• Nominees must be based in the greater Philadelphia region — including the collar counties and nearby New Jersey communities — and must be actively operating during the award year.

• Previous Tasties winners are not eligible to be nominated in the same category for five years following their win but may be nominated in other categories.

• Finalists who did not win remain eligible to be nominated again in the same category.

Nominations are made by the Nominee Committee, a diverse group of local journalists, industry professionals, and community leaders who know Philadelphia’s restaurant landscape inside and out. Each member nominates up to five individuals or restaurants per category.

The committee’s goal is to ensure that all corners of Philly’s hospitality community are represented — from neighborhood favorites to destination dining rooms.

• Nominations are guided by the Nomination Committee, which brings together respected local journalists, past Tasties winners, restaurant-adjacent professionals, and members of Philadelphia’s culinary community.

• There is no fee to be nominated.

• All nominations are reviewed by the Tasties Nomination Committee to confirm eligibility before advancing in the process.

• Every member of the Nomination Committee signs The Tasties Code of Conduct and commits to fairness, impartiality, and transparency. Members must disclose any conflicts of interest — including business relationships, friendships, or other connections — and must recuse themselves from voting in any category where a conflict exists.

The Tasties follow a hybrid model to balance fairness, transparency, and open participation.

Round One: Long List (Anonymous)

• Committee members submit nominations privately.

• Individual nominations remain anonymous to other members.

• This encourages free and open input without pressure or influence from peers.

• The Chairperson and Co-Chairs oversee this stage to ensure fairness.
  

Round Two: Short List (Transparent)

• Committee members review and debate the compiled long list and cast votes for finalists.

• At this stage, votes are attributed to each member and visible to the rest of the committee (not the public).

• This ensures accountability, reduces conflicts of interest, and prevents favoritism.

No. The Tasties are not a popularity contest. Winners of the main categories are chosen through a professional and confidential process grounded in merit, fairness, and industry expertise.

The ceremony does have a handful of “People’s Choice” categories, and voting for those specific categories will be available to all through DeliciousCityPodcast.com.

• After the finalist list is tabulated, the Representation Steward reviews nominations to confirm equitable representation across Philadelphia’s culinary community. The steward does not alter votes but may notify the committee if gaps are identified, prompting a collective review and, if necessary, a recast of votes.

• The Tasties follow a merit-first process. Nominees advance based on Innovation, Quality, Consistency, Industry Impact, and Community Contributions with the understanding that true merit can be found across the full spectrum of Philadelphia’s culinary community.

• In the event of a tie, the Chairperson casts the deciding vote, guided strictly by the published criteria.

• The four top-ranked nominees in each category advance as finalists and are presented to the judging body.

• The judging body is composed of respected culinary professionals, journalists, and community leaders, chosen to ensure diverse expertise and perspective.

• All committee discussions and individual votes are confidential. The structure of the process and the final results are made public to ensure transparency and reinforce integrity.

Independent Vote Tally

• All Judging Body votes are collected and securely tallied by our official law partner.

• Neither the committee nor the chairs have access to the results.
  

Sealed & Delivered

• Once tallied, winners’ names are placed into official envelopes by our law partner.

• Envelopes are hand-delivered on the night of The Tasties to a trusted partner for safekeeping.

• Until the envelopes are opened on stage, no one, including the organizers, have any knowledge of the winners ahead of time — ensuring the highest level of integrity and excitement.

• Note: Because of the online voting mechanism, the results of the People’s Choice Awards will be known to the committee in advance. However, the winners will not be announced until the night of The Tasties, when they are revealed live alongside the other categories.

• Each year, The Tasties highlight four to five People’s Choice categories that evolve with dining trends and community interests.

• Submissions are open to the public for each category. From these submissions, the top three nominees are selected by the Tasties Nomination Committee.

• Final voting takes place on the Delicious City Podcast website, where the public determines the winner.

• Winners are recognized live at The Tasties ceremony.

We pledge to uphold the values that make The Tasties fair, credible, and representative of Philadelphia’s dining culture:

⚖️ Fairness: Every nominee is considered on equal footing.

🛡️ Integrity: All decisions are guided by honesty, impartiality, and accountability.

🔒 Confidentiality: Committee discussions and votes remain private and protected.

🔎 Transparency: Our process is clear and open to public understanding.

🌍 Representation: Nominees reflect Philadelphia’s full cultural landscape.

🤝 Independence: No outside influence shapes the outcome.