Moksha Cafe opens in Northport

Having gone through multiple owners in the post-pandemic years, the Northport space that housed Caffe Portofino may have found its forever owner. Moksha Cafe, which nods to the Sanskrit word for liberation, is a lovingly refurbished coffee shop by day that transitions to a wine bar at night.

The space has been a coffee shop "for 20 to 25 years," said Joe VanRoten, the new owner of the Main Street storefront, along with his wife, Robyn. VanRoten, a dual-accredited sommelier, has worked at Rare 650, Bedell Cellars/Corey Creek, and was the corporate beverage director at Arlo in Northport and The James in Babylon before starting his own project. The former yoga instructor and guidance counselor wanted to create something that blended the different aspects of his life in one spot. Having spent time at nearby Arlo, the VanRotens "fell in love with the Northport community," and when the opportunity to take over the former Caffe Portofino arose last spring, they grabbed it. "We kind of put our heads down, restored some operational things, got moving along and the work happened," he said.

Coffee, which is from Farmingdale-based Flux Coffee, comes in all the usual formats: Cappuccino ($5), espresso ($3.75), latte ($5) and mocha. Tea is from SerendipiTea. The menu, which runs all day (save for a last call on eggs at 3 p.m.) is full of obvious cafe goodies like avocado toast ($14) and fresh pastries. There are simple sandwiches — turkey, pesto, arugula, tomato, mozzarella, balsamic ($16), for example — charcuterie boards (from $35), and flatbreads (from $16). For dessert, there are ice cream-topped sticky buns. After hours, the space is a wine bar, with a twist.

"Drinking habits are changing," said VanRoten, so they’re serving no- and low-alcohol drinks. Cocktails use kava, vermouth, sherries and sake. There are craft beers and funkier products like hard kombucha. Wines by the glass (or bottle) include a Sonoma chardonnay ($15 by glass, $58 bottle), an Italian Verdicchio ($13, $50), Australian cabernet sauvignon ($17, $66), and a French red blend ($15, $58). Hardly a restaurant but not a full-on coffee shop, VanRoten said they are "trying to encapsulate what a modern cafe can be and should be."

Moksha's ambiance feels earthy and organic, with tones of subdued pops of green and pink — the VanRotens’ wedding colors — running through the rectangular space. It feels very much owned and loved, in stark contrast to the last iteration of Caffe Portofino’s bright orange walls and dark-brown back room. Whether you’re having a morning coffee, quick lunch or glass of wine at 1 p.m., come evening, Moksha embodies the same casual atmosphere, "with a greater focus on the wine bar aspect of what we’re doing."

Moksha Cafe, 249 Main St., Northport, 631-993-5157, Open Monday to Wednesday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday and Friday 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.