Porteño Corner: Starbuck’s Barista, Bárbara Ramos

Bárbara Ramos
Student/Starbucks Barista
Age: 19
Palermo Viejo

Q: You said you are a student. What are you studying?

I’m studying to become a math teacher.

• How did you decide you wanted to become a math teacher?

Since I was young numbers fascinated me. I was able to solve the problems pretty easily and helped other kids with theirs.

I really became interested when one professor I had in school took the time to explain to me very in-depth about how you can use mathematics to explain so many things and I became fascinated with this whole new world.

One thing that people who like math have in common is that they are kind of crazy. People ask me why I want to learn about things like Chaos Theory if I’m never going to use it, but I find it very interesting.

• Sometimes people say men are more naturally apt at math, while women do better in subjects that deal with the right side of the brain. What do you think?

In my university class there are an equal number of men and women. From my point of view, I think perhaps women are more capable in math!

• You grew up in Palermo Viejo, what do you think about all the changes there in the last few years?

Well one thing that is better is that the plaza in front of my house is safer now, at night it’s all nice and neat. Unfortunately they have taken out a lot of the color and character as well – there used to be more trees, grass and playground areas and now the plazas are more cement and just… gray. Also they keep inventing new names – Palermo Hollywood, Palermo Soho — that is one thing that seriously drives me insane!

• You work at Starbucks coffee house. Is there a difference working for a (north) American company?

One thing that I enjoy is that they are very respectful of your time and that gives me time to study. It’s also less competitive between the employees than other jobs I’ve had; we work together. I really like it. I want to keep working here.

• How about the pay? Is it better than other places?

Well it starts at AR$8.75 an hour but after six months it goes up to AR$10.

• So the average drink costs at Starbucks costs more than an hour’s wage for you…?

Well, yes, but the product quality is high and a lot of the items we use are imported, so blame it on our president because it’s so costly to import products.

• What did you think of the Bicentenary celebrations going on?

Well I’m a bit patriotic but with the president (Cristina Kirchner) we have now I wasn’t that inspired to celebrate. I just wanted to stay home.

• Are you a Peronist?

Well from what I know about Peronism I appreciate it, but the Kichners aren’t really Peronists. They lie and say they’re going to do things for the people and just end up doing things for themselves. They received money from the United States to clean up the River Plate for example, but the river is as dirty as ever.

• What do you think of gay marriage now that it is going to be legalized?

I think they should stop prohibiting it. It doesn’t affect the world negatively. There are more important things to worry about.

La Cabrera — A Sizzling Steakhouse in Palermo

In a city renowned for reasonably priced, top-quality beef, La Cabrera sets the bar high. With more than two dozen cuts of meat on offer and a smorgasbord of accompanying sides, a trip here is worth the extra pesos.

Located at the corner of Thames and its namesake street, La Cabrera is one of many upscale grills dotting Palermo Soho. The long line of people, many of whom are sipping champagne as they work up an appetite, is the first indication that this particular steakhouse is not only popular but also boasts attentive service— even if the odors emanating from the kitchen may make the wait seem interminable.

Sirloins, tenderloins, flanks and rib-eyes are sizzled with the standard slow-cooked care that brings out the flavor of the famed Argentine grass-fed beef.

Seasonings like thyme, concasse pepper and vegetable marinade add zest and flavor— a welcome change in a country that abstains from spices the way dieters shun carbohydrates. Many entrees are available in half portions, lest the array of appetizers, including olives stuffed with almonds and Basque black sausage, be too tempting to skip. Guests in need of a ‘steak break’ can choose from salad or chicken entrees, although skipping the beef at La Cabrera is akin to shunning cake on one’s birthday.

Perhaps even better than the carnivore-worthy mains are La Cabrera’s trademark variety of side dishes, included gratis with every entrée; minature creations such as quail-egg potato salad, pureed squash, and tomato-marinated pinto beans. Better yet, all the foods— appetizers, entrees and sides— are presented on communal dining trays, encouraging all guests to share the wealth, if they are willing.
La Cabrera opens its doors at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Before 10, English is the primary language overheard as tourists and early-bird expats usurp the limited seating. Word of the restaurant has spread to many a travel book, but the servers remain friendly and conscientious. The steady influx of porteños hours later proves that this restaurant has avoided one of the pitfalls that beleaguer tourist hotspots: sightseers swarm in, scare away locals and subsequently cause food quality to drop. Prices are high compared to typical Buenos Aires parilla carts though; there’s an AR$ 9.50 service charge for every diner and most entrees fall around AR$60 with the most expensive dish, the Kobe beef Wagyu, costing AR$109.

On temperate evenings al fresco dining at the corner of Thames and Cabrera is the perfect spot for people watching. Tourists toting guidebooks and sharply dressed locals pass by; some join the growing queue of diners, others may wander up the street to dine at La Cabrera’s equally sought-after sister restaurant, La Cabrera Norte. Note that La Cabrera practically begs diners to make reservations on their website, but as a general rule of thumb, waiting times are shorter earlier in the evening.

—by Nicole Duncan

La Cabrera—$$$
José Antonio Cabrera 5099
Palermo Viejo
Tel: 4831-7002

La Cabrera Norte
Cabrera 5127
Tel: 4832-5754

• Hours: Mon: 8pm-1:30 Tue-Sat 12:30 am—4:30pm; 8pm —1am
• Credit cards accepted

Palermo: A Breakdown of Buenos Aires’ Largest Neighborhood

WA-hoods palermo-fromtrain — Juan B. Justo and Santa Fe Avenue

Palermo is Buenos Aires’ largest barrio and also one of its most walkable, with tree-lined streets dotted by casas chorizo, long, narrow single-story houses built in the late 19th century and now highly coveted for renovation. That’s because these days, Palermo is trendy, slick and expensive.

Over the last 15 years development here has exploded. Sushi restaurants seem to open and close every other week and construction scaffolding is a constant. So coveted is Palermo that realtors promote surrounding neighborhoods for their proximity to Palermo—Villa Crespo is ‘Palermo Queens’ and Chacarita is ‘Palermo Village’ or ‘Chacalermo.’

Palermo is really a neighborhood of neighborhoods. Each sub-neighborhood has its own nickname and a different feel: Palermo Chico, Palermo Soho, Palermo Hollywood, Alto Palermo, Plaza Italia, Las Cañitas and Villa Freud.

Palermo Chico

WA-bahoods-palermo-japgardengeneral — The Japanese Garden in Palermo

At the northeastern edge of Palermo lies Palermo Chico, ‘small Palermo,’ and as the name implies, it’s rather exclusive. Some of Buenos Aires’ most rich and famous live here. It’s easy to see why it’s so desirable: Palaces-turned-embassies face luxury 1960s-era apartment buildings and all have easy access to the city’s largest, greenest parks, Los Bosques de Palermo, or the ‘Palermo forest,’ the lungs of this area, fashioned after Paris’ Bois de Boulogne.

On weekends, porteños bicycle around the small lake, picnic on the Planetarium’s lawns and stroll the Japanese Gardens and the Rose Garden. Facing the park are the polo fields and the Hippodromo, the city’s surprisingly clean and non-depressing racetracks. If your feet are aching after wandering Palermo, making a couple two peso bets is an excellent way to spend a few hours outdoors while also getting a peek at Argentine horse culture.

Plaza Italia

If you’re going to and from Palermo on a city bus, you’ll most likely pass through Plaza Italia, where main avenues Las Heras and Sarmiento merge into Av. Santa Fe. Though Santa Fe is usually groaning with traffic, the lovely Botanical Garden, opened in 1898, offer a good escape from the bustle outside the gates. Here the resident cats doze in the sun alongside stunning art nouveau greenhouses. Though picnicking is not allowed, its several grassy lawns are often filled with people sharing mate, the traditional herbal infusion of the Río de la Plata. The Botanico is sometimes jokingly referred to as ‘Gatonico’ for the estimated 1,000 cats that reside here. Scores of dedicated cat lovers, many little old ladies from the neighborhood, visit the gardens everyday, rain or shine, to feed ‘their cats.’ If the proliferation of stray porteño felines isn’t exotic enough, adjacent to the Botanical is the Buenos Aires Zoo.

Palermo Viejo

Many of Buenos Aires’ most inventive restaurants are located In Palermo Viejo, which in the last few years many have begun to refer to as two distinct areas — Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood (much to the dismay of long-time residents). Though the majority of artists have long since decamped to cheaper environs like La Boca or Boedo, playful murals and stenciled graffiti still abound, lending these two mini-neighborhoods some whimsical appeal. A random stroll might lead you to a corner painted with orange and yellow aliens, interlocking triangles and blue angels, right next door to a fancy restaurant.

Palermo Soho

The heart of fashionable Palermo is this stretch between El Salvador and Niceto Vega known as Palermo Soho. The streets surrounding Plaza Palermo Viejo are lined almost entirely with cool cafes and white-walled designer boutiques. Many of the casas chorizo around here are inventively painted in pretty pastels that lend a rather picturesque appeal to the neighborhood on a sunny afternoon.

Walking up Serrano to the east, you’ll find a small plaza labeled Plazoleta Cortázar on your map and known by locals as Plaza Serrano. This tiny, circular plaza is ringed with brightly painted cafes whose tables spill out onto the sidewalk. Almost every night of the week, Plaza Serrano overflows with revelers. It’s great for people watching, but hold onto your bag if you’re sitting outside, since this lively scene provides good cover for thieves.

On weekends, both Plaza Palermo Viejo and Plaza Serrano are the sites of popular street fairs. While the street fair in San Telmo as well as the one in Recoleta are good places for those seeking traditional souvenirs like ponchos and mates, the Palermo stalls are ground zero for funky jewelry and multi-colored leather purses. Belts and asymmetrical T-shirts also abound. Go early to avoid the crowds.

Palermo Hollywood

On the other side of Av. Juan B. Justo lies Palermo Hollywood, so called due to the concentration of TV and film production studios. This sub-neighborhood is home to a growing number of fancy restaurants and clubs, but unlike Palermo Soho, there are no boutiques here — yet. Despite the presence of the TV and film studios, by day it’s not very glamorous. In this sector of Palermo hints of the past still survive; you’ll stumble across the occasional concrete-floored parrilla (traditional steakhouse) and old-school social clubs like Club EROS, where kids play in football leagues and men eat raviolis together while watching soccer matches on the tube. Foot traffic around Palermo Hollywood increases near lunch and dinner times, but the action is really only concentrated on a few streets, with lots more space between locales than in Palermo Soho.

After midnight, especially on weekends, Palermo Hollywood becomes more lively as taxis crowd the streets and competing bass lines pulse well into morning. On Gorriti and Honduras between Juan B. Justo and Dorrego there is a string of glittering restaurants, clubs and bars. Nearer to the railroad tracks (which can feel a bit seedy) are the bigger dance clubs like Hummer and Wet. Niceto Club, one of Buenos Aires’ most popular live music venues for locals and foreigners alike, is also located here.

Villa Freud, Alto Palermo & Barrio Norte

Known variously as Villa Freud, Alto Palermo and Barrio Norte, this mini neighborhood begins around Plaza Guadalupe, officially known as Plaza Güemes. The nearby Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, completely renovated a few years ago is worth a visit for its architecture and will appeal to the Virgin of Guadalupe fans.

From the plaza, you can take a stroll down the pedestrian portion of leafy Charcas street, which residents traditionally — and somewhat grandiosely— refer to as ‘the Boulevard.’ Buenos Aires is famous for having the highest number of psychoanalysts per capita of anywhere in the world and many of those shrinks have their practices in this area, hence the nickname Villa Freud. Pop into a café for a coffee — maybe you’ll overhear someone chatting about their session!

Near the Bulnes stop on the subway is the upscale Alto Palermo shopping mall, where Argentina’s flagship Starbucks is always packed with teenagers. Heading down Av. Santa Fe towards downtown, you’ll find lots of moderately priced shoe and clothing stores. Behind Alto Palermo is Parque Las Heras, a small park popular with sunbathers. A couple blocks to the east is the Evita Museum, which offers an interesting glimpse into to the cult of Evita Perón, as well as a really lovely garden restaurant.

Las Cañitas

Though it’s technically a part of northern Palermo, many locals consider Las Cañitas to be part of the Belgrano neighborhood, its neighbor to the north. Perhaps because it’s a hike from the subway, tucked away behind the polo fields and bordered by Los Bosques de Palermo, there is the sense that Las Cañitas is a self-sufficient little colony.

Though it’s not far from Palermo shopping and hotspots, it’s easy to get the impression that residents of Las Cañitas never leave their pleasant little enclave. They have their own miniature version of Alto Palermo, the upscale El Solar, and even some of the same Palermo Hollywood restaurants. Baez street is bustling at night, with long waits for tables at the popular restaurants (where you can dine on the sidewalk in relative peace compared to other parts of the city) and a substantial bar scene.

-by Elena Morin