FOODIE
Mexican Reaches The Next Level
By Leah & Alesa/ foodie@longislandernews.com

Walking into Quetzalcoatl will change your perception of Mexican food. It’s distinct and hard to define, somewhere in between classic and gourmet, cultured and comfortable.

After years of serving delicious traditional Mexican food at Oaxaca, a small, casual restaurant on New York Avenue, its owners, Alex and Maria opened Quetzalcoatl a few months ago.

They decided they wanted more space, and a place where they could fuse together their passion for cooking and giving people a place to enjoy wonderful food.

The name Quetzalcoatl is derived from Aztec traditional beliefs of the different levels of human consciousness. The Quetzal is a beautiful bird with long feathers and a Coatl is a serpent. Together the two animals represent the different perceptions of the world, from the ground to the sky.

“It represents the ability for humans to change from one level of perception to another,” said Alex.

It was a new challenge for Alex and Maria to open up a second restaurant. It brought them to a new level in their lives where they are now playing a much bigger game that they want to share with more people.

At Sunday brunch and during Wednesday evenings, a mariachi band entertains guests and Friday and Saturday evening a salsa dancer gives free lessons from 10 to 11 p.m. before the tables are moved to the sides and the crowd starts dancing into the night.

Alex and Maria also share their love for food with guests at all hours of the day. Alex gives great background on all of the dishes and provides you with a sense of knowledge about what you are eating. The menu serves breakfast through dinner, with Mexican specialties running through each course.

First we tried a classic Mexican meal, Tamales Oaxaquenos, with chicken and mole sauce, wrapped in banana leaves ($12.95). The tamales are as authentic as it gets on this side of the border, a common meal that is also available wrapped in cornhusks.

Other classic dishes include burritos prepared with a variety of items, from rice and beans ($8.25) to vegetables ($10.75) to chicken or beef ($10.75) pork ($10.95) to lamb ($11.95).

At $3.25 each, the Mexico City tacos, open face tacos with a choice of meat, topped with lettuce and sour cream give you a great taste of what people are eating on the streets of Mexico. The Al Carbon (grilled steak) option is prepared in an amazing sauce.

Our favorite dish is the Chile En Nogada ($16.95) a green chile filled with a delicious meat stuffing, in this case, filet mignon, and covered in a walnut sauce and pomegranates.

Quetzalcoatl
296 Main Street
Village of Huntington
(631) 427-7834

Atmosphere: Artistic Mexican décor

Cuisine: Authentic Mexican

Price: Inexpensive to Moderate

Hours:
Mon–Thurs: 10 a.m.–10 p.m., 10-11 p.m. Drinks only
Friday: 10 am.–11 p.m., 11-midnight Drinks only
Saturday: 7 a.m.–11 p.m., 11-midnight Drinks only
Sunday: 7 a.m.–10 p.m., 10-11 p.m. Drinks only

Main Menu