Openings

At Some Point Next Week, JG Domestic Will Open

Jose Garces
Jose Garces Photo: Courtesy Garces Restaurant Group

Depending on who you’re listening to — or in this case, reading — Jose Garces will open his much buzzed about JG Domestic either next Monday or next Friday. Which date is correct? We honestly don’t know. (Update: According to Graces’ tweet, the opening is set for Friday, Oct. 15) What we do know is, the Iron Chef’s latest venture, which Inquirer critic Craig LaBan recently speculated could be on par with Thomas Keller’s French Laundry, will be his seventh (eighth, if you’re counting Mercat a la Planxa in his hometown of Chicago), and will embrace a back-to-the-farm vibe. Garces is shying away from the ubiquitous “farm-to-table” designation even though he expects to supply the restaurant next year with produce grown at the farm he recently bought in Bucks County.

The 175-seat space will feature a “living wall” composed of herbs and greenery, a communal table with three living trees growing out of it, and a menu that utilizes ingredients procured only from the United States, according to a prepared statement. Garces has appointed Dave Conn as Chef de Cuisine. The menu will feature a selection of snacks, cold and warm plates, vegetables and meat and fish dishes. Carnivores should take note of the “Whole Animal” section, which features a dish that will make use of an entire farm-raised animal, from beard to tail. Other highlights include heirloom crimson popcorn with cheddar and horseradish, red popcorn kernels from California’s Rancho Gordo, seasoned with sea salt, Jasper Hill Vermont cheddar cheese and fresh horseradish, Farm 51 Autumn Shirred Egg, eggs from a West Philly-based farm with truffle-celery root cream, Benton’s bacon, Washington State lobster mushrooms and Oregon black truffle, and Strube Wayu Skirt Steak, 100% wagyu lineage beef from Strube Ranch in Pittsburg, Texas served with cider glazed cipollini onions, fried shishito peppers, cider veal jus and Bayley Hazen blue cheese. Prices will range from $5 to $28.

In the beverage department, JG Domestic will focus on American-made beers, wines and spirits. A regular rotating selection of six draught beers will be available, as well as 14 bottled varieties. The wine list will offer 17 wines by the galss and 60 by the bottle. The restaurant will also boast an impressive selection of bourbon, American rye and whiskeys. A line of signature cocktails, named for historic train lines include The Texas Eagle, a light version of a Bloody Mary that features bright vegetable notes and good spiciness, The City of New Orleans, a classic version of the Sazerac and The Hiawatha, a frothy but refreshing bourbon-based cocktail featuring allspice and pumpkin butter.
An Exclusive Look at JG Domestic [NBC 10]
Opening Soon: JG Domestic [Restaurant Club]

Earlier: LaBan Predicts JG Domestic Will Be on Par With Keller’s French Laundry

At Some Point Next Week, JG Domestic Will Open