Alma’s Little Sister, St Alma, Is Freshwater’s Gorgeous New Mexican Eatery in a Former Bank
Words by Ashley Hunt · Updated on 14 Feb 2022 · Published on 10 Feb 2022
“A Mexican restaurant will never work here,” a sceptical landlord told Jack Leary and Tim Christensen when they were looking to open their first restaurant, Alma.
They had their hearts set on a space in the laid-back beachside suburb of Freshwater, but eventually settled on Avalon and have enjoyed huge success. But there has always been unfinished business for the duo in Freshwater.
“I don’t know if it’s just my ego, but being told I couldn’t do something made me want to do it so much more,” says Leary of his motivation for opening St Alma, Alma’s little sister, four years later in the same place where he’d once been rejected. “I felt like I had to prove them wrong.”
He’s certainly off to a good start. Though it’s only in its second month, St Alma, which has taken the place of a former bank, seems to have slotted seamlessly into the Freshwater dining scene.
“We’ve learnt a lot from Alma and there are a lot of similarities between Avalon and Freshwater. The main lesson is that popularity comes down to one important thing: how people feel coming out of the restaurant,” Leary tells Broadsheet. And he doesn’t mean tipsy after a few too many Margaritas.
“Before starting Alma I worked in commercial real estate and I found myself getting restless,” says Leary. “One day, I was sitting in a performance review while my boss explained the path he could see for me in my career progression. I should have been excited, but I knew in that moment that I needed a change. I quit on the spot.”
Leary’s soul searching didn’t take long. He found himself drawn to a restaurant in Manly that he visited over and over again: Chica Bonita.
“I just loved the way I felt when I was there. I always left feeling better than when I arrived.”
His love affair with Chica Bonita resulted in a friendship with its chef, Leary’s now-business partner Tim Christensen.
“I hung out there so much that we ended up becoming friends. When I told him I wanted to start my own restaurant, we decided to do it together.”
The pair embarked on a research trip to Mexico, where their passion and commitment to Mexican cuisine was solidified.
Four years and two restaurants later, this dedication is still present. Alma’s head chef, Mexican-born Ricardo Lemus, has crafted a menu similar to Alma’s, with little twists. Past the corn chips and guac you’ll find corn truffle empanadas with pickled squash flowers; agave-grilled haloumi; and handmade prawn salbutes – crisp little handheld tortillas. And those are just the entradas.
There are no mains on the menu – everything is designed to be shared. Highlights among the larger dishes include a whole deboned tikin xic snapper – a Meso-American-style dish where the fish is marinated in achiote paste and cooked in a banana leaf. There are also beef ribs slathered with an addictive agave glaze. But the fiery standout on the menu is the el diablo octopus: grilled octopus with fermented diablo chilli served with crispy kale chips.
The drinks menu is packed with the sort of fresh and zesty cocktails that go so well with Mexican cuisine – including five types of Margarita (classic, Paloma, Tommy’s, white chocolate, and coconut and jalapeno). A range of Mexican beers are also available.
If opening numbers are anything to go by, it’s clear Leary has succeeded in his mission to prove the sceptics wrong. St Alma opened on Albert Street in Freshwater just one month ago and is already booked out most nights. It seems a Mexican restaurant can indeed work here.
St Alma
20 Albert Street, Freshwater
0405 901 794
Hours:
Tue to Thu 4pm–late
Fri to Sun 12pm–late
