Buffalo Rising Online

Toro is the first restaurant to be featured in the countdown toward the winner of BR's Chef's Challenge: White Cow Yogurt.

Toro’s arrival on Elmwood five years ago marks a time when the avenue was transitioning from a “strip” into a “village”. Owner Nick Kotrides helped to bring about that change with his first establishment, Faherty's, the popular bar with a neighborhood feel that is located next door to Toro.

Toro’s current chef, Justin Brink, studied at the Institute of Culinary Education in Manhattan and then spent a number of years cooking in vacation hot spots for the likes of Emeril Lagasse. Brink has been with Toro since its inception, donning the toak of the executive chef last autumn after Chef Dino Debell moved to Hertel’s Empire Grill, which is Kotrides’ third restaurant venture.

Toro's cuisine revolves around twenty or more plates offered on their standard menu and a lengt…