University City has just been infused with a bit of Latin spice and culture. The influx of Tapas restaurants to Philadelphia has been palpable over the last five years. The latest restaurant, Distrito, the brain child of restaurateur and executive chef Jose Garces, opened on Monday, July 21, 2008 at 3945 Chestnut Street.
Tapas, the Spanish word for a variety of appetizers, have made an incredibly successful basis for restaurants. Small plates generally equate to lower prices and allow for a range of dishes to be enjoyed by a group of friends. This fun yet tasteful experience seems to be a perfect match for University City.
The decor inside Distrito is bright and energetic. The ground floor of the two story restaurant features a tequila and juice bar. The ample dining room with small round tables beams with colors of pink, blue, orange and white. Bored by traditional seating? You can enjoy a few appetizers in the VW Beetle table toward the front of the restaurant. The doors to the beetle open and can accommodate up to four people.
On the second floor, there is an open kitchen and expansive dining area with more creative seating. White swinging benches hang from the ceiling and rattan, semi-circle booths encompass larger parties of four or six. Seating along the outer edges of the room allows for excellent views of Market Street through large picture windows.
Distrito’s modern Mexican cuisine ranges in price from 4 dollars to 13 dollars. A tasting menu is also available for $40 with perfectly balanced selections by Garces himself.
You will not find many traditional dishes on this menu. Garces marries Mexican cuisine with influences from Spain, where he once worked, and Ecuador, the native country of his parents.
His non-traditional Mexican fare includes rich and creamy coconut lobster chowder, seared tuna and black bean tacos, and Serrano ham and prosciutto flat breads.
The traditional items on the menu are made more decadent by Garces’ creativity. The guacamole is served with lump crab meat and nachos are topped with skirt steak and refried beans. The signature enchilada dish is served with duck, poblano chilies, and four types of beans.
Distrito’s dessert menu is no less decadent; the two favorites, Tres Leches and Pastel de Chocolate are both tributes to Mexican chocolate. Tres Leches boasts a moist chocolate cake, with three types of chocolate ganache in the center. It is topped with meringue and tropical fruit. The Pastel de Chocolate features chocolate ice cream topped with spicy melted chocolate and citrus foam.
Distrito is the first restaurant of its kind to venture past the usual setting of center city or old city. Distrito is fun, vibrant, and deliciously overdone. For a moderate price students and residents of University City can experience Garces’ unique view of Mexico City and open their palates to something new.
Tapas, the Spanish word for a variety of appetizers, have made an incredibly successful basis for restaurants. Small plates generally equate to lower prices and allow for a range of dishes to be enjoyed by a group of friends. This fun yet tasteful experience seems to be a perfect match for University City.
The decor inside Distrito is bright and energetic. The ground floor of the two story restaurant features a tequila and juice bar. The ample dining room with small round tables beams with colors of pink, blue, orange and white. Bored by traditional seating? You can enjoy a few appetizers in the VW Beetle table toward the front of the restaurant. The doors to the beetle open and can accommodate up to four people.
On the second floor, there is an open kitchen and expansive dining area with more creative seating. White swinging benches hang from the ceiling and rattan, semi-circle booths encompass larger parties of four or six. Seating along the outer edges of the room allows for excellent views of Market Street through large picture windows.
Distrito’s modern Mexican cuisine ranges in price from 4 dollars to 13 dollars. A tasting menu is also available for $40 with perfectly balanced selections by Garces himself.
You will not find many traditional dishes on this menu. Garces marries Mexican cuisine with influences from Spain, where he once worked, and Ecuador, the native country of his parents.
His non-traditional Mexican fare includes rich and creamy coconut lobster chowder, seared tuna and black bean tacos, and Serrano ham and prosciutto flat breads.
The traditional items on the menu are made more decadent by Garces’ creativity. The guacamole is served with lump crab meat and nachos are topped with skirt steak and refried beans. The signature enchilada dish is served with duck, poblano chilies, and four types of beans.
Distrito’s dessert menu is no less decadent; the two favorites, Tres Leches and Pastel de Chocolate are both tributes to Mexican chocolate. Tres Leches boasts a moist chocolate cake, with three types of chocolate ganache in the center. It is topped with meringue and tropical fruit. The Pastel de Chocolate features chocolate ice cream topped with spicy melted chocolate and citrus foam.
Distrito is the first restaurant of its kind to venture past the usual setting of center city or old city. Distrito is fun, vibrant, and deliciously overdone. For a moderate price students and residents of University City can experience Garces’ unique view of Mexico City and open their palates to something new.
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