Local StoriesMarch 16, 2023

Conversations with Laura Orellana-Martin

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Orellana-Martin.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born and raised in El Salvador. Many of my fondest childhood memories entail being around the kitchen and having parties with delicious food. At age 5, my sister and I moved to Guatemala for a time where we learned about their food and culture. One night my dad took us to a beautiful restaurant for a birthday celebration. Looking around the restaurant and seeing the servers interact with the guests and how beautifully presented the delicious food was, I told my dad that I would one day have a restaurant just like that. It was in my last year of high school during a class on Spanish culture and arts that I first fell in love with Spain. Watching the Spanish cooking shows of Karlos Arguinano, a very well-known Spanish chef, I decided I wanted to become a chef by attending culinary school in Spain. I moved to Seville at age 18 to attend Escuela de Hosteleria de Sevilla. I spent 5 years between Seville and Barcelona learning and sampling different kinds of cuisine. My last year of culinary school, I had the opportunity to work at El Cingle, a Michelin-starred restaurant owned by one of the best Spanish female chefs. I moved to Atlanta GA in 2009 and worked at Pricci in Buckhead for 3 years until finding my home at RO Hospitality. I worked at Table & Main in Roswell as a prep/line cook. When ROH opened Osteria Mattone on Canton Street, I was promoted to opening sous chef. I worked at Osteria Mattone for eight years until the owners, Ryan and Daniel, invited me to collaborate and open Casa Robles together as the Executive Chef. I’ve loved showcasing my passion for Latin-American and Spanish food and culture!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

On some occasions, I have encountered gender and racial obstacles. By the time I decided to be a chef, there weren’t many Latin-American female chefs, so I had to work harder to show what I was capable of.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

I am the Executive Chef at Casa Robles in Roswell GA, we have been open for 8 months serving Spanish tapas with bold Latin influence on Oak Street in Roswell. I love the fusion of both continents’ cuisine, and my food is full of colors and flavors from my experiences. I believe it’s the depth of my lived culinary experiences in Latin America and Spain that truly sets my cuisine apart.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?

Hospitality is a very demanding and stressful industry, but is also one of the most rewarding. Through our profession, we’re able to make treasured memories for our guests who come to us to celebrate milestone birthdays, anniversaries or any other special occasion. Having the opportunity to “make people happy” while showcasing my culture and flavors with our guests and actually seeing their reactions makes the difficulties well worth it.

Contact Info:

Website: www.casaroblesroswell.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/casaroblesroswell
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CasaRoblesRoswell/

Image Credits
Randi Curling

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