Living Our Bucket List Life: Center Valley PA: Torre (November 2015)

My spouse and I have dined at Torre several times since its opening in November 2014, generally as just a party of two diners, but one time with extended family. Our most recent dining experience occurred for dinner on a Sunday evening in mid-November 2015.

Torre is owned by the Paxos Restaurant Group, which also manages nearby Melt (just across the street) as well as Blue Grillhouse in Bethlehem Township. Torre is open daily for lunch (or brunch on Sundays) and dinner. They accept reservations by telephone and also via the Open Table reservation system. Parking is available in the communal shopping center lot; however, valet parking is available from Melt on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Torre is located in the lifestyle center (strip mall) space previously occupied by Pacifico (which closed in January 2014). The restaurant space is attractive and open, with high soaring ceilings and an oval-shaped bar with a three-story tequila tower (offering as many as 80 different kinds of tequila) as its focal point. (“Torre” means “tower” in Spanish.) Another of the eye-catching features of the restaurant is a wall filled with colorfully painted and decorated ceramic skulls; in fact, the skull seems to be the restaurant’s logo, because it appears on their classy paper take-out bags and on paper wearable masks that they give to young diners (a children’s menu is available). A private dining room is available on the street level. Some high-top tables surround the bar, and a small outdoor patio (with just three or so tables) sits near the corner of the restaurant. But if there isn’t an outdoor table available for you, don’t worry – a huge motorized retractable glass window/wall in front some of the indoor dining space rolls up in nice weather to provide additional semi-al fresco space. Both booths and tables are available on the main/street-level floor, with additional table seating on the upper mezzanine that overlooks the restaurant. The mezzanine level also contains the restaurant’s keg system, which is tucked behind glass and visible to diners (underground pipes run from the second floor down and over to the bar). A window into the kitchen allows guests to watch the chefs at work. Restrooms are also located on the street level in individual rooms – make sure that you know the Spanish words for men (hombres) and women (mujeres) to choose the correct cubicle!

The staff here is very professional, despite being mostly college-age kids, and service is kept running smoothly by one of their ever-present business suit-clad managers. Many staff members have worked there since the restaurant opened, so management seems to do a good job of retaining employees.

We have dined from the lunch, Sunday brunch, and dinner menus at Torre, and everything is good. Our favorites are the beef brisket nachos, the guacamoles (of the five types that Torre serves, we like the Verduras, made with avocados, cucumber, roasted corn, and pumpkin seeds), taquitos, the Los Cabos fish tacos (served in three tiny soft corn tortillas and topped with Asian slaw and crema), enchiladas, quesadillas (even the vegetarian Verdura quesadillas, with zucchini, corn, and onions are great)– in fact, we have only had one or two dishes here that we would not re-order (for example, the empanadas were too baked/fried for our taste). The desserts are also delicious – the churros dusted with chili sugar and served with dark chocolate dipping sauce, the tres leches cake, the coconut tart, and savory avocado ice cream. Prices are reasonable for the quantity of food that you receive, particularly on the lunch and brunch menus (dinner entrees are more pricey at $20 and up, but some lower-priced enchiladas and other Mexican staples are also available. The style of the food, its presentation, and the way that it is served is a modern take on Mexican cuisine; you will not receive complimentary tortilla chips and salsa here (although four types of salsa are available for purchase at a modest price of $3 and $4), and the usual Mexican side dishes (like Spanish rice and refried beans – the refritos made with smoked bacon are excellent) are a la carte. For dinner service, the restaurant offers a complimentary plate that contains spiced peanuts and marinated giardiniera-type vegetables (truth be told, the veggies are not our favorite, but other diners must like them or the restaurant wouldn’t keep serving them).

Torre is a great choice if you are looking to dine at the Promenade Shops!