By: Nicole Bayne
Most restaurant chefs complain about never seeing their families, but Hernan Hurtado can’t relate to that sentiment. He started a restaurant to see more of his wife.
“I always wanted to quit my job and be more at home,” says Hurtado. And by home, he means spending time with his wife. “Now I bring my home [to Hemibry].”
When a Chinese restaurant closed in Woodbridge last year, Hurtado and his wife, Miriam Oropeza, scooped up the space. The two already owned Hemibry Catering and Cakes, providing food for events and weddings, but they weren’t able to focus on the food of Venezuela, where they were both born.
“For catering, like at a wedding, you would [be more likely] to use a whole beef tenderloin or lamb and salad. We try to be more sophisticated [with the catering],” says Hurtado. “It’s not that the restaurant is ordinary; it just feels more like home.”
At the new restaurant, Hemibry Catering and Deli, Hurtado and Oropeza pay tribute to their heritage by collaborating on Latin American dishes they both love, which includes paballon criollo ($14.99), a plate of white rice, black beans, shredded beef and fried plantains.
Prior to opening Hemibry, Hurtado worked in public relations at the French and Spanish ambassadors’ residences in D.C., leaving little time to be at home with his wife.
He eventually opened the catering company to spend more time with Oropeza , who was already a chef at another catering company, Helga’s Caterers in McLean. Even after they had their own catering company—with Hurtado busy dealing with clients off-site and Oropeza in the kitchen all day—Hurtado still wasn’t able to see enough of his wife of 12 years.
Hurtado can now host client meetings at the restaurant, where his wife is.
“My wife is a great chef. She is like an artist, and she loves what she does so [deciding to open the restaurant was] not difficult,” he says. “Now we’re together every single day.” / Hemibry Catering and Cakes; 14091 Noblewood Plaza, Woodbridge
