Carlos Calderon (right) carries on the tradition of fine foods from Cuba and Spain started by his father, Ramon.
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Felix Continental Cafe
You’ll often find “standing room only” at Felix Continental Café, where Carlos Calderon and his staff continue to provide the flavorful Cuban cuisine that Carlos’ father, Ramon, introduced when he opened the restaurant in 1979.
The location at 36 Plaza Square has been extraordinarily successful for the restaurant, which now attracts second and third generations of family clientele who remember Ramon and his partner, Tomas Llera. When Carlos started waiting tables at the age of 15 in 1983, there were still only 11 tables inside, and six outside. Today, there are 22 tables inside, 26 tables outside and a staff of 16 to serve about 300 people on their busiest days.
So, where did the restaurant name “Felix” come from? “Felix the Cat,” of course–Ramon’s favorite cartoon character!
While the name has stayed the same, the menu has evolved to accommodate changing tastes. Instead of quiche, Carlos offers more foods of Latin America and Cuba; one of their most popular dishes is Pollo Criollo: chicken marinated in lemon, garlic, salt and pepper, then grilled, and served with rice and beans.
It’s just about dawn when Carlos’ brother-in-law George Erviti pulls up at the front door every Monday and Friday to off-load provisions he has bought in Los Angeles: the restaurant buys beans and rice in 100 pound sacks; it goes through more than 300 pounds of beans and rice every week.
“Since we don’t have a back door, we have to get in provisions before all the parking spaces are filled out front. The logistics of getting groceries is one reason the restaurant is open only for lunch and dinner Monday through Friday,” says Carlos. “We can’t even accept deliveries from food service providers after we open for lunch at 11 a.m. because everything has to come through the front door.’
However, Felix does a brisk breakfast business on Saturday and Sunday, especially in summer when everyone wants to sit outside.
Will the restaurant stay in the family. “We’ll see,” Carlos says. “Next summer I’ll bring Carlos Jr., to the restaurant; he’s 16, so we’ll see how he likes it. Sergio is still a little young - he’s only 14. Our daughter already has graduated from UCLA and is working for ING.”
But the restaurant is leased at this location through 2009, so there’s no need to worry about the immediate future. Carlos says, “It’s still fun for me; I love meeting people and making sure they enjoy our food.”
Felix Continental Cafe
36 Plaza Square, Old Towne Orange, CA 92866 / 714-633-5842
