Fico, new opening in Villa Crespo

It is very likely that Estefanía Maiorano and Martín Sclippa -enormous cooks, chefs and pastry chefs- have been ready for a long time to take on what is now their own restaurant: Fico.

That's right, things are falling into place now, because that's how things are when they fall into place. Two years ago, they both stopped working at Narda Comedor (the last thing they did was the kitchen for the series Nada, with Robert De Niro and Luis Brandoni) until finally - through construction - they were able to open this beautiful place in the heart of Villa Crespo.

“We know each other very well, we work very comfortably together, we always thought we wanted to open something together. We understand each other very well, we both know about cooking and pastry, something that I especially value -although my specialty is pastry- because I feel that we complement each other, we have a different perspective on things and that, I hope, is reflected in what we offer,” says Estefanía.

Fico is located at 775 Muñecas Street, right in the heart of the neighborhood of long-established mechanics and metalworkers. But that hustle and bustle happens during the day, while at night, Fico raises its old-fashioned blue shutters, illuminates the block, and brings joy to the neighborhood.

“How would you define the concept of Fico?” I asked Martín when we went to eat. “It’s food,” he replied. Of course, it’s food. But it’s Martín and Estefanía’s food.

Fico: in honor of the fig

On the terrace (already ready for the next stage), a small fig tree grows in a pot. And the butter that accompanies the sourdough baguette that starts the meal is flavored with fig leaves, as is one of the dessert ice creams—a delight. And one of the appetizers, of course, is Fico i Formaggio.

Short menu, many flavors and strategies for curious palates

To begin with, it's clear there's a passion for cooking here. The menu is short, divided into Bread, Canapé of the Day, Starters, Main Courses, and Desserts, which can also be browsed (depending on the order) as if they were individual plates (especially the starters).

What I liked most was discovering how Estefanía and Martín manage to erase the boundaries between savory cooking and pastry.

For example, today's canapé: a vol-au-vent with grapes, ricotta, and goat cheese. Delicious.

Or let yourself be seduced by one of the starters: a trompe l'oeil that arrives at the table in the form of a pastry shop window tart, but is actually a shortcrust pastry holding a homemade rabbit pâté, topped with a thin layer of port wine jelly, a mix of bitter leaves, and a mustard vinaigrette. And absolutely delicious (be warned, it's meant to be shared).

This opening menu, which will surely evolve over time, features classic dishes with a modern twist. There are old-fashioned recipes, like Martín's grandmother's eggplant fritters with tomatoes and basil, and more sophisticated options, such as squid in its ink stuffed with chorizo, sesame seeds, sour cream, and roasted peppers. Everything, absolutely everything, is homemade.

Among the main attractions are the diverse proteins and familiar, home-style flavors, which are much appreciated. It's also appreciated that there's well-cooked chicken, like the kind we used to enjoy but lost along the way.

The rump steak with sweet potato and endive, or the chicken with mushrooms, dauphine potatoes, and watercress (attention all you good-measure eaters, it's a delicious chicken with mushrooms!), for example, should never be taken off the menu. There's also lamb with roasted vegetables and a cannelloni of cabbage, mushrooms, and almonds with garlic sauce for vegetarians.

The fish was delicious, tender, with cauliflower puree and almonds, but Martín will continue searching until he finds the version of this dish that he likes best.

Sweets, sweets, sweets

The desserts deserve attention, please make room, because they are really worth it: I tried the Maritozzi (I didn't know what it was, now I know) with peaches, cuezco ice cream (Estefanía explains to me that cuezco is what is inside the peach pit and tastes like amaretti) and vanilla cream.

A sophisticated and elegant version of the classic vanilla sponge cake birthday cake with cream and peaches in syrup, taken to the next level.

I tried the fig leaf ice cream, which comes with a layer of fig, black sesame and olive oil, delicious.

If you're team chocolate, there's a creamy semi-sweet chocolate, hazelnut crunch, cocoa nibs and coffee jelly.

And if you're team cheese and sweet, then you'll find pears, cider, Chevrotin cheese, rosemary honey, and caramelized brioche.

For drinks, they had red, white, rosé, orange, and sparkling wines. I tried one called La Pesca del Día (The Catch of the Day) from Chacho Asensio in Mendoza—a fresh, flavorful wine, perfect with Fico's food. The service was excellent, attentive, and knowledgeable.

There are non-alcoholic drinks, classic cocktails, chill.

What else? The place is lovely: it's reminiscent of old neighborhood restaurants (in fact, it retains much of its original facade and "chorizo ​​house" structure), but with all new and spotless facilities. An open kitchen, vintage bar stools, tables and chairs, a blue upholstered armchair along the main wall, and not much else. Because you don't need much more here. Just come and have a good time and enjoy delicious food.

The cooks

Estefanía and Martín worked for many years alongside Narda Lepes and were key figures in the kitchens and openings of the renowned chef. Both have extensive careers, despite being very young.

Estefanía studied at the Gato Dumas Culinary School, interned at El Celler de Can Roca, and worked in numerous prestigious establishments, such as the Caesar Park Buenos Aires, the Sofitel Recoleta, and the Hotel Madero. It was at Pura Tierra, Martín Molteni's restaurant, where Estefanía expanded her knowledge. Then came the Narda era.

Martín, for his part, also boasts an extensive CV. He studied at The Bue Trainers, interned at Tragabuches, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Málaga where he was hired permanently, worked at El Muelle de Costanera Norte, and for almost 9 years was Head Chef at Narda Lepes.

Cheers and welcome, Fico!