Michael Schulson

Double Knot

Michael Schulson is the CEO of the Schulson Collective restaurant group whose imagination and vision have made him one of Philadelphia’s most successful hospitality professionals. Schulson is the owner of new Mediterranean marvel Dear Daphni; French-inspired steakhouse Bar Lesieur; seafood haven and oyster bar Pearl & Mary; Italian bar and restaurant Prunella; seasonally-focused Italian spot Via Locusta; boutique steakhouse Alpen Rose; new-American bar, restaurant, and luxe bowling lane, Harp & Crown; Giuseppe & Sons, an ode to the city’s beloved Italian-American cuisine; sushi hotspot Double Knot and its fine-casual spin-off DK Sushi at the University of Pennsylvania; the expansive outdoor Independence Beer Garden; the ever-popular Sampan and its adjacent Graffiti Bar. Schulson Collective’s portfolio will soon expand to include three new outposts of Double Knot in Wynwood district in Miami and Delray Beach, Florida as well as Manhattan.

No matter his expansions beyond Philadelphia, Michael is as excited about the city as he was when he began, and he leads his Collective in their efforts to continue to expand their business holdings with a handful of new restaurants that have opened over the past few years and many projects in sight.

Schulson graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, and worked his way up the culinary chain of command in such acclaimed restaurants as New York’s Peacock Alley at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and David Burke’s Park Avenue Café, as well as Philadelphia’s Le Bec-Fin and Susanna Foo. Before setting out on his own, Schulson went on to helm legendary kitchens in New York City (Buddakan) and Philadelphia (Pod) and traveled to Japan. He mastered conversational Japanese following his stints in prestigious Tokyo kitchens, including Spago and Four Seasons Hotel.

In 2008, Schulson opened his first restaurant, Izakaya, a modern Japanese pub in Atlantic City’s Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa (now closed). He opened his second restaurant, Sampan, in 2009 in Philadelphia’s bustling Midtown Village. The contemporary Asian restaurant and bar was promptly named one of Bon Appetit’s “Top Six places to Taste Asian Fusion,” and Schulson was named one of Esquire’s “Chefs to Watch” in their annual restaurant issue soon after.

In summer 2014, Schulson took on one of his largest projects to date with Independence Beer Garden, a 20,000 square-foot open-air beer mecca and restaurant just steps from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall in Philadelphia’s Independence National Historic Park. The massive, outdoor space quickly attracted huge crowds and became known as one of the city’s best places to enjoy a beer, snacks, and fun with friends.

In 2016, Schulson introduced restaurants Double Knot and Harp & Crown to the Philadelphia scene. Double Knot is a bi-level speakeasy that offers a modern Japanese dining experience highlighting sushi, sashimi, robatayaki, and a combination of small and large tapas. It has received numerous accolades including “Three Bells” from The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Three Stars” and the title of “2016’s Best New Restaurant” from Philadelphia Magazine and was named one of the “15 Biggest Restaurant Openings of 2016” by Zagat. Schulson Collective’s Harp & Crown offers guests a menu highlighting seasonal ingredients and global cuisines with delicate yet complex flavors. It was named one of the “Most Beautiful Restaurants of 2016” by Eater National. Harp & Crown also features a cocktail bar and two-lane bowling alley beneath the main room where libations, pizza and charcuterie are served.

In spring 2017, Schulson brought his modern Japanese fare to The Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida with the opening of Monkitail. Monkitail was the winner of USA Today’s “Best New Restaurant in 2017.”

In 2018, Schulson Collective opened its first fine-casual concept, DK Sushi, at the remodeled food hall at the University of Pennsylvania. DK Sushi is a spin-off of Schulson’s lauded sushi bar and izakaya, Double Knot. Guests may enjoy a menu of a la carte items and signature sushi sets that are made-to-order as guests make their selections from the touch-screen kiosks.

In 2019 & 2020, Schulson added three new concepts to his list of showstoppers. Giuseppe & Sons, the swanky “red gravy” restaurant located next to Harp & Crown that serves soulful Italian dishes and impeccable vino to pair. Next was Alpen Rose, a boutique steakhouse next to Double Knot that won “Best Steakhouse in the City” from Philadelphia Style magazine. Then came the alluring Via Locusta in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square. An intimate yet stunning space located steps from the iconic Center City park, this seasonal Italian restaurant offers a sharable selection of smart, focused dishes that highlight fresh handmade pasta with locally sourced, fresh-milled flour, the best ingredients from Pennsylvania’s outstanding farmers and a scratch cocktail program that echo the kitchen tenets of “local, seasonal, sustainable.”

In spring of 2022, Schulson and team opened Prunella, a bright, airy spot on the corner of 13th and Sansom in Midtown Village serving American-style pizza and fresh pasta, vegetables, and crudo. With Prunella, he returned home as a new neighbor to his first restaurants in the City of Brotherly Love. Soon after he brought another neighbor to the block – Pearl & Mary, a sparkling oyster bar named after his mother and grandmother. In 2023, at the street level above Giuseppe & Sons, he put a French spin on the classic steakhouse with Bar Lesieur. At the end of 2024, he debuted Dear Daphni, a stunning, whimsical restaurant that whisks guests away to the Mediterranean sun and sea through exquisite design and delightful dishes. Schulson is always on the lookout for his next space, proving his passion for and dedication to the restaurant industry and the dining public. Currently, Schulson is readying a return to the Manhattan restaurant scene bringing his Double Knot along.

In addition to being a loving father, celebrated chef, and restaurant visionary, Schulson has starred in TLC’s “Ultimate Cake Off” and has also appeared as a guest on TODAY, Good Morning America, The View, The Rachael Ray Show and FOX News. He has been featured in a wide range of publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Food & Wine and Men’s Fitness.