{"id":73,"date":"2023-04-19T17:21:05","date_gmt":"2023-04-19T21:21:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/msp3196s23\/?p=73"},"modified":"2023-04-19T17:27:32","modified_gmt":"2023-04-19T21:27:32","slug":"from-delicacies-to-delicatessens-philadelphias-evolving-food-scene","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/msp3196s23\/2023\/04\/19\/from-delicacies-to-delicatessens-philadelphias-evolving-food-scene\/","title":{"rendered":"From Delicacies to Delicatessens \u2013 Philadelphia\u2019s Evolving Food Scene<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Natives and tourists alike typically have the same idea when asked what is considered \u2018Philadelphia Cuisine\u2019. They undoubtedly visualize rows of bronzed and twisted soft pretzels alongside bottles of spicy mustard \u2013 or imagine a griddle coated with heaps of sizzling shaved ribeye next to mounds of caramel-hued fried onions then piled onto rolls. I suppose they\u2019d even picture an assortment of tubs filled with pastel-tinted water ice being scooped into a decorated paper cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But aside from these staples, I think it\u2019s time we look further past them to examine the entire breadth of cuisine in the city of Brotherly Love. More than just eating to sustain ourselves, we gather at these spaces to socialize \u2013 to feel a part of a shared experience \u2013 from restaurants and markets to stalls and stands. \u201cFood is our common ground, a universal experience.\u201d There\u2019s much more to distinguish this city from others than soft pretzels or cheesesteaks (not to diminish their iconic status).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you\u2019re wiping your mouth with a folded cloth napkin or a wrinkled paper one \u2013 whether you\u2019ve had those near-impossible reservations for weeks ahead of time or you sat yourself on the spot at a shared table \u2013 whether you\u2019re using a platinum card with points earned back or it\u2019s cash only and you\u2019ve got exact change \u2013 there\u2019s no right or wrong way to enjoy a meal in Philly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tastes are subjective so how can we quantify what is a truly great restaurant from any other? The annual James Beard Award<\/a> \u2013 titled in honor of famed American gastronomist and food writer James Beard<\/a> (quoted above) \u2013 is a venerated culinary distinction awarded by his namesake foundation since 1991 for a variety of categories including outstanding chef, pastry chef, bakery, restaurant, and bar.  Eighteen Philadelphia-area chefs and establishments earned semi-finalist nominations for 2023 alone<\/a> \u2013 with six of them granted finalist nominations<\/a>. Both of these recognitions are remarkable honors for chefs and restaurateurs. For 2020<\/a> and 2022<\/a>, two Philadelphia pastry chefs were awarded Food and Wine\u2019s Best New Chef.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t anticipate others to typically be as enamored by or knowledgeable about these topics as I am, so I\u2019m always thrilled to help people discover a new culinary location. Of course if you\u2019re looking for a more verified and published opinion to trust, look no further than The Philadelphia Inquirer’s renowned restaurant critic \u2013 Craig LaBan<\/a> \u2013 who frequently writes about both beloved institutions and the newest spots alike. The columnist has recently eschewed his former number-based \u2018bell\u2019 system (from zero-to-four) in favor of focusing his thoughts solely towards the food and ambiance in order to be more useful to both readers and restaurateurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Philadelphia\u2019s most popular spots at the moment don\u2019t necessarily feature any sort of regional or domestic delicacies. They reflect the city\u2019s desire to culinarily travel outside the borders of the U.S. \u2013 Kalaya<\/em><\/a> in Fishtown is Southern Thai cuisine, Her Place Supper Club<\/em><\/a> <\/em>in Center City calls itself, \u201ca little French, a little Italian\u201d, Machine Shop<\/em><\/a> in South Philly is a both a traditional and experimental French boulangerie, and Laser Wolf<\/em><\/a> in Northern Liberties is focused on charcoal-grilled Israeli cuisine which in itself is not one specific cuisine but rather an amalgamation of surrounding territories such as Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon, and Syria. All of the above have garnered James Beard nominations and awards. These highly acclaimed international destinations represent the trend of a desire for more global tastes in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Top Left: Kalaya <\/em>| Top Right: Her Place Supper Club<\/em> \/\/<\/strong> Bottom Left: Machine Shop <\/em>| Bottom Right: Laser Wolf<\/em><\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

It\u2019s not easy attempting to dine at each and every great restaurant in Philly \u2013 but some things are worth trying and failing more than never trying at all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PHOTO CREDITS – <\/p>\n

KALAYA: KERRY MCINTYRE
\nHER PLACE SUPPER CLUB: GAB BONGHI
\nMACHINE SHOP: MACHINE SHOP
\nLASER WOLF: MICHAEL PERSICO Continue Reading From Delicacies to Delicatessens \u2013 Philadelphia\u2019s Evolving Food Scene<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35512,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-73","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/msp3196s23\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/msp3196s23\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/msp3196s23\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/msp3196s23\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/35512"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/msp3196s23\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/msp3196s23\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":85,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/msp3196s23\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73\/revisions\/85"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/msp3196s23\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/msp3196s23\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/msp3196s23\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}