Three young gastronomic entrepreneurs with international names, a lasting friendship and a passion for cooking at all levels: behind the latest addition to Milanese gourmet street food, “Empanadas de Flaco”, There are Simon Press, Matias Perdomo and Thomas Piras.
The three – until today – were known to be at the head of one of the coolest and most spectacular stars in Milan, the Contraste of via Meda 2. Simon and Matias in the kitchen and Thomas (who despite his name is the only one of the three to have Italian origins) in the dining room, as maitre and sommelier.
Now, to the list of projects of this young and creative trio of gastronomy, an informal place is added, serving the South American street food par excellence, the empanadas. “Simon is Argentine, Matias Uruguayan: the step of bringing a little South America to Italy was almost obvious “, says Thomas. The choice of doing it with a casual, cheap product and for a transversal audience, on the other hand, was a little less obvious.
«That of a restaurant with only empanadas it was an idea that I had had for more than ten years: now we have finally managed to carry it out ”, explains Simon, a native of Buenos Aires, the true creator of the format. It is no coincidence, in fact, that the empanadas are «del Flaco», as Simon has always been nicknamed by his friends. “The empanadas in South America are the equivalent of pizza in Italy, a distinctive feature,” continues Simon. “It’s what we eat with friends while watching the game”, Perdomo echoes, and hearing them tell about the project it really seems that the three are linked by great friendship and a lot of enthusiasm.
A contemporary format
Enthusiasm that is rewarded by the Milanese public, with an opening that, despite the current limitations, was a success. Inaugurated on 4 December in via San Maurilio 4, Empanadas del Flaco served almost three hundred empanadas during the first lunch service alone.
The objectives of the three entrepreneurs are many, and they are far-sighted. “It is a product that we would like to enter into the common denominator of people”, explains Perdomo. “For us the challenge is to make empanadas like pizza, burgers or sushi”.
In fact, we are talking about a recipe that, like those mentioned by the chef of Contraste, is very suitable for delivery and takeaway, two ways of using catering that have become increasingly popular today, with the complicity of the hiccups dictated by the pandemic. Not only that: dedicating time to simpler and cheaper formats, in these uncertain and difficult times, seems to be a direction that more and more starred chefs are exploring, as shown by the case of chef Yoji Tokuyoshi, who temporarily put his starred restaurant in Milan on standby to devote more energy to the new Bentoteca.
However, the three deny that this is the case: “Contraste is our child and we have no intention of betraying him,” Piras points out. «Empanadas is a choice of heart, that of embracing a product to which Simon has been linked since childhood. Of course, the current situation helps this kind of ideas, but it is a project that we have been working on for a long time ».
Even on the replicability of a format that seems perfect to be opened in several Italian cities, the three entrepreneurs are not too unbalanced. “Of course we would like it – says Thomas – but we’re not thinking about it, we want to do things well”. And it’s not just a matter of taking the measurements before launching, it’s also a mood of life: “We want to enjoy this moment, which is the realization of Simon’s dream”, says Matias. “There will never be a first opening of the our first empanadas shop, so let’s celebrate for now. In the meantime, let’s take home the result: there was no shop in Milan with only empanadas, and opening the streets is much more interesting than walking through them ».
You empanadas
But how much do “del Flaco” empanadas cost and what do they contain? «I chose what were the most traditional flavors of South America», Simon explains, «making them with good raw materials». And so there is the veal empanadas, the chicken empanadas, the one with ham and cheese, also designed for children. Then there’s a vegetarian one, with vegetables and bechamel, one with cheese and onion, and one with onion, peppers and chicken – Galician empanadas, Simon explains.
The price is the same for all: 3.5 euros. “It is a product designed for a transversal audience”, explains Perdomo. “A recipe that embraces all generations, which combines street food with our cooking philosophy, which is to put all your soul into what we do. A product that connects cultures, and this is an important thing for us: Italy has given us so much, and now we want to give something back, giving it a piece of our culinary traditions ».
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