Talk about a "Latino Doing Their Thing". Jose Garces has created an empire in Philadelphia far greater than most chefs usually can with one restaurant. Garces opened his first restaurant in Philadelphia in 2005, Amada. He has opened five additional restaurants, in both Philadelphia and Chicago; authored a stunning cookbook, Latin Evolution (Lake Isle Press, September 2008); won the James Beard Foundation’s prestigious “Best Chef Mid-Atlantic” award 2009; appeared on Food Network’s Iron Chef America;and won the most recent season of The Next Iron Chef, making him one of just six chefs in the country to hold the prestigious title of Iron Chef America. And with all of these accomplishments, they still won't stop him from creating more.

An American chef born to Ecuadorian parents and raised in Chicago, Chef Garces began his culinary training in the kitchen of his paternal grandmother. In developing his personal cooking style, something he says is an ongoing pursuit, Garces spent years perfecting different cuisines in top rated professional kitchens. “These past few years have been an amazing time in my life,” says Chef Garces. “I have experienced a tremendous amount of personal and professional growth, and I feel incredibly lucky that I’m able to make a career out of doing the things that I love.”

Garces' restaurants range from Spanish tapas, traditional Mexican and Chinese/Peruvian fusion. His latest venture, Garces Trading Company is a U-shaped gourmet market/cafe -- and in a first-of-its-kind arrangement with the state Liquor Control Board -- has a mini-State Store inside. Buy a bottle and uncork it right there, or take it home. What else could you ask for? Philadelphia has become Garces city and he couldn't have asked for anything better.  In an interview with uwishunu.com, Garces says, "I feel so lucky to be a part of this city and to be surrounded by so many warm, talented, wonderful people who love our home as much as I do."

So what is he up to next? You'll have to make a trip to Philadelphia to find out. Garces is a genuine example of how a Latino in the United States can take cultural pride into a business not just for himself, but for the entire world. For more information on Chef Jose Garces, or to make a reservation at any of his restaurants, please visit grg-mgmt.com.