PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Chef Eli Kulp isn’t originally from Philadelphia, but he’s about as big a booster of the city’s flourishing food scene as can be. Philly’s top chefs drew him in more than a decade ago. Now he’s a star in his own right, and he wants to champion the flavors of the city with a new awards show—not just for foodie insiders, but for the dining public. It’s called The Tasties.
Kulp remembers the chefs who turned his palate toward Philadelphia, about 13 years ago.
“One was Greg Vernick at Vernick Food and Drink. The other one that opened my eyes was when I tasted Zahav for the first time, with Mike Solomonov,” he said.
“I think those two restaurants were where I was like, ‘Ok, Philly and I could play nice together.’”
Kulp was cooking in New York at the time and in town on business. But he developed a taste for Philly and became a rising star—a James Beard Awards finalist, a Craig LaBan chef of the year, and one of the city’s top chefs.
Then, on May 12, 2015, his career took an unexpected turn. Kulp was aboard the Amtrak Northeast Regional when it derailed in Philly. The resulting spinal cord injury would leave him with partial use of his hands and keep him out of the kitchen, but 10 years later, he’s still an influential tastemaker.
Now, Kulp is a partner and culinary advisor for High Street Hospitality Group, the company behind a.kitchen + bar, Fork, High Street and High Street Bakery, among other projects. He hosts The Chef Radio Podcast and Delicious City Philly. And, 13 years after his first taste of Vernick and Zahav, both are finalists at the Tasties, Philadelphia’s first-ever chef and restaurant awards show.
It’s Kulp’s creation.
“It’s like the most complicated dish I've ever cooked,” he said, laughing.
“We’re going to have the red carpet. We’re going to have the ceremony—15 different award categories.”
That includes restaurant of the year, chef of the year, breakout chef, categories celebrating neighborhood spots, craft cocktails and dessert artists, and four people’s-choice categories.
“It might be a crave-worthy pizza shop that we're celebrating. Or we have one category called ‘your favorite emotional support sandwich.’”
Kulp says it’s time Philly had a foodie night all its own.
“We have one people's-choice award called the dish wizard. And we're celebrating the people that are in the dish pit and the porters, who really are the glue behind the scenes of the restaurant industry,” he said.
“This is for the dining public. You can come and be around your food heroes and the people that are making these restaurants happen.”
The inaugural Tasties will be presented next weekend, Sunday, Feb. 2, Live Casino in South Philadelphia. They’re open to the public. Proceeds will benefit MANNA, an area nonprofit that provides nutritionally sound meals to people living with serious illnesses.
“There's going to be over 30 different chefs, and beverage companies are going to be there for the after party, making sure everybody's really eating well and drinking well.”
Kulp says he’s excited that chefs and diners will be able to mingle in the same space, and show their love for each other.
“That to me is a beautiful thing, right?”