The announcement, which was co-hosted by Visit Philadelphia, narrowed down a long list of semifinalists, and some of Philadelphia’s biggest names moved on to become finalists in some of the most noteworthy categories.
She said just being nominated is huge for her business, but her hopes surround the survival of Philadelphia’s struggling restaurant scene.
“A lot of restaurants and bars and other food businesses are not going to make it through this and that’s sad and devastating,” she said.
That sentiment was echoed by Mayor Kenney and Kalaya’s Chef, Nok Suntaranon, who said Philly is showing that community support will keep the industry alive.
“Everybody coming together. Everybody helped me. It’s a beautiful thing that happened during this difficult time,” she said.
Finalists in the Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic category, Nicholas Elmi from Laurel, Richard Landau from Vedge, and Cristina Martinez from South Philly Barbacoa.
The winners of the Restaurant and Chef awards will be announced in Chicago on Friday, Sept. 25.