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Finally FINALLY, we made it to the Garces Trading Company for dinner. Despite the 1 hour, 40  minute wait, it was one of my favorite dining experiences in Philly. I think the last time I was this blown away by an entire meal was a few years ago when I first tried Modo Mio.

:: Garces Trading Company ::
address: 1111 locust st, philly
what we ate: artichokes, gnudi, flatbread pizza, pasta carbonara, hangar steak, coffee, wine
On Saturday night, around 7:50pm (otherwise known as prime time dining hour), 4 of us ventured over to Garces Trading co in the hopes that we might be able to have dinner at some reasonable hour. We had already missed our reservation at Zavino because I had been too busy kicking some serious ass in bowling at North Bowl to keep a better eye on the clock. The hostess quoted us 1 hour 15 minute to 1 hour and a half wait time, and we optimistically put our names in to wait.

As I mentioned, the wait ended up actually being closer to 1 hour and 40 minutes, but we were still quite cheerful and happy the entire time due to the fact that the Garces Trading Co staff is unbelievably good at making the experience a bearable, almost pleasant one.

Here are some of the delightful things you can do while you wait for your table:

• Shop for a bottle (or two or three) of Spanish, French or Italian wines in the state store located INSIDE of the Garces Trading Co restaurant. The beauty here, besides the obvious convenience factor is that you can a) ultimately buy wine for your meal without the huge standard markup, b) there is knowledgeable staff on hand to help you make a great selection for your meal and c) if you realize you need more wine, you can simply get up and go buy another bottle in the middle of your meal. They also have a respectable offering of liquors as well in case wine isn't your thing. 
• Sample the various specialty oils and vinegars to whet your appetite. Walnut, black or white truffle oil and pomegranate balsamic vinegar are just a few examples of the kinds of samples you can dip your crusty cube of sourdough bread into while you wait. 
• Stalk the charcuterie and cheesemongers. There are usually plates of prosciutto and cheese samples along the charcuterie wall - if you smile a lot and give the staff sad hungry eyes, they will continue to cut you samples of their delicious cheese and meal selections. During our wait, we tried 4 different cheeses, including a pecorino romano and gorgonzola with nutella. 
• Go to Varga Bar for a drink while you wait! They take your phone number to call you when the table is ready. 
• Drink WINE! Whether you bring your own, or purchase at the state store inside, the hostesses are more than happy to uncork your wine and bring you a few glasses so you can enjoy your beverage and chitchat with your friends while you wait. C'mon - how can you beat that?!  

And then, of course, there is the FOOD. The 4 of us decided immediately that we were going to share everything so we could taste a wide array of garces delights. 

Baby Artichokes: preserved lemon + oil + honey + dates

YUM YUM YUM. The artichokes were quartered and drizzled with a lemony olive oil that was vibrant, tart and still sweet. The slices of dates that topped the artichokes were chewy and added a nice sweetness and texture.

Ricotta Gnudi: wild mushrooms + bianco sardo + morel cream

At our server's suggestion, we added a starter size portion of the ricotta gnudi and boy am I glad we did. Gnudis are a type of gnocci, but made with ricotta cheese and flour. They are almost dumpling-like and have been described as a ravioli without the filling. At any rate, the gnudi at Garces Trading Co came dressed in a mushroom cream sauce with mushrooms, micro greens and a few slices of parmesan dusting the top. 

The gnudi were soft and fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth pillows of tastiness. This dish was a surprise hit with our table and is proof that you should always listen to your waitstaff, especially when you're at the Garces Trading Co.  

Tuscan Fusilli Alla Carbonara: guanciale + eggs + black pepper + pecorino

The second pasta that we ordered is the tuscan fusilli carbonara. I had heard from many different food critics, Garces fanboys and "respected" press alike that the carbonara was a must-try dish. I had my reservations because I've never really been a fan of carbonara sauces; the idea of using an egg yolk to coating your entire pasta dish sounded so foreign and unappealing to me. HOWEVER, I have been converted. Thankfully, I have found that I have newfound appreciation for all things raw or runny eggs, which definitely helped. 

Of course, the guanciale (which is unsmoked Italian bacon prepared from a pig's jowl or cheek) definitely helped get me excited about the dish. 

You can see in the picture the slightly poached whole egg that is just waiting to be broken so it can spread into the dish and wrap all the delicious pasta, cheese and pepper together to prepare for your first bite. The pasta itself was cooked al dente and was magnificently chewy and the thickness of the pasta managed to catch the perfect amount of the sauce for each bite. 

Pizza De Prosciutto: oven roasted tomato + mozzarella + prosciutto + olive oil

We ran into Jen while waiting for our table. We consider her to be a Garces Trading Co expert since I'm pretty sure she eats there once a week (lucky girl). She mentioned that the prosciutto pizza was one of her favorites, so we opted to order this as our pizza selection. 

The pizzas are definitely a good size. They are cut into triangles and as you can see, are generously topped with the delicious ingredients so they are perfect for sharing. I was surprised by how much prosciutto and fresh mozzarella was in each bite. The crust was thin, but thick enough to complement portion of toppings - and chewy, but crispy towards the ends (as great pizza should be).  

Streak Frites: grilled hanger steak + duck fat fries + asparagus + maitake mushrooms + béarnaise

Garces Trading Co has a Plats Du Jour (daily specials) section on their menu and each item is different for each day of the week. These dishes are dinner specials, available after 5pm, and usually considered large enough for two people to share. On this Saturday night, the special was the Steak Frites. This lovely couple seated at the table next to us had ordered this as their dinner and raved so much about it that we were convinced to order it for the table as well. 

We were definitely not disappointed. The hangar steak came out perfectly cooked medium rare and was very flavorful and tender. However, the 2 stars of this plate were the duck fat frites and the asparagus! While the duck fat fries at Village Whiskey are very good, I had never been blown away by how they were prepared there - they were delicious, but not really a standout. In contrast, the duck fat fries at Garces were unbelievable. They were much thicker cut fries so I have no idea how they did this, but the outside of eaach fry were super crispy, especially along the edges, and the inside of the fry were soft but still firm and full of flavor. The asparagus was also amazing. You could taste the smokiness from the grill with each bite and of course, they were also perfectly cooked and had that light crunch. 

We dipped everything in the bearnaise sauce and didn't even feel guilty about it because it was amazingly delicious.   

Coffee and the Little Things

Because apparently, we are now old, we had actually ordered coffee for the table early on in the meal. As with everything we tried at Garces Trading co, the coffee was equally delicious. Even on presentation alone, it is impressive; two sizes of coffee offerings and they serve it at the table in an authentic french coffee press. 

You can see how much care and thought went into the planning of this restaurant. The small details and combination of restaurant + cheese/meat provider + dessert specialist + state liquor and wine store is just genius.

I love the way each table has a small fresh pepper grinder and a small dish with coarse grain salt, and of course, sugar in the RAW.

THUMBS UP, INDEED.