By Starla Pointer • Staff Writer • 

Along the Street: New restaurant coming to Carlton early next year

Rusty Rae/News-Register## Ellen and Gabriel Orocios are putting the final details on their restaurant, Orocios, which will open in downtown Carlton after the first of the year.
Rusty Rae/News-Register## Ellen and Gabriel Orocios are putting the final details on their restaurant, Orocios, which will open in downtown Carlton after the first of the year.

Orocios, a new restaurant in downtown Carlton, is expected to open in early 2022, according to owners Ellen and Gabriel Orocios.

They had hoped to open at 217 W. Main St. this fall, but said they faced numerous delays, including those associated with the pandemic, such as backlogs on ordering.

Ellen Orocios is a 2010 graduate of Yamhill Carlton High School. She prepared a lavish dinner as part of her senior project at YC. She also was a dishwasher at Cuvee while in high school.

She completed the culinary program at Southwest Oregon Community College in Coos Bay and has been working in food service since then. She’s recently taken time off, though, to spend time with their children: 2 1/2-year-old Marcos, and Leo, who will turn 1 in December.

She’s looking forward to returning to restaurant work. “There’s just something exciting about being in the kitchen,” she said. “It’s like a dance.”

Gabriel Orocios has been in the food industry for many years. He started as a dishwasher in California, joined the kitchen staff, then worked his way up. He has been a chef at El Gaucho in Portland for more than a decade.

Their Orocios restaurant will feature the tastes of Mexico as well as fresh, local produce and products; wine and tequila tastings along with a full bar are planned in the future.

The couple said they want to expand on the menu offered by most Mexican restaurants in the U.S., including regional dishes and flavors.

“Mexico is so big, with so many different foods. It’s beautiful,” said Gabriel, who grew up in Mexico City.

Croquettes with chicken or cheese, deep-friend enchiladas, seafood and steaks will be among their offerings, along with breakfast and brunch dishes featuring eggs. Orocios also will offer condiments such as roasted crickets.

“We hope to excite people and get them to be adventurous,” she said.

For more information, go to the website, orocios.com.

 

Mower fixer retiring

John’s Mower Hospital has stopped taking repair requests because owner John Rima is retiring.

Although he hasn’t taken on new jobs since the end of October, he’ll still be working for a few weeks. He plans to complete repair projects already underway before he closes entirely.

Rima, who has been repairing lawn mowers since he was a teen, opened his shop in 1981. He has been in his current location on Northeast 11th Street, near Baker, for 30 years.

In retirement, he plans to spend more time golfing, traveling and playing with his grandchildren.

Look for a more in-depth story about Rima and his experiences with the repair business in an upcoming issue of the News-Register.

 

Parade entries

Tuesday, Nov. 16, is the deadline for organizations, businesses and individuals to sign up for McMinnville’s annual Santa Parade.

The parade will start at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 26. Entries will gather in the Yamhill County Courthouse parking lot, then move to Third Street and parade west.

Entries must be holiday related. The cost is $20 for walking groups and $30 for vehicles.

To sign up for the parade, go to the McMinnville Downtown Association website, www.macdowntown.com.

 

More olives

Durant Olive Mill is continuing its 13th annual Olio Nuovo Festival through November at 5510 N.E. Breyman Orchards Road, Dayton.

Local marketplace events run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. The Wooden Heart food truck, live music and local produce and products will be featured.

Complimentary tastings of olio nuovo — freshly milled extra virgin olive oil — are offered from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

Tours of the olive mill are be offered at 10 a.m. daily with advance registration. Cost is $10 and advance registration is required.

Reservations are recommended for Oysters & Olio Happy Hours, from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, Nov. 13, 20 and 27. Cost is $30 per person.

Cooking classes and gardening workshops also are available by advanced registration.

For more information, call 503-864-2000.

Send business news to Starla Pointer at spointer@newsregister.com.

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