“There aren’t many places around doing Mexican dishes with French influences,” says Miguel Perez, chef-owner of El Gran Toro Brasserie in Newburgh. The beauty of fusion cuisine is that a chef can prepare dishes rooted in one culture and make them entirely their own through global influences—whether subtle or bold, through technique or ingredients. That international culinary dialogue is the concept at the heart of Perez’s first restaurant: authentic Mexican comfort dishes with European and Asian twists.
“We’re not your typical Mexican restaurant, you’ll get a lot of surprises,” Perez says. “We offer a lot of home-style Mexican dishes that people love, but with high quality ingredients and flavors from around the world that work well with it. People will often come in expecting a traditional menu, but then get excited to try something new. And it’s been received well.”
click to enlarge
Photo by David McIntyre
Chef/owner Miguel Perez-Valencia in the kitchen with Daniel Yesca
Open since December 2022 on Broadway, El Gran Toro is among an array of recently opened Latin-inspired restaurants in the city, like Beso and Bar Brava, although Newburgh also has several long-running hot spots from taco joints to upscale peruvian eatery Machu Picchu. “We’re very different. There are a lot of Mexican places around, so I wanted to stand out,” Perez says. “And the way I put together dishes, even our guests from Mexico will say that it’s something new but it still brings them back to the food they had back home.”
The influence behind Perez’s menu stems from his own multicultural experience. “I’m originally from Mexico, and spent my entire life around food,” he explains. “I studied cooking as much as possible in Mexico but when I thought about where I wanted to take my dream, I decided to move to America.”
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Courtesy of El Gran Toro Brasserie
Cochinito al Horno is roasted pork rib dish served in dried chillis with basmati rice, for an Indian touch ($26).
He started his training in Mexico then enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America when he arrived in the US. His studies there were cut short due to scheduling conflicts, but he finished a degree online and continued on to lead kitchens at a number of local establishments. In 2012, Perez was head chef at Le Bouchon in Cold Spring; he also held stints at The Vault in Beacon and Crew in Poughkeepsie. El Gran Toro is the first restaurant he can properly call his own, offering lunch or dinner, with a plan for brunch soon to come.
“I love to cook with traditional ingredients, like pork fat, chilis, and cilantro, so you’ll find a lot of those flavors,” he explains. Entrees include surf and turf picks like Callos de Acha—sea scallops with chorizo, jalapeno, onion, garlic, cilantro, and butter ($28). Chorizo con gnocchi, a Latin-Italian fusion and a phrase that you don’t see often, is a potato gnocchi with chorizo, spinach, jalapeno, tomato, and creamy cheese ($16).
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Courtesy of El Gran Toro Brasserie
Cochinito al Horno is roasted pork rib dish served in dried chillis with basmati rice, for an Indian touch ($26). Tacos and quesadillas are always popular options and feature anarray of classic flavors like al pastor but elevated with achiote-marinated Berkshire pork, avocado, and grilled pineapple ($13).
The restaurant doesn’t currently feature a wine and co*cktails list, as they’re in the process of finalizing a liquor license. Perez says that they aim to have one this summer, after which there will be a formal celebration. It’ll likely be the rollout of brunch service, as well. “We’ve thought about starting brunch sooner but think it makes more sense to wait until we can serve brunch co*cktails,” he says.
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Courtesy of El Gran Toro Brasserie
Keeping with a brasserie theme, the restaurant is decked out with rustic-chic aesthetic, with upcycled pallets stained a warm brown lining the bar, used for booth seating, and as part of mixed-media wall decor. Blue walls add a subtle pop of color, with black-tiled wainscoting providing an elegant depth.
“We wanted to maintain a homemade look, and repurposing materials is important to us from a green standpoint,” Perez says. “Because it’s fusion food, I didn't want to do a southwestern or that very colorful look of many Mexican restaurants, but still give a welcoming feeling. Just like with the food, I want to give surprises—to give people a new idea of what unique things can be done with Mexican food, while keeping true to that back-home flavor.”
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Photo by David McIntyre
The restaurant is open for dinner Monday through Saturday from 5-9:30 pm, and lunch Wednesday through Saturday from 11 am-4 pm. They are closed on Sundays.
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