Jose Garces
Since opening his first restaurant, Amada, in 2005, Chef Jose Garces has emerged as one of the nation’s most gifted chefs. He has opened seven additional restaurants; authored a stunning cookbook, Latin Evolution (Lake Isle Press, September 2008); won the James Beard Foundation’s prestigious “Best Chef Mid-Atlantic” award 2009; and won Food Network’s The Next Iron Chef, making him one of just six chefs in the country to hold the title of Iron Chef America.
Garces’ Philadelphia restaurants form his eponymous Garces Restaurant Group. He is owner and executive chef of each, and all are counted among the city’s best: Amada, an Andalusian tapas bar and restaurant; Tinto, a Basque wine bar and restaurant; Distrito, a modern Mexican restaurant; Chifa, a Latin-Asian restaurant; Village Whiskey, a classic American bar; Garces Trading Company, a gourmet market and café that is also the name of his retail group; JG Domestic, an artisanal American restaurant; and Guapos Tacos, a mobile truck serving modern Mexican street food. He also sells his own line of custom-roasted coffee and espresso beans, both online and at Garces Trading Company. Chef Garces is also the executive chef at Chicago’s much-praised Catalan restaurant Mercat a la Planxa. Both Distrito and Mercat were named to Esquire magazine’s list of “20 Best New Restaurants, 2008.”
In addition, Chef Garces wrote first cookbook, Latin Evolution (Lake Isle Press, September 2008), and is hard at work on a second. In 2010, Chef Garces won Food Network’s The Next Iron Chef, and now appears regularly on Iron Chef America. He has been featured on top TV shows and in prestigious publications such as Today Show, Nightline, The New York Times, Travel & Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine and Wall Street Journal.
An American chef born to Ecuadorian parents and raised in Chicago, Chef Garces began his culinary training in the kitchen of his paternal grandmother, Mamita Amada. Today, he is known for his wide smile and educational approach to food, as well as his mastery of a diverse range of cuisines and ingredients.
For more information on Chef Jose Garces or any of his restaurants, please visit www.grg-mgmt.com and follow them on Twitter: @garcesgroup.
Steven Serdar
As General Manager, Steven Serdar, an industry veteran and Chicago native with more than 20 years experience in hospitality and fine dining management, is responsible for all operations, including staffing, training, sales and marketing for Mercat a la Planxa. Before his appointment to Sage Restaurant Group’s management team, Serdar owned and operated his own upscale steak house Steven’s Restaurant, an 8,000 square foot establishment that he built from the ground up. Prior to his own project, he served as General Manager of Lake Park Bistro, in Milwaukee, WI, where he over saw all aspects of the multi-million dollar-grossing restaurant. His resume includes many notable stints at prominent restaurants and hotels, including: Director of Operations, Carlucci Hospitality Group; Sales Manager, Wyndham Northwest Chicago; and Food and Beverage Director for Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Serdar enjoys riding his Harley Davidson, fishing with his family and golf. He lives with his wife Kim of 24 years, three children in Waukegan, IL.
Cory Morris
Chef Morris was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and showed an interest in cooking from a very young age. Growing up, his earliest culinary memories were cooking dinner for his siblings so they could avoid store bought, pre-packaged meals while his parents we busy working. Chef Morris began his culinary career in 2000 as an assistant to the chef at the fine dining restaurant Mariposa in Park City, Utah. In 2004, Morris was appointed executive chef of Red Rock Grille, and later as chef of The Club at Spanish Peak in Big Sky, Montana, where he created seasonal menus and utilized local, organic ingredients. Morris eventually moved to Chicago, where he was named sous chef at Mercat a la Planxa when it opened in early 2008 under the direction of Executive Chef Jose Garces and Chef de Cuisine Michael Fiorello. Now, as chef de cuisine, Morris enjoys adding a modern spin to Catalan classics. Chef Morris’s approach to food is derived from his travels through Spain, France, and the United States, as well as the industry luminaries he has worked alongside, including chefs Jose Garces and Joyce Goldstein. He believes that food is meant not only for consumption but to excite the palate and create memories. In his spare time, Chef Morris enjoys cycling and exploring different cultures through Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods and their food.
Since opening his first restaurant, Amada, in 2005, Chef Jose Garces has emerged as one of the nation’s most gifted chefs. He has opened seven additional restaurants; authored a stunning cookbook, Latin Evolution (Lake Isle Press, September 2008); won the James Beard Foundation’s prestigious “Best Chef Mid-Atlantic” award 2009; and won Food Network’s The Next Iron Chef, making him one of just six chefs in the country to hold the title of Iron Chef America.
