We wonder if chef Jose Garces ever sleeps? In the past five years, he's created a seven-restaurant empire with places in Philadelphia and Chicago, authored an acclaimed cookbook called Latin Evolution, won a James Beard Foundation award for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic in 2009, defeated chef Bobby Flay on Food Network's Iron Chef America, and became an Iron Chef himself. Time to rest? Nope. Chef Garces is busy working on three new Philadelphia restaurants, slated to open this fall.

We borrowed a bit of chef Garces' time to ask him for five F.E.D. recommendations.

FIND.

BOOK: SETTING THE TABLE by Danny Meyer

"Danny Meyer is a master of hospitality. His restaurants are warm, welcoming places where guests feel like the team wants them to be there and wants to make their experience special."

Available on: Amazon.com.

EAT.

DIM SUM GARDEN (59 N 11th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19176, T: 215.627.0218, view map)

"For soup dumplings, scallion pancakes, chicken on a stick, and the #7 pan-fried dumplings."

PULINO'S BAR & PIZZERIA (282 Bowery, New York, NY 10012, T: 212.226.1966, view map)

"Nate Appleman is putting out some of the best thin-crust pizza I've had in a long time."

DRINK.

"To pair with deep, dark chocolate desserts - smoky scotches:"

LAGAVULIN, BRUICHLADDICH.

"To pair with a super savory dish, like fried chicken - caramel-y bourbons:"

WOODFORD RESERVE, BLANTON'S.

More F.E.D.

13 August, 2010 The Spiceman Cometh Spice tips from spice maker Lior Lev Sercarz.

11 August, 2010 Baker's Half Dozen Baking tips from Miette's Meg Ray.

6 August, 2010 British Fizz Fentimans: old fashioned brewed sodas.

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