Our Approach

a story of corn and grapes

Mexican Heirloom Corn

Heirloom corn is at the heart of the cuisine at Alma. We work with nixtamalized corn from primarily from Juan's home state of Tlaxcala and from Oaxaca, where we got married and lived before opening Alma.

While most tortillas are made from Maseca, a quick-mix industrial corn flour, at Alma we work with heirloom corn varietals that are low-production, nutritionally rich and highly flavorful. The seeds have been passed down for generations for hundreds, and maybe even thousands of years. A small group of dedicated farmers choose only to work with heirloom varietals. We receive multiple different types of heirloom corn from Mexico which we nixtamalise in-house each night in order to grind fresh masa every morning. The masa is then used to make tortillas by hand and other traditional Mexican plates. Alma is one of the first restaurants in Canada to work with nixtamalized corn and to highlight the richness of Mexico's culinary history. ​

Nixtamalization is an ancient pre-Columbian method that allows for the quality of the farmer's work to shine and allows the masa to take on an incredible taste and texture. The process of nixtamalization also improves the protein quality and the calcium content, softening the pericap of the kernel and increasing its capacity for digestion.

Just like our work with wine, the idea is to transmit the human aspect of our passions directly to the table. The terroir where the corn is grown, just like a grape vine, including the soil, the climate, the history and the human touch is the defining element that encourages us to seek heirloom corn from Mexico opposed to heirloom corn from Quebec or other parts of Canada. The quality of the raw material, whether it be corn or grapes, guides us, inspires us and motivates us every step of the way.

Catalan Natural Wine

Our wine list highlights the most exciting natural wines from the Catalan and Spanish winemakers, most of whom we work with directly through our importing agency, Vin I Vida.  

We work with a select group of exceptional humans making what we consider the very best natural wines in Spain. Many of their projects have been formed by inheriting family vineyards and preserving the work of past generations. The wines are low-production, highly precise and terroir-driven, meaning that the reflect the sense of place, the vintage and the human farming the vines and making the wines. The winemakers have become dear friends of ours, and of the Alma team. Juan takes into great consideration the way in which the wines will coexist with the menu, complementing each plate and bringing the flavours and the experience to another level.

Alma’s wine cellar is overflowing with our favourite natural wines from Catalunya and Spain, many of which are exclusively available on Avenue Lajoie. The wines are meticulously aged to share older vintages and present these jewels at their optimum state. ​

During the "menu carte blanche" experience, you will have the opportunity to taste the treasures of our cellar by the glass or by the bottle. The most exciting way to discover the wines is through our pairing, where you will taste our favorites next to each plate.