Introducing: Valdez, the new Latin American restaurant from Top Chef Canada alum Steve Gonzalez
Name: Valdez
Neighbourhood: King West
Contact Info: 606 King Street W., www.valdezrestaurant.com , @thevaldezTO
Owners: Steve Gonzalez (Origin, Top Chef Canada )
Chef: Steve Gonzalez
The Food: Latin American street food, including fried empanadas, squid ink ceviche and a milky dessert made with dulce de leche. An adobe pork dish requires 48-hours notice and feeds eight.
The Drinks: Tequilas and mescals, as well as several kinds of pisco (a South American liqueur). Cocktails are Latino spins on bar classics, like the Estilo Viejo old-fashioned made with mescal and a mojito muddled with cilantro instead of mint. Three beers and two house wines are also available.
The Place: The corridor space is designed by Ian Rydberg, the guy behind La Carnita’s graffitied aesthetic. Chairs and elm-topped tables painted in flashy reds, yellows and blues warm up concrete floors and grey steel fixtures.
The Numbers:
• 50-foot emerald green marble bar
• 400 imported Spanish tiles on the underside of the bar
• 4000 pounds of steel and 2000 pounds of oak used to furnish the interior
• 8 people required to haul the five-foot flattop into the open kitchen
• 5 different kinds of ceviche on the menu
218403 The restaurant's entrance room is designed to look like an import/export operation. It will double as a shop, selling hand-rolled cigars, coffee and house-made hot sauce (Image: Megan Leahy) Introducing Valdez Introducing Valdez https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-1-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-1.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-1.jpg 624 400 [] https://torontolife.com/food/valdez-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-valdez-1/ introducing-valdez-1 0 0
(Image: Megan Leahy)
218402 Black-and-white portraits and custom liquor cabinet frames (Image: Megan Leahy) Introducing Valdez Introducing Valdez https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-2-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-2.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-2.jpg 624 400 [] https://torontolife.com/food/valdez-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-valdez-2/ introducing-valdez-2 0 0
(Image: Megan Leahy)
218401 The entrance shop will sell hand-rolled cigars (Image: Megan Leahy) Introducing Valdez Introducing Valdez https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-3-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-3.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-3.jpg 415 624 [] https://torontolife.com/food/valdez-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-valdez-3/ introducing-valdez-3 0 0
(Image: Megan Leahy)
218400 (Image: Megan Leahy) Introducing Valdez Introducing Valdez https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-4-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-4.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-4.jpg 624 400 [] https://torontolife.com/food/valdez-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-valdez-4/ introducing-valdez-4 0 0
(Image: Megan Leahy)
218395 The graffiti mural in each washroom is painted by a Toronto street artist (Image: Megan Leahy) Introducing Valdez Introducing Valdez https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-9-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-9.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-9.jpg 624 400 [] https://torontolife.com/food/valdez-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-valdez-9/ introducing-valdez-9 0 0
(Image: Megan Leahy)
218399 Chicken fajitas served with sofrito, crema, guacamole and cheddar ($18) (Image: Megan Leahy) Introducing Valdez Introducing Valdez https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-5-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-5.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-5.jpg 624 400 [] https://torontolife.com/food/valdez-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-valdez-5/ introducing-valdez-5 0 0
(Image: Megan Leahy)
218398 Fried pork and potato empanadas served with aji ($9) (Image: Megan Leahy) Introducing Valdez Introducing Valdez https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-6-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-6.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-6.jpg 624 400 [] https://torontolife.com/food/valdez-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-valdez-6/ introducing-valdez-6 0 0
(Image: Megan Leahy)
218397 Mixto ceviche with octopus, calamari, mussels, squid ink and sweet potato ($5/16) (Image: Megan Leahy) Introducing Valdez Introducing Valdez https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-7-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-7.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-7.jpg 624 400 [] https://torontolife.com/food/valdez-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-valdez-7/ introducing-valdez-7 0 0
(Image: Megan Leahy)
218396 Chorizo del Jefe with sweet paprika, cilantro, arepa and lime ($8) (Image: Megan Leahy) Introducing Valdez Introducing Valdez https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-8-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-8.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-8.jpg 624 400 [] https://torontolife.com/food/valdez-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-valdez-8/ introducing-valdez-8 0 0
(Image: Megan Leahy)
218393 A spoonful of dulce de leche with cow's milk ($4) (Image: Megan Leahy) Introducing Valdez Introducing Valdez https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-11-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-11.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-11.jpg 624 400 [] https://torontolife.com/food/valdez-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-valdez-11/ introducing-valdez-11 0 0
(Image: Megan Leahy)
218394 The Marga'rica: Tromba Blanco, Aperol and Cointreau ($10) (Image: Megan Leahy) Introducing Valdez Introducing Valdez https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-10-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-10.jpg 624 400 [] https://torontolife.com/food/valdez-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-valdez-10/ introducing-valdez-10 0 0
(Image: Megan Leahy)
218392 The Mojito Valdez: rum, cilantro, mint and Jarritos lime soda ($10) (Image: Megan Leahy) Introducing Valdez Introducing Valdez https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-12-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-12.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/introducing-valdez-12.jpg 415 624 [] https://torontolife.com/food/valdez-toronto-restaurants/slide/introducing-valdez-12/ introducing-valdez-12 0 0
(Image: Megan Leahy)