With its shimmering glass facade, distinctive shape and LED display, University City's
Cira Centre has cemented itself as a larger-than-life landmark in the Philly skyline. So when the Cira Centre opened its lobby space to restaurant development with
Rae, the swirling, seasonal tastes and 200-bottle wine cellar graced many headlines. But over the last four years, its popularity waned. It seemed the restaurant's style couldn't keep up with its tony, trendy home. Now it's time for one of Philadelphia's premier tastemakers to take his turn at Cira. This week,
Philadelphia's Iron Chef Jose Garces brings his gastrointestinal stylings (and his
corporate offices) to 30th Street with
JG Domestic, a tribute to all-American ingredients.
"American cuisine has its roots all over the world, so from a culinary standpoint I'll be drawing inspiration from a host of cultures and cuisines," says Garces. "This restaurant will celebrate domestic produce, meat, poultry, seafood, wines, beers and spirits. Our primary focus is creating dishes that honor the ingredients themselves, however we choose to prepare them."
With such high-concept creations as
Distrito and
Village Whiskey, the flavors in the decor are equally as strong as the flavors on the plate. Garces called on Jun Aizaki of
Cr�me Design Collective in Brooklyn, NY, who has worked on all previous Garces restaurants. As JG Domestic's space is large for a restaurant, the challenge was creating intimacy. Complete with pictures of farms where ingredients come from, a "living wall" of plants and real trees growing in the middle, Garces offers a counterpoint to the sleek modernity of the Cira Centre, bringing freshness to both his cuisine and design.
"Jun's work is wonderfully textural and helps to make the restaurant feel as though it's organic to the space, even though none of my restaurants have gone into new buildings," Garces says. "In fact, many were restaurants before, and it's a testament to Jun's skill that you would never know that."
Source: Jose Garces, Garces Restaurant Group
Writer: John Steele