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Since the days of the Philadelphia restaurant renaissance, there has been a handful of chefs and restaurateurs who continue to define Philadelphia cuisine.
Georges Perrier continues to evolve with his mastery of French cuisine. Neil Stein gave us Striped Bass, the city’s first upscale modern fish restaurant, and led the way to outdoor dining. Steven Starr dazzles us with his unique sense of style and fine food. Chef Marc Vetri raised the bar for Italian cucina in the city.
I do not think there has been anyone who has had a greater impact on Spanish cuisine in Philadelphia than Chef Jose Garces. His dishes served at Amada and Tinto are so pure and authentically Spanish, I thought he was born in Spain.
Garces is from Chicago.
He has gained national attention for his first two Philly-based ventures. Tinto is always packed to capacity. He has appeared on television and recently wrote a cookbook. Garces’ newest culinary endeavor is Distrito, which features the flavors of Mexico City. Nestled in University City, it features moderate prices so I think students will gravitate to this vibrant spot.
The bi-level restaurant is bursting with bright colors such as hot pink and green. The staff is young and knowledgeable. The menu is Garces’ take on modern Mexican fare. He also includes the tastes of South America because ceviches are on the menu.
Since I was about to enjoy Latin flavors, I wanted to sip a wine from South America. Torrontes ($9), a light and flowery drink, is one of my favorites from Argentina. It matched well with the slightly spicy foods.
From the ceviches, I sampled camarones ($10) and Veracruz ($11). The first consisted of fresh shrimp with spicy ripe tomatoes, slices of avocado and crisp plantain chips. I usually do not care for mashed plantains, but, when crispy, they are like addictive potato chips.
The Veracruz was prepared with red snapper, olives, capers and a bit of tomato and dressed in a light vinaigrette laced with black olives.
Caesar salad ($8) was created in Mexico and Garces’ version was baby romaine leaves, crisp bacon and homemade croutons, which contained jalapeno peppers for a slight kick, and was tossed in a creamy chili dressing. I enjoyed this updated version of a classic.
I prefer crispy tacos and, although Garces’ are made with small, soft flour tortillas, I found them tasty, especially since the tortillas were warmed.
Pulled pork tacos ($6) was a surprising blend of flavors. The meat was tender, juicy and enhanced by black beans and pineapple salsa.
Skirt steak tacos ($7) could become a signature dish since this cut of beef has gained in popularity within the past few years. The beef was not a bit chewy and was served with salsa verde.
Garces also surprised me with his scallops ($14) because he infused these somewhat sweet mollusks with a blend of pineapple and grapefruit he reduced into a slightly acidic sauce. The scallops were almost translucent, as they should be. I made a mental note to try my hand with this sauce at home.
Service was professional and efficient. The staff took care of the packed upstairs dining room, serving and clearing with ease. Distrito has only been open for a short while, but given Garces’ fine reputation, I was not surprised it was doing brisk business.
Three tips of the toque to Distrito.
Distrito
3945 Chestnut St.
215-222-1657
Credit cards accepted
