Alma Cocina: Delivering the Unique Flavors of Mexico With a Modern Twist
One of the most vibrant and flavorful meals you can ever experience is Mexican cuisine, which draws upon equal parts tradition and passion for its creation. However, among the many Mexican restaurants here on Long Island, one truly stands out: Alma Cocina of East Northport, which is making a name for itself by delivering the unique flavors of Mexico with a modern twist that has people raving.
Alma Cocina chef and owner, Catalina Criollo, said that her restaurant takes well-known Mexican dishes and serves them up with unusual twists, and according to reviews, her unorthodox approach to cooking is working wonders.
“We use only fresh ingredients, the traditional Mexican ingredients, but I do like to ‘elevate’ the cuisine a little bit. I like to put my own touch on it, to do it my own way. I make little changes in order to make it more of my own,” Catalina said. “At its heart it’s Mexican cuisine, but I take a unique approach and I encourage everyone to come down and give it a try…there’s nothing else like it on Long Island.”
Catalina notes that she never wanted an overly large, unfocused selection of dishes at her restaurant; to that end, Alma Cocina features a condensed, specialized menu consisting of a number of popular Mexican staples – all made from scratch, in an open-concept kitchen – that truly are given the care they need to stand out.
“It’s not a big menu. I concentrated more on a select number of dishes from different regions of Mexico, and because of that I was able to make them all special and delicious,” she said.
In addition to a number of tasty appetizers, soups, salads, and drinks – both of the alcoholic and non-alcoholic variety, including cocktails and margaritas – Alma Cocina boasts multiple mouth-watering entrees and sides, all of which can be viewed by checking out the eatery’s online menu.
However, some standouts include the Chamorro Al Horno, which consists of slow-braised Yucatan-style pork shank pibil, black bean puree, and charred habanero oil, served with rice, and the Pescado Zarandeado, which includes grilled red snapper, marinade in red adobo, house salad, avocado salsa cruda, and chile de arbol salsa.
Alma Cocina is a more recent addition to Long Island’s restaurant scene, having first opened their doors for business in August of 2025. Catalina herself has an extensive background as a chef, but this bold new endeavor represents the first time she has ever struck out on her own and opened her own business.
“I have been working over 20 years in the restaurant industry, creating menus for restaurants opening restaurants, and I have a lot of experience,” she said. “But it was always my dream to have my own place, to run it my own way and to create my very own menu. This is my passion and I love what I do.”
Part of the reason Catalina said that she waited so long before opening her own restaurant was because she and her husband Eduardo have only one child, and she wanted to be able to concentrate on his upbringing before taking on the demands of running her own business. But, now that her son is all grown up – he is currently in the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs – she and her husband felt the time was finally right.
Now, Catalina and her husband run Alma Cocina together, with Eduardo – who himself has 15 years’ experience in the restaurant industry, in addition to being a former bartender as well – running the front as a manager while she handles the cooking chores in the kitchen.
Despite only being open for a short amount of time, Catalina notes that business has been brisk and that every day she seems to get more and more satisfied, repeat customers. And while running your own business can indeed be difficult, she said that the satisfaction she and her husband both receive from making their dream come true makes all the hard work more than worth it.
“Sometimes it all feels very unreal. I feel like I’m still working for someone else. But I’m so proud, proud of myself and my husband and my son, it’s really been a dream for all of us, and I feel so great,” she said. “I love seeing people walking in our door every day, and maybe they don’t know what to expect…maybe it’s just another Mexican restaurant? But then they see the menu and they eat the meal they discover that this is something unique, something completely different. And they leave so happy, and they keep coming back…it’s just a wonderful feeling.”
To find out more about Alma Cocina and to make a reservation, please call 631-623-6329 or visit their website at https://almacocinamex.com.
