Philadelphia restaurant serves 31 dishes from local home cooks

A new dining spot at Broad and Arch Streets in Philadelphia is serving a menu built entirely on recipes from local residents.

The establishment, Recipe Philly, features 31 dishes created by home cooks who competed for a spot on the menu. Founder Ed Baumstein says he issued a casting call and more than 1,000 people showed up at the Convention Center across the street. He said he realized it was a great idea after seeing that turnout. Executive Chef Andy Revella claims the concept is unique, stating there is no other restaurant in America with a similar format.

Jameir Taylor is one of the home cooks who made the cut. He says he took a chance on himself and won the competition. Taylor now works at the restaurant and is developing his culinary skills. He recently created a fall harvest salad for the menu. The dish includes roasted butternut squash seasoned with cinnamon, thyme, and paprika. Taylor adds a pistachio crumble for texture and pairs it with kale and a butternut maple vinaigrette. He loosens feta cheese into a drizzle and serves the salad with salmon. He describes the meal as a comfort dish that keeps diners cozy.

The menu includes other winning recipes. Niya Woolfolk contributed cheesesteak eggrolls, and Crystal Ashby created honey crunch wings glazed in a sweet, savory honey mayo sauce. Rameez Pirani won with a fried butter chicken sandwich. Camille Calvin’s Thai curry noodle soup was one of the first dishes to impress Revella. Jaymi Carnazza’s winning item is a Pinon, a Puerto Rican lasagna that uses plantains instead of pasta sheets.

Paul Pavelka won a cocktail round with a drink he named That's it. That's all. The beverage contains amaro, rum, scotch, fresh lemon juice, ginger syrup, and honey syrup. Pavelka was hired to work at the restaurant and became the beverage manager three days after starting. Dahlia, the youngest winner at 12 years old, provided the restaurant's best-selling dessert, a chocolate cake.