We're psyched to see Philly chefs and restaurateurs on the move — they're Philadelphia's ambassadors for all the awesome things going on in the Philly food scene, which is more robust than ever before. (Photo credits clockwise from top left: courtesy Parc, courtesy Osteria, G. Widman for GPTMC, courtesy Distrito)

In recent weeks, there’s been a few big pieces of news hitting, in which well established Philadelphia chefs, restaurateurs and entrepreneurs are making plans to expand or else are actively expanding their operations across the country and, in some cases, across the globe.

We’re psyched to see Philly chefs and restaurateurs on the move — they’re Philadelphia’s ambassadors for all the awesome things going on in the Philly food scene, which is more robust than ever before, earning accolades left and right.

Below is a quick recap of some of the most recent and notable chef and restaurateur expansion news; and don’t worry — none of these champions will forget that Philadelphia loved them first:

• Stephen Starr, Starr Restaurant Group
Target: Washington, DC

Starr already has multiple restaurants in New York, Atlantic City and Florida to complement his restaurant stronghold here in Philadelphia (now at 20 strong, after the recent openings of Il Pittore and Route 6). Just last month, Stephen Starr confirmed that he’ll be expanding to the nation’s capital, bringing a Parc-like restaurant to D.C. Good choice.

• Chef Jose Garces of Garces Restaurant Group;
Target: Arizona and now Palm Springs, California and Atlantic City

Just last month, Garces opened the first two of three restaurants that he will be bringing to the The The Saguaro in Scottsdale, Arizona: Old Town Whiskey, a saloon modeled after Village Whiskey, and Garces Trading Company (GTC) Coffee To-Go. The third restaurant will be a branch of Distrito.

Now comes word from Grubstreet L.A. he’ll be headed even further west to Palm Springs, California. Rumor is Garces’ venture in the Golden State will be something similar to what he’s doing in Arizona.

And, the Inquirer reports that Garces will also be opening three restaurants at Revel Atlantic City, the $2.4 billion megacasino scheduled to open in the spring.

• Marc Vetri, Vetri Restaurant Family
Target: New Jersey

Moorestown Mall owner PREIT, in an effort to upgrade the mall with high-end dining spots, has signed a letter of intent with Chef Marc Vetri to open a restaurant at the mall. Michael Klein reports it would be a smaller-scale version of Osteria.

La Colombe and Zama details below.

• Todd Carmichael and JP Iberti of La Colombe Torrefaction: Chicago

Carmichael (an American) and Iberti (a Frenchman) conceived of their “culinary coffee” concept — the skills of the European coffee roaster meeting the fine cuisine of America — in 1985. Since then, they’ve opened three cafes, their flagship in Rittenhouse Square and two more in New York City, and have just this year opened three more: a Dilworth Plaza location in Philadelphia, another New York cafe in NOHO, and — new geographic territory for the pair — a Chicago West Loop site. Those Midwesterners are in for a treat, what with La Colombe’s irresistibly rich, fresh brews that are so tasty they’re available wholesale and at markets like Whole Foods.

• Chef Zama of Zama Restaurant: South Beach

One of Philadelphia’s most accomplished sushi chefs, having cut his teeth at Pod and Morimoto, Chef Hiroyuki “Zama” Tanaka is opening a sushi bar, titled, effectively, Zama Sushi Bar, in the lobby of the Shelborne South Beach Hotel. The hotel’s multi-million dollar renovations are expected to be completed soon.

 
Zama’s celebrity sushi rolls just won a Best of Philly 2011 award for Best Replacement for the Wall at the Palm, and the exciting match-ups between Chef Zama and other Philadelphia notables make it easy to see to why (remember Questlove’s Drum Roll?).

Next up: Chef Zama has teamed up with Best Chef Mid-Atlantic James Beard award winner Chef Michael Solomonov to craft the “Zahav Roll,” a hand roll made with Shiso flecked soy paper, Albacore Tuna, Shiso and Black Sesame Hummus. The hummus is made from edamame beans, sesame oil, lemon juice, black sesame paste and water.

The roll is served alongside falafel (this is the man behind Zahav, after all), made from edamame beans, flour, water, Za’ater and togarashi. It’s also dished up with a non-traditional Tzatziki sauce made with yuzu juice, sour cream and créme fraîche.

That’s a lot of awesome ingredients for a can’t-pass-up dish. It’s available now through the end of the year, $18 each.

At Solomonov’s request, a portion of the proceeds benefits Philadelphia Police Athletic League.

Check out the above video to see Solo in action behind the sushi bar with Chef Zama as they prepare his specialty roll.

Zama Restaurant
128 S. 19th Street
www.zamarestaurant.com

Previously: Chef Marc Vetri And Chef Zama Have Teamed Up To Create A Specialty Sushi Roll For Zama Restaurant, Available Now

Introducing Zama’s Newest Celebrity Roll: The “Drum Roll” By Questlove

Every summer, Philadelphians look forward to diving into Philadelphia Magazine’s annual Best of Philly® issue to see what’s the latest and greatest in our fair city.

Accordingly, it’s a pretty big deal to be crowned a winner.

So we wanted to talk to the winners and elicit from them what about Philadelphia made them proud to have been named the best among their peers.

We asked a select group of 2011 Best of Philly® award-winners this exact question and below are the answers we received.

We hope you enjoy their responses as much as we did.

Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Won for: Best Scene-Makers

Drew Becher, President: “Philly is growing into one of the greenest cities in the country, and PHS is thrilled to be part of the transformation.”

Fork
Won for: Best Old Restaurant

Ellen Yin, Owner: “Philadelphia has an amazing dining scene, one of the best in the country. So of course we are honored to be selected!”

Barbuzzo
Won for: Best Dessert and Best New Restaurant
Verde
Won for: Best Costume Bling

Marcie Turney, (also see below) Chef and Co-owner: “Philly is a city that has great restaurants open each year from such talented chefs who really put their heart and personality into the overall experience for the diner. So to be named the best, is a great honor… and what I truly enjoyed was telling my chefs and seeing the look on their faces!”

13th Street
Won for: Best Restaurant Row

Valerie Safran, (also see above) Co-owner (Bindi, Lolita, Barbuzzo, Verde, Open House, Grocery): “We are super excited about all of it — when we started out here over 9 years ago we never dreamed it would become the vibrant, bustling hot spot that it is! Last night I was working at Barbuzzo and the outdoor seating was packed, the shops were full, there was a line out the door for gelato across the street… I still have to pinch myself to believe that we are smack dab in the middle of it. We couldn’t be more thrilled with the neighborhood in which we work and live (we live above Bindi). Our block has it all. We love Philly!!!”

Pub & Kitchen
Won for: Best Burger

Jonathan Adams, Executive Chef: “Philadelphia is a very loyal, tough town so to be recognized really means a lot our staff. Thanks Philly.”

Standard Tap
Won for: Best Bloody Mary

William Reed, Chef: “What is great about Philadelphians, is that they make up their own damn minds about what they like. Many, many vaunted chains and concepts fail here; because we really aren’t just about hype. The place has to prove itself every day.”

West Philadelphia
Won for: Most Underrated Food Neighborhood

Lori Klein Brennan, Director of Marketing and Communications for University City District: “With a diverse residential population, our access to parks and greenspace, a burgeoning local food scene, a vibrant arts district, easy access via public transit, and large institutions educating our youth while conducting cutting-edge research, University City has something for everyone and is truly the best neighborhood in Philadelphia.”

We hear from Chef Michael Solomonov of Zahav, Sam Mink of Oyster House and more, below.

Zahav
Won for: Best Restaurant to Take Your New York Friends To

Michael Solomonov, Executive Chef: “Philadelphians have a discerning palate, and with so many amazing restaurants, I’m very proud to be a part of this issue.”

Lacroix
Won for: Best Service

Jon Cichon, Executive Chef: “We are proud to be named ‘Best Service’ in Philadelphia because it has become such a renowned dining city. We feel that we owe this award to our guests who inspire and motivate us to constantly strive for more.”

Oyster House
Won for: Best Power Lunch

Sam Mink, Owner: “There are many places for a great lunch in this city, so I’m excited that the ‘movers and shakers’ of Philly enjoy having lunch in the new Oyster House.”

Fathom
Won for: Best Summer Take-Away Deal

Mike Stollenwerk, Executive Chef: Simply put, “The brotherly love.”

Paesanos
Won for: Best Sandwich

Chef/Owner: “Philly is a small large city. Philly Mag has a great reputation. It’s a nice pat on the back. This award really means something!”

Percy Street Barbecue
Won for: Best Pies

Erin O’Shea, Executive Chef: “There’s so much great talent in Philly right now, it’s wonderful to be a part of our food scene and I can’t wait for what’s to come.”

Zama
Won for: Best Replacement for the Wall at the Palm (celebrity sushi rolls)

Hiroyuki “Zama” Tanaka, Executive Chef: “It’s nice to be recognized by my peers and it’s an honor.”

Greensgrow Farm
Won for: Best Nursery, City

Mary Seton Corboy, Co-Founder and Chief Farm Hand: “The way to keep Philadelphia vital is to create active vibrant green community spaces where all Philadelphians can mix it up together — no ‘your neighborhood, my neighborhood’ — just Philadelphia and damn proud of it.”

Duross & Langel Haddonfield
Won for: Satellite Location

Steve Duross, Owner: “The exceptional nature of the city and the people. it drives me toward greatness.”

Franklin Fountain
Won for: Ice Cream

Eric Berley, Co-owner: “Philadelphia has a long tradition of being considered the workshop for the world. As such, hand crafted products have been held in esteem for hundreds of years as a mark of quality from the city of brotherly love. It’s an honor to be called the best at our craft given our historical heritage. Perhaps the critics of the past would have been harder won than those of today since competition was even fiercer in our field. Either way its always an honor to serve our customers the best.”

M Restaurant at the Morris House Hotel
Won for: Outdoor Dining

Michael Caspi, Executive Chef: “I’m honored to be associated with some of the most talented chefs in the nation and to be honored with the best of the best in a city that has continued to expand daily in their true love of great food and drink.”

Best of Philly [Philadelphia Magazine] *Section yet to be updated with 2011 winners.

 
So The Roots drummer Questlove is continuing his push into the food world with a new specialty roll at Zama, the awesome Japanese restaurant on Rittenhouse Square.

Questlove has teamed up with Chef Zama to create a delicious new specialty sushi roll to be featured on Zama’s regular menu.

Ever the Philly ambassador, Questlove decided to go with a roll that would promote Philadelphia.

The “Drum Roll,” also known as the Questlove Roll and the Cheesesteak Roll, is a Japanese take on a classic Philly cheesesteak. The roll is made with premium Japanese Wagyu beef, provolone cheese and sautéed onions, plus a little spicy mayo, all rolled in a red pepper flaked soy paper and served with horseradish aioli. It even comes with a cherry pepper on the side.

Check out the above video to see Questlove in action behind the sushi bar with Chef Zama as they prepare Questlove’s specialty roll.

The Questlove Roll will be available on the menu at Zama beginning next week. $1 from each sale of the roll will go toward Harlem Village Academies, Questlove’s chosen charity.

This is latest in a series of Celebrity Rolls at Zama that already include entries by Marc Vetri, Pierre Calmels of Bibou, and Tony Luke.

Zama Restaurant
128 S. 19th Street
www.zamarestaurant.com

In this case, no such thing as too many cooks in the kitchen! (Photo by J. Varney courtesy Zama)

Chef Marc Vetri and Chef Zama have teamed up to create a specialty roll for Zama Restaurant.

The Vetri Roll is a crunchy eel roll with scallions and shiso (Japanese mint), wrapped with daikon, drizzled with a truffle eel sauce and topped with cucumber noodles tossed in a sweet uni sauce that is bruleed on the plate.

Chef Vetri asked specifically for eel and uni, and Chef Zama conjured up this specialty sushi roll. This is Zama’s first Celebrity Chef Roll, but they have two others in the works.

Each roll is $18, and $1 of each sale goes to the Vetri Foundation, so you can chew for a good cause.

The Vetri roll will be available all summer long.

Zama Restaurant
128 S. 19th Street
www.zamarestaurant.com

Eat delicious Japanese food for a good cause.
(Photo by J. Varney courtesy Zama)

Zama sushi restaurant is hosting a benefit dinner for Japan, this Tuesday, March 29.

Chef Hiroyuki “Zama” Tanaka, one of Philadelphia’s most venerated sushi chefs, is offering a delicious six-course tasting menu with seatings between 6 and 7 p.m., and 8 and 9 p.m.

The price per person is $100 and all proceeds will go to the American Red Cross. They are also accepting donations all week leading up to the dinner.

The restaurant incorporates modern ingredients and cooking techniques to serve innovative and visually stunning sushi alongside a variety of other exquisitely prepared Japanese dishes; so you can expect nothing but the culinary best.

The event is reservation-only; call (215) 568-1027.

Zama Benefit Dinner
Where: 128 S. 19th Street
When: Tuesday, March 29, 6-7 p.m., 8-9 p.m.
Cost: $100
More info: www.zamarestaurant.com

Come December, Chef Hiroyuki “Zama” Tanaka, will open his new authentic Japanese restaurant, Zama, right in Rittenhouse Square. Zama will serve “innovative, visually stunning sushi alongside exquisitely prepared Japanese dishes” accompanied by a “diverse selection of cocktails, beer and wine in a chic, gracious atmosphere.”

For those of you unfamiliar with Tanaka, he’s responsible for overseeing kitchens at Philly restaurants like POD and Morimoto. The menu will include a wide array of special sushi rolls, soups, salads, and entrees, with items ranging in price from $5 to $28.

Check out some of the menu after the jump!

Zama plans to serve dinner seven days a week, from 5PM to 11PM, with lunch service planned for the future. Looking forward to the opening!

Zama
128 South 19th Street, Philadelphia, PA
(215) 568-1027

Specialty Rolls:

- Lob-Temp, tempura lobster with uni sauce and teriyaki-truffle
- Hama-peno Mango, yellowtail with jalapeno and chili-mango
- Bullish!!!, seared Kobe beef on top of sesame-soy wrapped sushi rice with spicy ponzu
- Sizzled White Fish, striped bass with citrus-soy and finished with hot sesame oil.

Entrees and Appetizers:

- Akadashi Soup with tofu and scallion
- Salmon Skin Salad with mixed greens, kawarie sprouts and sesame onion dressing
- Genmai Vegetable Spring rolls with spinach, wood ear mushroom and pickled vegetable wrapped with brown rice paper
- Zama House Tofu, cooked tableside with choice of two sauces
- Kirin Ichiban Braised Short Ribs served with sautéed udon noodles
- Yuzu Pepper Chicken, oven roasted free-range chicken with grilled maitake and Tokyo scallions
- Black Cod Misoyaki with pickled root vegetables.

Yum!