Orinoco to Replace Harvard Square’s Small Plates

Orinoco, a Venezuelan restaurant with locations in Brookline and the South End, will be replacing Small Plates in Harvard Square. The Harvard Crimson reports that Orinoco will open “early next year,” keeping the Latin influence for a spot that was once the Spanish Iruña. The menus at the two existing Orinoco locations include empanadas, arepas, salads, sandwiches featuring grilled proteins and a dessert that sounds way cooler in Spanish: torta fluida, a molten chocolate cake made with Venezuelan cocoa. The Crimson reports that the new spot will keep all dishes under $19. Orinoco claims influence from the informal roadside “taguaritas” in Venezuela and aims to recreate that level of intimacy: “We want to feel like you’re eating in somebody’s home,” says the owner. Does that mean we can bring our dirty laundry?