At the edge of Almagro, Las Violetas pairs Belle Époque grandeur with old-school porteño café culture, from sandwiches de miga to an extravagant merienda spread.

A food crawl down Scalabrini Ortiz, where old-school cafés, immigrant institutions and newer restaurants trace the changing tastes of Palermo and Villa Crespo.

Mica Najmanovich grew up eating farfalaj hot with plenty of fried onion. Her Chauchalaj takes the Ashkenazi staple in a fresher direction, tossing it cold with green beans, spring onion, herbs, feta, and lemon.