Street: What motivated you to revamp Distrito and add the Cantina? Jose Garces: It’s not so much a revamp as it is an addition of the Cantina menu. I wanted to really reach out to the student population at the university by giving them another option, a less expensive option in terms of dining. This just makes it a little more casual, a little more student-friendly.
Street: What is your favorite item on the new menu? JG: The mission style quesadillas were inspired by a trip to San Francisco where we had these giant quesadillas. [They are] almost like a burrito in a quesadilla style, but they are not as bulky.
Street: What is one item you cannot live without in the Distrito kitchen? JG: Avocados. They are the base for our world famous guacamole. We can’t live without those.
Street: How do you envision the Cantina fitting into Penn’s already bustling late-night scene? JG: We want Penn students to feel like the Cantina is theirs, a home base. Different options on the beverage program should make Distrito a place for the student population, a place for them to come and make it part of the late night ritual.
Street: In your opinion, tequila is best served… JG: Straight up [chuckle].
Street: What new projects (other than Village Whiskey) are in the works? JG: We are currently working on a market café project. It has a cheese shop, charcuterie shop, a bakery, a café and a coffee shop as well as a wine cellar in which you can purchase unique wines that will only be available in store. And you will be able to have those in our café area.
Street: You are the chef of restaurants of many different cuisines. Where did you learn to master such a wide variety of ethnic fare? JG: Years of experience, traveling and [seeing] different places have helped me to reproduce different cuisines. Typically we [he and his chefs] travel to other countries; we go to the source. For Distrito we went to Mexico City, and we spent a lot of time there seeing it, feeling it and bringing a piece of that back.
Street: Recently you won the James Beard award for best Mid-Atlantic chef. After two prior nominations, how did it feel to finally grab the prize? JG: I would say one of the biggest highlights of my career.
