The Pandemic Diaries: Julia Restaurante

Eight months after opening his restaurant, Argentina went into a strict lockdown, and Julio had to find ways to adapt. “Before, we depended on tourists and foreigners, but then, it was all takeaway, delivery, and an entirely local clientele."

Julio describes his food as simple and honest, with a big focus on presentation and seasonality, which can be difficult to adapt for takeaway and delivery. Instead of preparing their regular menu dishes for in-house dining, Julia had to change their entire concept and began preparing pre-made food boxes.

“At 8 pm, we’d have the food ready. So, we'd hop in my car and deliver our own food. This is the map of everywhere we went to deliver during the pandemic. It covers the entire city!" - Julio

Since its reopening, Julia has been full, which they attribute to new clients who ordered during the lockdown. “We had to pay a lot of attention to social media. If we didn’t post a photo, we wouldn’t sell. So, every day we had to post something new to attract clients.” Julia organically doubled their followers on social media and gained many new fans of their food.

Julia's flavors are familiar but have a twist. “I try to make sure that dishes are beautifully presented, with a contrast of colors, but they need to make sense,” Julio says. One thing is for sure: Everything from Julia is made from scratch out of their tiny kitchen. 

The menu depends on the season and ingredients available. “A chef friend called me and said he had pez limón (yellowtail), which is hard to find in Argentina, and asked if I wanted some. Of course, I do! So, I'll maximize that fish and use every part possible," Julio explains.

“Today we have yellowtail tiradito on the menu, sliced like sashimi and served with leche de tigre. I added pickled okra, which is also very hard to find but they had it in the market. I’ll also use the head and bones of the fish for a stock.” - Julio 

This is Julia’s version of a "classic" paté, that they serve with potato chips. “It's a paté, but we give it a lot of love. We caramelize the onions with garlic, white wine, thyme, and butter,” Julio says.

This braised cabbage dish, served with cabbage gazpacho, blackberries, and blueberries, is inspired by the bright purple jacarandá trees that bloom in Buenos Aires during spring. “We wanted to create a dish that reminds us of the wonderful colors and sensation when the ground and sky are covered in jacarandas.” 

Since Julia’s reopening, they continue to strive to overcome challenges and surprise guests with delicious food. “We can’t forget that we work in the hospitality industry, people come to eat in our house, and we have to feed them well,” Julio says.