5 Local Chefs Dish on Whats New in Philly's Restaurant Scene

As Philly’s thriving restaurant industry continues to evolve, we caught up with five of the city’s most talented industry professionals on the future of fine dining, trends and projections.

Fork is the flagship restaurant of High Street Hospitality Group.

Amanda Shulman
Chef and Owner of Her Place herplacephilly.com
“I definitely don’t see fine dining going away, but I do see it evolving to be a little more fun and a little less stuffy. I think fine dining will appear in smaller restaurants with more unique styles of service as opposed to these classic restaurants that rely on a larger labor force. Fine dining used to be defined by white tablecloths and pristine steps of service, but I see this all gravitating toward a more whimsical setting and livelier atmosphere with louder music.”

Michael O’Halloran
Executive Chef, Stella of New Hope stellanewhope.com
“There has been a lot of talk of the unsustainability of fine dining in the wake of some notable ultra-high-end restaurant closings, but I feel that fine dining is on fundamentally sound footing. The biggest difference is that now restaurants need to deliver these experiences while showing respect for staff in terms of both pay and work-life balance, which essentially means an increase in the cost of operating.”

Ellen Yin
Founder, High Street Hospitality Group highsthospitality.com
“There will always be an audience who wants high-end dining, but the term ‘fine dining’ is being redefined by our culture and has evolved into a more inclusionary model.”

Nick Elmi
Chef and Owner, Laurel restaurantlaurel.com
“Big box, white table-clothed dining rooms feel really dated, no matter what you do these days. [A popular trend is] simplicity, which I love. It forces chefs to concentrate on finding the best product and separates us by who has the best technique. An incredible amount of work goes into making something taste spectacular with only three things on the plate.”

Nok Suntaranon
Owner and Chef kalayaphilly.com
“In Philly, you can go to a restaurant that some may consider fine dining but in a much more casual setting and still eat caviar and very high-quality food. In other major cities, it’s a completely different vibe. Here, you have young, exciting chefs doing fun things. Many grew up in Philly, left, and came back home to do their own thing, and that’s something that makes Philly’s restaurant scene so exciting now.”