One of the most notable awards is Best New Restaurant, and Kalaya, a Thai restaurant in the Italian Market, was the only Philadelphia restaurant in that category.
Owner Nok Suntaranon got the news from a friend on the phone.
"What it does is that it tells people that they can't ignore me, especially when it comes to finances like backers, investors, developers, landlords, and it helps me to secure a better deal for my business because we need to really grow to make this business sustainable," she said.
Du Plessis's Essen Bakery is located not too far from Kalaya.
Three Philadelphia chefs — Cristina Martinez, Nick Elmi and Rich Landau as well as Joey Baldino of Collingswood and Taylor Mason of Lancaster —were recognized under Best Chef Mid-Atlantic.
Nominees will be narrowed down next month, with the big awards taking place in May.
