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| Distrito's first-floor bar (Photo credit: Distrito) |
Despite his growing culinary stature, Jose Garces hasn't forgotten that those with gluten intolerance enjoy dining out too. The Philly-based Iron Chef has created dedicated menus for many of his restaurants, and even those that don't have a standalone bill of fare are able to accommodate gluten-free patrons.
Distrito - the chef's chic Mexican restaurant in University City (3945 Chestnut St., 215-222-1657) - rose to the occasion at our recent dinner there.
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| Chicken and chihuahua cheese enchilada |
Distrito's glowing, pink-hued interior projected a modern feel from the moment we entered - Chi-Chi's this is not. We were originally seated in the rear of the second-floor dining room, but because it was drafty in our section, we moved downstairs to the more vibrant first floor alongside the bar.
Knowing that we were going to order a variety of dishes - most are served tapas-style that foster sharing - we passed on the guacamole and stuck to the entry-level tortilla chips and a
pico de gallo salsa. Complimentary spicy peanuts also ready the palate.
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| Flat-iron steak tacos |
With the weather on the chilly side that evening, I opted to start with the spicy chicken tortilla soup, while my wife and kids settled on the fabulous
costillas, short ribs atop corn masa flatbread with a three-chili barbeque sauce.
Everyone ordered tacos of their choosing; for three of us, it was a trio of flat-iron steak tacos seasoned in a tomato-horseradish marinade with truffle potatoes. Our younger son - he of the less adventurous palate - played it safe with chicken. We also rounded out our protein quotient with a large chicken-and-chihuahua cheese enchilada and roasted pork tamales.
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| "El Fuerte" dessert |
We just couldn't pass up dessert. Notwithstanding the name, the four of us shared the "El Fuerte for Two." The sinful flourless chocolate cake was served
a la mode with espresso ice cream and vanilla mousseline.
