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So... Jose Garces. You just won "The Next Iron Chef." What's next for you?

Not Disney World.

And not New York, either. He'd been making noise that he's going to open an Amada in Manhattan, but he said that's not on the table.

Besides TV duels in the Food Network's Kitchen Stadium, he's looking at his prepared-foods cafe at 1111 Locust St. called Garces Trading Company, planned to open in January.

Garces also is talking about a small beer-and-brats house at 13th and Chancellor Streets and a larger restaurant specializing in the farm-to-table concept at the Cira Centre, next to 30th Street Station.

After that, "we'll take a breather," Garces said.

Chef Jose Garces watching The Next Iron Chef with his wife, Beatriz, at Distrito.

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Jose Garces, Philadelphia's "it" chef-restaurateur, was announced Sunday as the newest member of the Food Network's Iron Chef America team -- not only earning him bragging rights, but also directing an international spotlight on his fast-growing empire run out of Old City.

On The Next Iron Chef, Garces, 37, won a cooking duel against New York chef Jehangir Mehta, capping a season that began Oct. 4 with 10 contestants.

Garces hosted a viewing party last night at his West Philadelphia Mexican restaurant, Distrito, that attracted hundreds of fans and members of his close-knit staff. Chef Seamus Mullen, who was eliminated on last week's show, came down from New York to see Garces and Mehta create a multicourse meal out of various ribs.

The show, hosted by Alton Brown and "The Chairman" (played to a campy hilt by actor Mark Dacascos), was taped last spring, around the time that Garces was a no-show at a James Beard Awards ceremony at which he won best chef in the Mid-Atlantic region. Whispers began that Garces could not attend because he was working on something substantial.

As an Iron Chef, Garces joins the roster of Mario Batali, Cat Cora, Bobby Flay, Masaharu Morimoto, and relative newcomer Michael Symon, who won the first season of The Next Iron Chef in 2007.

Restaurateur Stephen Starr retains not one but two outside companies to anonymously inspect his restaurants — and each company keeps tabs on the other, as Starr told interviewer Larry Kane on this Sunday's edition of the show Voice of Reason (9:30 p.m., the Comcast Network).

Kane grilled Starr, Audrey Taichman (who owns Audrey Claire and Twenty Manning), and me on the state of the restaurant industry.
 

Starr Restaurant Organization is hunting for a new chef for Parc, the brasserie on Rittenhouse Square.

Chef Arthur Cavaliere, who took over earlier this year after a turn at El Vez, says he and his girlfriend are bound for D.C., where he's got a new job that he can't talk about.

He'll remain through Christmas.

(h/t GrubStreet, which noticed the job search on Craigslist.)

Zot, the Belgian tavern at 122 Lombard St. in Society Hill for three years, is out of business -- evicted, says the landlord, Madame Saito.

Madame Saito, who owns Le Champignon de Tokio next door, told me that she will take over.

Concept is to be announced. It's possible that the signature mussels will remain.

Zot's Bernard Dehaene could not be reached for comment.

John Brandt-Lee, chef-owner of Avalon Restaurant, an elegant, rustic-Italian BYOB in West Chester, is giving away a course of local craft beers and cheese to dinner patrons Friday nights.

Recent pairings have included Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, with Caccio di Roma and truffle honey; and Victory Festbier with Piave served with grilled onion marmalade.

Avalon has a small table in the dining room with nine cheeses and hand-carved charcuterie.

Just how many sushi bars can fit in Old City? One more will come online within the next several weeks. Name is Maru, and it'll fill 206 Market St., which last was Anjou. And not to be confused with Haru around the corner. (Who knew?) This one will feature Japanese cuisine and sushi bars on its two levels -- a 12-seater on the first floor and a smaller one in the lounge downstairs. Beautiful decor includes lots of wood, a slate waterfall, and walls made of smooth riverstones.

Michael Raethong, who's had a hand in assorted Southeast Asian-themers (Cafe de Laos in South Philly, White Elephant in Huntingdon Valley, Thai L'Elephant in Phoenixville), is taking over a pho restaurant in Oregon Market, that huge mall-like place behind the Oregon Diner at 320 W. Oregon Ave. Name is Kavei. (Say it "KAH-vee.") Starting next week, the menu will focus on Cambodian, though Raethong tells me it also will serve Thai and Laotian. Cambodian, as he explains, is similar to the Thai fare served around here but is less sweet and salty.

And this is not Asian, but it's near Kavei and worth noting: The Tony Luke's people are renovating the freestanding restaurant on Oregon Avenue next door to their sports bar and across from their sandwich stand. Once known as Casa di Pasta, it had been operating as a Venuto's Pizza franchise that went belly-up. In the new year sometime, it'll be revived with a similar Italian concept plus pizza (since Venuto's left behind ovens).

Chef Marc Vetri gets the "With Love Letters" Q&A treatment from Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp.'s site Uwishunu.

Among his likes: Butterscotch Krimpets, Geno's cheesesteaks (Whiz wit), and drives to Chester County.

He also talks about his next restaurant project.

Steve Poses, co-author of the "Frog Commissary Cookbook," a local favorite from 1985, has self-published a new guide to entertaining at home.

Pioneer Philly caterer Steve Poses tells Huffington Post about the nine ways to soothe holiday panic.

His rules include a warning to procrastinators everywhere:

"Map out a full weekend (preferably the 21st and 22nd) to organize your kitchen, shop and start cooking."

And a solid bit of wisdom:

"Despite what some glossy magazine covers will tell you, you're not here to make a five-star meal."