Que viva Argentina

Lately there’s been a tendency to ignore Argentina. This was mainly because of the unstable social and economic situation which didn’t help fine dining restaurants, in a country that according to stereotypes is famous only for asado and little else.

In 2017 however, four things happened that caused a change of direction: in January, journalist Paolo Marchi explained in detail how the horizons are much wider (see all the articles mentioned at the end of this piece). In March we discovered in Milan the striking vinegars made by Mariana Müller of restaurant Cassis in Bariloche, Patagonia. One month ago, the Latin America’s 50Best, which gave the first place to Peruvian Nikkei Maido, included 9 albiceleste establishments in the list: Tegui (10th), Don Julio (13), El Baqueano (19), Chila (26), Elena (37), Aramburu (44), Crizia (48), Proper (49) and Mishiguene (50).

On Tuesday the first two also appeared in the Guida di Identità, together with a third one in Mar de Plata, «the Argentinian Rimini». The author of all these reviews is Pietro Sorba, a food and wine journalist who emigrated from San Fruttuoso to Buenos Aires in 1992, a quarter of a century ago. He’s the author of many books, articles and guides on a country experiencing a culinary rebirth. We’re happy to share the three reviews here, and we invite you to read the complete version in our online guide.

Tegui
Costa Rica 5852, Buenos Aires
Accurate, shy and meticulous. A lover of beauty. These are some elements partly describing German Martitegui’s personality. The chef has slowly and ceaselessly managed to find his place among the best in the South American scene. His cooking teacher Beatriz Chomnalez was right, when she noticed a particularly diligent and committed student, who was taking his first steps in his culinary workshop in Buenos Aires.
[continue to read on the Guida]

Don Julio
Guatemala 4699, Buenos Aires
Don Julio is now of age. After 18 years of activity, the helm of this parrilla (a typical Argentinian barbecue place) is in Pablo’s steady hands (he’s the son of the founders) who channelled the original goal (Argentinian Angus and Hereford from free range animals wisely grilled by maestro asador Pepe Sotelo) towards a much more complex destination.
[continue to read on the Guida]

Sarasanegro
Calle San Martín, 3458, Mar de Plata
Mar del Plata is the Argentinian Rimini. 404 km south of Buenos Aires. Here the sea begins to change its colour. The sand-brown colour of the huge Rio della Plata estuary starts to fade to leave place to the Atlantic blue. The “Felice” (this is its nickname) has always been a synonym for fish and seafood. It’s the safe port for hundreds of small fishing boats. Thousands of cases of cod, tiger prawn, calamari, stone bass, mullet, bonito, anchovies, plaice, sardines, snapper, blue fish and other Atlantic creatures.
[continue to read on the Guida]

Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso

Read Paolo Marchi’s features on Argentina:
A guide to the best Argentinian restaurants
The dream of the chef from La Pampa
The poetry of Argentian asado
Argentina dreams of the Michelin guide
Argentina, a journey in history
Argentina is calling