Fall Restaurant Preview: Garces Edition

Early word on new restaurants (and a food truck!) from the Iron Chef

In the August issue of the magazine, which hits news stands August 2, we have the scoop on the major restaurants opening in Philly in the next six months (plus our predictions on how they might turn out). But for the Restaurant Club, we have a sneak peek — and a few extra tidbits we didn’t have room for in the magazine. We’ll be rolling these out over the next few days. First up: three upcoming projects from Jose Garces.

JG Domestic Fine Food & Spirits: All the ingredients, wine, beer and spirits will be domestically, though not necessarily locally, sourced at Garces’s new spot in the Cira Centre, opening in September. Garces and designer Jun Aizaki are warming up the frosty interior (formerly Daniel Stern’s Rae) with a “fresh and green” approach to decor — think vertical gardens, large planter boxes and a communal table with live trees growing through it. The footprint of the restaurant will extend into the lobby and there will be a Garces Trading Company-branded coffee kiosk. 2929 Arch Street, 215-222-2363

Guapos Tacos: Jose Garces’ taco truck will hit the streets — and the special event circuit — in October. It’s the chef-owner’s first business partnership with his go-to designer Jun Aizaki, who also is decorating the truck with a mosaic of 40,000 bottle caps. It’ll be making late-night stops and will serve Mexican street fare (tacos, tostadas, grilled corn).

Frohman’s Wursthaus: Yes, it’s named for the “mythical sausage king of Chicago” Abe Froman in the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Garces plans an international array of house-made sausages (Italian, Polish, German, Thai, Indian and Japanese), plus frites with toppings, mussels and salads. And of course, there will be a Chicago-style dog. Beers will be crafty. Anticipated opening date is early November. 208 South 13th Street.

What do you think? Which of Garces’s restaurants are you most excited to try? What do you think of the Bueller-inspired name? Tell us in the comments!