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Food

Football on the menu

Javier Zanetti’s restaurants bring a taste of Argentina to Milan, says Paolo Menicucci

“Cogito ergo sum,” French philosopher René Descartes once said: I think therefore I am. The long lockdown in Italy nudged me onto my own journey of self-discovery, but after dabbling more with phyllo pastry than philosophy, my own mantra soon became: “I cook therefore I am.” The huge variety of Italian cuisine kept me clattering round the kitchen for a while, but eventually my taste buds craved new horizons, with Israeli bourekas and Argentinian empanadas among the more memorable experiments.

While eating my empanadas I realised that, after three months of home cooking, I really can’t wait to eat out again. And for Argentinian food in Milan, that means heading to either of Javier Zanetti’s restaurants: Botinero (below) or El Gaucho (top image). I was once fortunate enough to have a meal at El Gaucho with the former Inter captain after an interview about the 2009/10 treble campaign. The empanadas as starters were superb, and the steak afterwards was incredible. Most impressive of all was the entraña, a steak cut rich in flavour and extremely juicy (and perfect with an Argentinian Malbec). Zanetti was the perfect host; he ran out to stop the cameramen and invite them to the table.


Later, I also got the chance to eat at Botinero, another heaven for carnivores – and for football fans, with an entire wall displaying photos and boots, including the pair worn by Roberto Baggio in his last game for Italy. Zanetti opened Botinero with former Inter team-mate Esteban Cambiasso after doing the same with Andrés Guglielminpietro and Nelson Vivas at El Gaucho 17 years ago. There were four Argentinians in the Inter team which conquered Europe in 2010: Zanetti, Cambiasso, Walter Samueland Diego Milito, scorer of both goals in the Champions League final against Bayern. In football, as in food, a little Argentinian zest goes a long way in Milan.

Botinero
Via San Marco, 3, 20121 Milan
botinero.com

El Gaucho
Via Carlo D’Adda, 11, 20143Milan
elgaucho.it

“Cogito ergo sum,” French philosopher René Descartes once said: I think therefore I am. The long lockdown in Italy nudged me onto my own journey of self-discovery, but after dabbling more with phyllo pastry than philosophy, my own mantra soon became: “I cook therefore I am.” The huge variety of Italian cuisine kept me clattering round the kitchen for a while, but eventually my taste buds craved new horizons, with Israeli bourekas and Argentinian empanadas among the more memorable experiments.

While eating my empanadas I realised that, after three months of home cooking, I really can’t wait to eat out again. And for Argentinian food in Milan, that means heading to either of Javier Zanetti’s restaurants: Botinero (below) or El Gaucho (top image). I was once fortunate enough to have a meal at El Gaucho with the former Inter captain after an interview about the 2009/10 treble campaign. The empanadas as starters were superb, and the steak afterwards was incredible. Most impressive of all was the entraña, a steak cut rich in flavour and extremely juicy (and perfect with an Argentinian Malbec). Zanetti was the perfect host; he ran out to stop the cameramen and invite them to the table.


Later, I also got the chance to eat at Botinero, another heaven for carnivores – and for football fans, with an entire wall displaying photos and boots, including the pair worn by Roberto Baggio in his last game for Italy. Zanetti opened Botinero with former Inter team-mate Esteban Cambiasso after doing the same with Andrés Guglielminpietro and Nelson Vivas at El Gaucho 17 years ago. There were four Argentinians in the Inter team which conquered Europe in 2010: Zanetti, Cambiasso, Walter Samueland Diego Milito, scorer of both goals in the Champions League final against Bayern. In football, as in food, a little Argentinian zest goes a long way in Milan.

Botinero
Via San Marco, 3, 20121 Milan
botinero.com

El Gaucho
Via Carlo D’Adda, 11, 20143Milan
elgaucho.it

Read the full story
Sign up now to get access to this and every premium feature on Champions Journal. You will also get access to member-only competitions and offers. And you get all of that completely free!

“Cogito ergo sum,” French philosopher René Descartes once said: I think therefore I am. The long lockdown in Italy nudged me onto my own journey of self-discovery, but after dabbling more with phyllo pastry than philosophy, my own mantra soon became: “I cook therefore I am.” The huge variety of Italian cuisine kept me clattering round the kitchen for a while, but eventually my taste buds craved new horizons, with Israeli bourekas and Argentinian empanadas among the more memorable experiments.

While eating my empanadas I realised that, after three months of home cooking, I really can’t wait to eat out again. And for Argentinian food in Milan, that means heading to either of Javier Zanetti’s restaurants: Botinero (below) or El Gaucho (top image). I was once fortunate enough to have a meal at El Gaucho with the former Inter captain after an interview about the 2009/10 treble campaign. The empanadas as starters were superb, and the steak afterwards was incredible. Most impressive of all was the entraña, a steak cut rich in flavour and extremely juicy (and perfect with an Argentinian Malbec). Zanetti was the perfect host; he ran out to stop the cameramen and invite them to the table.


Later, I also got the chance to eat at Botinero, another heaven for carnivores – and for football fans, with an entire wall displaying photos and boots, including the pair worn by Roberto Baggio in his last game for Italy. Zanetti opened Botinero with former Inter team-mate Esteban Cambiasso after doing the same with Andrés Guglielminpietro and Nelson Vivas at El Gaucho 17 years ago. There were four Argentinians in the Inter team which conquered Europe in 2010: Zanetti, Cambiasso, Walter Samueland Diego Milito, scorer of both goals in the Champions League final against Bayern. In football, as in food, a little Argentinian zest goes a long way in Milan.

Botinero
Via San Marco, 3, 20121 Milan
botinero.com

El Gaucho
Via Carlo D’Adda, 11, 20143Milan
elgaucho.it

Football on the menu
Food

Football on the menu

Javier Zanetti’s restaurants bring a taste of Argentina to Milan, says Paolo Menicucci

“Cogito ergo sum,” French philosopher René Descartes once said: I think therefore I am. The long lockdown in Italy nudged me onto my own journey of self-discovery, but after dabbling more with phyllo pastry than philosophy, my own mantra soon became: “I cook therefore I am.” The huge variety of Italian cuisine kept me clattering round the kitchen for a while, but eventually my taste buds craved new horizons, with Israeli bourekas and Argentinian empanadas among the more memorable experiments.

While eating my empanadas I realised that, after three months of home cooking, I really can’t wait to eat out again. And for Argentinian food in Milan, that means heading to either of Javier Zanetti’s restaurants: Botinero (below) or El Gaucho (top image). I was once fortunate enough to have a meal at El Gaucho with the former Inter captain after an interview about the 2009/10 treble campaign. The empanadas as starters were superb, and the steak afterwards was incredible. Most impressive of all was the entraña, a steak cut rich in flavour and extremely juicy (and perfect with an Argentinian Malbec). Zanetti was the perfect host; he ran out to stop the cameramen and invite them to the table.


Later, I also got the chance to eat at Botinero, another heaven for carnivores – and for football fans, with an entire wall displaying photos and boots, including the pair worn by Roberto Baggio in his last game for Italy. Zanetti opened Botinero with former Inter team-mate Esteban Cambiasso after doing the same with Andrés Guglielminpietro and Nelson Vivas at El Gaucho 17 years ago. There were four Argentinians in the Inter team which conquered Europe in 2010: Zanetti, Cambiasso, Walter Samueland Diego Milito, scorer of both goals in the Champions League final against Bayern. In football, as in food, a little Argentinian zest goes a long way in Milan.

Botinero
Via San Marco, 3, 20121 Milan
botinero.com

El Gaucho
Via Carlo D’Adda, 11, 20143Milan
elgaucho.it

Penalty Pedigree

Etiam erat velit scelerisque in dictum non. Dictum non consectetur a erat nam at. Scelerisque felis imperdiet proin fermentum leo. Nibh tortor id aliquet lectus proin nibh nisl. Nulla at volutpat diam ut venenatis. At urna condimentum mattis pellentesque id nibh tortor id aliquet. Leo a diam sollicitudin tempor id eu nisl nunc mi. Dui vivamus arcu felis bibendum ut. Pharetra convallis posuere morbi leo urna molestie. Adipiscing at in tellus integer feugiat scelerisque. In arcu cursus euismod quis. Dictum non consectetur a erat nam at lectus urna duis. Facilisi nullam vehicula ipsum a arcu cursus. At tempor commodo ullamcorper a lacus vestibulum sed arcu non. Ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit pellentesque habitant. Vitae sapien pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus. Eget nullam non nisi est sit amet facilisis. Ipsum consequat nisl vel pretium lectus quam. Elit sed vulputate mi sit amet mauris commodo quis. Pretium fusce id velit ut tortor pretium viverra suspendisse potenti.

“Cogito ergo sum,” French philosopher René Descartes once said: I think therefore I am. The long lockdown in Italy nudged me onto my own journey of self-discovery, but after dabbling more with phyllo pastry than philosophy, my own mantra soon became: “I cook therefore I am.” The huge variety of Italian cuisine kept me clattering round the kitchen for a while, but eventually my taste buds craved new horizons, with Israeli bourekas and Argentinian empanadas among the more memorable experiments.

While eating my empanadas I realised that, after three months of home cooking, I really can’t wait to eat out again. And for Argentinian food in Milan, that means heading to either of Javier Zanetti’s restaurants: Botinero (below) or El Gaucho (top image). I was once fortunate enough to have a meal at El Gaucho with the former Inter captain after an interview about the 2009/10 treble campaign. The empanadas as starters were superb, and the steak afterwards was incredible. Most impressive of all was the entraña, a steak cut rich in flavour and extremely juicy (and perfect with an Argentinian Malbec). Zanetti was the perfect host; he ran out to stop the cameramen and invite them to the table.


Later, I also got the chance to eat at Botinero, another heaven for carnivores – and for football fans, with an entire wall displaying photos and boots, including the pair worn by Roberto Baggio in his last game for Italy. Zanetti opened Botinero with former Inter team-mate Esteban Cambiasso after doing the same with Andrés Guglielminpietro and Nelson Vivas at El Gaucho 17 years ago. There were four Argentinians in the Inter team which conquered Europe in 2010: Zanetti, Cambiasso, Walter Samueland Diego Milito, scorer of both goals in the Champions League final against Bayern. In football, as in food, a little Argentinian zest goes a long way in Milan.

Botinero
Via San Marco, 3, 20121 Milan
botinero.com

El Gaucho
Via Carlo D’Adda, 11, 20143Milan
elgaucho.it

Read the full story
Sign up now to get access to this and every premium feature on Champions Journal. You will also get access to member-only competitions and offers. And you get all of that completely free!

“Cogito ergo sum,” French philosopher René Descartes once said: I think therefore I am. The long lockdown in Italy nudged me onto my own journey of self-discovery, but after dabbling more with phyllo pastry than philosophy, my own mantra soon became: “I cook therefore I am.” The huge variety of Italian cuisine kept me clattering round the kitchen for a while, but eventually my taste buds craved new horizons, with Israeli bourekas and Argentinian empanadas among the more memorable experiments.

While eating my empanadas I realised that, after three months of home cooking, I really can’t wait to eat out again. And for Argentinian food in Milan, that means heading to either of Javier Zanetti’s restaurants: Botinero (below) or El Gaucho (top image). I was once fortunate enough to have a meal at El Gaucho with the former Inter captain after an interview about the 2009/10 treble campaign. The empanadas as starters were superb, and the steak afterwards was incredible. Most impressive of all was the entraña, a steak cut rich in flavour and extremely juicy (and perfect with an Argentinian Malbec). Zanetti was the perfect host; he ran out to stop the cameramen and invite them to the table.


Later, I also got the chance to eat at Botinero, another heaven for carnivores – and for football fans, with an entire wall displaying photos and boots, including the pair worn by Roberto Baggio in his last game for Italy. Zanetti opened Botinero with former Inter team-mate Esteban Cambiasso after doing the same with Andrés Guglielminpietro and Nelson Vivas at El Gaucho 17 years ago. There were four Argentinians in the Inter team which conquered Europe in 2010: Zanetti, Cambiasso, Walter Samueland Diego Milito, scorer of both goals in the Champions League final against Bayern. In football, as in food, a little Argentinian zest goes a long way in Milan.

Botinero
Via San Marco, 3, 20121 Milan
botinero.com

El Gaucho
Via Carlo D’Adda, 11, 20143Milan
elgaucho.it

Penalty Pedigree

Etiam erat velit scelerisque in dictum non. Dictum non consectetur a erat nam at. Scelerisque felis imperdiet proin fermentum leo. Nibh tortor id aliquet lectus proin nibh nisl. Nulla at volutpat diam ut venenatis. At urna condimentum mattis pellentesque id nibh tortor id aliquet. Leo a diam sollicitudin tempor id eu nisl nunc mi. Dui vivamus arcu felis bibendum ut. Pharetra convallis posuere morbi leo urna molestie. Adipiscing at in tellus integer feugiat scelerisque. In arcu cursus euismod quis. Dictum non consectetur a erat nam at lectus urna duis. Facilisi nullam vehicula ipsum a arcu cursus. At tempor commodo ullamcorper a lacus vestibulum sed arcu non. Ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit pellentesque habitant. Vitae sapien pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus. Eget nullam non nisi est sit amet facilisis. Ipsum consequat nisl vel pretium lectus quam. Elit sed vulputate mi sit amet mauris commodo quis. Pretium fusce id velit ut tortor pretium viverra suspendisse potenti.

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