New bar and grill a treat to eat at thanks to the cook and menu
choices
Stubby’s Sports Bar & Grill, the newest spot in Gilroy to catch a game or meet friends for drinks, is both a family affair and a labor of love.
The chef, Alvaro Torres, is a fixture in the restaurant, having learned from the previous owner of Stubby’s, Dimitri Louvis, when the restaurant was called the Alter Ego Cafe.
Torres has been cooking since he was a teenager, and Stubby’s current owner, John Stieber, says Torres is the secret to the restaurant’s success.
“You have to give kudos where kudos are due,” Stieber said of his chef. “This guy is an angel. We couldn’t do it without him.”
Torres comes from a family of chefs, including three of his brothers, some cousins, a nephew and a brother-in-law. Though Louvis taught him much of what he knows, his brothers also played a vital role in his education as a chef.
“I was afraid when I started that I would have to learn all new things to make, or that I wouldn’t like what I was cooking, but I’m really happy here,” Torres said. “I like to cook everything. I don’t really have any favorites – I’ll cook breakfast, sandwiches, pasta. It’s all fun.”
Stieber and his business partner, Janice An, decided to keep some of the Alter Ego Cafe menu items on the Stubby’s menu, along with traditional American fare and some of An’s creations. However, if someone comes in asking for an Alter Ego Cafe dish that isn’t on the Stubby’s menu, Torres said he’ll do his best to make it for the customer anyway.
“Our food is really good, but I know people sometimes have a favorite from before,” Torres said.
Stubby’s features 12 televisions, including big-screen and flat-screen televisions. However, Torres prefers a little black-and-white television with rabbit ear antennae in the kitchen.
“I always tease Alvaro about his TV,” Stieber, the restaurant’s namesake, said. “I tell him we’re going to get him a huge flat-screen back here, but he says ‘No, no, no. I like my TV.’ ”
Stieber and An said their goal is to make Stubby’s a nice, comfortable place for people to meet and hang out, and having good food is part of meeting that goal.
“Alvaro came with the place, and we’re so grateful he’s here working with us,” An said. “He has a natural talent, and when we first met him, his food exceeded all our expectations.”
