Cacho Russo, chef: 'Snails are cured by feeding them polenta and grated cheese'

Cacho Russo, proprietor of Chichilo, a venerable Italian cantina in Buenos Aires' Paternal neighborhood, embodies a dedication to tradition and family heritage. Located at Camarones 1901, the establishment, founded in 1956 by Calabrian immigrants Francesco Russo and his wife María Rosa, has become a culinary landmark. Russo's mother, Ester, cooked there until she was 83, and the cantina itself is adorned with football memorabilia, having hosted figures like Diego Maradona, Indio Solari, and Andrés Ciro Martínez. Maradona, a regular since his Argentinos Juniors days, considered Chichilo a second home, celebrating birthdays there and even having frog dishes, a specialty of Nona Ester, sent to him in Naples. Russo inherited the cantina's operations from his mother, Ester, who he describes as the "soul of the cantina." He continues to uphold the restaurant's core philosophy: serving generous portions of homemade food with attentive, one-on-one service. The cantina's history is deeply intertwined with its founders' journey from Calabria to Buenos Aires, initially running a small grocery store before expanding into the restaurant business, eventually settling in Paternal and naming the cantina "Chichilo" after Francesco's childhood nickname.

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My mom was the soul of the cantina and had an incredible relationship with Maradona, she said he was her protégé.