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[title]A discreet door on Fraga Street in Chacarita, which doesn't spoil what you're about to experience, marks the beginning of this journey. A journey back to the memories of our roots, to the countryside that spans from north to south of this country, and to the Spanish immigrant culture that Buenos Aires has hosted for centuries.
At the end of a hallway, another door appears. This one leads you to a dreamy Andalusian patio. Spacious, with the rusticity of the genuine and the delicacy of a well-crafted gastronomic proposal. On one side, there is a bar, and there, between orders at the start of the dinner service, is the chef of Abreboca, the neo-pulpería that opened a few weeks ago in the heart of Chacarita.
Leonardo Govetto Sosa (Don Julio and Chila, among others) is known as "El Tucu", a nickname that obviously comes from his home province but also from his shy accent that blends with the porteño, when he speaks slowly. He steps away from the bar for a moment and sits at one of the tables to talk about the proposal, which includes a variety of small sharing plates, a few but carefully selected main courses, and the most rustic desserts.
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Let's start with what brings us here: the food. What dishes can we find at Abreboca?
You’ll find a lot of sausages, much from the Argentine countryside, reinterpreted for our menu. Some of the raciones—what we call the small dishes—that I most recommend are the blood sausage, salamis, and the osso buco cold cuts. As for the main courses, one of the most requested is the ribeye with chimichurri butter. And for dessert, my favorite is cheese and quince paste. But I would also order the smoked dulce de leche pancake. And as a sommelier, I can’t help but think that I would pair all this with a Cabernet Franc.
Why do you define Abreboca as a neo-pulpería?
A pulpería is a countryside restaurant that also functions as a general store in many towns in Argentina, and here we bring that concept to the city, adapting traditional flavors to contemporary dining. We want to offer the complete experience. If you go to a traditional pulpería, you can have an appetizer, a main course, and a dessert, but here, we also offer small sharing plates and present everything in a more modern way.
How does the Spanish influence, seen spatially in the Andalusian patio, play into the menu?
Pulperías are also immigrant cuisine. And obviously, every pulpería, depending on its location, has its own roots. There are Italian pulperías and mainly Spanish pulperías.
And why are you drawn to countryside cuisine with Spanish inspiration?
I think it’s because here I’m basically cooking everything my grandmother used to make for me. I’m bringing in the things I learned when we went to the countryside in Tucumán, along with my experience with sausages, which I learned from chef Guido Tassi (El Preferido, Don Julio) and have perfected over the years.
“Here I’m basically cooking everything my grandmother used to make for me”
How did you design the menu for Abreboca?
We aimed to create countryside cuisine, with ingredients truly found in the countryside. That’s why we don’t have fish on the menu, for example. We also use techniques native to the countryside, such as cooking with embers and even created a small stove on the fire pit to be able to cook using all that heat, among other techniques. The whole menu was designed as if we were in the countryside, and then we adapted the presentations to bring them to this table.
What does the name mean?
Abreboca is like an invitation to eat, the vermouth and the olive before the meal. It’s what opens your stomach and prepares you for what’s coming.
Why did you add your own charcuterie cellar? That’s quite rare in Buenos Aires restaurants, isn’t it?
Yes, it’s almost nonexistent here. We wanted to have our own charcuterie cellar to control the entire preservation process. And now, we’re seeing the fruits of the work we’ve been doing for months because it takes a long time to make sausages.
How is the process of making the sausages served at Abreboca?
Making sausages is not an easy job. It requires a lot of patience and technique. Additionally, we are committed to the concept of nose-to-tail cooking, which means using everything the animal or nature provides. That’s why all our sausages are stuffed in natural casings; we don’t use synthetic casings because we don’t need them, but it takes a lot of skill to do it this way, which is why it’s a great added value we give to our sausages.
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“We are committed to the concept of nose-to-tail cooking, which means using everything the animal or nature provides”
With the challenges that this technique presents, why did you still choose this path?
I’m a chef who is very conscious of the fact that eating meat involves the sacrifice of an animal, so as a chef, the least I can do is use the whole animal and not waste food. Nature gives us everything; we don’t need synthetic casings, and we’re not interested in that part of the industry.
What’s the most original thing on the menu?
Maybe the queso de chancho, which is a delicious and little-known cold cut that we bring to the table with the idea of highlighting those recipes that are no longer made but define us as Argentines. Queso de chancho is made with the leftovers of the pig; it’s seasoned, pressed, molded, stuffed in casings, and sliced like a cold cut. In Tucumán, it’s super popular, but in Buenos Aires, no one knows it, and it’s a true reflection of our countryside. There is a lot of prejudice, but those who have tried it have been fascinated, so I always say you have to be daring and try it.
“There is a lot of prejudice around queso de chancho, but those who have tried it have been fascinated”
Bonus track: Here are two tips to get the most out of your experience at Abreboca:
We recommend not missing out on the bread basket that comes with country bread and tortas fritas. If the weather isn’t extreme (there are heaters), don’t miss the option to dine in the Andalusian patio, it’s an invitation to transport yourself to another time and place.
Where: Fraga 541, Chacarita. Monday to Saturday from 8:00 PM to 12:00 AM. Reservations here.