New York’s appetite for Mexican cooking at every price point has another address to watch. Norte, a live-fire restaurant from the group behind Midtown’s Cuerno, is set for 39 West 19th Street, between Fifth and Sixth avenues in Flatiron, with an October opening, Eater New York reported on September 10. The Infatuation, which added the restaurant to its listings on September 8, now places it in mid-October in its fall openings guide.
Who is behind it
Eater identifies the team as Alberto Martínez and I AM Hospitality, with chef Oriol Mendivil leading the kitchen. The Infatuation describes the operator as “The Mexican hospitality group that opened big-ticket Midtown steakhouse Cuerno in 2025”, and says the new project “will be a little more relaxed.”
That contrast is the story. Cuerno, at 1271 Sixth Avenue, arrived as a statement: a Mexican steakhouse with tableside service and a 52-ounce tomahawk listed at $175, according to The Infatuation’s December 2025 review, which rated it 7.9. The review noted grass-fed beef from South Dakota ranches aged 24 days, five house-made salsas arriving with complimentary chips, and a three-course comida corrida lunch for $37, concluding that “The shift from steak and potatoes to steak and tortillas is a welcome one.” The same review pitched it for big groups, corporate dinners, visitors from out of town and pre-theater meals, a clear sign of the Midtown audience the group set out to court.
What Norte will serve
Norte is conceived as the everyday counterpart. Eater describes it as “the more casual restaurant” of the pair, centered on chef Oriol Mendivil’s live-fire cooking, with carne asada, grilled meats, trompo tacos, tostadas, aguachiles, seafood, tortillas and salsas. The Infatuation’s preview highlights “aguachiles, grilled meats, and trompo tacos on housemade tortillas.”
Norte arrives in a season crowded with Mexican openings. The same Eater preview flags El Camarón Peludo, a seafood and wine bar from the Taqueria Ramirez team, in Greenwich Village.
A group scaling up in Manhattan
For a hospitality group that entered New York with a high-ticket flagship, a second, more accessible restaurant a year later signals confidence in the market. It also mirrors a broader pattern in which Mexican restaurants in the city occupy both ends of the spectrum at once: on May 28, Corima, chef Fidel Caballero’s restaurant, was ranked No. 36 on North America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026, which describes it as honoring Caballero’s heritage “through a modern lens,” per the list announcement.
If Cuerno was built for occasions, Norte appears designed for repetition: the kind of room where tacos, a tostada and something from the grill can become a weeknight habit rather than a celebration. Neither Eater nor The Infatuation has published hours, pricing or a reservations platform yet. As with any restaurant still in build-out, the opening date may move; diners should check the restaurant’s official channels closer to October.
See all sources
- The most anticipated restaurant openings in NY this fall, part 2, Eater New York, 2026-09-10
- Norte – Review – Flatiron, The Infatuation, 2026-09-08
- NYC’s Most Exciting Fall Restaurant Openings, The Infatuation, 2026-09-14
- Cuerno – Review – Midtown, The Infatuation, 2025-12-12
- Breaking: North America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026 revealed, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants (The 50), 2026-05-28
- North America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026: 1-50, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants (The 50), 2026-05-28
Lead image: illustrative photo by Chad Montano on Unsplash.
