Here are the 15 biggest Philly food stories of 2024

Here are the stories that drove the Philadelphia food scene in 2024.

Omakase, literally “I leave it up to you,” is an intimate Japanese meal that puts chefs in control of the menu at the sushi counter. Philadelphia’s omakase scene has been growing. This year’s major opening was Ogawa in Old City, which critic Craig LaBan said has “distinguished itself as a source for some of the most distinctive offerings around.” Ogawa recently opened a destination cocktail bar on the second floor called Almanac.

There are few Black brewers, and even fewer Black-owned breweries. It’s estimated that 0.4% of all breweries are Black-owned. That hard truth guided the determination of brothers Mengistu and Richard Koilor, who opened Two Locals in University City. (Liberty Kitchen oversees the food, including some dishes from the Koilor family’s native Liberia.)

Chef Nicholas Bazik intends his new Provenance, on Head House Square in Society Hill, as Philadelphia’s most exclusive restaurant. Inquirer critic Craig LaBan admired the ambition in the parade of courses for $225 a person; others on our staff thought it was well worth talking about and gave high marks to the desserts and hospitality.

On an average weekend, Liberty Kitchen used to sell at most 100 kale Caesar chicken cutlet sandwiches: breaded chicken cutlet, kale, pecorino, crispy onion, house caesar, seeded roll. Then came a rush of influencers on TikTok, and sandwich sales spiked. It’s still Liberty Kitchen’s bestseller.

To open a bar in Pennsylvania, you need a liquor license from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, a $180,000 expense in Philadelphia and far more costly in the collar counties. But since the liquor code was changed in 2019, a Pennsylvania winery, distillery, or brewery may open satellite locations to sell its own beer or spirits, as well as Pennsylvania-made products, under a permit. This has enabled restaurants like Gabriella’s, Enswell, and the Human Robot at Schuylkill Banks to set up partnerships and serve alcoholic beverages. In a related new application of Pennsylvania law, BOTLD, a King of Prussia distillery, opened its own bar in Washington Square West, where it pours only arcane brands not carried by the PLCB.

Sagami, the groundbreaking Japanese restaurant founded in Collingswood by James Beard-nominated chef Shigeru Fukuyoshi and his wife, Chizuko Fukuyoshi, was rattled by her death over the summer. He decided to continue, but ultimately plans to retire at 80. A sale of the restaurant is pending and should be final in January.

Angelo’s Pizzeria was a fairly small but acclaimed takeout shop in South Philadelphia. But this fall, the pieces of a massive expansion began falling into place: a new bakery, a new delivery kitchen with UberEats, and new locations — all the work of a guy whose father nicknamed him “Danny Disaster.”

Philadelphia has had some great years at the James Beard Awards, regarded as the Oscars of the restaurant world. This was not one of them. No local contender brought home a medal, for the first time since 2016. It should be noted that 2017 was a bang-up year when Michael Solomonov (chef), Stephen Starr (restaurateur), and Greg Vernick (Mid-Atlantic chef) were among the winners.

So much for a good thing. For 27 years, the Phillies offered dollar-dog nights. But during the 2023 season, the wurst of the fans were showing their obnoxious side by throwing hot dogs and clogging concourses. In 2024, the Phillies eliminated dollar dogs, opting instead for a two-for-one deal that, frankly, drew heated reaction and competing deals from small restaurants. FYI: The 2025 BOGO nights will be early in the season: April 14, April 29, and May 12.

No baloney, 2024 was quite a year in the Philly deli world. Let’s follow the bouncing matzo ball: In January, the landmark Famous 4th Street Deli was sold, as longtime owner Russ Cowan stepped away to open a new deli called Radin’s in Cherry Hill. Four months after the sale, city health inspectors shut down Famous. That was a wake-up call to owner Al Gamble, who cleaned up the place and, based on a recent visit, stepped up his game. Meanwhile, customers are kvelling over Radin’s, which Cowan says will be his final deli. In other deli news, the Kibitz Room out of Cherry Hill will open a branch in 2025 in King of Prussia, where it will fill the former KOP Grill & Tavern and Michael’s Deli.

The Jersey Shore’s oyster scene has taken off. You can judge it by the number of oyster farms — just two in 2011, up to 41 in 2024. Craig LaBan and Jasen Lo told the story of this phenomenon, and Craig unshellfishly shared tasting notes on his favorites.

Flour power has spread through the region with the arrivals of new small-time bakers and pastry chefs: Wild Yeast Bakehouse operates out of a Main Line house. Majdal Bakery has brought Levantine goods to Queen Village. Dead King converted a sawmill in Manayunk. Tang’s is an Asian bakery with a gluten-free line. Ursa Bakery is creating sourdough out of a former gas station in North Philadelphia. Pop’s Bun Shop sells hot buns and kolache from an Italian Market takeout window. Pastry Pants is a puppeteer’s new shop in Swarthmore. Dreamworld Bakes is doing cakes in Kensington. Downtime Bakery is drawing lines in Mount Airy. Essen opened its second bakery, in Kensington. and Flakely has introduced a pastry ATM. Add to that the fresh batch of syndicated cookie-meisters, such as Levain, Chip City Cookies, and Taylor Chip.

Just because a business closes doesn’t mean it’s gone for good. DJ Jerry Blavat’s family sold Memories in Margate to restaurateur Teddy Sourias, and he spruced it up as a hot spot on Absecon Island. Center City Soft Pretzel Co. had to navigate a long, twisted road to reopen after a 2022 fire. The Pub in Pennsauken took the summer off for a cleanup and equipment swap, but left the kitschy decor. Fond, once the toast of East Passyunk, has resurfaced in Wallingford. Jim’s South Street Steaks is back, more than twice the size, to help lead a resurgence of South Street.

The idea of a public cafe catering to cat lovers is not new, but 2024 saw the addition of two: Get A Gato in Bella Vista, where you can enjoy coffees and Colombian food up front and hang out with cats in the back, while the homey Whiskers Cat Cafe Philly in South Philadelphia offers more than 20 cats to play with and adopt, as well as free hot beverages. Get A Gato last week changed its affiliation to Morris Animal Refuge.

We here on The Inquirer food team know that the Philadelphia area’s restaurant scene is vibrant and ever-changing. We looked for the dining gems — fancy and not — that define the region, and distilled our findings into a list of 76 essential restaurants called The 76.