O Sole Mio: A Taste Of Italy In Buenos Aires

Next to steaks and dulce de leche, Italian food defines the typical Argentine diet. Afterall, at least 60% of Porteños are of Italian descent.

A San Telmo institution. ALL guidebooks will suggest you have a meal here.

A visit to a supermercado will deceive your mind into thinking you are in Italy, what with the infinite selection of pastas and cheeses in every shade and size.

Within a span of 3 blocks, you are sure to pass by a heladeria, a quesos y fiambres shop and a pizza & pasta joint.

I cannot elaborate enough how full of win the ice cream of Argentina is. I can assure you that I am not the only fan. Even Italians have given their seal of approval.

Their pastas are bueno tambien. Interestingl, every 29th of the month, Porteños celebrate National Ñoqui Day. Also, when you order pastas in restaurants,  the salsa (sauce) is priced separately.

But their pizzas – you either hate or love them.

Whenever I meet an extranjero, we never fail to talk about the pizzas in Buenos Aires. They are definitely not the thin crust variety, nor are they the Chicago deep dish kind. Tomato sauce on Argentine pizzas are a rarity. I find that they basically just dump lots of cheese and onions.

Fugazzeta – probably the favorite of locals

Faina (left) – pizza made of garbanzos. It is eaten by placing it on top of the regular pizza. Flavor neutralizer? No se…

This one from Romario, is topped with tomatoes and cheese, can be eaten on its own.

After having tried pizzas from 4 different places, I just stopped ordering them – mainly because there are so many other cuisines to try!

p.s.  Romario, a popular chain, makes pretty decent pizzas. I never got to try the famous pizzas of  El Cuartito, sadly.