National Accolades: Alla Spina, Zeppoli, Standard Tap, Vedge

Is Alla Spina the best new restaurant in the country?

Story and Photo by Danya Henninger

Sure, the national editors at Saveur just called Philly “the East Coast's most exciting emerging food town,” but we argue our city is already surfing much closer to the top of the wave. Proof? We point to the latest flock of accolades bestowed on our local establishments, a series of which came out this week.

Leading the pack are the nods Andrew Knowlton gave to Alla Spina and Zeppoli, placing both on Bon Appetit’s list of the 50 Best New Restaurants. At Marc Vetri’s North Broad birreria, he shouts out the pig's tails with fennel agrodolce and the custom-built tap system, and at Joey Baldino’s Collingswood BYO, the Sicilian fisherman stew and half-portion plates of pasta both impressed. The two are in the running to be named one of the top 10 new restaurants in the U.S. later this year.

Food & Wine is into the drink side of things this month, and named Standard Tap one of America’s Best Beer Bars. William Reed and Paul Kimport’s multi-roomed pub led the Northern Liberties revitalization and was also a trailblazer in the now-unbeatable Philly beer scene, so it makes total sense the national publication recognizes the efforts. Editors love the all-local draft beer selection and the sausages.

On the flip side, Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby’s Vedge placed in Shape’s Top 10 Upscale Vegan Restaurants, with a note from the writer that “Chefs follow the seasons so closely, you won't even need a calendar to know what month it is.” It’s Philly food season, of that we’re sure.