Villa Rodrigo Bueno already has an outdoor food court

Moisés Pablo, 53, was walking slowly in the new gastronomic courtyard of Villa Rodrigo Bueno, still dressed in orange clothes that he used for construction. He looked smiling at the food stalls and people who were approaching to choose Peruvian dishes such as the cause and ceviche, or other options such as Paraguayan soup, Chipá or a churrasquito sandwich. .

"I'm happy, it's very nice, I still can not see the prices, but I hope that they are accessible so that the inhabitants of the neighborhood come to integrate with those of the city." Now I'm going to see what I can eat, the dishes look good, "said Pablo, neighbor of the neighborhood.

The patio, opened yesterday, is part of the urbanization project promoted by the City Housing Institute (IVC), which recently built 46 buildings to relocate families living in the most precarious homes of this city of Buenos Aires.

Now, with BA Gastronomic Capital, they have developed this space which, to this day, contains 10 containers transformed into colorful stalls selling food and drinks. Five of them are frequented by local residents; the rest, by individuals who have decided to bet on this new space that will be open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, from 11 am to 11 pm, on Avenida España 2230, in Costanera Sur.

"We conducted surveys to determine the main activity of the neighborhood.It turned out that many people were devoting one way or another to the gastronomy. there is a lot of gastronomy, especially Peruvian and Paraguayan, which are the main communities that live there.In addition to the Argentineans, we have undertaken, with an NGO called Pueblo Open, to embark on a process of formalization, it is to teach them how to manage and develop a gastronomic project, a process that took more than two years and many of the neighbors who have followed this process today have a position here, "said Lucas Randle, project coordinator Rodrigo Bueno Neighborhood.

Julia Narvaez, 48, was between reggaeton and the aroma of food. He attended his post of Argentine and Peruvian dishes. In front of her was one of her specialties, the iced cake: 10 centimeters high, the vanilla cake, the strawberry mousse, the jelly of the same taste, the cream and the natural strawberries. He sold it for 60 pesos per serving.

"We are very happy to welcome locals and the rest of the city, bringing our Peruvian gastronomic culture here, making pork rinds, which sell for $ 200 a plate. also local dishes such as churrasco sandwiches, at $ 140, "said Narvaez.

The Rodrigo Bueno patio has joined the other three gastronomic patios (Lecheros de Caballito, Parque Patricios and Costanera Norte) that the gastronomic capital BA has already built in the city. This program aims to strengthen the city of Buenos Aires as the gastronomic capital of the region.

"From BA Capital Gastronomica, we continue to expand the supply of food courses throughout the city, thereby generating new sources of employment and tourism," said Héctor Gatto, Undersecretary to the protection of the citizen.

Tomasa Peña and Alberto Benítez, both 50, are married. They are Paraguayans and yesterday they prepared Paraguayan soup, chipá, pork skewers, kidney and chicken. "The truth is that IVC has been very supportive of us and we are very happy with all of this.We think it will work very well, many people have come today," Peña said.

"I came with my three children to eat.We are from the neighborhood.The eldest loves ceviche and rabas.These dishes cost $ 200 each.I do not think it costs too much, c & # 39; is a pleasure, "said 38-year-old Elizabeth Garcia," Everything is fine, but I do not see many people in the neighborhood, "said 38-year-old Edison Fargón.

Among the dishes and drinks, there were seamstresses and craftsmen from Iapi, a district of Quilmes. In collaboration with the Formar Foundation, which helps them to integrate knowledge in sewing and design, they make dolls, backpacks and even recycle garbage bottles to turn them into glbades or ornaments for the home.

"What we do at the foundation is to help people learn to grow in different trades, so they can create a kind of entrepreneur and sell their products." foundation is "train to include, work to grow," said Violeta De Urquiza, who works at Formar.

"What the neighbors tell me is that for them, this place represents a meeting point between the neighborhood and the city. They break the prejudices and start to create a union. Here, locals serve a product of excellent quality. For example, here you eat a first clbad ceviche, at the same level as that of the best restaurants in Palermo. These people have a lot to contribute, you just have to generate meeting points for everyone, the neighborhood and the city, to give each other. get to know each other, "concluded Randle, coordinator of the project.