El Obrero — A Working Man’s BBQ in La Boca

For straight-up Argentine beef and pasta dishes in La Boca, El Obrero (‘the working man’) is a classic cantina with a grimy charm. This place hasn’t changed much since it opened in 1954, aside from photos of the numerous celebrities who have dined here through the years, including Susan Sarandon, Francis Ford Coppola, Manu Chau, Bono and El Obrero regular, Diego Maradona.

Wine comes in traditional Argentine penguin pitchers. Although the two brothers that run the place hail from Spain, typical Argentine food is served up in generous portions. The provoleta, fried calamari, puchero (a vegetable and meat stew, normally served in winter) and pastas with four cheese sauce are all recommended. The menu at this parilla is varied but most come here for the beef, which is top quality and half the price of fancier steak destinations such as La Cabrera.

Look for the daily menu options written on the chalkboard. This is a place to go with a group of friends, especially since the cantina can get lively and La Boca isn’t one of Buenos Aires safest neighborhoods.

Bogodón El Obrero—$$
Agustín Caffarena 64
La Boca
Tel: 4362-9912

• Hours: Mon-Sat, 12pm-4pm and 8 pm-1 am
• Closed Sundays and holidays
• Cash only
• Reservations recommended after 9:30 p.m.

• Extra Tip: Don’t wear a ‘River’ tee-shirt

Cantina Los Amigos: A Classic in Villa Crespo

Cantina Los Amigos is the kind of neighborhood pit stop that touches on some core elements of what Argentina is all about: football, food and feisty characters.

The grill is always fired, the pasta is homemade and wine is served in classic penguin pitchers in a boisterous venue that recalls the Argentina of yesteryear.

In typical canteen style, the table clothes are white and disposable, a basket of crisp rolls and a bottle of red wine adorns each, the menu is slotted into A4 plastic sleeves and is presented in no logical order and portraits of Evita and Peron oversee it all.

There is a crazy cat on the way to the bathroom and there will quite likely be a few tables of vocal Argentine men on ‘guy’s night out.’

The Footballers’ Cantina

Los Amigos, founded decades ago and still run by the founding Zorzoli family, is famous for being the feeding ground for famous footballers. From the ceiling hangs the proof — dozens of football shirts, new and old are pegged to clothing lines across the ceiling, signed by the players who have dined in the modest locale.

As the name suggests, this is a place to head with friends. The environment in the always-packed cantina resembles a football stadium —you will have anything but a calm and serene evening.

The service at Los Amigos is impeccably efficient, albeit a tad rushed and occasionally gruff, which is just part of the charm. If you don’t fancy an enormous bife (not many have mastered the art of digesting so much red meat at typically late dining times) try the ‘old lady’s daily special’ or the barbecue roast chicken.

The homemade pastas are available with a large variety of sauces — try the finger thick spaghetti with bolognese sauce.

Los Amigos also offers the standard options seen on menus at neighborhood places such as this: omelets, tortillas, tartas (Argentine styled-quiche), lasagna and the omelette de la casa stuffed with vegetable, ham and cheese and made with at least six eggs.

Other than the expected and therefore excusable poor quality of the mixed salad, the quality here is high and the portions extremely generous. If you have the appetite of a footballer, for dessert try the flan con dulce de leche or bread pudding.

The Friend’s Canteen delivers typical Argentine-style Italian-food, cheap red wine, a local and lively atmosphere, and an unmistakably Argentine experience, all for much less than fancier tourist dining destinations.

—by Alice Josselyn

Cantina Los Amigos-$$
Loyola 701 (between Malabia and Acevedo)
Villa Crespo
Tel: 4777-0422

• Hours:Mon-Sat, from 7.30p.m.
-Sun, 12.30p.m.-4 p.m.
• Visa accepted sometimes

Broccolino — Italian Downtown with a Touch of Brooklyn

If you’re downtown, and have a craving for Italian (albeit with a pinch of New York City), go no further than Broccolino.

This large but intimate-feeling restaurant straddles the corner of Esmeralda and Cordoba streets with its three big, green dining rooms. Don’t be alarmed omnivores — the title doesn’t indicate a vegetarian joint, it’s derived from the way Italian-Americans once pronounced the name of a certain New York borough.

Walking in to one of three entrances (one smoking, two non-) you will be quickly attended, and given a choice of whichever free table you desire. You may decide to sit in front of the giant mural of the Brooklyn Bridge, or perhaps the signed Beatles portrait, or the framed news stories opposite about the Rolling Stone’s visit here for an extravagant dinner back in ’98.

Momentarily you will be served by one of Broccolino’s immaculate, multilingual waiters. Aside from Spanish, these guys speak fluent English, Italian, Portuguese, and God-knows what else. And if you get Nicolas, he will provide you with dubious one-liners all night, free of charge.

Long time Broccolino waiter Nicolas displays a giant bottle of wine

A glance at the menu reveals the daily specials — Thursday’s Osso Buco is debaucherous, but divine. The most requested dish here is the Tagliatelle with Bolognese sauce. The calamari dishes are excellent appetizers to share, the salads and meats are quite nice, but with the pastas you simply cannot go wrong. Just about every restaurant in town has pasta dishes, but Broccolino serves up some of the best. Order a nice Malbec to sip on while you make your selection.

Try the cannelloni instead of the lasagna, while the Putanesca, Dr. Zhivago and Amatriciana sauces are all superb and served with a generous portion of your pasta of choice. A favorite is the Maradó, which apparently was soccer star Diego Maradona’s choice while he was living in Naples. One look at the stocky little deity indicates that he knows how to eat well – so what else can we mere mortals do but follow his example, although we would suggest doing it with a little more moderation than Diego if you want to avoid multiple trips to rehab.

If you have room, share a chocolate volcano for dessert, and to help digest all that, an espresso coffee will be necessary. Prices in Broccolino are a bit pricier than your average cafe meal – but it’s worth spending a few extra pesos for such a feast every once or twice in a while.

Broccolino-$$-$$$
Esmeralda 766
Downtown
Tel: 4322-7652/7754

• Reservations recommended
• Hours: 12pm -12am everyday