Chef Jose Garces was in Washington on Monday to break ground on a yet-to-be-named Latin foods market he will helm in the burgeoning Union Market development. The Philadelphia-based star chef joined Mayor Muriel Bowser, Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, and project developers in ceremoniously shoveling scoops of dirt from a 4th Street NE lot between Neal Place Tap and Garden and adjacent Masseria, and the squat brick Florida Market building that will become Garces’ new space.
“We’re very excited when we can add to the diversity of options available in Washington, and the to-be-named Latin market is certainly intriguing,” Mayor Bowser said of the development. “We are pleased to welcome Chef Garces to this development in Washington DC and what that means in terms of good things to eat, people to hire, and fresh food to grow.”
As an added touch to emphasize community-building in the Union Market development, each shovel had been decorated by local artists, chefs, or other community members. Mayor Bowser’s tool, painted white with black, yellow, blue, and red splotches, was designed by Malandela Zulu, a KIPP DC charter school arts teacher with an MFA from Howard University.
The market will be Garces’ second foray into the local food scene. He opened Argentinian steakhouse Rural Society in the Lowes Madison Hotel nearly two years ago; Rural Society chefs served up spears of chorizo, slivers of octopus carpaccio on potato chips, trays of empanadas, and glasses of Garces’ sangria blanco at a reception hosted at Bidwell following the groundbreaking.
A food and travel book by Garces on display, The Latin Road Home, suggested inspiration for the Ecuadorian, Spanish, Cuban, Mexican, and Peruvian ingredients and prepared foods that will eventually be found on 4th Street NE.
Will the market look like Mike Isabella’s food hall concept coming to Tysons Corner or Mario Batali’s Eataly in New York and Chicago?
“A majority of it is going to be recreating these market experiences that I’ve had in the past, explained Garces, “whether it’s a tapas or plancha bar in La Boqueria or a taco bar from La Merced in Mexico City. There was a bar in Ecuador, they cooked whole pernils and chopped it up to order and they had hot, steamed mote. We don’t have a ton of space but there’s a lot of ideas. So it’s my task to formulate all of that to one cohesive, flowing experience.”
The market will anchor other retail and and residential building being planned by Edens, the group developing the much of the neighborhood around Union Market, including a 465 unit apartment building by Level 2 Development on top of 1270 4th Street NE.
