Linda Romero (Klamath Falls) and her husband, Orlando Freas, own La Perla Bakery in Klamath Falls. Specializing in Mexican cakes, pastries, and breads, the couple also makes tamales, salsa, and food for special occasions.
Bio
Linda Romero and her husband, Orlando Freas, own La Perla Bakery in Klamath Falls. Specializing in Mexican cakes, pastries, and breads, the couple also makes tamales and salsa. Freas first learned to bake bread in Mexico over 40 years ago and later opened a bakery where he lived in Salinas, California. Romero was born and reared in the state of Sonora, Mexico. The couple met when Freas hired Romero and taught her how to bake. They married in 2003 and in 2008 moved to Klamath Falls, where they opened La Perla, now a Klamath Falls fixture. A day at La Perla begins at 4 AM when the couple begins to bake fresh favorites, including several varieties of pan dulce, or sweet breads, the most popular of which is the concha, a shell shaped sweet bread with a sugar pattern on top. La Perla also makes and sells bolillos, small oval-shaped baguettes popular for tortas (sandwiches). For special occasions such as weddings and quinceañeras (15th birthday) celebrations, La Perla creates elaborate tiered cakes and très leches, a sweet, moist sponge cake made with three different kinds of milk. For El Día de los Tres Reyes Magos (Three Kings Day on January 6), Linda makes rosca de reyes, a large, ring-shaped sweet bread. Other favorites include semas, sweet round yeast loaves best eaten with milk or coffee, and flan, a carmelized baked egg custard. On a daily basis, customers come in for small and large bakery orders and warm tamales. La Perla also supplies nearby small grocery stores in Tulelake and elsewhere.
