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[title]Hello, Buenos Aires! We have landed in Argentina, officially. And we did it big. On Tuesday, May 7th at 7 pm, the streets of Buenos Aires turned red, white, and black to welcome us… Yes, Time Out has arrived in Buenos Aires to stay.
If you already know us from our editions in London, New York, Lisbon, Dubai… or any other city in the world, you know that we will recommend the best of Buenos Aires to you. So, "the best of the city" was also present at our launch event at Origami space. Yes, authorities of the country, opinion leaders, and prominent figures from the world of gastronomy, culture, tourism, and entertainment accompanied us in our arrival. No one and nothing was missing, and in this note, we will tell you all the details of our launch party.
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The hosting was led by one of the most prominent female figures in entertainment
We chose a friend of the house, Mariana Fabbiani, to host the event. And we say "friend" because the actress and presenter, with a traveler's soul, has known us since her childhood. It was on a trip when she was young, with her grandfather, the pianist and composer Mariano Mores, that she met Time Out and never let go of us. Since then, we have been her trusted guide on her trips abroad, and we will continue to be here in the city.
"When they told me that Time Out was landing in Buenos Aires, I didn't hesitate to be part of the Time Out family! There was no way I would miss this experience that reminds me so much of my childhood, of my roots," Mariana stated on stage, before the attentive gaze of the 500 attendees. "I want to experience Buenos Aires at the pace of Time Out, and I invite you, who live in any of the 48 neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, to join us. And pay attention, also to those who visit the city, to the tourists who seek to take away the best memories of our beautiful Buenos Aires. Time Out offers all of us the best curation on what to do, where to eat, and what to see in Buenos Aires," the host added.
We had the presence of the highest local authority
Jorge Macri, Mayor of the City, attended with his partner, journalist Belén Ludueña. He welcomed Time Out Buenos Aires and asked for applause "for businessmen and entrepreneurs who dare to bet, invest, and generate work since this has immense value, as well as all chefs, gastronomic establishments, and wineries, which generate jobs and social impact," he emphasized. He also anticipated that the Time Out Festival would soon be held in Buenos Aires. In addition, he highlighted how delicious he ate at the event and expressed his willingness to collaborate with us to spread the best of the city to the world.
The venue stole all the attention
We chose Origami, a venue of over 3,000 m2 in Costanera Norte, to host the event because it shares two key characteristics with us: it is a modern and cutting-edge space. These two qualities also define the essence of Time Out. We cannot overlook that Origami also has a strategic location: close to city access points and highways.
They cooked for Time Out, the main figures of local gastronomy
We had the luxury of having 13 of the best chefs and cooks from the local gastronomic scene, who exclusively crafted a dish to share with us and our guests. The best part? Some even cooked live. But let's leave the spoilers aside and continue with this summary of what was the best launch party in Buenos Aires so far this year.
We had the pleasure of sharing with Germán Martitegui and his team from Marti, one of the most successful vegetarian restaurants in the city, who delighted us with a corn humita with crunchy peanut and cumin meringue. Why did they choose it? "The humita is one of the most traditional dishes of Argentina, but in this version, it is a classic that represents 100% the identity of Marti: the best of Argentine products with a vision of innovation and sustainability, developed from the travels of the Tierras Project," Martitegui explained, who also expressed his joy about our landing in Buenos Aires: "Time Out is a magazine that for me and for many others, has been a reliable guide in every city, understanding perfectly what people need and seek when they travel."
In the land of barbecue, the "choripán" could not be missing, so we invited La Cabrera, one of the most renowned grills in Buenos Aires. They chose to delight us with an "empanadada" and a mini "choripán" with the "criolla" sauce emulsified that they prepare in their restaurants. "It's a recipe from my grandparents. I adapted it and added apple," confessed Gastón Riveira, owner of the grill, and clarified that for him, the landing of Time Out in the city has a nostalgic as well as special flavor: "When I started at La Cabrera, the first review I got was from Time Out."
Our "Italian" heritage also took part
Donato de Santis accompanied us with Cucina Paradiso Senza Glutine, the first 100% gluten-free Italian restaurant in Latin America. He cooked live his grandmother's sauce that is part of the star dish on his menu: "the Nino Bergese," in its gluten-free version. It consists of an individual spinach ravioli, ricotta, parmesan, quail egg yolk, and truffle butter. The Italian-born chef confessed that he has been an avid consumer of Time Out during his 15 years in the United States, so he is very excited about our landing in the city.
If we talk about Italian cuisine, we talk about pizza. And if we talk about pizza, we talk about Ti Amo, the restaurant in Adrogué, in the south of Buenos Aires, which has won many awards for the best Neapolitan pizza in Argentina, South America, and the world. "We chose to prepare live, the margherita and the marinara because they represent the classic Neapolitan pizzas. In them, the quality of the ingredients we use stands out: from the dough, the Italian tomato, the mozzarella, to the extra virgin olive oil. They are a journey to Italy in a bite," explained Carola and Victoria Santoro, sisters and founders of the project.
"For us, Time Out represents an incredible gastronomic market, and we are very proud to have been invited to participate, as we know it brings together the best of the city," Carola exclaimed. The pleasure is ours, girls!
The team of Narda Lepes at Narda Comedor was also present. For the launch, they made a sandwich of trout rillette and egg salad. "We chose the sandwich because it has the spirit of the old-fashioned cafeterias," Narda explained and added: "We opted for trout because it is a product that we are currently using in the restaurant. It comes from Neuquén, in the south of Argentina, with a conscious upbringing and transfer."
The renowned Argentine chef emphasized that the arrival of Time Out in Buenos Aires excites her because it is a tool for gastronomy and tourism worldwide. "The inclusion of Buenos Aires is very positive for the local industry," she emphasized.
They were accompanied by representatives of the new generation of cooks
Not only did we have the company of great and historic figures of the Argentine gastronomic scene, but we also had the presence of emerging talents like Olivia Saal, owner of Oli. "We wanted to solve in one bite the main flavors that identify us, and we feel that the puff pastry, the bakery, and the bakery are always in the spirit of Oli. The egg salad, which is a relative of Russian salad, too. Then, we added porchetta, which is something we love and goes very well with the egg salad and the puff pastry. This dish identifies us because it is a bite that can be eaten at any time of the day; from brunch, appetizer, to snack," Saal highlighted about her creation.
On their part, Pablo Hlebowicz, general manager of Oli, revealed that they are happy to participate in the launch of Time Out "because we are readers, when we travel and want to know what's happening in each city, Time Out is our trusted and interesting guide."
ApuNena is the must-stop for all those who wish to eat the best Asian tapas in the city, and of course, we had the presence of Christina Sunae and Flor Ravioli, owners of this restaurant located in the Chacarita neighborhood. For the occasion, they chose to cook their star dish live, the "Bola Bola": a steamed bun filled with pork, shrimp, and shiitake with a Szechuan pepper sauce. "It's a dish that we love, that is full of flavor, and that can be eaten with the hand. 'ApuNena' means eating with the hand, it's street food," revealed Flor and highlighted that she feels "a lot of excitement" for being called to the launch.
On the other hand, Christina, of Korean descent, told us that before living in Buenos Aires, she resided in New York, "and Time Out magazine was my guide to the city to know what was happening every week: new restaurants, parties, art exhibitions, nightlife, outdoor events."
If we talk about the new generation of chefs and cooks, we have to highlight "Las Chicas de la 3", Patricia Rodríguez and Romina Moore, who rose to worldwide fame after appearing in the episode of the docuseries "Street Food Buenos Aires" on Netflix. From Nave 3 of the Mercado Central directly to Origami, for the launch event of Time Out, the girls brought the potato omelette filled with ham and (lots of) cheese, their most representative dish, and cooked it live.
"We feel that it is a great achievement to be able to participate in the launch of Time Out Buenos Aires. Being on their radar is a real honor, and being part of the gastronomic circuit of our Buenos Aires, recommended by you, the best guide to the cities of the world, is a very great pride," said Patricia.
Among the new references in the veggie gastronomy world, we also had the presence of Las Flores and their chefs Sol Barone and Vicky De Gennaro. "In the restaurant, two kitchens are combined throughout the day: in one, we work on everything that is pastry, and in the other, the food for lunch and dinner. Therefore, for the event, we chose a dish that can combine both: a gluten-free puff pastry on which we mount a classic pate with our quince preserve jam. Also, a puff pastry with our spicy hummus and mustard pickles," Juan Frenkel and Gonzalo Álvarez Guerrero, owners of the restaurant, told us.
They also emphasized being very excited about Time Out's landing in the city because "it is one of the most authoritative voices for those who love gastronomy and outings, so anyone who wants to have a good time in Buenos Aires will have to read it."
The list of invited chefs is long because we allowed ourselves to count on the greatest exponents of the city's gastronomic scene. Therefore, Ximena Sáenz, creator of Casa Sáenz, could not be missing, which already has its second branch in Buenos Aires.
"We chose to share our smoked chicken with green sauce at the event because it is a dish that represents Casa Sáenz; it is one of our classics that people always ask for when they come. I love that it is a simple meal that you want to eat often and that at the same time, surprises with the smoky touch and the depth of flavor that its green sauce brings," he commented and assured that he loves Time Out and uses our recommendations when he travels the world.
The number one wineries in the market were present
In the land of Malbec, good wine could not be missing, so we had the presence of the most important wineries in the country: Catena Zapata, Trapiche, Salentein, Kaiken, and Chandon. What a luxury!
Cocktail fans were delighted with the Gancia bar that offered two incredible cocktails: Hibiscus Tonic and Hibiscus Spritz.
There was room for "the sweet"
No, not only did we not forget about dessert, coffee, or "the sweet", but we also invited experts in each field to share with us the best of their menu.
For ice cream, Mercedes Román, the soul of Obrador Florida, the ice cream parlor of the moment, accompanied us, who delighted us with a miniature frozen dessert of chocolate, ginger, and oranges, and another frozen dessert of coconut, passion fruit, and cashews.
"I decided to bring a sample of what we offer in tall glasses at our Sundae Bar x Obrador, so that many people can know and taste our proposal of unique desserts in the city," explained Román, who specialized at the prestigious Basque Culinary Center in Spain.
About our landing in the city, Mecha commented: "I have been a user and consumer of the magazine for years: I read and trust its content, which never disappoints me. I am excited to be part of it from the inside and to be from day one accompanying those who accompanied me to the most remote places. I feel that it is a relationship that is strengthened and has the same common destiny: to continue being the reference voice for those who approach us."
Sweet palates not only delighted in ice cream but also with the best of local pastry, by Betular Patisserie. Its founder, Damián Betular, attended Origami and brought with him a variety of mini cookies: pistachio and raspberry, chocolate, salted caramel, peanut paste, and caramelized peanuts. Delicious!
"We chose cookies since they represent us from the opening of the store; it is a classic completely renewed by its textures and flavors," he said and was happy to have Time Out in Buenos Aires since "it is a guide that has accompanied me since I was very young, recommending me the best places to eat and visit."
Coffee was in charge of experts: the people from Cuervo Café, a project by Agustín Caro and Pablo Tokatlian. They delighted us with a menu of nine recipes based on Espresso Coffee made in La Marzocco with Colombian Supreme beans. "They are the drinks that best represent Cuervo and that are the most chosen by our customers," their owners told us.
"This launch is an opportunity to continue connecting with our customers and with the gastronomic community of the city. We are excited to show what we do with so much effort and love every day," clarified its owners.
Country and city authorities gathered to celebrate
Also present were Daniel Scioli, Secretary of Tourism, Environment, and Sports of the Argentine Nation, Roberto García Moritán, Minister of Economic Development of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, and Gabriela Ricardes, Minister of Culture of Buenos Aires. They all enjoyed the event and the dishes prepared by the top exponents of local gastronomy.
Juan Ingaramo delighted us with an unbeatable repertoire
Music is the DNA of each country, it marks the essence of the people, determines the rhythm at which each city vibrates... So we chose the Cordoban artist Juan Ingaramo, who with his repertoire, took us through Argentine culture, history, and folklore.
Accompanied by a bandoneon, he sang a tango, "El día que me quieras," by the iconic Carlos Gardel. Also, a rock national hit, "No soy un extraño" by Charly García. Obviously, there was a nod to the land that saw him born, with the quartet "Fuego y Pasión" by Rodrigo. There was cumbia, of course, with "Casamiento," a great song, Juan. And he closed with his version of "Lloviendo estrellas" by Cristian Castro, which made everyone present dance. Sublime.
