A bodegón is, according to the Dictionary of the Language of the Royal Spanish Academy, the equivalent of a tavern, tavern, cantina, winery, inn or figón. In Buenos Aires, this is what they call neighborhood food houses, with eclectic decoration, affordable prices, giant portions and traditional flavors.
Founded in 2002 by Sebastián Valles, La Dorita is one of the most popular still lifes on the banks of the River Plate and already has several locations in the Argentine capital.
“The first location was in Costa Rica and Humboldt when Palermo Hollywood was nothing,” remembers Sebastián. After more than two decades of history, La Dorita has become a Buenos Aires classic, with some of its own creations that have conquered the palates of several generations, such as choricampi, a chorizo ??wrapped in a thin dough of country bread seasoned with mozzarella that slightly reminiscent of our pregnant bun.
Valles is a hospitality veteran who worked as a young man in nightclubs like Bulldog, then ran a grill in Punta del Este (Uruguay), then a sushi bar in Las Cañitas and ended up becoming a successful businessman thanks to a gastronomic business with garlands. and portraits of Argentine icons such as Maradona or Fangio, whose name is the affectionate nickname by which his late mother was familiarly called. Now La Dorita arrives in Madrid, with the founder associated with his compatriot Leonardo Rainelli, whom all customers know as Loli.
This iconic restaurant has been installed on a street in Chamartín with a long culinary tradition, Pedro Muguruza, where the most carnivorous Madrid residents still salivate when passing in front of the closed premises of the legendary Asador Frontón. Now the aroma of grill comes from the sidewalk in front and is equally addictive, since from La Dorita’s kitchen come out to the colorful dining room and the gardened outdoor terrace all kinds of pieces of offal and noble cuts of beef, at their precise point of cooking and with smoke as a driving flavor.
Following the model of the original space in Palermo, conceived with the help of architect Pablo Cortés, La Dorita de Madrid is decorated in bright tones, with various objects and works by the artist Marcos López, without missing the usual strips with colored beads in the windows. that face the street. Inside, Loli moves with ease, lavishing attention among the crowded tables. Today is a holiday, so there are plenty of bustling families and groups of friends sharing Mendoza wines and Buenos Aires specialties.
We started our lunch with some original chard bites, followed by impeccable knife-cut meat empanadas, with crispy outer dough and very juicy filling. Next comes the essential and very curious choricampi as well as the fugaleta – a somewhat convoluted version of the provoleta, with onion, mushrooms and truffle paste –, which gives way to an assortment of scoundrel cuts: chorizo, blood sausage, kidneys, chinchulines and some outstanding cow gizzards.
“The things we make at La Dorita are the things I like to eat. Since we opened in the middle of the economic crisis, from the beginning we looked for popular and affordable products,” Sebastián told me. Shall we move on to the meats? Of course! The grill is fueled by charcoal and occasionally quebracho chips that give the special cuts their characteristic smoky touch. The vacuum and the eye of steak arrive accompanied by fries and salad. Tasty meat and correct quality.
But what is truly crazy is the strip roast, which they have managed to obtain after testing with different suppliers and origins until they found a Canadian cow that offers an optimal texture and degree of infiltration. To repeat and repeat! Another favorite was the Milanese, with the very crunchy breading and the interior made to perfection, tasty and not at all dry. Another bite that justifies returning.
To top it off, essential pancakes with dulce de leche, a correct homemade flan and, for those with a sweet tooth, the so-called Pauli dessert, in honor of Paula, Sebastián’s wife, which she always used to prepare at family parties and includes chocolate mousse , a layer of dulce de leche, chantilly cream and grated dark chocolate.
Friendly and dynamic service, moderate bills and a short but varied wine list, which does not lack an important red such as El Gran Enemigo Malbec from Bodegas Aleana for capricious diners. We will be back.
