Portraits of Philly: Friday Saturday Sunday’s Chad & Hanna Williams

Clay Williams: What’s making Philly such an exciting city to eat and drink? What makes it stand out to you?

Chad Williams: We really have it all. There is an incredible level of depth and breadth and quality across the board, from the Southeast Asian food market at FDR Park to the higher-end tasting menus, all of which are world-class.

I’m from here, so for me, in a selfish way, it’s just home. I love the city in general. I love the neighborhoods. I love the parks. The food. The relationships I have with people in the city. It’s home. For me, it’s home.

Now that Philly has been established as a food destination, what comes next? How do you want to see the food scene develop and grow? What do you want to stay the same? What does Philly need more of?

Hanna Williams: It’s exciting to see fine dining regaining popularity. We’re always going to welcome more of that!

Who or what in Philly is inspiring your creativity right now? What are you eating or drinking that you are excited about?

Chad: Our team inspires us daily. The culinary team has hit its stride, and the way our pastry and savory teams are coming together right now — led by pastry chef Amanda Rafalski and sous chef India Rodriguez — is really exciting.

Hanna: I’m most excited about “Not Coffee” from Dope Botanicals and their proprietary blends of herbs and mushrooms and roots. They’re not only holistic and healing, but they have some really exciting flavors.

Chad: Cafe Nhan is my favorite place in the city. Outside of the city, it’s Zeppoli, which is technically in N.J. but it’s still my No. 1 restaurant in my opinion. Honeysuckle Provisions for sandwiches, pastries, and their tasting menu — it’s phenomenal. The Saloon: That’s been there forever, and it’s still a blast. Beddia is incredible still. Oyster House is phenomenal, too.

How do people in the Philly hospitality community show up for one another? Do you find it to be more or less than what you hear of in other cities?

Chad: The hospitality industry in Philly is so tight and the smaller size of the city lends so well to collaboration and community than competition.

What are you focusing on right now? Are you working on anything new?

Chad: We’re always looking for the right opportunity to build our next venture.

In the meantime, our bar is transforming a bit. Over the years, it has grown its own identity and adoring followers, so it naturally progressed into something more. Next time you visit, you’ll notice some new looks around the space, from design touches around the room to what’s in your drink. “Lovers Bar,” as we’re calling it, is also home to head bartender Paul MacDonald’s new cocktail menu, The Carousel. It’s a series of cocktails built on 21 bottles arranged around a circle with a selector wheel revealing five at a time. A static ratio corresponding to the Fibonacci sequence is the recipe for each drink. It’s a novel menu construction designed to explore the interactions of flavors within cocktail ingredients and how their functions can shift depending on context.

Clay Williams is a Brooklyn-based photographer whose work takes him across the country and beyond, documenting stories of food, culture, and community. Follow him at @ultraclay.