We just do it the right way and we make food the way we would like to eat it. We slice fresh rib eye all day long. Our rolls get here at 11. We fry our own peppers.”

    Margie said she routinely drops an order slip, anonymously, into the queue and samples the sandwich.

    “Consistency is very important,” she said. “I go out to eat somewhere and I find something I love and it’s so delicious. You go back the next time and it’s like a whole different sandwich or a different meal than what you ate last time.”

    Former Sixers player Ben Simmons and Jimmy Fallon sampling a Dalessandro’s cheesesteak on the “Tonight” show.

    “One of the four of us is always here,” Margie said.

    This is why Steve said he has resisted offers to open additional locations. “At this age, I’m not interested. The problem today is you can’t be everywhere. To run a good place, you have to be on top of it, so you could wind up killing the name.”

    Dalessandro’s has won plenty of awards, including an Inquirer reader poll in 2023.

    “I think the people that pay attention to Michelin and … the foodies — it’s going to make a big difference,” Steve said. “They’re all going to come and try it, and they’ll all have their own opinions of what they like and what they don’t like, and hopefully everybody will love it and come back again.”

    Margie said: “But then, everybody has a favorite, right? Some people like vanilla, some people like chocolate, and some people like strawberry ice cream. You can’t please everybody.”

  • Another thing Philly has over Dallas: Michelin acclaim

    Another thing Philly has over Dallas: Michelin acclaim

    On the eve of another Eagles-Cowboys game, let me tell you a few ways Philadelphia is superior to Dallas.

    The sports teams, of course. There’s the downtown walkability, the history, and the overall gritty culture (as in “this might be the best show of my life in a room that’s maybe not up to code” energy)

    Philly wins big at its first Michelin ceremony

    Philly’s food scene is superior, too. And now we have proof.

    The Michelin Guide’s awards for Texas were announced last month, and Dallas — how do we put this? — underperformed, not only against Philly but even against the rest of Texas.

    Tatsu, an omakase experience, retained its one star from last year’s Michelin awards. This year, Mamami, a French-Italian bistro, scored a star. That’s two stars total for the Big D, compared with Austin’s seven, Houston’s six, and San Antonio’s three.

    Philly was awarded three one-stars on Nov. 18 in its very first showing: Friday Saturday Sunday, Her Place Supper Club, and Provenance. (Boston received only one, but that’s another rivalry for another day.)

    Apparently, everyone in Dallas seems to know that the food scene is lacking — even D Magazine, which headlined its Michelin predictions story: “Dallas, prepare to be underwhelmed.”

    While the post-Michelin food mood in Philadelphia has been generally celebratory, they’re crying in their beer in Dallas. Drew Stephenson, an observer of the Metroplex food scene who says he has eaten at all 18 Texas Michelin-starred restaurants, addressed the local shock, indignation, and outrage over Michelin’s selections on his Instagram, @drewthefoodguy.

    According to Stephenson, the reactions show that Dallas diners and Michelin inspectors speak different languages. Dallasites prioritize vibes, service, decor, portions, and price, while Michelin judges ingredient quality, technique, cuisine personality, fair value, and consistency. “We’re just new to Michelin’s framework,” he said.

    For the record, Stephenson — who calls himself “a very big Cowboys but not a proud one” because of the ownership — thinks the Eagles will win a close one Sunday.

  • Is Michelin’s Bib award for Royal Sushi a snub? Chef Jesse Ito takes the izakaya’s honors in stride.

    Is Michelin’s Bib award for Royal Sushi a snub? Chef Jesse Ito takes the izakaya’s honors in stride.

    There were chef tears of joy, stunned looks from some unexpecting winners, and the silent sting of award-show snubs as the Michelin Guide announced its first-ever round of accolades for the Philadelphia restaurant scene Tuesday night.

    But there was also some lingering confusion that followed the much-anticipated Kimmel Center ceremony. One of the biggest gasps of baffled surprise rippled through the crowd when Royal Sushi & Izakaya, a favorite predicted by many to earn a star, was instead awarded a Bib Gourmand.

    The Bibs are widely coveted as Michelin’s nod to restaurants with “exceptionally good food at moderate prices.” Ten Philly restaurants were awarded Bib Gourmands, including Angelo’s, Dizengoff, and Pizzeria Beddia.

    But how does Royal Sushi & Izakaya — where a seat at chef Jesse Ito’s omakase counter now clocks in at a city-high $355 — qualify? Is it now the world’s most expensive Bib Gourmand?

    Chef-owner Jesse Ito at Royal Sushi & Izakaya on Aug. 11, 2023.

    Michelin, which is renowned for secrecy, would not clarify its reasoning: “The Michelin Guide doesn’t reveal specifics,” said spokesperson Carly Grieff.

    The answer, most logically, is that Royal has always been two distinct restaurants under a single name and roof, and the Bib most logically applies to the more casual one: the lively izakaya-style tavern that anchors the front of the Queen Village building, where a relatively affordable a la carte menu of cooked Japanese classics and sushi is served to a walk-ins-only crowd, with cooked items ranging from $6 to $38.

    Ito’s luxury sushi tasting counter, meanwhile, hums along in a separate room in back, where Ito handcrafts every bite with artistry using some of the world’s most expensive ingredients. Such omakase counters are prime candidates for Michelin stars, including at least two (Boston’s one-star 311 Omakase and New York’s three-star Sushi Sho) that picked up accolades at the recent ceremony in Philadelphia.

    The sesame-crusted eggplant at Royal Izakaya on Aug. 18, 2022. Royal Izakaya is located at 780 South 2nd St.

    But the 16 nightly seats of Ito’s omakase counter are so locked down with devoted regulars — who can rebook their seats for another meal before leaving their dinner — that even Michelin’s anonymous inspectors, it appears, could not score a reservation.

    “They only ate at the izakaya,” surmises Ito from Michelin’s review, a glowing assessment of the izakaya’s menu range and high-quality ingredients, with only a passing mention acknowledging its “exclusive” omakase counter.

    Ito was hardly a loser at the Michelin ceremonies, even if he didn’t win a star, because he was thrilled with the Bib acknowledgment: “I’m super-proud of the izakaya and this is very fitting for what it does … The stars are really great and obviously every chef wants that, but the Bibs will also prove useful once tourists come, especially next year for the FIFA World Cup and Philadelphia’s 250th anniversary.”

    Diners inside Royal Izakaya on Aug. 18, 2021.

    Nonetheless, the uncertainty of how Michelin might handle his dual-concept space has weighed on the chef, who knows the roller-coaster emotions and anxiety of awards program recognition more than most.

    He’s experienced tremendous highs, such as this fall when his restaurant was named the 32nd best restaurant in North America by World’s 50 Best. He’s also repeatedly dealt with the disappointment of coming up just short with the James Beard Foundation, being named a finalist eight times — only to miss out every year, including once again this spring.

    Ito said he’s considered various ways to more clearly separate the two concepts, or at least make the reservation process for the omakase more accessible.

    “But I wouldn’t even know how to do that,” said Ito, who’s worked through some alternatives and fears that bots would ultimately snap up seats for scalping. “I’m able to have regulars this way, and we have the best guests with whom we’ve created real relationships over time. But I love having new people, too, and that definitely still happens.”

    The exclusive nature of the omakase, and the unintended fallout from such limited reservations — especially with hopeful guests, including possibly judges for potential awards — was never intended. It just happened.

    Chef Jesse Ito and Mia Colona at the Michelin Guide announcements at the Kimmel Center on Nov. 18.

    “I didn’t think about any of this award stuff when I was opening this restaurant nine years ago at age 27 on limited resources,” said Ito, whose initial goals were to support his parents and create something for himself.

    As the restaurant continued to evolve and garner national attention, however, he’s had to learn to cope with the anxiety of increasing acclaim. And no matter how veteran the chef, the nerves always tighten the gut at an awards ceremony, when the announcement draws near. He’s learned the hard way to find a silver lining in whatever the results.

    “Just because you’re not [ultimately] a winner doesn’t mean you’re not deserving,” says Ito. “That’s part of losing the Beard award eight times! You come away with the ability to enjoy the moment of just being recognized.”

    The Royal Toast from the Royal Sushi Omakase at Royal Izakaya on Aug. 18, 2022.

    Ito says he owes much of his current attitude to getting sober five years ago.

    “Beforehand, I used to always crave that external hit, that numbing sensation of having fun. But now in my life, I find happiness in my routine and relationships, my business and personal journey. The awards? I’m happy to be a part of them — but they are not what defines us.”

    What drives Ito is his passion for turning raw fish into edible art for the devoted customer base he values, and “to improve myself and the omakase a little bit each day,” he says, citing the Japanese philosophy of kaizen.

    Chef-owner Jesse Ito at work at Royal Sushi & Izakaya on May 31, 2024.

    So, once the Michelin ceremony concluded — “a weight was lifted from my shoulders,” he says — and it was back to what he loves most. He went straight to dancerobot, his new restaurant in Rittenhouse Square where a Resy-sponsored after-party was in full bloom. He put on his apron and immediately busted out the premium uni and caviar to top hundreds of aka-taka toro rolls brought in from the izakaya, and strolled through the crowd with a tray, handing out $75 bites for free.

    “Everyone was so relieved [it was over], we were just celebrating and having fun,” he said.

    And then out came his secret weapon: the karaoke mic, an important Ito ritual for every post-awards party, no matter the result.

    “I sang ‘Creep‘ by Radiohead,” he said, his usual song. “Then I left when the party was still bumping, because I didn’t want to go to bed too late.”

    He had another busy day to prep for service at Royal Sushi & Izakaya ahead.

    Chef Jesse Ito of Royal Sushi & Izakaya hands out aka-taka tuna belly and pickled radish rolls topped with salmon roe, uni, and caviar to guests at an afterparty for the Michelin awards held at his new restaurant, dancerobot.
  • All three Philly men who earned Michelin stars share this common thread: They’re proud ‘Wife Guys’

    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.

    “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.”

  • One of Philadelphia’s Michelin-recommended restaurants will be closing for good on Friday

    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.”