 | | | Casa Turing staff, from left: Owner John Reyna, Prep Fermin Andres, Head Prep Bernabe Garcia, and Owner Joseph Reyna Photo Vera Kochan | | | | | | From the owner of Town Bakery & Café comes a new dining spot called Casa Turing (Rheem Shopping Center next to TJ Maxx). Co-owners John Reyna and brother, Joseph, have named their new establishment after their maternal grandmother whose nickname was Turing.
The brothers were born in the Philippines and come from a long line of relatives in the food industry. Their grandparents owned a bakery there in the 1950s, before moving the family to the United States in 1989.
John's first foray into his own dining business began with a food truck called Sliders in 2014. He had plans to open a brick and mortar establishment, and when the Moraga resident realized that a space in Rheem became available in 2018, he opened Town Bakery & Café. Never one to rest on his laurels, the ever-ambitious restaurateur was on the lookout for another location where he could open an ethnic eatery.
Initially a pizza place came to mind, but the brothers were still open to ideas. They were informed of a town-wide survey taken more than five years ago, whereby residents overwhelmingly wanted to see a Mexican restaurant in Moraga; and realizing that he dined on Mexican food "at least twice a week," John began to make the necessary plans.
"We did a lot of research for what they really do in terms of the Mexican technique of cooking," explained John. "We even went to L.A. Our main cook, Miguel Jimenes, is from Tijuana."
Before Casa Turing opened, the recipes were "tested" at Town Bakery. The ones that were a hit made it to their new Cal-Mex menu. Items such as: Crispy Shrimp Tacos; Burrito Bowl; Taco Salad; Tostadas; Homemade Tortilla Chips with fixings; Enchiladas; Angus Steak Fajita Plate; and more are served along with bottled drinks. Coming soon are beer, wine and agave-based cocktails. Casa Turing is also available for catering events.
"Our food is prepped to order," Joseph stated proudly. "We use local ingredients. Whatever seasonal foods are available go on our rotating menu. We shop for groceries everyday, and the only thing the freezer is for will be to keep the ice cream [coming soon]."
"The main focus for us is not to cut corners as far as food goes," added John. "We don't even use a microwave except to melt cheese."
Sister, Grace, runs the front of the house and the Reynas' parents come to help out when they can. "We have a very strong team behind the scenes," said John. "The prep guys are the ones that make us successful." Hoping to add to the success are Taco Tuesdays; live music on weekends; and lunchtime hours. Casa Turing is currently open Tuesday through Thursday from 3:30 to 8:30 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 4 to 9 p.m. Closed on Monday.
Casa Turing quietly opened for business on Sept. 2. "We're in the honeymoon stage," said Joseph. "The flow of customers is nice, and we've gotten great feedback from diners." Added John, "We really enjoy doing this."
For more information visit: casaturing.com or phone (925) 592-0964. |
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA