Mawn, Meetinghouse make New York Times’ list of best restaurants in the U.S.

The Cambodian noodle house Mawn in Bella Vista and the tavern Meetinghouse in Kensington have earned spots on the New York Times' annual list of the 50 best restaurants in the United States.

The national nods add to a growing resume of culinary accolades and press for both establishments, which have become trickier places to get a table as word has spread.

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Chef Phila Lorn and his wife, Rachel, opened Mawn in 2023. The BYO's expansive menu of Southeast Asian dishes captures the "whole roster of bright, salty-sour salads, curries and hot and cold noodles," the Times' Brett Anderson wrote of his visit. He highlighted the wild boar prahak and banh chow crepe salad as menu standouts.

In June, Lorn won a James Beard Award for best emerging chef. He was the only Philly nominee to take home a win at the prestigious foundation's annual gala, and this week Food & Wine named him one of the 10 best new chefs in the country. Lorn told the magazine he credits his success to experimenting freely with flavors and dishes.

"We stay away from tradition and construct it in our own form," Lorn said. "It is really based on impulsive creation."

The flurry of recognition comes as the Lorns prepares to open their second restaurant in the city, a Southeast Asian oyster bar named Sao on Wednesday in East Passyunk.

Meetinghouse has thrived since opening two years ago in the space of the beloved former Memphis Taproom. Chef Andrew DiTomo, who got his start in the restaurant industry as a 14-year-old dishwasher, finds a sweet spot between understated neighborhood pub and refined takes on classic American fare.

The hot roast beef sandwich "tastes as if it were invented in the kitchen mere minutes ago," the Times' Nikita Richardson says of the menu's banner item. Meetinghouse also has a weekend brunch menu, daily specials and its own beer brewed by New Jersey's Tonewood Brewing.

DiTomo is a partner at Meetinghouse with Colin McFadden, Marty West and Keith Shore, who purchased the Memphis Taproom property when it closed after a 15-year run. Bon Appétit named Meetinghouse one of the best new restaurants in America last year.

"Our tiny pub ticks along because of everyone in it who makes it a special place," DiTomo told Resy earlier this year. "It's a great privilege to do this work especially with great people."