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In just 10 years since obtaining her degree from the Culinary Institute of America, Torres’ star has risen at a steep incline. A protégé of chef Miles Angelo, the king of Southwestern fare, Torres’ discovered her love for Mexican ingredients while working as his sous chef at Arizona 206 and Arizona Café. She learned to creatively compose flavors, textures and presentation, and was introduced to the wide array of chiles and their breadth of possibilities. A decade later, she displays that knowledge in Sueños five-course chile tasting menu. Each dish celebrates a different chile.

Torres began receiving acclaim for her Mexican cooking when she became executive chef of New York’s Rocking Horse Café Mexicano in 1997. In addition to praise from the likes of Asimov, Torres’ skill earned the restaurant three and a half stars from the New York Post, and a place on Time Out New York’s “Restaurant Critics’ Top Picks.”

Torres’ understanding of her favorite cuisine was further developed by a trip to Mexico in 1998 to study with Mexican-cooking authority and cookbook writer, Diana Kennedy, who taught her the roots of Mexican food. By learning the classics, Torres was able to apply her creativity and innovation to produce contemporary interpretations. She explores the individuality of ingredients and will often develop dishes that feature sauces that contain no more than five ingredients, concentrating on an individual flavor. She uses traditional Mexican techniques to get the most flavor out of ingredients and is not afraid of big contrasts, such as sweet and spicy or sweet and smoky, as well as contrasting textures.

From Rocking Horse, Torres moved to Hell’s Kitchen in 2000 and in no time she had caught the eye of such publications as Working Woman, who wrote of her in their “20 Under 30” feature: “Blending creativity, dedication and ambition, Torres has managed to stand out in the cutthroat world of New York’s food professionals.” The New Yorker’s assessment was equally complimentary: “The chef, Sue Torres, has a modern touch with traditional ingredients which gives them a worldly air.” The New York Times’ Asimov followed her to her new post and remarked, “If you’re interested in what Ms. Torres can do when she’s inspired, head directly for the interpretations of Mexican dishes.”

Despite the success Torres experienced in other restaurateurs’ kitchens, she was itching to fulfill her dream, and in 2002 she left Hell’s Kitchen and began the daunting task of creating her own restaurant from scratch. Where did this drive come from in a woman barely into her thirties? A native of Long Island, Torres is the daughter of an Italian mother and Puerto Rican father, both of whom celebrated the foods of their homelands with their children. Torres grew up between the smells of fresh basil and cilantro leaves. Her mother, a chocolatier and cake decorator, passed on her love of cooking and taught her daughter to put her heart into everything she creates. Her maternal grandfather’s dedication to growing tomatoes, herbs and vegetables taught her to revere the importance of fresh ingredients.

With Sueños, Torres is able to put all her passion for Mexico on display, not just on the menu, but on the walls where artist Lucas Moran created ‘dream boxes’ that feature items Torres has collected over the years. Torres also decided that, though it would be more expensive to do so, her restaurant would feature a raised platform on which a cocinera, or tortilla lady, would prepare fresh tortillas on a traditional comal, as well as make fresh guacamole. In this way, Torres is able to share with her guests the beauty and art of Mexican cooking - and thereby share her dream.