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Food

The Adolphus Hotel gets sweet treat with new pastry chef Ruben Toraño

The pastry chef recently left the Joule hotel and wants to bring color and beauty to pastries at the Adolphus.

The Adolphus Hotel has something sweet in store with Ruben Toraño taking over as its new executive pastry chef.

Toraño, who started in late May, will oversee the pastry program for the entire hotel including menu development for The French Room, City Hall Bistro and Otto's Coffee & Fine Foods, along with all banquets and events.

“I’m excited to just kind of get in, put my mark all over The Adolphus Hotel, wherever I may be needed or wherever there’s pastries,” Toraño says.

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Ruben Torano, the new executive pastry chef at the Adolphus, photographed outside the French...
Ruben Torano, the new executive pastry chef at the Adolphus, photographed outside the French Room at the hotel on Thursday, June 6, 2019, in Dallas. (Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)
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Toraño left Headington Companies as executive pastry chef before starting this new gig with the Adolphus. His old stomping grounds, The Joule hotel and Commissary, aren't far from his new digs, but the atmosphere feels different already.

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A big focus for him coming in is Otto’s, which he hopes develops its own identity. Toraño wants to showcase a more modern approach to European and American desserts by focusing on color. He says he gets inspiration from Instagram pages, like from Supermoon Bakehouse in New York City, who have colorful, classic pastries with a modern twist.

“I’m excited to get into Otto’s and revamp it and give it a new style,” he says. “I just want to do stuff we haven’t seen in Dallas, but also keep it approachable.”

Pastries by Ruben Torano, the new executive pastry chef at the Adolphus, photographed at the...
Pastries by Ruben Torano, the new executive pastry chef at the Adolphus, photographed at the hotel on Thursday, June 6, 2019, in Dallas.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)
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Toraño, a Killeen native, got his passion for pastries from his father, Rafael, who's also a pastry chef. He graduated from Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island with a degree in baking and pastry arts.

Hoping to work with and teach a new group of people at The Adolphus hotel, Toraño wants to help them grow themselves. The strategy is to be open and willing to listen, learn and absorb. The new endeavor is multi-faceted and keeps him on his toes. Since he has many hats to wear, Toraño goes in making sure his mood fits the occasion.

“Today’s French Room. Let me think and act French for a little bit, and let’s see how this works,” he says.

Fruits are Toraño’s favorite ingredients because of the color they add to a pastry. Seasonal fruits, such as peaches, will hopefully be implemented into the menu. He says stone fruits like that usually aren’t featured in bakeries downtown. Putting them atop tarts, which are his favorite sugary treats to make, will show off his flair while being true to one of the pastries he’s known for. Making tarts and pies kicks off his week in the right direction, he says.

Doughnuts by Ruben Torano, the new executive pastry chef at the Adolphus, photographed at...
Doughnuts by Ruben Torano, the new executive pastry chef at the Adolphus, photographed at the hotel on Thursday, June 6, 2019, in Dallas. (Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)

And he likes his treats to look good as well as taste good. Toraño says he finds it funny when people say food is "too pretty to eat" because he wants people to eat it anyway.

Friday is National Doughnut Day, and Otto's will feature some sugary treats to celebrate. Their regular, glazed doughnut will make an appearance with some updates to the presentation. There will also be chocolate and lemon ricotta doughnut holes. Toraño hopes to recognize other various food "holidays" with similar specials.

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The Adolphus Hotel is located at 1321 Commerce Street in Dallas.