BRUNCH
AND SEAFOOD,
OH MY!
CARMELITA SPATS SURE TO PLEASE
FANS OF SIMPLISTIC VARIETY
BY JORDAN TICHENOR
PHOTO TODD COOPER
SARA ELLIS
“N
o foams, no gels,” says Sara Ellis, self-proclaimed “serial
entrepreneur” and owner of the soon-to-open Carmelita Spats.
Although the name invokes Mexican seafood (Carmelita is the
name of her Chihuahua, and spats refers to mollusks) this is not
really representative of the direction of the restaurant. It is more
representative of the unique style of this restaurant.
In reality, the only category for the whimsical fare is “what Sara wants for dinner,” she
says. “That’s the menu.” Many of the plates will be straightforward: Kobe beef fi lets, a
plate of prosciutto, sautéed green beans and tomato soup round out some of the ideas that
fl y off the top of Ellis’ head. She ponders putting some of these in a “risotto setting” and
wonders aloud whether she can match some Mexican fl avors with French cuisine.
If her name seems familiar, you might recognize Ellis from her previous endeavors, Red
Agave and Fandango, among others. This is in addition to her career as a private chef in
Mexico. But while the pay was good, the environment wasn’t right. “I miss that social feel
from a restaurant,” she says. “I just enjoy it.”
Depending on the day and time of day, you may only be able to choose between three
plates. “They’ll change, and I’ll offer like a vegetarian, a pescatarian and a meat option,”
Ellis says, pondering the idea. “Yeah, it’ll be easier that way.” That will be the lunch menu,
which will be available Wednesday through Friday.
Between Wednesday and Saturday, later in the day, the menu will be “tapas” style, with
many plates of varying sizes and styles of food. It will be all about choice. “I sit down at
restaurants and I pick everything apart,” Ellis says. “I want a place where people can get
exactly what they want.”
Tapas, which are offerings of many small-to-medium-sized plates, are a staple in the
European market, but in America the concept has not quite taken off. Perhaps it is because
most restaurants are looking to expand, when in reality tapas only work “in a small place,”
as Ellis noted after a recent trip to Paris to research food for the restaurant.
Saturday and Sunday will offer “hangover” brunch — “I love a good brunch,” Ellis
says.
The restaurant is small. Having taken over the space that used to house Not Your Mama’s
Sandwich Shop, it is defi nitely down the scale from some of Ellis’ grand endeavors.
However, she wears her excitement on her face as she walks around the very unfi nished
dining area. In her mind everything is laid out, but she is still tinkering with it. “It’s going
to be very colorful,” she says. “It needs lots of lush tones.”
Ellis’ passion for her food is more than infectious. It’s impossible to not be caught up in
her descriptions of the food she sees in her head; her words are full of activity. “It’s going
to be a blast of whatever I like to eat.” ■
Carmelita Spats is scheduled to open at 150 Shelton McMurphey Blvd. on Sept. 15.
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Foods
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Look for us at your Natural Foods Grocery
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EUGENE WEEKLY’S GUIDE TO FOOD AND RESTAURANTS 2013
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