About
Orlando:
At the age of 12 I knew the restaurant business was for me. After working at several different restaurants, I figured I’d better work as many different positions as possible: If I was going to open my own place I needed to know as much as possible about every aspect of the business.
I was born on March 16, 1968 in Embudo, NM. As soon as I was born my mom and I went back to Big Bend, TX, where my dad was stationed with the National Park Service. From there we transferred to other parks such as Chickasaw National Recreation Area in OK, Gran Quivira in NM, Hubbles Trading Post in AZ, and the San Juan Islands in WA. Mainly growing up in Friday Harbour, WA, I started working at the Sweet Tooth Saloon; scooping ice cream, pouring coffee, and bussing tables.
I moved to Taos for the last part of tenth grade. Then I lived in Questa, NM, worked, and went to school in Taos. Not living with my parents and having my own car, I just had too much fun and didn’t focus on school. I moved (had too) back to AZ with my parents and finished school at Monument High.
Graduating in 1986 I moved back to Taos and started working at the Taos Inn. First bussing, and then waiting tables and part-time maitre’d’ing. I met Zeke and Tina Lambert and transferred with them when they opened their own restaurant, Lambert’s. Working with Zeke & Tina taught me a lot. Working with a great cooking staff like Nite Marquez and Sheila Guzman, made me want to cook again.
After coming back from the San Juan Islands, I wasn’t sure what to do that summer. I was asked to run the hot dog cart for T.K. and Charlene from the Bent St. Deli and Café. I was working the cart for about three weeks, when my life would change. Walking by was this beautiful Latina. I didn’t say anything and regretted it for two weeks, until she walked by again. This time I jumped in front in front of her and said, “Hi, my name is Orlando….” We’ve been together ever since.
I hired Yvette to work with me. She soon became the “Hot Dog Girl.” We bought the business the next year and expanded to have a second cart selling burritos. We both had dreams of a café and gave ourselves five years to open one, and three years later we did.
Driving by one day we noticed a “for rent” sign on this little funky building and called soon thereafter. Luckily we were the first to call. With just $7,000 we started the menu, painting, food ordering, etc. And on such a limited budget we had to do most of the work ourselves, including building all the tile tables, painting, cleaning, everything.
Not having cooked much New Mexican food, I recruited my grandmother Delfina Archuleta to help me make some chile. When I asked her to make a vegetarian red chile she almost died. “What do you mean, a vegetarian chile?” she asked. Unheard of from her generation, she ended up making what is, to many, the best red chile in Taos County. Remembering watching my Gramma Ita (Gregorita Ortega) make a simple chile caribe, she added that to the menu. My mom baked all our goods; apple pie, biscochitos, empanaditas, carrot cake, and more.
We were off & running. We opened the café and were happy with the sales. The next week we did better and the following, even better. Since we were growing so fast, I needed to enlarge the kitchen to keep up. Larger stoves, fryers, fridges, everything. Best decision we made was starting small and growing with the busness.
Yvette:
We opened the restaurant on January 26, 1996. Our daughter Ariana Shaimai Ortega was 11 months old when we opened, so we juggled a new baby and new business. It was a challenge, but a great one! The next year on August 2, 1997, Orlando and I got married. We had met in the summer of 1991 and been together for six years before getting married. We had our daughter in 1995 and she will turn 15 on February 17. That’s unbelievable! The restaurant continues to grow and Orlando’s mother Flora has been such a wonderful asset.
In 1999 we had our son Orazio D’Angelo Ortega and at that time I decided to try to be a stay-at-home mom. It seemed like the perfect timing, as Orlando’s sister Roberta Ortega moved to Taos the same year. We hired her at the restaurant and she became a great asset as well. My mother Patsy Vigil is a line cook and has been for some time. We truly have been blessed.
So, really without our family who have always been there for us, we would have never been able to make this dream come true.
