“Homey” is the word some Arepa Venezuelan Kitchen customers use to describe the restaurant in Seattle U-District and across Lake Washington in Bellevue. Arepa Venezuelan Kitchen specializes in the cornbread sandwich which is filled with various ingredients, such as beans, cheeses, and meats. Arepas are a national symbol of Venezuela and a staple of the country's diet. The Venezuelan restaurant opened in Seattle’s U-District in 2016.  In 2022, Isamary (Isa) Herrera and her husband, Ulises Andrade, bought Arepa Venezuelan Kitchen from Felix Valderrama, their friend and daughter's godfather. A year later, the co-owners opened the Bellevue location. Customers can choose from various dishes, desserts, and 17 arepas, all with traditional Venezuelan roots.  “Arepa is really symbolic because it’s our identity. Where you find arepa, you find a Venezuelan person,” Herrera said.  Born and raised in Merida, Venezuela, Herrera moved to Seattle in 2001. She learned how to make arepas [...]