Chef Shots: Sue Torres

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Sueños' chef explores the city's Mexican soul in Corona, Queens

Food was an integral part of Sue Torres’ life well before her name became synonymous with Sueños and, more recently, Los Dados. At the home of her Puerto Rican father, grandma Torres cooked elaborate meals with a strong local flavor, and her Italian mother owned a chocolate shop on Long Island.

“Growing up,” Torres, says, “I would watch her make chocolates, [observing] her chop the chocolates and melt them in a double boiler. It sparked a curiosity in me, and since both my parents worked, I started playing around with cooking.”

But Torres’ culinary soul lies in Mexican food. We caught up with Torres—just back from a two-day trip to Guadalajara—for a tour of the Mexican enclave of Corona, Queens. She spent weekends and summers here at her father’s large three-story home, not far from the epicenter off the 103 St.–Corona Plaza stop on the 7 train.

Text by Pervaiz Shallwani; photos by Jori Klein