How to order takeout and delivery from Philly’s 2020 James Beard Award nominees
You can eat food from Philly's five Beard Award-nominated chefs, even when you can't go to their restaurants. Many remain open for takeout and delivery. Here’s where to order.
On Monday, the Beard Foundation announced its 2020 James Beard Awards finalists, taking to Twitter to release the news. They are considered the Oscars of the food world, and five Philadelphia chefs scored spots in the finals.
The winners will be announced on Sept. 25. In the meantime, you can eat the award-nominated food, even if you can’t go to the restaurants, as many remain open for takeout and delivery. Here’s where to order.
Kalaya
Hours: 1:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday
Pickup: 764 S. Ninth St.
Delivery: Order through toasttab.com/kalaya/v3
Chef Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon is one of five nationwide nominees for best new restaurant. Her Thai BYOB in South Philadelphia was Inquirer food critic Craig LaBan’s 2019 restaurant of the year and continues to bring LaBan joy these days.
“From the fiery duck laab salad laced with chiles and tangy herbs to a bountiful fried rice jeweled with huge lumps of crab, the essence of this beautiful Southern Thai food survived its transit across town — in Suntaranon’s own car, no less,” writes LaBan.
Whole fried branzino, spicy crabmeat curry with rice noodles, and a five-hour stewed goat curry are all on the menu, too. To order from Kalaya, call 215-385-3777, or visit toasttab.com/kalaya/v3.
Vetri Cucina
Hours: Schedule varies (stay up to date on Instagram, @vetricucinaphl)
Pickup: 1312 Spruce St.
No delivery
Marc Vetri is up for the coveted “outstanding chef” award, a category in which he’s been a finalist for three years (2014, 2015, and 2019) and a semifinalist for six (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2016). While his 32-seater Vetri Cucina is currently unable to offer the intimate dining experience for which it’s known, the upscale Italian spot has been offering eight-course meal kits ($95) on selected weekends. They’re announced through Instagram and ordered through Tock (exploretock.com/vetricucina). Expect some light at-home preparation, along with detailed reheating instructions. And if you want to pair your plate of goat ragù, sweet onion crêpe, and rhubarb crostata with a restaurant-recommended wine, bottles from the cellar are available, too.
Fiorella
Hours: Wednesday through Saturday (sometimes varies; check Instagram, @fiorellaphilly, to confirm). Ordering starts at 9 a.m.; pickup window between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Pick up: 817 Christian St.
No delivery
A more casual Marc Vetri experience, Fiorella opened just weeks before the pandemic. The pasta bar is now pivoting to take-home pasta and sauces. The menu is posted to Instagram every week; you can order through fiorellaphilly.hrpos.heartland.us. Find everything from cacio e pepe and sausage ragu to fresh extruded tonnarelli and rigatoni to braised beef stuffed cannelloni and citrus olive oil cake. Each order comes with instruction sheets. But you can catch the occasional video tutorial from Vetri and Fiorella’s chef Matt Rodrigue on Instagram and Instagram stories.
Takeout is typically available Wednesday to Saturday (this week it’s Thursday to Saturday) for same-day pickup. The ordering window opens at 9 a.m. Set an alarm — the pasta has been selling out fast.
South Philly Barbacoa
Hours: 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays
Pickup location: 1140 S. Ninth St.
No delivery
Nominated for “best chef, Mid-Atlantic,” Cristina Martinez continues to churn out her famous slow-cooked barbacoa from her corner spot in the Italian Market. Order up to one kilo (roughly 2.2 pounds) of the tender lamb taco filling, which comes with a stack of handmade tortillas. Veggie and pancita options are available, too, and you can request a mix on the Google Form when you order. Find the link to the order form in the bio of South Philly Barbacoa’s Instagram. Pay — by cash, Venmo, or PayPal — when you pick up.
Casa México
Hours: 4 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday
Pickup location: 1134 S. Ninth St.
No delivery
Just a couple doors down from South Philly Barbacoa, Martinez’s newcomer, Casa México, is serving up a new menu five days a week. Check Instagram for daily postings. All entrees — like chicken and pork hominy stew, cauliflower and chile stuffed poblanos, and beef in pasilla sauce — come with handmade tortillas. To order, text 267-455-2760 with your name and preferred pickup time. Pay by cash or Venmo when you arrive.
Vedge
Hours: Currently open for takeout on Mother’s Day weekend only (Friday and Saturday); check Instagram @vedgephiladelphia for updates on future openings
Pickup location: 1221 Locust St.
No delivery
A six-time nominee, Rich Landau is currently in the process of figuring out his next steps for both Vedge and his more casual Philly spot, V Street. For now, he’s debuting his first pandemic takeout menu at Vedge over Mother’s Day weekend. It’ll feature dishes that fit a “French picnic” theme. Find details on Instagram and Vedge’s website, to be released on Wednesday. Bottles of wine will be available, too, and pickup will be contactless. Once you arrive, staff will set the bag out on a table at Vedge’s doorstep. Landau says they’re exploring delivery options for the future.
Laurel / ITV (future)
Hours: Not yet operating; check Instagram @ITVPhilly to stay up-to-date
For now, nominee Nick Elmi is keeping his restaurants (ITV, Laurel, and Royal Boucherie) temporarily closed. But he’s considering opening ITV for cocktails to go if changes to the Pennsylvania state liquor laws pass. He also plans to start offering takeout options at Laurel as soon as next week. Stay up-to-date through Laurel’s Instagram. Donations for staff at Royal Boucherie can be made through a GoFundMe campaign at gofundme.com/f/royal-boucherie-employee-relief-fund.