Iron Chef Jose Garces
One of the nation’s most gifted young chefs, Iron Chef Jose Garces is the face and force behind Garces Restaurant Group and many of the city’s best dining spots: Amada, an authentic Andalusian tapas bar; Tinto, a wine bar and restaurant inspired by the Basque region of Northern Spain and Southern France; Distrito, a spirited celebration of the vibrant culture and cuisine of Mexico City; Chifa, a Latin-Asian restaurant named after the Peruvian eateries of the same name; Village Whiskey, a classic American bar with more than 80 whiskies and world-class bar snacks; Garces Trading Company, a gourmet market and café; JG Domestic, a restaurant in the Cira Centre serving artisanal American food and drink; and Guapos Tacos, a Mexican food truck. Another Philadelphia project in the works is Frohman’s Wursthaus, a fun beers-and-bratwursts joint.
Chef Garces is also the executive chef at Chicago’s much-praised Catalan restaurant Mercat a la Planxa, where he works in collaboration with Sage Restaurant Group. In addition to his successful restaurant ventures, Chef Garces authored a cookbook, Latin Evolution (Lake Isle Press, September 2008).
An American chef born to Ecuadorian parents and raised in Chicago, Chef Garces began his culinary training in the kitchen of his paternal grandmother. “I’ve been privileged to work with some of the finest chefs in America and Spain,” says Chef Garces, “but my passion for cooking comes from my early memories of preparing meals for my family with Mamita Amada. Even when I was a child, I was drawn to the joy of cooking a great meal. I have always loved the way that food can transform a person’s whole outlook and really make their day.”