Girard: Brasserie and Bruncherie Coming to Fishtown

Girard | Otto Architects

This fall, Cristian Mora and chef Brian Oliveira are opening Girard, a 70-seat French BYO at 300 East Girard Avenue. The restaurant which will be both brasserie and bruncherie with a grab-and-go section is being designed by James Beard Award nominated architects Joshua Otto AIA.

The design is inspired by pop art. Bright white marble countertops and tabletops will populate the dining room.

Girard will have a couple of unusual features that will differentiate the restaurant. Girard will be reservation-only and will not solicit gratuity for servers. Instead, Mora and Oliveira will pay a “living wage.” similar to the way restaurants operate throughout Europe. “Our business model allows us to offer our employees health insurance, paid sick days and profit sharing, which we’re very excited about,” said Oliveira.

Girard’s menu will include traditional brunch dishes and “liquid breakfast,  liquefied fruits and vegetables. Dinner entrees include char-grilled spicy Piri Piri Chicken; a rotating fish of the day; house-made pastas; and a burger with bacon jam, shaved scallion and Raclette. Girard will also serve a roast of the day.

Mora and Oliveira met while working at Parc on Rittenhouse Square. Oliveira, a CIA graduate with Portuguese roots from Point Pleasant, NJ, has also worked at James and managed Honest Tom’s Taco Shop.  There, he added a Sunday night Portuguese churrasqueira barbecue. Mora is a musician from Miami and has worked and managed restaurants in Philadelphia since 2007.

Girard [Foobooz]