MOLINE, Ill. (KWQC) – A Mexican chef has opened up a restaurant in downtown Moline dedicated to the flavors and culture of Latin America.
At the beginning of December the Quad Cities saw the opening of a new restaurant called ‘Corazon Latino,’ which would soon be known for its infusion of Latin flavors to its menu and drinks.
Chef Juan Hernandez is the brain behind it all. His culinary journey started back in his childhood with influences from his mom, grandma and sisters, in the kitchen.
It wasn’t until 1998 that Hernandez started to work in a restaurant in downtown Chicago and got exposed to different cultures and flavors.
“I started washing dishes and things like that, and it was horrible,” Hernandez said. “Because I ain’t know how to cook nothing, so I started, helping peeling potatoes, carrots, everything they want me to do… and I don’t know, I fell in love with it.”
During his time working in Chicago, Hernandez met people from all over Latin America and got invited to go to their restaurants and try dishes he never heard of before.
“That was when my interest for food, and my passion for food was like, man, this is so good. So I want people to try that stuff,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez eventually moved to the Quad Cities. Using the experiences from Chicago, he decided to bring ‘Corazon Latino’ to life.
“Corazon Latino, means Latin heart. We infuse some of the food, we make some traditional dishes from different countries, and that’s what we want to, welcome people to come over, travel with us through the foods.”
Besides the menu representing the different Latin American countries, Hernandez wanted to create an environment that did the same.
He hired a local artist to hand paint the walls with things like plants and other ingredients they use in the kitchen showcasing culture all over the restaurant to really immerse the guest in that experience.
“A lady from Colombia, you know, she almost cried when I walked to the table and I’m like, ‘oh, is everything okay?’ And she shared with me a very private moment that her mom just passed away about a year ago, and she hasn’t been back in Colombia because of that,” Hernandez said.
“So then that bandeja paisa that she ordered it kind of brought those memories back to her. So that’s what the food does…make us feel back home.”
Hernandez also owns the Mexican restaurant, El Fogon, in Bettendorf.
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