El Porteño Gourmet: via Dell’Umiltà 36 – Rome
Phone: 06 83 39 34 01
Open: Monday to Sunday from 12:00 to 24:00 (lunch and dinner)
Of Antonella Amodio
A temple of taste, between flavors and atmospheres of the most authentic Argentina, a few steps from the Trevi Fountain in Rome, in via dell’Umiltà, 36.
The Porteño Gourmet is the new sign of the Holding Dorrego Company of the Argentine brothers Alejandro and Sebastian Bernardez and Fabio Acampora. A restaurant whose mother project started in Milan and which in Rome is in collaboration with Umiltà 36 from the Shedir Collection, the luxury hotel with a sophisticated atmosphere and retro style.
El Porteño Gourmet, open for lunch and dinner from Monday to Sunday, presents itself as a space to live, starting from the elegant and refined entrance lounge, with a rich selection of rum and gin (also Argentine), intended for moments of rest and the ritual of coffee, and the two main rooms -with some 70 seats- distributed almost scenographically, among furniture and decorative details that refer to some of the most iconic places in Baires, where the theme of recovery is strong and the reuse of original objects and materials, arrived directly from overseas, from the wooden floor. Furniture and typical equipment recall the game of polo and tango, (which since 2009 is Intangible Heritage of Humanity by Unesco): two references for an entire nation.
The beating heart of the restaurant is the open kitchen, as in all porteños, scene of the inevitable ritual of the grill, or meat roasted slowly and rigorously, where the fire is skillfully maintained by expert “asadores” from the South American country, who cook at perfection the cuts of Argentine meat: from the Bife milonga (Black Angus ribeye with filet) to the Bife de chorizo (beef sirloin), from the various cuts of Entraña (the very tasty diaphragm), to the Asado ( the classic ribs of veal), from the whole rooster to the chorizo (Argentinian version of the Italian salamella), to the pechito de cerdo (pork ribs in a BBQ crust) and other meats for the ritual of the coals.
Whatever the choice of the grilled dish, the inevitable and traditional garnishes arrive at the table, that is, pumpkin and potato puree, French fries, Argentine salad and Russian salad, accompanied by the typical sauces, prepared directly on the spot. . On the menu, they deserve a separate chapter. the empanadasthe typical baked panzerotti, which are offered with different fillings, from veal cut with a knife to chicken shredded by hand, from vegetables to the very classic Ham and Cheese and Sautéed Sweetbreads, sautéed sweetbreads reminiscent of those of Roman cuisine, a tribute to the culinary tradition of the eternal city that hosts the restaurant.
The extensive menu is also completed with tartares, salads (with a section entirely dedicated to vegetarians), first courses and desserts.
The pride and architectural element of El Porteño Gourmet is the rich cellar, recreated as a ceiling-high wall of bottles only, where Argentine wines such as Malbec and Torrontés, as well as fine Italian and international reds and whites, are accompanied by wines sparkling wines and champagne and all presented by the expert sommelier. The attentive and professional service is assisted by the managers of the restaurant Valerio Fusco and Victor Zamora.
Cost of the grill from €29.00 (except some cuts of meat by weight)
El Porteño Gourmet: via Dell’Umiltà 36 – Rome
Phone: 06 83 39 34 01
Open: Monday to Sunday from 12:00 to 24:00 (lunch and dinner)
