Have a drink: Philly’s latest crop of James Beard-nominated bars and restaurants

The Philly area got a lot of love in the first round of the 2023 James Beard Awards. Together, the city and South Jersey netted 18 semifinal nominations. The list will soon be winnowed down to finalists, but let’s be honest: All of these places are winners.

While many nominees are recognized for their food, The Inquirer went on a bar-hopping expedition to spotlight their equally great beverage programs. Whether you’re eating dinner or just snacking, sitting at the bar is a great way to partake of a James Beard-level experience without a reservation.

Finalist for: Best Chef Mid-Atlantic (Dionicio Jiménez)

Dollar tacos from one of the city’s best chefs? That’s on offer every day during happy hour (5 to 7 p.m.) at Cantina La Martina, where margaritas come in glasses the size of swimming pools, rimmed with coarse salt, tangy Tajín, and fruity chamoy. Classic margs go for $6 at happy hour, but spend an extra buck on a flavored variety, particularly the pucker-inducing tamarind.

And be sure to ask for a sample of whatever’s churning in the slushie machine. It could be dragonfruit, cucumber, guava, “literally anything we can get our hands on,” says general manager Tina Stanczyk. Keep an eye out for a special cocktail menu she’s crafting for Cantina’s sunny patio; it promises to incorporate even more traditional Mexican ingredients. 2800 D St., 267-519-2142, cantinalamartinaphilly.com

Finalist for: Outstanding Restaurateur (Ellen Yin)

When it comes to great drinks from High Street Hospitality, a.bar usually gets all the attention. But don’t sleep on the bar scene at Fork, Ellen Yin’s 25-year-old flagship, which offers one of Old City’s best happy hour menus Tuesday through Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. Pull up early to sample charcuterie, sip on a $10 cocktail du jour, and catch Fork’s seasoned servers readying for the dinner crowd.

Beverage manager Kevin Denson peppers his cocktail menus with the same local, seasonal ingredients used in the kitchen, switching it up quarterly. April bids farewell to the Scotch-suffused Doctor’s Orders — spiked with spicy raw ginger syrup and capped with whipped egg white foam — but it ushers in a duck fat-washed Vieux Carré and a tequila mojito made with Green Meadow Farm’s nepitella, among other highlights. 306 Market St., 215-625-9425, forkrestaurant.com

Finalist for: Outstanding Restaurant

Even before Friday Saturday Sunday went tasting menu-only upstairs, a seat at its polished marble bar was the backdoor into one of the most coveted fine-dining experiences in town. “It’s good for bar snacks over drinks, it’s good for dinner, it’s good for whatever you want,” says head bartender Paul MacDonald.

The bar plays the pre-pandemic hits for both food and drink, including chef Chad Williams’ velvety chicken liver mousse and spicy-smoky crab and herring spaghetti. MacDonald only occasionally rotates a new cocktail onto the eight-drink menu. “It acts as more of a jumping-off point,” he says. Don’t hesitate to ask for something to be whipped up just for you. 261 S. 21st St., 215-546-4232, fridaysaturdaysunday.com

Finalist for: Best Chef Mid-Atlantic (Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon)

Everything about the Fishtown iteration of Kalaya is stunning, from the seamless service to the spectacular dishes parading out of the kitchen. The bar program is no exception. Bar manager Aaron Deary did lots of research to inform the drinks menu, which features beer slushies, fruit-infused cocktails, and ya dong shots (based on medicinal moonshine drinks sold streetside in Bangkok).

The best-seller so far is the Lum Yong, a canary-yellow concoction of gin, galangal, lime, and turmeric-laced coconut cream, garnished with a banana leaf; its nonalcoholic counterpart, the Tom Kha Coloda, is chef Nok’s go-to drink. Look for her in the dining room. She’ll be buzzing from table to table, charming guests and ensuring that the machine stays well-oiled. 4 W. Palmer St., 215-545-2535, kalayaphilly.com

Semifinalist for: Best Chef Mid-Atlantic (Andrew Henshaw)

When you know Laser Wolf’s inspiration — Jerusalem’s Machane Yehuda Market — proactively picking a bar seat (or the chef’s counter) makes a lot of sense. It affords a view of the action: bartenders slipping past each other, serving up Israeli tiki-style cocktails; line cooks scooping out platters of salatim, tending to skewers and smoldering coals, spearing ticket after ticket. “Sometimes it can be a little more fun,” says GM Kailey Jenkins.

Guests often opt for a full-on dinner at the bar on weekends, but Jenkins says there’s a snack-y vibe on weekdays, with locals coming in for wings lacquered with date molasses and harissa, thick-cut french fries and tehina ketchup, and juice-forward cocktails that integrate Israeli ingredients. 1301 N. Howard St., 267-499-4660, laserwolfphilly.com

Semifinalist for: Outstanding Bar

There may be no finer date-night bar in Philly than this Bella Vista wine bar above Good King Tavern (which owner Chloe Grigri opened with her father, Bernard, in 2013). It’s illuminated by tea candles, Christmas lights, and glowing service. Head there after dark, order a bottle of natural wine and a French hot dog — an all-beef hot dog made by El Camino Real, served on a baguette slicked with Dijon and cornichon butter — and the next thing you know, it’ll be closing time.

Caveau is a drinks-first kinda place, but its food menu recently expanded to include more substantial fare, such as fried oysters with Pernod aioli and trout roe. Go on Thursdays for “night class,” featuring four by-the-glass pours that adhere to a theme, or sign up for “study group,” a once-a-month guided tasting with snacks. 614 S. Seventh St., lecaveaubar.com

Semifinalist for: Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

Tom Peters began cajoling Belgian breweries to send rarities to Philadelphia in the ’90s, even before he and then-partner Fergus Carey opened Monk’s in 1997. The Center City bar is home to what’s consistently the most exciting beer list in the city, thanks to decades-long relationships Peters has with brewers, importers, and distributors the world over.

Beyond Belgian drafts, you’ll reliably see taps from such elusive American makers as Russian River and Hill Farmstead. Bonus: Monk’s has rebooted events this year. First up are visits by brewers from Connecticut’s OEC Bewing, Brussels’ Brasserie de la Senne, and California’s Lost Abbey. Much-anticipated classics such as Zwanze Day and Sour Fest will be back in the fall. 264 S. 16th St., 215-545-7005, monkscafe.com

Semifinalist for: Outstanding Hospitality

Between curious fellow customers and engaged service, the vibe at Vernick’s bar is so convivial that you may wind up staying for dinner even if you arrived only intending to have a drink. Though wine is the choice of most guests in the dining room, cocktails rule at the bar, where they strive to make each drink so good that you struggle when it comes time for another round.

“‘Do I want another one or second thing?’ I kinda want people to fight over that decision,” says GM James Smith. If you’re just grazing, he recommends the crab toast, the striped jack crudo (”one of chef Greg’s favorite fish”), and any of the vegetables. 2031 Walnut St., 267-639-6644, vernickphilly.com

(Disclosure: Some current Inquirer staff members have served on or are part of the James Beard Awards voting body.)