Our Team
Evan Snyder,
Chef Partner
Evan is an intensely creative and driven chef whose decade of experience at the Michelin Star level has inspired and elevated his culinary vision for Emmett. As Executive Chef, he drives back-of-house operations in pursuit of continued innovation while adhering to unyielding quality standards. His insatiable curiosity for new techniques and flavors challenges the boundaries of cuisine in Philadelphia and raises the bar at the forefront of a new era of Philly fine dining.
Julian van der Tak, Managing Partner
After nearly a decade in the culinary field, Julian moved into vendor operations to further develop relationships with purveyors and an understanding of their practices with the goal of better navigating the non-culinary aspect of restaurant operations. His formative time in luxury hospitality has helped inspire an eye for front and back of house design, and a profound sense of guest-facing personnel culture that will shape Emmett’s atmosphere of thoughtfulness and inclusivity.
MARISSA CHIRICO,
GENERAL MANAGER
Having served as the Front of House and Beverage Manager for James Beard nominated and other industry-leading restaurants, Marissa is a natural hospitalitarian who cares deeply about the guest experience, and connecting both staff and guests alike with locally sourced ingredients and wines that have been both sustainably farmed and thoughtfully crafted. She now brings that same deeply personal brand hospitality to Emmett, where she again manages the front of the house as well as builds and maintains the wine program.
Antonio Pizzo,
Chef de cuisine
A lifelong South Philadelphian, Chef Antonio brings an honest sense of local pride and unyielding spirit to every task and every service, with the utmost humility and commitment to excellence. Having grown and worked under the mentorship of Chef Evan for nearly a decade at various restaurants, Chef Antonio serves as the heart and metronome of the kitchen, leading day-to-day culinary operations and implementing Chef Evan's vision to make sure that Emmett runs with urgency, consistency, and care.
WHO WE WORK WITH
Emmett cares deeply about its community of Philadelphia craftspeople, partnering with several local artists and organizations for our tableware and interior design, ensuring we highlight our Philly identity in both style and substance.
Remark glass
By creating small batch home accessories from post-consumer bottle glass, Remark aims to build a more sustainable art form and manufacturing practice that simultaneously reduces glass waste on a local level. Their sister non-profit, Bottle Underground, collects bottles and jars from local businesses and community members. A portion of the glass is selected for Remark Glass then cleaned, cut, heat, and reshaped into a treasure for your home. They are a small team of like-minded individuals who share a passion for glass, care deeply for our planet, and proudly call Philadelphia our home.
stover ceramics
Born and raised in Los Angeles with an artist father, Megan Stover was brought up in a craftperson’s lifestyle. She first entered a ceramics studio at five years old and it quickly became one of her favorite pass-times, since transformed into a sustainable career. She strives to create something that is functional, comfortable and personal to each person that holds it.
Megan now shares a private studio in the Bok Building in South Philly, where she continues to grow as a business and artist working with restaurants, cafes, individuals and local shops to create one of a kind lines and unique sets. She began running Made At Bok Markets in 2021 and has the honor of connecting and engaging with so many other talented makers in the Bok and greater Philadelphia community hosting vibrant fall and winter markets every year.
Our Charitable Partnerships
Community engagement is integral to who we are and what we do at Emmett. We're eternally thankful to all those who've helped lift us up to where we are today, and will always strive to give back to the community that's shaped us. With the help of these partners, we're able to do just that.
The Vetri Community Partnership is a non-profit organization that provides nutrition education through cooking to more than 30,000 people of all ages across Philadelphia and Camden each year.
Their mission is to nourish minds, bodies, and communities with nutrition education through cooking. They inspire people of all ages to develop the knowledge and confidence to make nutritious choices and build life skills for a healthier future, and are committed to providing approachable and accessible programs that foster a sense of belonging for members of our community.
In their educational approach, the VCP kitchen serves as a classroom to build critical life skills, nutritional knowledge, and confidence through fun, engaging, hands-on experiences.
Their programs provide the opportunity to learn how to prepare delicious, nutritious meals that are affordable, accessible, and approachable. When engaging with Vetri Community Partnership, you will cook, taste, and learn something.
Philabundance was founded in 1984 with the simple belief that no one should go hungry while healthy food goes to waste. Our mission is to drive hunger from our communities today and to end hunger for good. To do this, we work with over 350 community partners to distribute food throughout nine counties in Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey and are a proud member of the Feeding America network.
In addition to food distribution, we work to reduce food waste, increase access to nutritious meals, and tackle the root causes of hunger through programs such as the Philabundance Community Kitchen.
The Kingsessing Heals Community Resiliency Center provides a safe, healing space where those impacted by mass violence can access the support and services needed to foster resilience and renewed well-being in the aftermath of tragedy. With a strengths-based engagement, trauma-informed care lens, and an understanding of the ongoing process of positively adapting to life-changing events, we aim to uplift and empower survivors, families, first responders, and the community on their journey from hurt to hope.
By offering resilience navigation, service coordination, behavioral health support, and community connection in an environment of compassion, we will walk alongside those affected, helping to lighten the burden of trauma and nurturing the strength and resilience inherent in the human spirit. Together, we can move forward in honoring the lost and changed by tragedy through our commitment to support, heal, and build a more resilient community for all.