Garces announces that Village Whiskey is back open again in Rittenhouse Square - and with the reopening comes some exciting new surprises. Village Whiskey has expanded with a brand new dining room ready to debut that will more than double the space and seating capacity of the original space. Additionally, Village Whiskey returns with an all-new menu featuring 12 new menu offerings to whet your appetite - plus a selection of all-time Village Whiskey favorites we have all been missing. New dishes include Turkey Smash Burger, Swordfish Sandwich, Thick Cut BLT, Baby Back Ribs, Village Burger, Charred Carrots, Sweet Stem Cauliflower, Brick Chicken Frites, Steak Fries, Golden Hot Wings and more. Returning favorites including the Cobb Salad, Wedge Salad, Tater Tots, Popcorn Shrimp, Whiskey King Burger, Duck Fat Fries, Veggie Burger, Chicken Sammy and others. Village Whiskey's new hours of operation will be Thursday 4:00pm to 9:00pm, Friday 4:00pm to 10:00pm, Saturday 12:00pm to 10:00pm and Sunday 12:00pm to 9:00pm. Look for Village Whiskey Happy Hour daily from 4:00pm to 6:00pm, plus Brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 12:00pm to 4:00pm. Village Whiskey is now open again for indoor dining, take-out/pick-up, delivery and cocktails to go. When spring weather arrives, look for Village Whiskey to open up its sidewalk seating and streetery at the corner of 20th and Samson. Village Whiskey is located at 118 S. 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, located directly next door to Garces' new Spanish wine shop Tinto Pintxo. Before or after dinner at Village Whiskey, stop next door and pick up a bottle to go home from the 70+ wine selections including many rare gems not available at state stores or anywhere else locally. For more about Village Whiskey, visit www.villagewhiskey.com.

"We've expanded our dining room at Village Whiskey," said Chef Jose Garces. The new space keeps the prohibition style look and feel of the original bar space, but allows for a more traditional dining experience. Village Whiskey has always been a neighborhood bar, and this expansion of the dining room along with the addition of new items like the half rack of Baby Back Ribs or the Steak Frites, will all provide our regulars with even more variety. With so many city residents choosing to raise their families in the city, the expansion also provides a more family-friendly atmosphere where mom and dad can grab dinner and a drink while having something for the kids on the menu, like our Smash Burger and housemade Tater Tots."

Chef added, "We have a lot of exciting things happening on our corner of Rittenhouse with the launch of Tinto Pintxo Spanish bottle shop last month and now our expansion of Village Whiskey. Next up, watch for the launch of indoor dining in March at Tinto Pintxo and our all-new pintxo focused menu."

Village Whiskey is back open again for indoor dining after being closed since the last pandemic shut-down by the city of Philadelphia. During the last six months, the team at Village Whiskey has been working hard to design and finish a surprise new dining room to complement the original bar and seating space. Look for even more socially distanced seating but with the same prohibition vibes and design aesthetic that you have come to know and love. Currently, the bar and new dining room at 25% will now seat up to 18 people with socially distanced tables. Village Whiskey has applied to expand indoor dining to 50%. When approved by the City of Philadelphia, look for seating for up to 72 people in both spaces. Outdoor seating on the sidewalk and streetery will open when the temperatures rise for spring - tentatively in mid to late March, 2021.

From the kitchen, Garces brings back many Village Whiskey favorites - plus at least a dozen new dishes that will become instant classics. The updated menu features the following new dishes making their debut:

Breakfast Radishes, $9

Whipped local butter, goat cheese

Smoked Bar Nuts, $5

Pecans, pistachios, peanut

Pickles n’ Condiments, $13

Pickled beets and cauliflower, chicken liver mousse, truffle mustard

Golden Hot Wings, $14

Smoked blue cheese, bread n butter pickles

Steak Frites, $22

6 oz. butchers steak, garlic fries, bearnaise, sauce poivre vert

Brick Chicken Frites, $18

Half a Murray's chicken, garlic fries, dijon mustard jus

Sweet Stem Cauliflower, $12

Black pepper, parmesan, long hot cream

Charred Carrots, $12

Bourbon honey, smoked yogurt, harissa

Turkey Smash Burger, $11

Sharp cheddar, avocado, harissa aioli, garlic mushrooms, sunflower sprouts

Swordfish Sandwich, $15

Hot chili gardinera, creamy garlic herb spread, baby arugula

Thick Cut BLT, $13

Open faces sourdough, double smoked bacon, romaine, beefsteak tomato, meyer lemon ranch

Baby Back Ribs, $18/ $26

Half rack or whole rack, Whiskey BBQ glaze, sweet cornbread, dill pickles, coleslaw

For Garces and Village Whiskey fans who have dined at Village before, look for the glorious return of the famed namesake burger:

Village Burger, $13

Sesame roll, tomato, boston bibb, homemade thousand island

"We spent the last few weeks focusing on creating some really amazing dishes that we are excited about for the relaunch," said Garces. "Village Whiskey is known for our burgers. We have the Village Burger, The Whiskey King, the Veggie Burger and now we have added to our options with a Turkey Burger. This is a delicious addition that is a little healthier then some of our other options and is great for the bar food."

Garces and Village Whiskey fans will delight in the return of the burger of the month- starting with February's special burger "Two Scorned Lovers" featuring a Village Burger topped with paprika glazed pork belly, calabrian chili and smoked provolone.

With the reopening, Village Whiskey also brings back one of the best happy hour programs in all of Center City, daily from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. The updated new happy hour includes bar snacks Deliver Eggs $3, Smoked Bar Nuts $3, Tater Tots $4, Fried Pickles $5, Breakfast Radishes $6 and Popcorn Shrimp $4. Happy Hour cocktail specials include any of the following for $7, including Commodore (Bourbon, lime, demerara sugar, orange, mezcal rinse), Rose Gold (Vodka, passion fruit, rosemary, bitters), Philadelphia Fish House Punch (Dark rum, brandy, peach brandy, lemon, aromatic tea), and Bourbon Barrel (Sangria bourbon, red wine, spiced demerara syrup). Happy Hour also includes select beers (cans and/or drafts) for $5 and house wine (white or red blends or sparkling) for $6.

Village Whiskey originally opened in 2009 and features a comprehensive selection of more than 200 whiskeys alongside what has been called the country’s best burger. Envisioned by Chef Garces as a spot where he and his team could enjoy a drink and a snack after a long night in the kitchen, the restaurant’s focal point is the central bar that is home to their near-encyclopedic catalogue of Chef Garces’ favorite spirit, whiskey. Village Whiskey's able bartenders shake and stir classic and contemporary cocktails in a space evocative of a Prohibition-era speakeasy.

“I’ve always been a whiskey lover,” said Garces when Village Whiskey opened. “It can be enjoyed in so many ways, whether as a cocktail or just sipped on the rocks. Village Whiskey is the kind of place I personally would want to go to unwind after a long day at work.”

Village Whiskey is open with indoor dining, take-out/pick-up and delivery. For delivery, order via Caviar, Uber Eats or, Door Dash and have your favorites delivered right to your door. For no touch pick up, order online or call 215-665-1088.

Join the conversation about Village Whiskey and Chef Jose Garces by liking VillageWhiskeyPHL and Garces Group on Facebook, by following @VillageWhiskeyPHL @ChefJoseGarces and @GarcesGroup on Instagram, and by following @VillageWhiskPHL @ChefJoseGarces and @GarcesGroup on Twitter.

As for other Garces properties, The Olde Bar is open for take-out, delivery and indoor dining with the new library-themed dining nooks; Buena Onda is open for take-out and delivery; Amada is now back open this week with indoor dining; and Tinto Pintxo Spanish wine bottle shop is open, with indoor dining there set to debut in March. Look for outdoor dining in the nicer spring weather at all properties listed above - dates to be announced.

LINKS:

Village Whiskey:
https://philadelphia.villagewhiskey.com/

Opentable / Reservations:
https://www.opentable.com/r/village-whiskey-phl-philadelphia

Updated Menus:
http://philadelphia.villagewhiskey.com/menu

ABOUT GARCES

Garces is a Philadelphia-based hospitality group specializing in personal dining experiences rooted in the rich cultural traditions and culinary vision of renowned Latin-American chef Jose Garces. Taking a heartfelt and creative approach to time-honored recipes and dishes, Garces, in partnership with New Orleans- based Ballard Brands, operates numerous restaurants including Amada, Distrito, Tinto, Village Whiskey, JG Domestic, Volvér, The Olde Bar, Buena Onda, Ortzi at the LUMA Hotel Times Square, Okatshe, Olon and Bar Olon at Tropicana Atlantic City and Amada and Distrito Cantina in the Ocean Resort Casino. The group also operates Garces Events, a full-service catering and event division; the Garces Foundation, a philanthropic organization dedicated to Philadelphia’s underserved immigrant community; and Luna Farm, Chef Garces’ 40-acre farm in Bucks County, PA. For more information, visit GarcesGroup.com and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.