There seems to be no limit to what George Paxos and his stellar team of chefs, beverage managers, staff, architects and designers can dream up for diners: they are theatrical experiences that strive to combine unique, dramatic environments with beautiful food and flawless hospitality. You may already know Paxos’ name from two other local restaurant interests, blue grillhouse in Easton and melt. Torre is located across the cobbled sidewalk from melt at the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley and opened in November 2014. In his 35 years of owning and operating restaurants, Paxos knows how to create a theatrical experience. “We want to entertain people,” he says.
Named for the stunning, custom 28-foot tall tower (“torre” in Spanish), the focal piece of the restaurant houses 80-plus tequilas and is literally the centerpiece of the circular bar. That, along with the ceiling, is a custom job, too, along with all of the service areas such as the sinks and refrigeration unit and the nearly silent frozen margarita machine. At night, LED lights illuminate the tower and cycle through varying color combos, creating a real draw for passersby on the sidewalk; I poked my head in during Christmas shopping just to see the structure. Perhaps, it has captivated you, too.
For those who come in and want to test some of those sky-high tequilas, they are retrievable—there’s a ladder, although the most frequently used bottles occupy the lower third of the tower. “It can be a little intimidating to look at, if all you know of is Patrón. We have places you can start,” says 38-year-old Christopher Heath, corporate chef for Paxos Restaurant Group.
Much as you might do for wine or beer, you can purchase a flight of tequilas at Torre, ranging from $17 to $32 for three pours, each just under an ounce. They are grouped by brand and broken down into three styles—silver, reposado and añejo. Leave your assumptions about tequila somewhere else; you’re in a whole new world.
Heath stresses that these, “…aren’t shooters. There’s no salt and lime. We train our staff to understand the differences, because we want people to learn, to understand the complexity and subtleties of these tequilas.”
“This isn’t like doing shots of bad tequila, which taste like turpentine. I was surprised at how good some of these are. A really good añejo is like a really good Cognac,” says Paxos.
Each brand’s trio is listed with descriptive language akin to a wine list, loaded with evocative phrases such as “hints of maple, caramel, vanilla,” and “spicy, agave, white pepper,” or “fresh herbs, peppermint, sweet agave.” It takes a bit of the guesswork out of it, but you still have to decide which flavor profile sounds most appealing. You can even break out the big bucks
($72) for an exclusive premium tasting that includes Gran Patrón Platinum Blanco, Clase Azul Reposado and Gran Patrón Burdeos.
Never missing an opportunity to bring in something authentic to the dining experience, Torre’s executive chef, Chris Dalrymple, serves a little palate cleanser called “sangrita” in between each tasting. “It’s a spicy tomato concoction and it takes away the burn,” explains Heath.
Before we move away from alcohol altogether—it’s definitely a draw here—it’s important to acknowledge margaritas and the beer. Seeing the connection between tequila and agave, it’s no surprise that Torre has Breckenridge Agave Wheat Ale on tap at all times, along with 15 other beers, many of them local, including Safe Word, a seasonal mango habanero ale from Free Will Brewing Company that’s wildly popular.
“You can’t make great meals without the best ingredients.”
The margarita? Well, that’s something else entirely. It took extensive research and development and is made with Torre’s house juice, a combination of lime and orange, freshly squeezed everyday, along with organic agave nectar, tequila and Cointreau. It’s not your run-of-the-mill sickly sweet drink, and it isn’t served in the typical wide-rimmed glass either, but one that’s more appropriate for slurping than slipping. Don’t be fooled; this classy number is sneaky. “It’s a creeper,” says Heath, laughing. Paxos puts it simply: “We serve the best margarita we have all ever had.” (Oh, and it also comes frozen, too.)
The margarita lesson underscores a restaurant truism: a place can be as gorgeous as it wants but the food has to walk the walk, too. “You can’t make great meals without the best ingredients,” says Paxos. When they were putting together the menu, for example, he and Heath debated about whether the skirt steak should be USDA Prime—the highest grade you can get. “It’s not really in our DNA to get the second-best choice,” he explains. It’s used in the carne asada, the steak fajitas and in one of the entrées—the filete a la parrilla (two, four-ounce Black Angus filets.) “It’s seasoned beautifully and broiled properly,” Paxos says.
Other surefire hits include the taco selections, named for different regions of the country. You’re served three soft, warm corn tortillas (a win for the gluten-free crowd; you don’t have to specify), open-faced, with a variety of toppings. The classic fish taco is called Los Cabos, offering the fresh catch of the day (ranges from mahi-mahi, cobia, red fish or swordfish) cabbage slaw and chipotle crema. Puebla is represented with mole poblano, chicken, queso fresco and roasted corn; the Yucatán features pulled pork, salsa habanero and pickled red onion and the dish I sampled, Monterey, tops its tacos with shredded brisket, salsa verde, radish and cotija cheese.
Heath says the whole point of the menu is to “promote a feeling of a party and of sharing,” which means you have all those guacamole and salsa options, for example, along with house-made shrimp empanadas. The trio of cooling ceviches, each a dance of sweet, heat and acid, all vie for your taste buds. The Queso Fundido, on the bocaditos (snacks) menu, is made with Chihuahua and Monterey Jack cheeses, green chili, chorizo and smoked bacon—think Mexican fondue. “And the giant nachos. We sell tons and tons of them,” he says. Those come loaded with cheddar and Chihuahua cheeses, black beans, guacamole, chili and crema, plus either pulled pork or shredded beef brisket.
Given Heath’s directive, you’d be well within your right to forgo the entrées. But then you’d miss the tamarind-glazed mahi-mahi and the Salmon Con Calabacita, in which the fish is grilled with spiced zucchini, roasted corn, sweet onions and Serrano chili. The crispy coconut shrimp, accompanied with mango pico de gallo and radish, is also popular. At lunch, most of the menu is available, sin entrées. Instead, you’ll see several quesadillas (many with veggies) and sandwiches such as the impossible sounding Jerónimo: with pulled pork, pickled red onion and cabbage slaw, the whole thing is then dipped in chili sauce. (I’m still not sure how they pull that off without the bread falling apart.)
Though it’s grand in scale, Torre is the smallest of Paxos’s restaurants, seating just 180, and it marks a departure: it’s the first time he is directly courting families. The inclusion of a children’s menu, which doubles as a sugar skull mask and makes for a souvenir, shifts the dynamic a bit. It makes sense that the Mexican spot would feel most hospitable toward families—the space is so festive and colorful, with lots of hand-held food. Kids can build their own tacos, with toppings including cheese, refried beans, roasted corn, black beans, shredded beef and so forth. “Kids are huge in here. It brings in a lot more casual business and families, which makes the place lively,” Heath says. Though it’s grand in scale, Torre is the smallest of Paxos’s restaurants, seating just 180, and it marks a departure: it’s the first time he is directly courting families. The inclusion of a children’s menu, which doubles as a sugar skull mask and makes for a souvenir, shifts the dynamic a bit. It makes sense that the Mexican spot would feel most hospitable toward families—the space is so festive and colorful, with lots of hand-held food. Kids can build their own tacos, with toppings including cheese, refried beans, roasted corn, black beans, shredded beef and so forth. “Kids are huge in here. It brings in a lot more casual business and families, which makes the place lively,” Heath says.
There are plenty of bright and shiny distractions at Torre, beyond the food and the namesake tower. Splashy, inventive interiors are a hallmark of George Paxos’ restaurants and, once again, he went with Jeffrey Beers International, the New York City firm that lent its signature touches to melt. Once you get past the tower, the next focal point is the custom-built banquette, a 28-foot-long structure that wraps around six tables and is one continuous piece. Those seated there are close enough to touch one of the dozens (105 total, throughout the restaurant) of hand-painted and uniquely decorated Día de los Muertos sugar skulls. Don’t worry; they’re attached, so neither you nor your children can easily remove or break them.
Then there’s a communal table made from chamcha wood that resembles a tree trunk more than anything else—it’s that enormous. Without divulging too many telling details, the focal point upstairs continues the sugar skull motif with a wall of seriously high-end spray paint art by graffiti artists commissioned by Klughaus Gallery in New York. You may need repeat visits to take it all in. As Paxos says, “The energy here is unbelievable.”
One of the unique aspects of Torre is its mechanized glass wall. The inside becomes outside with a push a button, thanks to a large motorized glass exterior wall that folds upward and outward, creating an awning over the sidewalk and instant al fresco dining. Now that Shula’s Steakhouse, Torre’s former neighbor, is on the move to join the scene in downtown Allentown, I wonder how long it will be before Paxos adds a third restaurant to his Promenade holdings—or the energy swells so much that he simply must bump out the wall in between the two to make Torre mas grande?
