With an important Italian immigration throughout the 20th century, Buenos Aires has dozens of typical restaurants, which reflect the cuisine of the different regions of the boot. Here is a selection of the best.
broccolino
The family restaurant was born in the mid-’80s. And since then it became an icon of the lunches in the Microcentrobut also of the nights with famous diners, with a long list of foreign visitors that includes the Rolling Stones.
name is a tribute to the Italians who settled in Brooklynand his kitchen cookbook of the nonna who came from Livorno. Today, Alejandro Ballabeni, son of its founder Luciana, leads Broccolino together with a team that has been growing, and through which children, grandchildren and nephews have passed.
The pastas are the stars of the place: the classics tagliatelle all’amatriciana or alla puttanesca for those who want a bit of spice. But first, as an input, the Calamaretti Broccolino that come flambéed in white wine, and the aubergines alla parmigiana or the caprese fior di latte, are some of the classics on Broccolino’s extensive menu.
L’Adesso
In a quiet corner of Palermo is L’adesso, an icon restaurant of Italian gastronomy run by the Chef Leonardo Fumarolawho rescues typical recipes from his native country and offers them in unique versions that express his personal imprint.
Everything is made with the highest quality ingredients, imported from Italy, or collected from small local producers. Long, stuffed pasta is a strong point, and is part of the “Primi Piatti” on the menu, one today featuring seasonal options.
shine the scialatielli with napoletano ragu; the tagliolini with prawns and broccoli; chestnut pappardelle with venison and blueberries; and the ricotta and spinach ravioli with pomodoro and basil. It is located in Fray Justo Santamaría de Oro 2047.
Cincinnati
It is located in the gastronomic base at the foot of the bellini tower (Emerald 924), and its menu offers typical antipasti15 varieties of Neapolitan pizza (soft dough and airy edges), and homemade fresh pasta and Italian dry pasta (Divella).
One of the most recommended dishes, which has been part of the menu since its inception, is the conchiglioni di agnello, durum wheat-based pasta in the shape of an open snail, stuffed with slow-cooked lamb with tomato sauce and basil leaves.
It also shines spinach and ricotta lasagna with bolognese; the ravioli al nero di seppia stuffed with salmon and sautéed in olive oil; the spaghetti frutti di mare with shrimp, prawns, mussels and squid; and the ham and mozzarella sorrentines with pomodoro, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil.
The Locanda
son of a chef, Daniel Pinna She has been cooking since she was fourteen. He learned the basic techniques from his father, but he perfected it in the kitchens of the world: he worked in Barcelona, Malaga, Tuscany and Sardinia. And finally he opened this restaurant when he landed in Buenos Aires (La Locanda is at Pagano 2697, Recoleta), which is today one of the most respected and well-known restaurants of Italian cuisine in Argentina.
Among the most beloved dishes on the menu are the Sardinian antipasti, with parma ham, black olives, salami and pecorino cheese; the Pulpo Tostato, grilled Spanish octopus with potatoes; the Maccheroni alla Romana with alla carbonara sauce; the Risotto ai funghi porcini; and, for dessert, the chocolate mousse and the tiramisu, the pride of the house.
The Matterello
An authentically Italian gastronomic proposal that was born in 1993 in the neighborhood of La Boca (Martín Rodríguez 517) and is now also in Palermo (Thames 1490). “Il Matterello de La Boca was born as a family project, inspired by the Emilian and Genoese cuisinewith the old recipes that our immigrant grandparents brought, with the flavors of that distant Italy”, say its owners.
The ravioli with tuco and stew; the spinach and cheese tortelli that come with a burnt garlic butter; the tagliatelle with ragu; all representatives of the iron Italian tradition. Caloi, Fontanarrosa and Quino passed through there, among many others. “Joan Manuel Serrat loves us very much; he comes every time he is in Argentina; Eduardo Galeano was also a regular. Francis Ford Coppola came, Jim Jarmush; I even took him out once to dance chamamé to Baryshnikov between the tables! ”, Recalls Lili, one of the owners of him.
by RN
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