Off Menu with El Rincón Argentino

Food has been drawing communities together for centuries, weaving a tapestry of cultural identity, laughter and connection. Often described as a sort of “social lubricant,” food isn’t just nourishment, it’s a way of life. This reality is one of the many driving factors behind the kitchen walls of El Rincón.

The traditional Argentinian-style restaurant specializes in empanadas, offering everything from the classic steak, onion, and bell pepper option to a parmesan cheese empanada. Guy Fierialso visited the location last year, and popularized a favorite dish of owner and founder Christian Saber’s: La Milanesa Napolitana. The thinly sliced steak comes breaded, and topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella while paying homage to a Buenos Aires classic. Although the dish’s name seems to indicate that it might have roots in Italy, it was invented in Argentina in the 1940s, and it sustains the perfect combination of crunch, seasoning, and gooey cheese.

Saber was born in the same place as the Milanesa Napolitana, but his curiosity brought him to Colorado‘s mountains, where he eventually met his wife, Colorado-local, Karly.

Saber tells Yellow Scene, “On Sundays I cook for the whole family and friends. During the week I cook for people in Boulder and people who decide to come to our restaurant. I cook breakfast for our kids. At night we get together at the table and we are around food.” Food is the connective tissue in most of Saber’s social circles. Now he’s the father of three boys and the mastermind behind El Rincón.

And he gets just as much satisfaction out of creating community in Boulder as he does at home “I love to see the happy faces coming out of the restaurant. That’s one of the most important things,” says Saber. He added that many of his staff members have also been with him since the day the restaurant opened, 13 years ago.

One quality that sets El Rincón apart from other restaurants is its traditional take on food. The Argentinian diet is meat-heavy. In fact, Argentinians eat more beef than any other country in the world. As a result, classic dishes like asado (a barbeque-style slab of meat that’s often served at large gatherings), la milanesa, and empanadas can be found in El Rincón.

Saber explains, “The supplies we have here are very similar to the ones we have in Argentina,” which makes it fairly easy for him to curate the most authentic dishes. What’s more is that he emphasizes quality ingredients, “We do use, for example, natural ingredients. No hormones. Organic. I don’t put a sign that says that but I care about cooking with good ingredients. It’s not for marketing, it’s just for a way of life,” he adds.

After 13 years of living and breathing all things restaurant related, it’d be easy to assume that Saber might grow tired of the same dishes, but such an assumption would be wrong, “I eat at the restaurant all the time. It’s been 13 years. I still love empanadas. I love all of them. I don’t get tired. They make me feel great. It’s a healthy dish. I could eat this every day.”.

Although Saber spent many of his early years laboring in the kitchen, his duties have since become more complicated, “I’m not in the kitchen all the time,” he says. “More than anything I’ll develop recipes and work with the quality of our recipes and the quality of our ingredients.”

As for he and his family, they don’t have any immediate plans to return to Argentina, but they hope to continue to bring a piece of Argentina to Boulder — an endeavor that’s evident from the decor and color that can be found within the restaurant, “Inside here, there’s Argentina music, food, smells, and soccer.” He points at a picture of a colorful string of buildings on the wall and added that the style of the restaurant mimics that of La Boca — a port town that’s full of immigrants in Argentina. He explained that immigrants would paint their houses the color of whichever paint they could find. This resulted in one of the most colorful streets in Argentina, and El Rincón mimics this character on its interior.

Another thing that sets El Rincón apart from other restaurants is the environment, “Everyone feels comfortable and welcome here,” says Saber. “It doesn’t matter if you’re dressed in a certain way or talking in a certain language. I think that they feel very welcome. I’ve been hearing this for years.”

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