After opening his first restaurant, Amada, back in 2005 Jose Garces immediately became a local sensation. Following the string of successful ventures that he launched after it and his ascension into the Food Network’s veritable pantheon of culinary excellence as an Iron Chef, his prominence has spilled over onto the national stage. But does Garces really have what it takes to be the next Thomas Keller? That’s what Inquirer critic Craig LaBan thinks, according a piece published by the Associated Press. In it everyone from his former employer Stephen Starr to Mitchell Davis, vice president of the James Beard Foundation, sing his praises.
But the real doozy in this story is LaBan’s remarks about Garces and his forthcoming JG Domestic, the Americana, farm-to-table-ish restaurant that’s scheduled to open in September at the Cira Centre, which he likens to Thomas Keller’s world renowned French Laundry in Northern California.
Philly chef Jose Garces has recipe for success [AP]
