For many there is no better gastronomic program than a
good traditional tavern where you can eat rich, abundant and cheap
.
If it is in a summer city, much better
.
For this reason, El rey del calzone, a historic canteen in Mar del Plata
that
for more than 50 years has been
attracting tourists and locals with its Italian specialties is so popular.
Two blocks from Juan B. Justo avenue, at the corner of Esteban Echeverría and Gaboto
streets -in the heart of the Las Avenidas neighborhood- this family restaurant is located where today
the third generation of the Usai family works.
This place has
a wide menu that goes from pizzas to seafood
but
stands out for the Italian specialties
that have been on the menu since its inception.
“There are dishes that I want to take out because it seems to me that there are many and the public keeps asking me for them,” explains Esteban Usai, chef and owner of the place.
There
the portions are abundant, of those that are shared and that it is not difficult to pay.
The atmosphere is familiar and there are people who have been attending for 40 years.
"Today the grandchildren of my first clients are here," Esteban proudly points out.
Who in season receives footballers and celebrities "with the usual quality and prices for true friends", according to he proclaims him in the motto of the house.
The story of The King of Calzone
The Usai family, founders of El rey del calzone more than 50 years ago.
Renato Usai arrived in Argentina in 1952
, sent from Italy by his father who wanted to prevent his son from going to war.
In Mar del Plata, his brother who had crossed the Atlantic before for the same reason was waiting for him.
Some time later, already in La Feliz, Renato found love when he met Norma, a young woman from Mar del Plata whom he married and had three children: Gabriela, Analía and Esteban.
In 1969, the couple opened their first restaurant in the area of the bus station.
They called it "Tevere"
, after the Tiber river in Rome, the city where Renato was born.
There they served pizza, pasta and the Roman calzone, all made by them.
The room full of The King of Calzone.
Photo Gabriel Bulacio
Fame began to knock on their door thanks to the calzone, which at that time was not a well-known dish in the spa city.
Without innovating and keeping the original recipe,
Renato made a name for himself with his Roman calzone.
Blinded by success and exhaustion, in 1976 the Roman decided to sell his premises,
hoping to be able to live on the profits he had reaped by dint of hours of service.
"My old man believed that he was going to be able to bank with what he had taken from the sale but he forgot that he was in Argentina," Esteban says with a laugh.
The queue to enter El Rey del Calzone.
Photo: Gabriel Bulacio.
Like all enterprising immigrants, Renato could not sit still for long.
That's how he found a partner and opened a new restaurant;
this time at the Centro Italiano Marplatense club where he was a founding member.
He named his new business “The King of the Calzone” because that's what they called him.
In December 1989 they decided to move the restaurant to their own space, in Norma's father's house, and after 5 years of reforms they opened their restaurant, this time with the help of their three children.
Today, Alessio (23), Esteban's son, joined the staff. He specialized in seafood cooking looking at his grandfather and today he is in charge of that specialty dishes.
What to eat in El Rey del calzone
The famous Roman calzone.
Photo Gabriel Bulacio.
It can be said that they are specialists in everything: pasta, seafood, meat and of course, calzones and pizzas.
But there are dishes that are more famous than others.
The
calzone
was the first that helped them become known.
They only serve one variety and it is the Roman one
: ham sausage, mozzarella, Parmesan and beaten egg.
Cooked in a wood oven.
For two people it costs $1,980.
Another classic of the house is the rabbit in the jacket
($2,500), it has been on the menu since they cooked at the club.
It is a Marquesan recipe that Norma made for her father, a rabbit fanatic, and that one day she decided to try it at the restaurant.
“
Some clients only travel to come and eat our rabbit”, explains Esteban.
The rabbit with potatoes from The king of the calzone.
Photo: Marcelo Carroll.
What makes it special?
The rabbit is from the farm, "not from the refrigerator," says the chef.
The portion is to share and is served with baked potatoes: "It is a potato that is fried, it is cooked a second time in the oven and it is finished with butter, oregano, salt, pepper and garlic."
But there is another dish that, in addition to being rich, is visually attractive: cacio e pepe.
To try it, you have to reserve it in advance because only 16 servings are made per night.
Esteban made famous the cacio e pepe served en hora in Mar del Plata.
Photo Gabriel Bulacio
To prepare this recipe,
a 40-kilo Grana Padano cheese block is used
that has been stored for 18 months.
They use vermicelli number 10, olive oil, pepper, clarified butter and egg yolk.
Esteban Usai himself prepares it next to the diners' table and it is quite an experience to see it and try it.
In summer season, they open every day at night.
In winter, from Wednesday to Sunday and Sundays at noon.
Reservations are taken for 9:00 p.m. and then it is on a first-come, first-served basis.
The king of the pants. Esteban Echeverría and Gaboto, Las Avenidas neighborhood, Mar del Plata. Open every day from 8 pm. IG: @elreydelcalzone
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