Future focused

Agustin Casillas is looking to the future.

That’s why he named his new business Milenio Mexican Restaurant.

Milenio is Spanish for “millennium” — 1,000 years.

“I want to see far (into the future),” Casillas said.

He also wants to see the present day clearly. That’s why he sits at the restaurant’s front desk and talks to as many customers as he can.

“I want to hear the truth,” he said. He asks what they thought of the food, the service, the atmosphere. “Is it good? Is it bad?”

And when customers are less than satisfied, Casillas is prepared to make changes. 

“You have to give the people what they want,” he said.

Milenio opened for business about a month ago at 1604 N. Meridian St. in Portland, a location that’s been home to at least three previous Mexican restaurants. The building, the longtime home of Bandido’s, stood empty for years before Casillas bought it. Water leaks had damaged the ceilings and floors.

“It was a big mess,” said Casillas.

So for months, he worked his farm job in Fort Recovery, Ohio, all day, caught a few hours’ sleep, then headed over to Portland to fix up what he hopes will be the restaurant he’s been dreaming of for the past two years.

It’s a little different from the competition.

“Tex Mex is the food around here,” Casillas said. He’s offering an alternative — “really, really authentic Mexican” food from his original home south of Mexico City. (He has lived in Fort Recovery for 19 years.)

Examples include Cochinita Pibil, Asado de Boda and Pork Carnitas, pork dishes each with its own unique spicy (but not hot) flavors. 

He speaks of all three of them with pride.

When early customers showed up at Milenio, many expressed surprise at the menu. Where were the chimichangas and enchiladas? Where was the taco salad?

Casillas, true to his word, has changed the menu (though not yet in print) to add these familiar favorites, but he also encourages customers to try something new.

“After you try, you will change your mind,” he said. 

In fact, if the restaurant isn’t busy, Casillas will offer samples so customers can try two or three bites of a dish new to them. Not on weekends, though. Milenio tends to be crowded then. 

Casillas estimates the building can hold about 100 people in a handful of rooms, each with its own décor. (Murals from previous incarnations of the restaurant have been restored. And look up — the ceilings are a different color in each room.) Some areas can be closed off for private parties. There is no extra charge for this, but reservations for parties must be made in advance.

One other customer request is still in the works. The bar will not open until Milenio’s liquor license has been finalized. Casillas said that should happen “any day.”

Meanwhile, there are soft drinks and a selection of natural flavored waters — cucumber, Jamaica (a kind of flower) and pineapple — plus Horchata, a drink made of rice, milk and cinnamon that tastes a bit like melted ice cream.

Milenio Mexican Restaurant is open 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day of the week except Tuesday, when it is closed.