Rosarios rising flavor: how to tour the river citys emerging foodie scene in a day

Argentina’s third-largest city and the birthplace of both Lionel Messi and Che Guevara, Rosario has historically blended riverfront grit with cultural effervescence. The centuries-old port hub on the Paraná river has long been a cradle of Argentine arts, home to famous artists like musician Fito Páez, painter Antonio Berni, and cartoonist Roberto Fontanarrosa. In recent years, it has also become a draw for foodies, with a proliferation of coffee shops, traditional bodegones, and an emerging fine-dining scene. Rosario’s growing foodie scene now sits comfortably alongside the city’s classic attractions, like the towering National Flag Memorial, the Castagnino Museum, and the beautiful Independencia Park. From creamy, old-school ice cream and artisan coffee to hearty bodegón classics, buttery pastries and refined contemporary cuisine, here are the Herald’s recommendations for a one-day food tour of one of the most interesting cities in Argentina.   Breakfast at Infinita Created four years ago by former entertainment producer Claudio Joison and his wife, psychoanalyst Analía Batista, Infinita Panadería’s motto — “just flour, water, and salt” — is a gross simplification. Given their enduring fascination with cuisine, Claudio and Ana’s trips around the world always nurtured and inspired their cooking. Claudio started baking bread at home during the pandemic, and when their friends suggested he should open a bakery, the suggestion fell on fertile ground.  Today, Infinita (above and cover image) is an ample, two-story cafe with a busy open kitchen that is nothing short of a pastry heaven. It also delivers great, hearty breakfast options beyond the typical coffee and medialunas. You can have your eggs served poached, mollet, fried or scrambled next to an array of vegetables, cold meats and breads, as well as specialty coffee from Fuego tostadores.  Infinita also has a diverse lunch menu that includes not just great sandwiches (like pastrami on rye, Katz’s style) but also original soups and salads built around seasonal produce — think quinoa, fennel, green apple, peas and raisins, dressed with lime pulp and green chile. Pastries are the star of the show, with highlights like the canelé sauteed in butter and organic beeswax, or the cruffin (a fusion of the French croissant and the old American muffin), crunchy on the outside and filled with soft lime cream.  Infinita PanaderíaSantiago 217Tuesday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. / Sundays, 8 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. Lunch at Comedor Balcarce Founded in 1961, Comedor Balcarce is both a Rosario landmark and the epitome of the bodegón, from the vintage decor and old-school service to comfort food that warms body and soul. First warning: don’t be alarmed by its local nickname, “El Vómito” (Spanish for The Vomit). Legend has it that college students in the late 1960s referred to it thus because of the succulent nature of its dishes. Comedor Balcarce highlights include a sweet meat empanada with a healthy dose of raisins  that works as the perfect appetizer, and the all-classic milanesa napolitana, a huge breaded cutlet topped with tomato sauce and a fried egg, with fries on the side — the dish that works as the gold standard to measure any good bodegón.  But the place also features its own classics: the turkey omelet, which is actually a crepe stuffed with chicken and white sauce, breaded and fried; the stewed tongue, and the tenderloin special. Unlike most bodegones, Comedor Balcarce features a diverse and even sophisticated wine list, as well as local vermouth Pichincha, a perfect starter. Its famous mixed flan is indisputably the best way to finish your meal.   Comedor BalcarceBrown 2093Monday to Saturday, 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. / Sundays, 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Ice cream at Américo Chances are you won’t be able to ingest much after a Comedor Balcarce lunch. But if you followed tradition and had a lengthy sobremesa (as we call postprandial conversation with our fellow diners), you can walk just a few blocks for a bonus dessert. Ice cream parlor Américo has several branches in the city, most with an elegant 1950s feel.    Bear in mind that Américo’s ice cream scoop is much bigger than your standard Buenos Aires bocha de helado. The best part is that Américo is on the creamier and softer side than most porteño ice cream parlors, which perfectly balances out the abundance of their servings. Highlights include several chocolate flavors with different cocoa ratios and a solid homemade dulce de leche, but you can also try their latest flavors like the fresh orange, mint and ginger, the ubiquitous chocotorta, and trendy Dubai chocolate.  AméricoBoulevard Oroño 117 — 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. (1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays) Jujuy 2162 — Monday to Thursday, 3.30 p.m. to 12 a.m., Friday to Sunday 12 p.m. to 12 a.m.)  Coffee at Ruffo Catalina Angeli returned from her Business MA in the United States with a taste for specialty coffee and an intuition about a market that had yet to emerge. Those sensations translated into her online coffee store, Ruffo Café, which she set up in 2019 and named after her dog. Three years later, Ruffo opened a showroom inside a well-known coworking space on the corner of Jujuy and Martín Rodriguez. Soon enough, that tiny pick-up point became a small cafe.  Today, the co-working has moved upstairs and the re-branded Ruffo Coffee has taken over the ground floor of a big, warehouse-like building, with a huge, industrial coffee roasting area that imports beans directly from Brazil and supplies Rosario’s coffee shop boom.  While Ruffo is developing mostly as a local roaster and supplier, its coffee shop is top notch, both in quality — with Brazilian, Colombian, and Ethiopian coffees — and comfort — chill music, comfortable chairs and a quiet vibe. Apart from the big roaster in plain view, the ground floor features a cool long bar that faces Jujuy street, and a more typical but very warm and pet friendly salon — if you use the restrooms, don’t miss the board filled with pictures of customers and their best animal friends —  with tables and sofas that make up a more relaxed working area.  Ruffo CoffeeJujuy 2581Monday to Friday, 7.30 a.m. to  8.30 p.m. / Saturday and Sunday, 8.30 a.m. to  8.30 p.m. Fine dining at Negre Fernando Santarelli, the third-generation owner of Comedor Balcarce, decided to take a step up from family tradition and turned smoked-meat restaurant Negre into Rosario’s newest fine-dining establishment. Negre’s club-like front entrance gives way to a former factory with high ceilings and an industrial feel. The long bar continues into an open kitchen led by Mendoza chef Diego Tapia, a former sous chef in Michelin-starred Azafrán. While Negre openly aims to restore the public’s taste for fresh, locally-sourced river fish, the menu is expansive enough to include several beef options. The oysters marinated in Asian sauce with roasted sweetbreads and gochujang are a highlight among the appetizers. Other surprising choices were the mushroom pâté with a celery criolla and apple gel served with olive crackers, and the creamy carrots served with crispy chickpeas, pickled carrots and chili oil. Main courses are both sturdy and inventive, like the complex double-cooked patí with zucchini puree, black lemon emulsion, raspberry gel, white garlic and asparagus. The bulky ojo de bife rack is served with an original take on the Russian salad and a simple but savoury beet puree, and the amazing sous-vide pastrami of cured marucha lacquered with a bone demiglacé is served with mashed potatoes and carrots.  Pastry chef Sabrina Suárez’s desserts, on the other hand, are smart and delicate, a lighter complement to the heftier mains. Our favorites? The pear textures (pears in the form of sorbet, compote, tuile and sponge cake with salted caramel sauce) and the rice pudding, which is infused with cinnamon and citrus peels and served with crema catalana, with a crunchy sugar topping and orange zest. Negre features a high-end wine list featuring a strong representation of Argentina’s regions, fine vintages and emblematic labels (the goal, Santarelli says, is to offer 300 different ones), as well as a very sharp cocktails menu by resident bartender Alan Farre. Negre also hosts regular events called Constellations, which bring in top chefs from all over the country to offer a special steps menu, with limited seats and a curated wine pairing.  Negre Güemes 2587 Wednesday to Saturday, 7.30 p.m. to o 12.30 a.m.