Mariano loves cooking at Sabores San Miguel and
SMA Food Festival because he gets to cook things he normally doesn’t make at
the Bistro. “Some people have never heard of or tried traditional Argentine
food in SMA, in spite of its popularity in other parts of Mexico” he said.
What most people don’t
know about Mariano is that he owns not one but two successful restaurants;
Buenos Aires Bistro in SMA and Patria Sur in Queretaro. Patria
Sur’s menu is mainly pizza since the anchor there is the wood fired oven. At
Buenos Aires Bistro, where they have a parrilla, it’s grilled meats. They also make
magnificent pastas at both locations.
“Buenos Aires Bistro is a little bit of Buenos
Aires in San Miguel, a true representation as I remember the Buenos Aires I
grew up in…those flavors and traditions mixed with a touch of Mexico” he says.
Although his cooking is a reflection of his
childhood, it’s Mexico that has played a major role in how both his cuisine and
his restaurants have evolved…
Mariano was born and
raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, moved to Toronto, Canada at age 18 where
food and cooking was always part of his family tradition. It was a ritual to have a feast at home every Sunday.
Coming
from dual cultures, his parents were the perfect pair in the kitchen; his Mom, being
Italian, would do the pastas, sauces and salads and his Dad, being Argentine,
would grill different meats on the Parrilla. Mariano always helped so early on,
he learned about cooking.
While he was attending Business School at the
University, his mom owned a small Italian eatery. Mariano thought he knew more about
running it than she did. She finally cornered him one day and said “dear, the
day you have your own restaurant you can do things your way, in the meantime,
we’re going to do things my way.” This was a milestone moment for him. He said
that he hated the restaurant business but every time he would go out to eat, he
was secretly scrutinizing how they did things, evaluating the dishes and
wondering if he could do it better. There was definitely some unfinished
business.
Many years later, he became friends with a
formally trained Neapolitan chef Roberto Granata; Chef Granata was the first
chef to bring authentically certified Neapolitan pizzas to Toronto for the high
end chain Il Fornello. They would get together to cook, he helped out in his
kitchen and they catered a few events together. That’s when he learned how to
run a restaurant and started to fall in love with cooking for people again.
His first attempt at a restaurant fell through
due to timing, and by the second attempt, he had already decided to leave
Toronto for Argentina by way of Mexico. The plan was to stay in Mexico for two
months then head south. Two months soon became nine. He decided he liked it in
SMA and stayed. After a year sabbatical, he was ready to open a restaurant.
The restaurant in SMA was going to be a joint
venture with Roberto because he had come to visit one summer and like Mariano,
he fell in love with SMA. But Roberto got anxious about leaving everything he
built in Toronto behind so he said to Mariano “Why don’t you do it… I’ll help
you with the know-how.”
Mariano took the plunge. He
learned the rest on his own, reading a mountain of books and leaving much to
experimentation.
I enjoyed being on the receiving end of his research.
Of the three new recipes he had me taste, two of them went on his menu. He lets the flavors speak for
themselves. He doesn’t like to complicate things, keeping things simple and
elegant.
When I asked him if
he had a favorite childhood food, his food memory was long…
“Well yes, and way too many to count. To this
day, I keep asking my mom for this cabbage stew that she used to make us that
was just delicious but she can’t remember it. Sunday BBQ is a given; my mom’s
Veal’s Tongue and Shrimp alla Provençal; my argentine grandmother’s “Pastel de
Fiambre” (loosely translated Cold Cuts Cake) which was made with 50 pancakes
and we would have it as an appetizer for Christmas and New Year’s, my Nonna’s
(Italian grandmother) polenta with chicken and tomato sauce” His Aunt’s homemade
pizza that she always made for his birthday is also a given. Also, the little
paninos that he made for the SMA Food Festival was inspired by one that his Dad
would make on the BBQ. He then shared a curious story; his Mom, Aunt, and both
of his Grandmothers are all excellent cooks but they’re all terrible at giving you
recipes. They all cook from memory and instinct because that’s how they were
taught. After reading many books, mostly Italian, he started to understand how
to translate their dishes into recipes. In a way, it’s helped his understanding
of them and their cooking. It also brought them closer together and has helped
him to rescue family dishes.
He pays homage to them and where he came from by
hanging their photographs on the walls of his restaurant.
His role models are Francis Mallman, the epitome
of Argentine cuisine. “He represents simplicity and honors Argentine tradition
but includes French discipline. He’s both bold and passionate” he said. He also admires Lele Cristobal from Quilmes, a city in Buenos Aires
where he is from, who is a
famous chef and TV personality.
He changed the name of the restaurant from El
Tomato to Buenos Aires Bistro…
When he bought El Tomato, it was vegetarian for
the first year. He started to introduce meats and non-vegetarian dishes,
naturally gravitating towards his culinary origins, and by 2013, the name was
not fitting with the concept that had evolved. After four months of planning
and six months of redesigning and redecorating, they opened with a new name, a new
menu and a new look. His customer mix is about 50% Mexican nationals and 50%
Americans, Canadians, Europeans and other foreigners who come to San Miguel for
vacations, holidays and weekends.
A signature dish? The jury is still out on that one. As far as popularity, Ricotta, Pecan and
Prosciutto Sorrentinos are a big hit. Steaks? The Ribeyes and short rib are
very popular. He only makes risotto for special occasions, but both friends and
customer give him high praise for that dish.
He tries to keep his dishes
as authentically Argentine as possible; however he likes to change it up a bit.
For example his Pan Seared Salmon in a Ginger Garlic Soy Sauce is definitely
not Argentine or Mexican. His Five Chile and Habanero sauces are Mexican
inspired. He says that this beautiful country, Mexico, has positively
influenced his cooking.
He met his wife Malula, who is from San Luis Potosí, in a moment of serendipity. A mutual friend introduced them while she was celebrating her birthday in his restaurant. She’s a life coach but still finds time to help Mariano out if he needs it.
He’s always changing the menu, not drastically,
but just enough to keep it fresh. Here are the things I tried during my visits:
NEW: Burrata con Manzana al Sartén, Arúgula Fresca y
Reducción de Aceto Balsámico/ Fresh Burrata with Pan Seared Pear and Arugula
with Balsamic Reduction
This was one of the best salads I’ve tasted
lately. Nothing is quite as good as pairing a creamy Burrata with the mild and sweet flavor
of a pear.
NEW: Filete de Res con Camarones Salteados en Salsa de Crema,
servido con Espárrago en salsa de vino blanco/ Filet Mignon with Sautéed Shrimp in a Cream
Sauce served with Asparagus in White Wine sauce
Mariano said he is not ready to put this dish
on the daily menu yet; it needs a little work. I thought so too…but just a
little.
Tira de Asado, con Camote y Zanahoria al horno con Ajo y
Cebolla, y Col de Bruselas salteadas con Soya/ Short Ribs with Oven Roasted
Carrot & Yam with Onions and Garlic, and Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with
Onions and Soy Sauce
It’s been a long time since I’ve had meat this
good. The dish was cooked to absolute perfection and I got 2 other meals from
the leftovers.
NEW: Banana Frita flambeado con Brandy y Helado de Mate/ Brandy
Flambéed Fried Banana with Mate Ice cream
I call this dish an Argentinean version of Bananas
Foster. The herb to make the ice cream is called Yerba Mate and it’s used for a
traditional tea that is heavily consumed in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and
Paraguay. The plant only grows in South America because of the soil and
climate. In Argentina, people drink it without sugar, and since it’s already
very bitter to begin with, many people get put off the first time they drink
it. If you make it at home, you can add sugar. “It tastes really nice if you give
it a chance” he says. “It is obviously something you need to acquire a taste
for.”
All of Mariano’s beef is Certified Angus. The
Mexican beef from Sonora is export quality, which makes it hard to source
because producers obviously prefer to sell it abroad at US prices. Some of his beef
is from the US because the quality is there. If he can, he always tries to
support local or national businesses. “ It’s not always possible though because
the quality has to be there” he said. He’s very committed to the quality of his
products.
Buenos Aires Bistro
has an entertainment factor that most people don’t know about: tango classes.
It
all started a few years back when the tango community in SMA (he didn’t know
SMA had one at the time) needed a place to dance and practice so he stepped
forward to help the cause. It’s his way of supporting the culture of his
country that has crossed many international borders. Group
classes are at 7:00 PM for beginners and 8:00 PM for more advanced lessons.
It’s only $30 pesos per class. There are no registration fees, you just show up
and dance.
Mariano’s second restaurant, Patria Sur,
celebrated its’ first anniversary on the first of December and we were in
Queretaro for the party…
He opened Patria Sur because he needed a new
challenge and wanted to try another concept. He didn’t want two restaurants in
the same city and Queretaro was the obvious choice. It’s an emergent city and
the demographics are very different from SMA.
When I asked how he manages his schedule between the two restaurants, he said that it requires
a lot of planning to juggle both. He’s learned which balls are rubber and which
are glass however, effectively running Patria Sur in a lot less time than it
took to get Buenos Aires Bistro down.
Patria Sur, located at 4100 Blvd. Bernardo Quintana , Plaza
Boulevares in Queretaro, has already
earned great ratings. We thought the food was outstanding, especially
the Buenos Aires Pizza with fresh tomatoes, ham, and green olives, which is
very typical in Argentina. The Surf and Turf Pizza and Pizza del Tata were a
hit as well. Tata is old colloquial word for Grandpa. It has tomato sauce,
mozzarella, sautéed spinach, sautéed onion, sautéed mushroom and goat cheese.
Not being a fan of inland seafood, I was surprised I also liked this squid dish
for which Mariano has a special method of cooking.
Mariano’s partner in
the restaurant is Uruguay born Nacho Avila. He started to work in a
bakery at the age of 12. By 17 he was making pizzas. He came to Mexico on
vacation with his girlfriend at the time. It was during that trip they broke up
and heartbroken, he decided to stay in Mexico for awhile. From Acapulco he came
to SMA because he had friends from Uruguay living here. He worked in sales but gained
a reputation among friends for the Friday pizza nights he organized once a
month; something he would do for fun and because he loves to make pizza. Nacho
knew it was a matter of time before he'd go back to his passion. Around 2010 he
wanted to do a pizza night Friday's at the old El Tomato but because of the
size of Mariano’s kitchen, they couldn't make the project take off. In early
2014, they started to talk about what it would be like to have a pizza place
with traditions from the Rio de la Plata, and that's how Patria Sur was formed.
By September 2014, they were building their own wood fired oven with the help
of his father, a hard working bricklayer in Canelones, who built dozens of ovens
back home.
When he’s not at his own restaurants, he
likes to go for sushi at Gami Sushi on the Ancha. He also likes
brunch at the Rosewood. He enjoys the Milanesa Napolitana at Centi’Anni and the
Indian food at Bhaji; things he normally doesn’t make for himself at his restaurants
or at home.
He enjoys simple things when he cooks at
home. He’ll make a nice frittata with whatever is in the fridge or make risotto
on the spot for friends or family if they’re coming over. He enjoys a cup of coffee
with some toast and good cheese in the morning; or a cheese platter and
charcuterie with a cold beer in the evening.
Mariano says he goes through phases and stays
creative on a day-to-day basis by reading a lot but most of his inspiration
comes from traveling. He returns to Argentina once or twice a year to discover new
things to bring back to SMA for his customers.
With Patria Sur comfortably under his belt, I
asked him what he’s going to do next.
He smiled...
This is one chef who, in spite of everything, still has some
unfinished business.
Stay tuned!
Bon Appetit!
Buenos Aires Bistro, Mesones #62, Centro, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Hours: Monday – Sunday 1:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Patria Sur, 4100 Blvd. Bernardo Quintana | Plaza Boulevares, Queretaro, Mexico
Hours:
2:00 PM – 12:00 AM