Jose Garces Restaurants in Philadelphia

Iron Chef Jose Garces Makes Philly More Delicious

Chef Jose Garces rose to prominence in the food world after he opened Amada in Old City in 2005. In the five years since, Garces has changed the face of Philadelphia’s dining scene and, in the process, gained a lot of national recognition.

To date, he’s opened seven wildly successful restaurants in Philadelphia — Amada, Tinto, Distrito, Chifa, Village Whiskey, Garces Trading Company and, most recently, JG Domestics. In the spring of 2009, he won the prestigious James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chef Mid-Atlantic” award. Then in the fall of 2009, Chef Garces competed on and won Food Network’s hit show The Next Iron Chef.

For 2010, Chef Garces and his restaurant company, Garces Restaurant Group, have plans to open at least two new restaurants in Philadelphia, Frohman’s Wursthaus, a fun beers-and-bratwursts joint and Guapos Tacos, a Mexican food truck

About The Chef

Born and raised in Chicago by Ecuadoran parents, Garces’ background contributes to his ease at combining different cultures. After honing his skills in Spain and New York City, the culinary maverick trained under Douglas Rodriguez, the father of Nuevo Latino cuisine, and helmed the kitchens at both Alma de Cuba and El Vez, two wildly successful Latin-influenced Stephen Starr restaurants in Philadelphia.

In 2005, the chef extraordinaire debuted his own restaurant, Amada, and attracted immediate crowds and national buzz. Garces was hailed as a visionary for the Old City spot, which serves Spanish and New World-influenced tapas in an elegant yet comfortable setting.

Following Amada’s success, Garces opened Tinto in 2007. The wine bar in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood specializes in “pinxtos,” the Basque region’s Spanish- and French-influenced version of tapas.

Garces continued to pull from his roots with Distrito, opened in July 2008, an expansive, bi-level eatery in University City that dishes out Mexico City-inspired cuisine. Garces also honored his hometown of Chicago when he opened Mercat a la Planxa in the Windy City earlier this year.