CoRE

It’s a municipal ordinance that all restaurants in Buenos Aires must have at least three pasta dishes on the menu. Too bad there isn’t an ordinance saying the restaurants are required to know how to prepare it.

We’ve reviewed dozens of Italian restaurants. I regret to say that the quality of what they serve in these specialty restaurants is not much better than what’s offered in the corner cafes, all of which try to pass something off as Italian that doesn’t come close.

We’ve recently reviewed two restaurants that we think know their chops, L’Addesso in Palermo Soho, and Cucina Paradiso with locations in both Palermo Hollywood and Belgrano. They actually serve food that deserves to be called Italian.

We are now adding a third to that list. And oddly, it’s a fast-casual restaurant in the city’s business center, catering to local workers seeking a quick and delicious lunch, serving up pasta in disposable paper bowls. The fast-casual personality of this restaurant doesn’t keep it from producing high-quality food though. In fact, at an extremely reasonable price, you can take-out some of the best-prepared pasta in the city or sit down in the clean little dining room on the ground floor overlooking the small open kitchen, or the one on the second floor to avoid the hustle and bustle. That’s where you can see the pasta lab where they crank out the fresh pasta you’re eating in that paper bowl.

The décor is minimalist, clean, and classy. Whitewashed exposed brick walls, white subway-tiles lining the walls behind the counter and kitchen. The dining areas are bathed with light. It’s an ultra-casual, ultra-comfortable ambiance.

Although they take the most pride in their pasta, they offer some pretty good salads for rabbits, and paninis for Yankees that are compelled to eat food stuffed between two pieces of bread.

The menu is ultra-simple too. Order at the counter. Your choice, pasta, sandwich or salad, price ranging from $130 to $135. It’s a big portion, served with grated cheese and a tasty focaccia-roll. The bread is better than I’ve tasted at 95% of the city’s restaurant. No kidding. It’s delicious.

For about US$1.50 (ARS$30) add a beverage, for US$3 (ARS$55) add a glass of wine.

Although it’s served in a cute little paper bowl, the serving is the same or more than you’d get on a big plate of pasta at a restaurant. A similar offering at Piegari would cost you more than US$27 ($500 ARS). And quite honestly, the pasta is better at Core.

They make it right upstairs every day using a fancy-schmancy pasta making machine imported from Italy. That machine uses a bronze die to press that pasta. Unlike 99% of the restaurants in this city that only offer fresh flat and ribbon pastas, like raviolis and tagliatelle, these guys at Core do it all that way. From the spaghetti to the twisty stuff, you’re getting the real deal, made fresh daily.

And the sauces are first-rate. The Bolognese is about as authentic as I’ve tasted in Buenos Aires.

Vegetarian? They have you covered. There’s no egg in their noodles. Order any of the pastas with the Pomodoro, Pesto or Schizzofrenica sauces for a first-rate vegetarian meal. Vegan? You can order any of the pastas with that Pomodoro sauce. Looking for something without wheat gluten? It will take about 20 to 30 minutes, and you won’t get the luxury of the fresh pasta, but they’ll cook up a batch of dry pasta without wheat gluten for you. Still better than eating at 99% of the restaurants in the city!

Bottom line. The owners, Federico and Marco, take pride in what they do, and it shows. Core serves up fantastic pasta at a great price in an ambiance that’s far superior to most fast-casual restaurants. It’s not just one of the best in this genre downtown, it’s one of the best in the city. The only thing missing at Core? Mama mía, whereza that big spicy meatball?