Denville Chef Channels Lifetime Love of Cooking

By Jillian Risberg

il Torrente is changing the rules when it comes to making pizza and for owner/chef Sal Perez, living his dream makes him feel like he chose the right path in life.

“Seeing people smile when they try my recipes (is everything),” the chef says when you present family, friends and customers with good food and service, they return because you make them happy.

It comes down to his creativity.

With pizzerias and Italian restaurants a dime a dozen, Perez says what makes il Torrente unique in such an overcrowded market are their exclusive recipes, like cauliflower and gluten-free crust that other Italian restaurants don’t have.

“We do pizza crust; it’s good and people love it,” the chef says eating on the outside patio is special. “We also have pasta, subs, wraps, seafood and paninis.”

You can’t go wrong with his free-range chicken sandwiches or a fresh organic green salad.

According to Perez, music star Kevin Jonas lives in town and comes to eat at il Torrente.

The chef uses only real ingredients, local and organic produce on all of his pizzas, including ripe tomatoes using a secret family recipe.

“For summertime I have a big area in the backyard of my restaurant where I grow basil, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers,” the chef says when they have all the plants and vegetables growing it’s very nice.

His favorite dish to prepare is Chicken Torrente, breaded chicken with vodka sauce topped with fresh mozzarella.

His connection to cooking dates back to childhood.

“I would always see my mom cook and usually helped her, especially for holidays for all these people,” says Perez. “I love this kind of kitchen stuff, food wise. That was my dream when I was a kid, to open my own.”

The biggest challenge of his career to date was staying afloat during the early days of COVID-19.

“I have friends and family who own pizzerias, restaurants,” the chef says some of them had to close (and didn’t reopen, unfortunately). “I was worried I’d have to close mine too.”

Luckily that didn’t happen.

In fact, Perez now owns another place (Pizza Rustica) in Rockaway that he opened two years ago.

In order to juggle both locations the chef brought on a partner, Eduardo Salazar.

“He’s been helping a lot so I can have a little free time for my three kids and family,” the chef says.

He calls Denville one of the most caring communities. “The policemen, fireman are all very helpful,” says Perez. “Especially through COVID they supported me and thank God we’ve kept the doors open.”

At only 15 his connection to food/cooking started at Frank’s Pizza (Flanders), where he dreamed of opening his own pizza place.

He worked for them for six years and then bought his own place (Pizza Express) in Netcong when he was in his 20s. The chef then saved more money to become partowner in a bigger restaurant (another Frank’s Pizza) in Stanhope; and in 2016 moved to Denville, where he opened il Torrente. His ex boss from those early days inspired Perez to follow his dream.

“I remember he told me ‘I can see in the future you’re going to open up a couple of places,’” the chef says. “Since he said that to me when I was 15 or 16-years-old I put it in my mind that I can do it, and I’ve been giving the best of me — best service, best food and keeping people in the area happy.”

For more information, visit Facebook and Instagram: il Torrente.