This university conference gathers the best chefs in the world in Philadelphia

Inside an unremarkable building in Philadelphia’s University City neighborhood last March, tables were covered with plates of tacos from Carnitas Lonja, an award-winning San Antonio taqueria, Vietnamese bites from Hai Hai in Minneapolis, and a glistening black hill of caviar, served in generous scoops atop sturgeon ice cream, from Restaurant 108 in Copenhagen. The crowd sampling the fare included Noma alum Matt Orlando, Ben Shewry from Attica in Melbourne, and James Beard Award–winning chef Mashama Bailey.