Hollywood producer Mike Fleiss has been known to put some hot content on television, but now the clever creative wants to spice up everyone's lives with his latest side project: jalapenos. The connoisseur of piquant cuisine says it's long been a dream of his to sell grilled jalapenos as a condiment.
"I've been developing that notion and out of that notion came a restaurant that we started in Lake Oswego, Oregon, called Toreados," Mike Fleiss says of the Tex-Mex dining experience. "There's a thing in Mexico called the chiles toreados, which is a side dish, and so it's based around that. It's smoked meats with spicy grilled peppers and high-end tequila. It's a great little spot. So I'm happy to talk about Toreados."
Mike Fleiss is apparently onto something. Plenty of Americans like it hot, at least when it comes to their food. An Instacart survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults found that 74% of Americans dribble hot sauce on their food and approximately 45% said they typically add some heat to their food once a week or more.
Toreados in Lake Oswego serves myriad savory menu items including jalapeno poppers, chicken enchiladas, and chiles toreados, which are blistered whole chiles tossed in soy sauce, honey, and lime juice. The celebration of zest continues with its drink menu, which features spicy mango tequila concoctions and mezcal mixtures. In addition to traditional mixed beverages there are wine and beer offerings. The restaurant's margarita menu is equipped to impress with five different types of margaritas and frozen creations such as The Pear Necessity, which combines tequila, Aperol, watermelon, prickly pear, and lime, and the Boaty McBoatface, a blend of rum, caramelized pineapple, and chai-coconut puree.
The eatery has gotten plenty of accolades on Open Table, with KB19 of Portland, Oregon, writing, "Delicious drinks, yummy food, and excellent service. We will be back," and MichaelN posting, "Really cool vibe, awesome drinks, jalapeno poppers were great. Quesadilla was top-notch, and smoked brisket fajitas were awesome."
Located just outside of Portland, Toreados is one of the latest restaurants to shake up the area's ever-evolving food scene, which is home to more than 70 breweries and a variety of innovative dining options.
Mike Fleiss admits his successful Hollywood career has had its perks but being in the food industry is another accomplishment he's happy to cash in on.
"I've had this idea forever and ever and ever, and now it's a dream come true to see this restaurant [and it's] doing well," Fleiss says.
The entrepreneur adds he has plans to mass-market the chiles and make them available to the public at large.
"We're talking about that now. We're finishing the next steps," Mike Fleiss says. "Chris Briggs, who I produce a lot of things with, we're partners in a few restaurants up there in Oregon where he's from."
While Mike Fleiss doesn't consider himself a traditional foodie, he does like to kick things up a notch when it comes to the flavor factor. He says he's always enjoyed eating peppery provisions and he's eager to share his love for caliente cuisine with the world.
"I just love spicy food," Mike Fleiss admits.
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of foodworldnews.com
