Jose Garces’ new restaurant, J.G. Domestic, is located under an escalator. Other than that, it’s really quite good. The farm–American spot is located on the ground floor of the Cira Center, which makes dining here feel a bit like eating in a fancy restaurant in a high–end shopping mall. But J.G. Domestic does a fine job warming up the space with lots of wood and slip–covered chairs, adding more rustic riff to the modern space.
Your meal can begin with a selection of “snacks” but given the sumptuousness of the dishes and the salty brioche rolls, these are unnecessary. Hickory smoked Georgia pecans ($7) were good, but tasted, frankly, a bit like Slim Jims.
Starters come in the cold and warm variety and are best shared. The cheese and charcuterie plates ($16 each) echo the offerings at other Garces restaurants like Amada and Tinto, with a couple added accoutrements. The cheeses, all of which were a little mild, came with nice accompaniments. On the charcuterie plate, nothing is oily. If you live and die for pork, it’s a nice option, though Garces has a heavy hand with porcine elements, so you can certainly get your pig dose elsewhere.
Warm appetizers were the lowlight of the meal. A wood oven flatbread with Oregon chanterelle black truffle, shaved cheddar, and farm egg yolk ($12) sounds like it would be sublime, but it unfortunately tanks as a glob of mushy yellow cholesterol. The blue crab gratin ($14) was also a flop: reminiscent of a tuna casserole.
It’s surprising that on a menu devised by Garces, whose fame comes from mastery of tapas, the entrees far outshine the appetizers. Marvesta prawns in a spiced tomato broth ($20) are reminiscent of a perfect French bouillabaisse. The Texas wild boar rack ($22) is highlighted by epic maple grits.
Entrees are best accompanied by vegetable side orders like the kambocha squash ($10), which is accented by thin shavings of sheep’s milk cheese. The heirloom potato cassoulet ($8) with cheddar and andouille once again overdoes the ham thing, and pales in comparison to fresher, lighter offerings.
Desserts, too, were impressive — not that you’ll have room. Beignets ($8) are elevated to a new level of nirvana by a Maker’s Mark Butterscotch.
The whole menu is flavorful and rich. You’ll most certainly require a drink to wash it down, furnished by a nice cocktail menu and a reasonable enough wine list.
Though the first half of the meal doesn’t shine much brighter than other restaurants in its class, many of the entrees and desserts glimmer and glean.
J.G. Domestic
2929 Arch Street
(215) 222-2363
Don’t Miss: All entrees and beignets
Skip This: Snacks and starters
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