It’s nothing short of a romantic movie scene. Guy moves to New York and becomes a chef. Girl moves to New York to pursue her artistic dreams. Chef and Artist somehow find each other in a big city. Chef and Artist fall in love.
It’s serendipity, and that’s exactly what happened to Adriana and Mohaimen Huria.
The newlyweds with a taste for fine fresh food, a keen eye for design and a heart for adventure, now run Huria’s restaurant and catering company out of Bodega Bay. The couple ventured to Northern California in 2017 with eyes on starting fresh–both for their creative spirits and for their food concept.
Huria’s, which started as a mobile catering business offering NY-inspired, brick-oven pizza Napoletana and Mediterranean-influenced cuisine, took Northern California by storm, allowing the couple and their business to cater special events including weddings, wine-club parties and private dining.
Adriana, originally from Miami, and Mohaimen, originally from Libya, wanted to use their rich diverse backgrounds to reflect in their food concept. After establishing their catering business, the two decided it was time for a branded brick-and-mortar sit-down restaurant with a unique dine-in experience. Guests get to see an open kitchen where Executive Chef Mohaimen make made-to-order food on one side and an ocean view on the other. The space, still available for take-out options through the pandemic, lies right off of Highway 1 in the heart of the small seaside town.
Huria’s is filled with decadent food as rich as their love story.
Almost all dishes are made in the same way: wood-fired. By chance, the menu happens to be mostly vegetarian because the couple sources natural ingredients for flavoring, but you will still find meat items on the menu. “For us, it’s about freshness. Everything we made in here is inspired,” says Adriana.
Many will start a meal off with the roasted olives appetizer which include spiced Tunisian olives and house pickles marinated in olive oil, parsley, lemon and chili flakes–all bright, fragrant flavors.
The smoked hummus is made with chickpea purée, mint oil, North African harissa and black sesame dust—served with fresh wood-fired flatbread and topped with olive oil, sea salt and oregano. A rich take on classic hummus with incredibly stand-out flavors and a hint of sea salt.
The octopus and golden potato, outside of being presented beautifully, is a buttery cut-with-your-fork tender delight mixed with a fresh roasted tomato sauce. The buttery octopus pairs perfectly with the rich acidic taste of the tomatoes. Highly recommended for any seafood lover.
The arugula and fennel salad has wild arugula, fresh fennel, basil cream, honeycrisp apple, pecorino and crispy panko. Unlike many salads, each unique flavor in the salad stands out. Cold, crisp, with a light hint of saltiness.
The beet and ricotta includes grilled beet, house ricotta, radish, microgreens, pistachio, balsamic glaze, white truffle oil and black sea salt. This is the appetizer you do not want to look over. The creamy yet fluffy ricotta holds a sweet taste when paired with the vegetable.
The Brooklyn Pizza Napoletana is a menu item you can tell is close to the Hurias’ hearts. The concept is an Italian Napoletana pizza, but with a spin on a New York slice. The pizza, cooked at a high temperature and classically meant to be eaten with a fork and knife, is surrounded by an airy crust that’s charred by the flame but not burnt, and adorned with toppings, including all-beef meatballs made in-house. Ingredients include San Marzano tomato sauce, sliced fennel meatball, fresh and dry mozzarella, shishito peppers, fresh basil, parmesan and house chili oil.
The chocolate mousse cake is what you have to save room for. It spotlights velvety rich and smooth dark chocolate, topped with creamy cacao mousse, dates, hazelnuts and sea salt. It’s like a wrapped chocolate in cake form with hints of sea salt with a fudge consistency. Dense but smooth.
Both Chef and Adriana note that most think Mediterranean food can be considered one-dimensional or very traditional. However, Chef purposefully pulls flavors and inspiration from the Mediterranean coast and the 10 counties that surround it–rather than just one classic grouping of flavors.
All food is made to order. To-go is available at given time slots so it is fresh and ready for pick-up right then. It’s not a time window, but a timeslot. Huria’s is open for take-out food Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3 to 7:30 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays until 8 p.m..
To place a to-go order, or to inquire about catering, call 707.377.4721. To admire Adriana’s artwork and photography, visit www.adrianas-studio.com. To learn more about Huria’s, visit www.hurias.com.