The Travel Chica

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Discovering Kentucky in Buenos Aires

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My first day in Buenos Aires, I was introduced to an oddly-named pizza chain called Kentucky Pizza.  You have to use the Spanish pronunciation, so it’s K(ay)nt(oo)ky Pizza.  The restaurant is quite popular in Buenos Aires and is considered to make some of the best Argentine-style pizza.  There are about 15 locations in the city, and I am lucky enough to have two of them, including the original restaurant, within walking distance of where I live.

Photo of counter where you order
Step up to the counter and make your order.

What is their secret?

Cheese.  Mozzarella and lots of it.  I am quite certain there is more than a pound of cheese on each pizza.

The Pizzas

There are many pizza selections at Kentucky.  Here are a few samples.

Fugazzetta

This is my favorite pizza. The pizza is about three inches thick, and the entire crust is filled with delicious, melty cheese.  The pizza is topped with perfectly-cooked onions.  I once asked them how many calories are in a slice, and the guy just laughed at me.

Jamon y Morrones (Ham and Red Peppers)

To be honest, I’m afraid to try this one.

espinaca con salsa blanca (spinach w/ white sauce)

Anchove (Anchovies)

The Empanadas

Kentucky Pizza also has the best empanadas I have had in Buenos Aires…  or anywhere really.  They have a big selection of fillings.

Always perfectly crisp.
Just out of the oven.
caprese

This is my favorite empanada.  It is filled with basil, tomatoes, and…. CHEESE!

Caprese Empanada

Faina

I also discovered a new food called Faina, which is also from the Italian influence.  It is made from chickpea flour, baked, and sold in slices.  They heat it up in the oven, and it comes out with a perfect crispness.  My friend Rease calls it the “poor man’s grease bread.”  I cannot disagree with that description, but I still like it.

Slices of faina ready to serve
Slices of faina ready to serve

Best Meal Deal Ever

And not only is Kentucky Pizza tasty, it is also cheap!  A slice of mozzarella is US$1.  A slice of fugazzetta is US$2.  A slice of faina is 75 cents.  Plus, they have the best meal deals.

I got all of this for US$4!!
Special meal deal at Kentucky Pizza - all for US$4!
Yes, that is a ginormous glass of red wine included with my meal.
Best wine pour ever!


No, the quality of the wine isn’t that great.  But they chill it a little, so it’s drinkable :-)

The other $4 meal deal on offer in Buenos Aires is from Burger King.  Hmm…. which one looks more appetizing?

This was the worst hamburger I’ve ever eaten.


Crappy Burger King meal deal.

The People

Another thing I love about Kentucky Pizza is that I always end up chatting with an Argentine eating at the bar next to me.  This is Sebastian.  Don’t let the Canada shirt fool you; he is indeed an Argentine.  I have learned so much about the economy, politics, and culture of Argentina, as well as great places to go and fun things to do while chatting with strangers at Kentucky.

Photos of new friend at Kentucky Pizza
Making new friends at Kentucky Pizza

More photos of their process

Photo of pizza oven
They let me behind the counter for some photos.
Photo of sign
I love that they call out who the "Pizza Master" is for each shift
Photo of pizza counter
A feast for the eyes when you approach the counter.
Photo of pre-cooked pizzas
Pizza dough prepped with homemade sauce
Photo of to-go paper rolls
Get your pizza and empanadas wrapped up to go.

Kentucky Pizza is fantastic if you like thick crust and loads of cheese, but I know this city has many pizza places I have yet to discover.

If you have any suggestions, please share.  I am also still in search of good thin-crust pizza.

Comments

  1. OMG! My mouth is watering!

    That faina looks very interesting. I would love to try to make it since I’m such a big chickpea lover. Just got to figure out where I can get the chickpea flour. Based on my quick search, it looks like I’ll need to go to a natural foods store.

    I love this description: Fainá is hugely popular in both Argentina and Uruguay. It makes a great appetizer, (especially with toppings), but it’s most often served as an accompaniment to pizza. In fact, it’s a common practice to place a slice of fainá on top of a slice of pizza. When pizza and fainá are paired this way it’s called pizza a caballo (horseback pizza).

    Horseback pizza…what better thing to get at Kentucky Pizza? :-)

    • Wow. You are serious about making this stuff. My friend did confirm she has bought chickpea flower at a health food store before.

      Let me know how it turns out. I think you’ll like it, and you can probably control how greasy it turns out if you cook it yourself.

  2. that looks so good! i would eat there waaay too much and have to do a lot of walking to (attempt to) balance it out! mmmm….wine. can’t wait to be reunited w/red wine

    • I am pretty sure I have gained 5 pounds since I got to Buenos Aires despite walking everywhere and running 3-4 days a week.

      I am now limited to 1 meal a week at Kentucky.

    • Funny thing is I had no idea the Kentucky Derby was this past weekend. I am so disconnected from what goes on in the US now. Not sure if that’s good or bad :-)

    • I went behind the counter and explored the open kitchen area. They had a ginormous cheese shredder. It was probably 5 feet wide. I think they go through a lot of cheese!

  8. I’m not in love with Kentucky’s pizza but you’re right about the atmosphere! You cannot change my mind on the Faina. It shouldn’t even be 75 cents, they should give it to you for free because it saves their drains from the grease it soaks up.

    Better pizza places: Almacen de Pizza (we had that at my potluck) and also this place Mishi right by my house has really untraditional toppings as well as traditional. Definitely not super thick or drowning in cheese though. We should go.
    Rease recently posted..Business Buzzwords- If you hear this- you need a vacation

    • I told myself faina was healthy because it is made of chickpeas. Don’t ruin my delusion.

      Almacen de Pizza was fantastic. So I will trust your pizza judgment and let you show me more fabulous pizza in Buenos Aires.

      Now I have to go burn 500 calories….

  9. Awesome. Kentucky pizza is one I’m not particularly fond of for its flavor, but the place does have some sort of sentimental value for me. It’s only a few blocks from where I work so its been the spot of choice for hungry, drunk victims of the After-Office cocktail hour I hang out with sometimes. My good friend Michael, who is German, once got in a fight with a pushy Argentine while waiting in line for pizza. It had the potential to be a legendary night. Alas, it fell short after the chest-puffing Argentine backed off.
    Jorge recently posted..in lieu of words

    • Recently met some people in BsAs who came from I think Bolivia and had a pizza that had sliced hot dogs on it. They showed me the picture. Disgusting!

  11. I just LOVE food posts from travelers.
    At first I was disappointed that you were eating pizza in Buenos Aires… even pizza that looks as good as that. But I know that sometimes you just need pizza. So if I get that feeling in BA I know where to go. Excellent work!
    The Dropout recently posted..Testicle Face

    • I think pizza is actually a food group in Buenos Aires :-)

      But don’t worry, there will be many more food posts from Argentina because there is so much good food here. Too bad most of it is filled with sugar and fat. Or maybe that’s why it all tastes so good.

  12. Wow — what a delicious post! Big fan of pizza here — all kinds — so I’m sure I’d love Argentine-style pizza. The faina looks fabulous — never heard of it before. I’m sure that BK burger was terrible — doesn’t even look good.

    • I actually asked the guy working there, and he didn’t know where the name came front. But I just went to their web page and sent the question via email. I’d like to know too :-)

    • The piece of ham just looks like cheap deli meat to me. I like cooked ham on my pizza.

      I’m not completely sure this is officially Argentine-style pizza, but it’s definitely popular here. Others have told me they have seen thin-crust pizza with lots of fresh toppings advertised in other countries as “Argentine-style.” You are right though… Kentucky Pizza is very much like a Chicago deep dish.

  21. Jess and I give Kentucky pizza on the corner a Thames a big thumbs up. Just what we needed. Where to next???

    • I’m glad you liked it. Aren’t you proud of my willpower to say no this time :-) I was good and ate lentils and crackers. I really am only allowing myself to eat Kentucky once a week.

      This post has led to several pizza recommendations, so I’ll let you know when I head out to do my taste test.
      The Travel Chica recently posted..Graffiti Art in Buenos Aires

  22. hey if you liked kentucky pizza you should also try pizza from “el cuartito” in talcahuano between Marcelo T. de Alvear & Paraguay, it’s a little bit over the price of kentucky, but it’s probably the most famous place to eat pizza & faina in the city.

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