The Chef Conference

12:00 am

The Chef Conference, founded by Mike Traud and presented by Visit Philadelphia and Resy, an American Express company, is a four-day conference debuting in Philadelphia from April 12-15, 2024. Today, the conference announces “Resy @ The Chef Conference: A Collaborative Dinner Series” which will feature eleven pop-ups partnering Philadelphia restaurants with some of the most lauded chefs from across the globe.

The collaborative dinners will take place between April 10 and April 15, 2024. Reservations open on March 13, 2024, at 12 p.m. EST for Global Dining Access by Resy Members who get 48 hours of exclusive access before reservations or tickets open to the general public at 12 p.m. EST on March 15, 2024. Starting March 1, guests can set notifications to be the first to access reservations when they go live here. 

The inaugural conference is anchored by its Panel Day on Monday, April 15, which features 14 in-depth discussions with celebrity chefs, media, restaurateurs, beverage professionals, and hospitality experts on topics relating to the restaurant industry. Resy @ The Chef Conference: A Collaborative Dinner Series complements the conference’s industry-centric programming alongside other ancillary, open-to-the-public events including an event with world-renowned chef and author Alain Ducasse discussing his memoir-meets-manifesto, Good Taste: A Life of Food and Passion, and live podcast recordings with Dan Pashman’s The Sporkful. 

 The full line-up for Resy @ The Chef Conference: A Collaborative Dinner Series is as follows:

a.bar x Mr.Lyan x Arielle Johnson

  • About: An evening of collaboration, cocktails and bites with Mr. Lyan (Ryan Chetiyawardana) and Arielle Johnson, celebrating her just-released book Flavorama: A Guide to Unlocking the Art and Science of Flavor.
  • Date(s): Saturday, April 13, 2024 
  • Location: a.bar (1737 Walnut St.)
  • Reservations: here

CO-OP Restaurant & Bar x Dakar

  • About: A family-style menu served at lunch. This lunch collaboration is between Chef John Quintana of CO-OP Restaurant & Bar and Chef Serigne Mbaye of Dakar NOLA.
  • Date(s): Saturday, April 13, 2024 
  • Location: CO-OP Restaurant & Bar (20 S. 33rd St.)
  • Reservations: here

Fiorella x Lita

  • About: In celebration of The Chef Conference, this seven-course menu is curated by Chef Matt Rodrigue of Fiorella Pasta and Chef David Viana of Lita.
  • Date(s): Thursday, April 11, 2024 
  • Location: Fiorella (817 Christian St.)
  • Reservations: here

Irwin’s x Maty's

  • About: Chef Valerie Chang and her team from Maty's in Miami will be coming to Philly to cook a Peruvian / Sicilian a la carte menu with Chef Michael Vincent Ferreri and his team at Irwin's.
  • Date(s): Saturday, April 13, 2024 
  • Location: Irwin’s (800 Mifflin St., 8th Floor)
  • Reservations: here

Middle Child Clubhouse x Lita x La Otra

  • About: Collaboration between La Otra and Middle Child Clubhouse, two tri-state cocktail bars serving ingredients from around the world to their own, intimate neighborhoods. La Otra – who is the “sister-bar” to Lita, a James Beard Foundation Award Semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in 2024 – will showcase a few of their favorite drinks.
  • Date(s): Friday, April 12, 2024
  • Location: Middle Child Clubhouse (1232 N. Front St.)
  • Reservations: Walk-ins only from 5pm to 9pm.

My Loup x Claud

  • About: My Loup will collaborate with co-owners Joshua Pinsky and Chase Sinzer of Claud in New York City for a four-course family-style meal.
  • Date(s): Saturday, April 13, 2024 
  • Location: My Loup (2005 Walnut St.)
  • Reservations: here

Palizzi Social Club x Don Angie

  • About: Palizzi Social Club, Don Angie and San Sabino are collaborating for one night on a five-course Italian-American dinner.
  • Date(s): Thursday, April 11, 2024
  • Location: Palizzi Social Club (1408 S. 12th St.)
  • Reservations: here

The Chef Conference is also announcing some additional  programming spanning the four-day conference, including:

  • The Chef Conference Opening Event on Sunday, April 14: The Opening Event kicks off the speaker portion of the conference with two tone-setting panels taking place at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (480 S. Broad St.). Doors open at 3:45 p.m. Tickets range from $50-$75 and are available here. 
  • “Sobriety in the Bar and Restaurant Industry” featuring Sean Brock, Ashley Christensen, Gregory Gourdet and Michael Solomonov, moderated by Andrew Zimmern
  • An exclusive fireside chat between Jeff Gordinier and Phil Rosenthal (former CBS executive producer and current producer and host of “Somebody Feed Phil” on Netflix) discussing the Evolution of Food TV
  • Two events with Philadelphia’s Sisterly Love Collective, a non-profit organization supporting Philadelphia’s women-owned hospitality businesses:
  • Women in Brown Spirits on Friday, April 12: A fundraiser benefiting Our Whiskey Foundation and Sisterly Love Collective, all are invited to celebrate and learn more about the world of spirits in a panel featuring some of the most prominent women in the industry, while enjoying drinks and bites. 6:30-8 p.m. at Twisted Tail (509 S. 2nd St.). Tickets here. 
  • Sisterly Love Collective Does Brunch: The Chef Conference Edition on Sunday, April 14: a brunch featuring bites from some of Philadelphia’s top women chefs in collaboration with chefs and authors from all over the country, a specially curated bar, book fair and mini market with SLC vendors. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Independence Beer Garden (100 S. Independence Mall W.). Tickets here.
  • A new addition to the Panel Day (April 15) line-up includes “Clashing Cultures: Old School vs. New School” featuring panelists Marco Canora, Nina Compton, Charlie Mitchell and Karyn Tomlinson, moderated by Kim Severson. Access to this panel is included in Panel Day tickets here.  
  • Live recording on Monday, April 15 with Jermain Stone’s Wine and Hip Hop podcast with Chad Williams discussing, as the name suggests, wine, hip hop and everything in-between. 6 p.m. at Friday Saturday Sunday (261 S 21st St.). Tickets here.

“Chef and restaurant pop-up events have been rising in popularity over the past few years and we’re thrilled to tap the welcoming and collaborative spirit of Philadelphia chefs in this series,” said Founder and Executive Director Mike Traud. “The beauty of the Resy @ The Chef Conference: A Collaborative Dinner Series is that it brings these highly acclaimed chefs and concepts to Philadelphia, further establishing The City of Brotherly Love as a world-class dining city with new experiences for locals and visitors, alike, to enjoy,” Traud continued. 

The conference’s host hotel is The Study at University City (20 S. 33rd St.) and Visit Philadelphia has great resources for how else to spend your time in the city. For more information on The Chef Conference and event ticketing visit www.thechefconference.com and follow @thechefconference on Instagram.