A Slice of Argentine Pizza
Visiting Buenos Aires’ most famous pizza joint
Before heading to Buenos Aires from Criciuma, Brazil a month ago, a friend suggested a list of things that I should do and experience during my time in Argentina’s largest city.
Pizzería Güerrín was on that list.
After a busy work schedule and a few unforeseen delays, I finally made it to the famous pizza parlour last week.
On account of a massive wave of Italian immigrants in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Buenos Aires has a strong representation of Italian cuisine. Pizzería Güerrín’s traditional Argentine-style pizzas contribute to this cultural presence. Opened by two Italian immigrants in 1932, it has become an institution in the port city.
I was shown to my table and handed a menu in English. Whilst my beginner’s Spanish has helped me negotiate my way through the city over the last month, I was very relieved to have a menu that stared back at me in a language I understand implicitly.
Being a vegetarian, I immediately ruled out the meaty options as well as the vegetables with white sauce, I’m not a convert of white sauce on a pizza.
After asking a few questions of the traditionally dressed waiter, I established that fugazza was a heap of onions on a pizza base and considering my body’s severe reaction to too much onion, that too was ruled out.
I settled on a napolitan slice. Mozarella, tomato slices, and garlic felt more like traditional pizza toppings to me.
In an earlier online search, I had read that fainá was often eaten with pizza in Argentina which is a chickpea-based pizza sometimes topped with leeks. As I endeavour to try traditional food when I travel, I ordered a slice of fainá too with a bottle of sparkling water to wash it all down.
As the irresistible smells of my pizza tantalized my olfactory cells, I took a big, glorious bite.
It was indeed exceptional.
The regular crust was piled high with cheese, cheese, and more cheese, the one ingredient that Argentine pizzas are known for, and topped with juicy tomato slices. There was a perfect presence of garlic, enough to appreciate the interplay of flavours but not at all overpowering.
Argentinians usually eat pizza with a knife and fork due to the gooey cheesiness of the traditional pies but as I’m not Argentinian and the slice fit perfectly into my small hands, it was manageable so I settled into my traditional way of consuming it.
After a few delectable bites, I decided to try the fainá. It was interesting but nothing particularly special. A little dry but maybe that was the point I pondered as I sat there in the restaurant.
Now, before any of you in the know start screaming at your screen as you read this… yes I know now!
Whilst doing a little research on the restaurant for this article, I read that the fainá is meant to be laid on top of the pizza slice to keep everything in place and sop up some of the greasiness of the cheesy feast.
According to one article I read, it is also supposed to be washed down with a glass of Moscato but the bubbles in my water did the trick.
Having lived in North America for the last six years, I was surprised to find that no parmesan was proffered. This statement may turn Italian pizza makers in their graves, I have no idea. Instead, each table sported two shakers, one containing red pepper flakes and the other oregano.
As I can’t handle anything too spicy and enjoy oregano far more when it’s cooked into a pasta dish, I didn’t add either to my experience. I’m a tad more conservative when trying new tastes alone. If I was with a local insisting that these additions were vital to the experience, I may have done a little sprinkling.
My check came to 4,800 pesos which is just under US $4 for the two slices and the bottle of water, which weirdly cost more than either slice.
All-in-all, I would definitely recommend Pizzería Güerrín to anyone heading to Buenos Aires. The ambiance alone makes it worth the visit but with such incredible pizza, no one will be heading there merely for the ambiance.
Nestled into the lower end of Avenida Corrientes and not too far from the famed Obelisco, this pizza joint is a Buenos Aires must.
Should you wish to read more about my gustatory travels, please feel free to peruse my vegetarian adventures in Brazil.
