He's done exactly that at Distrito, the energetic two-story space he recently opened at 3945 Chestnut St. in West Philadelphia.

Distrito - which means "district," the designation for Mexico City's neighborhoods - bottles the spirited culture and varied cuisine of the world's second-largest city, with a population closing in on 24 million at last count.

"What I love about Mexico City is how it can be so urban, with street food everywhere, and so sophisticated at the same time. There's two different spectrums in terms of food," said Garces, who, along with his culinary and design team, spent eight days chowing his way through the city in February. He chose Mexico City as the inspiration for Distrito because every cuisine in Mexico is represented there, from the seafood of Vera Cruz and Baja to the mole poblano of Puebla and endless empanadas of Oaxaca.

"It's a place that is so alive," said Garces. "That's what I wanted to capture."

Garces, the culinary force behind three restaurants in Philly - Amada, Tinto and Distrito - and Mercat a la Planxa in his native Chicago, is riding a serious wave these days. His restaurants are the hottest tables in town, he just beat Bobby Flay for the title of Iron Chef, and his first cookbook, "Latin Evolution" (Lake Isle Press, $38), is hot off the press.

With plans for a fourth Philly location in the works (Chifa, 707 Chestnut St.), it seems that everything Garces touches turns to gold. Or in the case of Distrito, hot pink and lime green.

Working closely with designer Jun Aizaki of Creme Design Collective (who also designed Amada), Garces brought the eye-popping appeal of Mexico City's roiling streetscape to life. Design elements include a booth fashioned from one of the city's signature green VW Beetle taxis, resin-coated Mexican oilcloth tabletops and a wall of more than 600 wrestling masks worn by Mexico's answer to the WWF, the lucha libre, or free-fight "professional" wrestlers.

Drink specials are posted in the simple marquee signs found in every street market. Spooky scorpions, common to the Chihuahuan Desert region of the country, are lacquered in an endless march across the bar top. With 250 seats, a tucked-away karaoke bar and plenty of room for private parties, Distrito is Garces' most ambitious project yet. Though in his typical low-key style, the chef said it was his easiest opening ever.

"I opened El Vez in 2003. It was a concept I actually brought to Stephen [Starr]. When I left, of course, I had to leave El Vez behind. This feels like I'm taking back something that was mine, very close to my heart."

Distrito's menu is clearly a labor-intensive labor of love, from its three kinds of simmered mole sauces to the never-ending supply of homemade corn tortillas. The vibrant menu combines traditional dishes with Garces' more contemporary approach to Mexican cuisine. For the less adventurous, there's plenty that's familiar, from traditional guacamole and nachos (the real deal, with black beans and queso mixto) to ceviches, enchiladas, tamales and quesadillas.

But know that if you're looking for Tex-Mex, and dishes dripping with melted Jack cheese, this isn't the spot for you.

Garces' quesadillas are made with zucchini squash blossom and poblano and avocado puree. His chicken enchilada includes Chihuahua cheese. And his beef taco is a cut of Kobe flat-iron served with truffle potato and tomato-horseradish escabeche.

The servers can help you navigate through unfamiliar territory, for instance explaining that huaraches are grilled, stuffed, nubby-corn tortillas, filled with the likes of chorizo, Serrano ham, crab cactus and (a personal favorite) forest mushrooms, black truffles and a creamy queso mixto.

Feeling adventurous? Try the lengua, a beef tongue taco that's an upscale relative to the one proffered by street vendors throughout Mexico City.

The bar has more than 60 tequilas and a selection of fruity, house-made margaritas, along with an extensive array of Mexican beer and New and Old World wines. A nightly DJ morphs the space into a hipster lounge scene.

"I've tried to take everything to a higher level, from the decor, design, food and service," said Garces. "We have a diverse customer base here, including a large student population, so I wanted the menu to be reasonable and approachable for everyone."

Most dishes are in the $7-$14 range, with a $40 chef's tasting menu also available.

Garces' ability to channel Latin flavors is rooted in his family history. Although he was born in Chicago, Garces' parents are both natives of Ecuador. He credits his interest in cooking to his mother, a culinary force in her own right.

A graduate of Kendall College's Culinary School, Garces apprenticed at La Taberna del Alabardero in Marbella, Spain, and later worked closely with Douglas Rodriguez at his two popular restaurants, Pipa and Chicama in New York. From there, he came to Philadelphia, first as executive chef at Alma de Cuba, then at El Vez.

He opened Amada in October 2005.

As to how far he sees his restaurant empire growing, this Iron Chef can't really say. "We're having fun, and I'm proud of what we're doing. As long as I can say that, we're on the right track." *