Jose Garces Is Closing Chifa; Opening a Cuban Diner

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This Saturday, July 13th Jose Garces will close his Chifa at 707 Chestnut Street after a four year run. Garces will replace the Peruvian-Cantonese concept with a Cuban diner this fall in the same location. The Cuban diner will offer the likes of empanadas, Cubano sandwiches and Ropa Veija. And in keeping with the diner theme, there will be a malta fountain that will offer milkshakes.

Garces says “It is now time for a new flavor to hit Washington Square. We want to appeal to the neighborhood’s day and nighttime scenes, to both locals and tourists alike.” Garces has a background in cooking Cuban food, one he honed at Alma de Cuba, where he was once executive chef.

This is the first closure of a Garces restaurant. The Chicago raised chef has been on a meteoric rise since opening Amada back in 2005. Since then he’s opened 15 restaurants across the country, become an Iron Chef, written two cookbooks and started a charitable foundation.

Jose Garces Group [Official Site]