Caminito closes in Port Washington

Long Island's Argentine food scene has lost a little something: Caminito has closed in Port Washington. When it opened in 2023, Caminito seemed to be the only spot on Long Island that specialized in Argentine sandwiches. The chic cafe, owned by Korean-Argentinian chef Sara Damian, lasted for about two years before closing Nov. 20. 

Damian said she plans to take a short vacation and rest, and eventually plans to get into wholesale. Shortly after she opened the business, she said, she began a long divorce process, and the restaurant was just too much to keep up with.

"The concept is there, the product is there," Damian said. "The restaurant business is very tough. It's a lot of hours and a lot of physical work, and I really needed a little break."

A classically trained chef who grew up in Buenos Aires, Damian's food reflected her Korean-Argentinian background in sandwiches like choripán (grilled chorizo) as well as empanadas stuffed with bulgogi beef and paired with kimchi mayo.

When she initially started the business, most of her customers were locals. But eventually word got out in the Argentine community, and people started showing up all parts of Long Island, Manhasset, Great Neck and more, she said. Many Argentine customers would purchase frozen empanadas and bake them at home, which inspired her to open a new business selling frozen empanadas. She says that once she gets back into food service, she'll post on Caminito's Instagram and Facebook pages about it, so followers can track her that way. 

By Andi Berlin

andi.berlin@newsday.com

Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.