Since opening his first restaurant, Amada, in 2005, Chef Jose Garces has emerged as an enormous talent and one of the nation’s most gifted young chefs. He has opened six additional restaurants, in both Philadelphia and Chicago; authored a stunning cookbook, Latin Evolution (Lake Isle Press, September 2008); won the James Beard Foundation’s prestigious “Best Chef Mid-Atlantic” award 2009; appeared on Food Network’s Iron Chef America; and won the most recent season of The Next Iron Chef, making him one of just six chefs in the country to hold the prestigious title of Iron Chef America.

“These past few years have been an amazing time in my life,” says Chef Garces. “I have experienced a tremendous amount of personal and professional growth, and I feel incredibly lucky that I’m able to make a career out of doing the things that I love.”

Garces’ Philadelphia restaurants form his eponymous Garces Restaurant Group. He is the owner and executive chef of all six, and each is counted among the city’s best: 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; and Village Whiskey, a classic American bar with more than 80 whiskies and world-class bar snacks. In February 2010, Chef Garces opened Garces Trading Company, a gourmet market and cafe. All of our locations with the exception of Village Whiskey and Garces Trading Company offer private dining.