October 31, 2013 
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Hidden Gems: Traditional Italian Food in Buenos Aires

Pippo restaurant 

  

By Mark Holston

 

With nearly 60% of Argentina's 42 million citizens claiming ancestral roots in Italy, it's not surprising that the country is home to some of the finest traditional Italian cooking anywhere in Latin America. In Buenos Aires, with countless dozens of Italian eateries to experience, one stands out for all the right reasons: Pippo.

 

Pippo may not be the height of chic, but this unpretentious restaurant is hallowed ground for many generations of Italian food aficionados in the city. "The old wooden tables and tiled floors are tired," "Fodor's Traveler" admits, "but for many they only add to the no-nonsense charm of the place." The noted travel guide comments that Pippo is "a porte�o classic known for its simplicity and down-to-earth cooking."

 

The restaurant itself proudly proclaims: "The times have changed since we opened in 1937, but Pippo has remained the same." All of its trademark pasta is made in-house, and years of preparing the same basic menu items have insured that an enviable level of consistency is maintained. 

 

Italo-Argentina Culinary Trends

Although pizza has become a staple of the Argentine diet, and is on the Pippo menu, pastas are wildly popular and exceed pizza in terms of consumption. Fettuccine, known locally as tallarines, is a staple, as is ravioli, �oquis (gnocchi), spaghetti and cannelloni, here called canelones.

 

An unusual dish that is wholly Argentine in origin is a pasta concoction known as sorrentinos. Having nothing but its name in common with the Italian city of Sorrento, this variation on conventional ravioli is reputed to have been created in the Argentine seaside resort of Mar del Plata. Flying saucer-shaped, in its most common incarnation the bulbous center of the sorrentino is stuffed with mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce.
 

The Pippo Tradition 

Daily specials featuring such basics as spaghetti and ravioli attract a loyal following of office workers in the area. At night, the clientele shifts to patrons of the many nearby theaters who drop in either before or after a performance to satisfy their hunger.

 

Pippo's signature tuco sauce is the perfect complement to most pasta dishes. This rich accompaniment is less based on tomato paste than the North American version of spaghetti sauce, relying instead on meat and such vegetables as onions and carrots. 

 

Another travel guide, "The Lonely Planet," lauds the restaurant's "large servings of parrilla (mixed grilled meats) and pastas for small prices."

 

On any visit, patrons might catch a glimpse of the dapper Jos� Sencio, a son of one of the restaurant's founders, who began working as a waiter in the 1940s when he was a young teenager.

 

Pippo is located at Montevideo 341, just a half a block off Avenida Corrientes in the heart of the city's theater district.


 

Cheese Ravioli by jeffreyw; Spaghetti by gotosira 

  
News from our Partners
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  Delta

Delta expands Atlanta to Freeport, Bahamas service: Service between Freeport and the airline's U.S. hub in Atlanta, Georgia will expand to daily flight between December 19, 2013 and August 18, 2014.

 

Delta announces new daily seasonal flight between Haiti and Atlanta: Between June 5 and August 18, Delta will fly daily between Port-au-Prince and its U.S. hub in Atlanta, Georgia.

 

 

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Travel News

Airport News

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (Texas, U.S.) opened a new "comfort zone" just beyond one of its security checkpoints, at gate E18. Sponsored by Marriot International's SpringHill Suites hotel brand, the 3,000-square-foot comfort zone aims to be passenger-friendly and relaxing, with special lighting, ambient music, wall art and lounge-type seating. SpringHill Suites also opened a comfort zone at Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina.

 

A new runway opened at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the U.S. and one that suffers from the most delays. Early reports indicate that the airport is averaging 106 landings per hour with the new runway - the airport's third - open, versus 88 per hour before it opened.

 

Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, France opened new lounges for both American Airlines and Cathay Pacific. Travelers can use either lounge with Oneworld Emerald or Sapphire status. First class and Business class travelers have access to the Cathay Pacific lounge, while the American Airlines Admirals club allows access through membership.

 

Loyalty Program Updates

Delta Air Lines is offering double miles on flights from the U.S. city of Seattle, Washington, to Los Angeles, California, or Las Vegas, Nevada through October 31 of next year for members of its SkyMiles loyalty program. Registration is required before December 31.

 

Starting May 31, U.S.-based Alaska Airlines will offer members of its Mileage Plan double miles on nonstop flights between the U.S. cities of Seattle and Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as several cities in California: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Santa Rosa and Las Vegas.

 

Members of Emirates Skyward frequent flyer program can now earn Skywards miles for all Virgin America flights. They can also redeem Skywards miles for reward flights on all Virgin America routes. Likewise, members of Virgin America's Elevate frequent flyer program can now earn Elevate points when flying with Emirates.

 

U.S.-based United Airlines will offer double miles on mainland U.S. flights booked through November 21. MileagePlus members must register for the promotion.

 

Hotel News

InterContinental Hotel Group opened the 143-room Holiday Inn Mexico Buenavista in Mexico City, operated by Operadora ALRO. ALRO completed US$9 million in renovations to the property before re-opening it under the new flag. Located in Mariano Azuela 12, near the Palace of Fine Arts in downtown Mexico City, the hotel offers free high-speed Internet, a business center, a board room and flexible meeting space that can accommodate up to 400. By mid-2014, the property plans to add a new building, which will include two additional meeting rooms with a capacity of 300 people each.

 

Grace Cafayate

Luxury boutique hotel group Grace Hotels has opened the Grace Cafayate in the Calchaqu� Valley of northwest ArgentinaLocated on a 1,250-acre complex, the property includes rooms, suites and villas, as well as a fitness center, restaurant and resort activities. 

 

The company also opened the Grace Panama hotel in Panama City. The 60-room Grace Panama is located in the Twist Tower office and hotel development in the city's Obarrio district. It includes complimentary in-room Wi-Fi, a business center, four boardrooms, a fine dining restaurant and a bistro.

 

The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba is scheduled to open November 22. The 320-room hotel will include four restaurants, a fitness center, Wi-Fi, a 7,500-square-foot ballroom, a 600-square-foot boardroom and two meeting rooms.

 

The 385-room hotel near John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York has been reflagged as a Radisson; it was formerly a Doubletree.

 

The Riviera South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida (U.S.) opened a new addition to its hotel complex, adding 43 new rooms with balconies. The rooms include amenities such as Tempurpedic pillow-top custom beds and free Wi-Fi.  

 

Mel�a Puerto Ordaz
Hotel Pipeline

Meli� Hotels International will open its third hotel in Venezuela, the Meli� Puerto Ordaz in Ciudad Guayana, Bolivar state, in 2015. The 150-room property will include a restaurant, lobby bar, gym, spa area and facilities for events and meetings.

 

Club Med Cancun Yucatan announced a $14 million renovation, which will include 60 new beachfront accommodations, two redesigned restaurants and a modernized lounge. It is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2014.

 

Alaska Airlines by InSapphoWeTrust; Hotel Cafayate, courtesy Grace Hotels; Meli� Puerto Ordaz, courtesy Meli� Hotels International
  

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