Toro Toro Pan Latin Steakhouse and Lounge
Toro Toro Pan Latin Steakhouse and Lounge
Toro Toro is not your typical churrascaria. It doesn’t focus on grilled gluttony or overwhelming patrons with protein. Rather, the menu is a “Latin tapas-style steakhouse with global influences,” says Jason Harper, who has just been named Toro Toro’s Chef de Cuisine.
The Worthington Renaissance Hotel will soon step out of the shadows with a major remodel and the addition of some elegant fine dining.
Next to debut in an ongoing $8 million revamp of the hotel will be the first Toro Toro Pan Latin Steakhouse and Lounge in Texas. DiamondRock Hospitality has partnered with international restaurant group Richard Sandoval Hospitality in bringing this elite, top-tier dining concept to Fort Worth. The grand opening is anticipated for mid-November.
Toro Toro is not your typical churrascaria. It doesn’t focus on grilled gluttony or overwhelming patrons with protein. Rather, the menu is a “Latin tapas-style steakhouse with global influences,” says Jason Harper, who has just been named Toro Toro’s Chef de Cuisine.
Harper began his career at Biga on the Banks in San Antonio before being named Sous Chef at Abacus Restaurant in Dallas in the early 2000s under Kent Rathbun. Abacus just closed last summer after a 20-year run, during which the careers of many notable chefs were launched.
Harper then opened Trio New American Cuisine in Colleyville, which celebrated 10 years last March. He announced last weekend that Trio’s restaurant will be closing this month, but the catering arm of the operation will continue to serve fans in the area.
Right now, opening Toro Toro has his complete attention. “The Worthington really did it right, by partnering with a nationally-known, and highly successful restaurant group like Richard Sandoval Hospitality,” Harper says.
Toro Toro is not a cookie-cutter corporate concept. The first Toro Toro launched a decade ago in Qatar. Fort Worth will be the first Toro Toro in Texas and will join other U. S. locations in Scottsdale, Snow Mass Village, Colorado, Miami, and Washington, D.C., and internationally in Tokyo, Dubai, Mexico City and Belgrade, Serbia. “Each menu varies, depending on its location and the influence of its Chef de Cuisine,” Harper says.
A Latin steakhouse at its core, Toro Toro’s shareable and small plates menus shine with eclectic offerings like sushi and ceviche, or empanadas and char sui buns. The idea is to share small plates and side dishes with the table and add selections of grilled meats from the churrasco section.
Inspired by the art and tradition of Latin American barbecue, the menu will feature charcoal and wood-grilled steaks and seafood. There will even be vegetarian-friendly dishes with touches of smoke and fire.
Sandoval is famous for allowing each of its destination restaurants to speak with its own local dialect. While the Fort Worth location will initially launch with Sandoval’s menu, over time, it will evolve and allow Harper’s globally-inspired fare to permeate.
The lobby and restaurant will have no wall separating them, creating an open, inviting feel to make the new restaurant an extension of the space, according to Harper. DiamondRock Hospitality is transforming the interior with the help of Wilson Ishihara Design. Expect sweeping high ceilings, stunning relief sculpture, elaborate metal mill work, plush fabrics, natural stone, tooled leather, imported custom pendant lighting, and dramatic furnishings with rich red, charcoal and amber tones.
