AVIA Names Daniel Toro Executive Chef

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- AVIA® The Woodlands, a new boutique hotel set to open in early winter 2009, has appointed Daniel Toro as its Executive Chef. Offering a style that he attributes to travels and experiences living in different cities, Toro plans to introduce a new epicurean experience to the market through simple, yet memorable dishes infused with a Texan sensibility.

Toro brings over a decade of professional experience in the culinary arts to AVIA The Woodlands. He was most recently Sous Chef at the Alden Hotel in Houston. Prior to that, he offered his expertise and creative delights to guests of such private clubs and hotels as The Petrossian Paris in New York City; Fuego at La Posada Resort in Santa Fe, NM; and The Remington at St. Regis, Shade Heights, Royal Oaks Country Club and Glass Wall Heights, all located within the Houston area.

Toro began his career as an honorable student at the U.S. Navy Mess Specialist Service School in San Diego and was awarded a Navy Achievement medal. He later attended the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco where he earned both an Associate of Occupational Studies degree (AOS) in 2002 and a Baking and Pastry degree in 2003.

Through years of diligent study, hard work and experience across a variety of locations and cultures, Toro developed a unique culinary style. His former mentor, Chef Michael Mina, taught him that “the best ingredient is the one that is left out.” Bringing this “less is more” mentality to AVIA The Woodlands, Toro plans to showcase fresh local ingredients in a simple way. “There will not be a lot of fusion or molecular gastronomy,” says Toro. “AVIA The Woodlands will just offer simple, honest and delicious food.”

Toro credits his inspiration to his parents, whom he says, “cooked good, old-fashioned American food.” He plans to pass this on to guests at the AVIA Kitchen + Lounge, combining new flavors with Texan traditions and such local favorites as crab cakes, tuna tartar and steak and fries.

AVIA The Woodlands also boasts a farm-to-table concept, focusing on fresh local ingredients to help guests discover colorful new regional recipes. Cheeses, for example, will be sourced from local dairymaids. Mixed greens and micro-greens will come from Wood Duck Farms; local eggs and produce from local animal farms; and chickens will be sourced from Henry Bryan farms.