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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (July 5, 2017)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL JULY 5, 2017 Couple brings fusion to lunch in CG 3A Effort to help local "Pay it Forward" set for August Group plans to raise money for an offsite location A PHOTO BY CAITLYN MAY/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL Carli Elu and Lucas Monroe bring fusion to their passion for food and their new food cart located at the Brewstation Wednesday through Saturday. Some people out- side of the Elu Fu- cmay@cgsentinel.com sion food cart don’t want others in town to know it exists. The line is already too long, they say. It’s a good sign for the new business that’s parked itself outside of Coast Fork Feed’s Brewstation and its owners Carli Elu and Lucas Monroe. The couple has been together just under a decade and in Cottage Grove for a smidge longer, both working in the restaurant in- dustry for 15-plus years. When the oppor- tunity came along for them to strike out on their own, they jumped at the chance. “It’s always been kind of a dream to open a bistro,” Elu said in between the lunch rush. “This was just the most cost effective way to do it.” She gestures to the couple’s food cart—a black tone that attracts the customers and the heat of the day, scrawled with white cal- ligraphy and a chalk-written menu detailing Elu Fusion’s eclectic range of dishes. It’s a 6 a.m. wake-up call for Elu and Monroe that allows them to serve pulled By Caitlyn May pork, tri-rib and other smoked meats. The process, Elu says, takes a long time but the result is certainly worth it. It also means the couple can deliver on dishes such as the loaded Greek—a gyro with a twist—prime rib sandwiches and more. They also offer gluten and wheat free options as well as menu items for diners who prefer to adhere to the vegan diet. Member of the military? Elu Fusion also offers 10 percent off to ser- vicemen and women. “We’re just really passionate about food,” Elu said, escaping back into the shade of the truck while Monroe stepped out. On the hot days, they take turns cooking and standing over the hot grill. “In the winter, I may be at the grill a little more,” Elu joked. "When it's really hot, I make her do it," Monroe shot back. The menu may change slightly here and there as the seasons go on as well since the couple prefers to serve locally sourced food. Their breads are from a local baker. Their produce is local as well—as much as they can manage. The couple live in Cottage Grove and rather than take their talents and ideas to larger cities, they opted to stay in the Grove and serve their neighbors. Cottage Grove Planning Commissioner Darby Valley has stopped by nearly every day since the cart has opened, Elu said. His review? Food so great he wants to keep Elu Fusion to himself and avoid pub- licity that may see other Cottage Grovers lining up at lunch time to sample the op- tions. For now, Elu and Monroe are content with their food cart and its location. They say they're friends and business partners with the owners of the Brewstation and they've been granted the spot just outside its doors to lure customers to their food and their cart. And they plan to stay there for awhile, serving a mix of foods ranging from Greek to Hawaiian to American as grilled cheese- on a pita of course. “As a family of three it was time to try something new,” Monroe said. “We wanted to make a move and stay local.” Elu Fusion is open Wednesday and Thurs- day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. GIVE BACK with your subscription! In Print. Online. On the Go. $10 fro m subscr each ip will be tion do to Com nated munity Sharin g for foo d.* Your News. Your Way. JUST $37.65 Staying connected is now easier than ever… LOCAL NEWS Name: _______________________________ DINING ENTERTAINMENT Address: _____________________________ BUSINESS _____________________________________ SPORTS Phone: ______________________________ RECREATION CLASSIFIEDS Email ________________________________ and so much more S entinel C ottage G rove www.cgsentinel.com To take advantage of this special off er fi ll out and mail in the form with payment to: Cottage Grove Sentinel P.O. Box 35 Cottage Grove, OR 97424 or stop by our offi ce at 116 N. 6th Street Cottage Grove. *Th is off er is not transferable and the off er is available those who have not subscribed in the last 31 days. Special introductory off ers are limited to no more than two special subscriptions in a twelve month period and must be paid in advance to qualify for special rate. Once the above discounted period ends, you will be billed at the regular subscription rates. New Subscribers get an additional 4 weeks free aron and Raelene Ames were at the Relay for Life event By Caitlyn May in Bohemia Park on June 16 cmay@cgsentinel.com watching the survivor’s lap. Streams of walkers were dotted by wheelchairs be- ing pushed by volunteers and occupied by those who had fought against the disease and those still fi ghting. Aaron told his wife those wheelchairs had been donated by Pay it Forward, a local non-profi t dedicated to supplying residents of Cottage Grove with free, used items they need. Raelene went home and started thinking. “By the time I got home she said, ‘You know, someone should do a fundraiser for Pay it Forward.’ And that’s where it started,” said Ames, who currently works as a marketing associate for The Sentinel. By the end of that weekend, the couple had put their heads to- gether and started making phone calls to gauge interest in holding a fundraiser for Pay it Forward. The group, headed by Mindy Beer and her daughter Jennifer Neil, currently works out of the pair’s home collecting items to distribute to the community. Each week, it serves approximately 500 Grovers but the piles are becoming unmanageable in the space the group is currently housed in. Beer previously told The Sentinel that, because the group is based on Facebook with more than 6,000 members, requests for items has led to additional buildings being dedicated to storing Pay it For- ward items. In June, Beer noted, “We may have to close down, we don’t want to but we need a bigger space to operate out of.” Enter Aaron and Raelene. “We’re calling it Pay it Back,” Ames said. It may have been Rae- lene’s idea but Aaron said he came up with the name on his own and now the couple is trying to coax sponsors into joining their effort. The event is scheduled to take place in Bohemia Park on August 27 and so far, the couple has roped in donors for a silent auction and raffl e. Items include four all-day hoppers from Disneyland with a value exceeding $600. That prize may turn into a complete Disney vacation if Ames can score airline tickets and a hotel room. The couple has also acquired an appliance to auction off and with any luck, Ames said he may add a car to the list. “We’ll also have smaller items for the raffl e,” he said. So far, 10 vendors have also signed up to take part in the fund- raiser-- including Ames tattoo-artist friend who will be doling out marker tattoos—but the couple is on the hunt for more interested vendors. Currently, vendors have agreed to donate 10 percent of their sales at the event to Pay it Forward and all of the silent auc- tion funds are designated for the group as well. According to Ames, there will also be a donation jar at the event. “I don’t think there’s anyone in town who hasn’t been helped or knows someone who’s been helped by Pay it Forward,” Ames said, “They helped me get some stuff for my daughter’s fi rst apartment and we just want to give back to an organization that does so much for the community.” R ECYCLE ! R EUSE ! E R O T S E R R E S TORE H OURS T HURSDAY , F RIDAY & S ATURDAY 10 AM -4 PM Drop off your old paint for recycling at our ReStore location during business hours Preserve our earth Keep items out of the landfi lls Donate to the ReStore Habitat Offi ce and ReStore 2155 Getty Circle ~ Unit #1 in the Cottage Grove Industrial Park South on Hwy 99 past the High School Call 541.767.0358 for more information Email info@habitatcg.org