In Buenos Aires in the 1920s-30s, the day revolves around morning and afternoon *mate* (a shared infusion that marks get-togethers), the *picada* at aperitif time (small bites at the café counter), the big Sunday family meal dominated by the *parrilla* (the grill) or pasta inherited from Italian immigration, and the evening café con leche with pastries. It is not a succession of starter-main-dessert, but an alternation of collective moments where the gourd, the dish, or the guitar is passed around.

The ember grill (*parrilla*) and its raw accompaniment sauce made of parsley, garlic, oregano, vinegar, and mild chili: slow cooking over embers and this tangy green sauce define Gardel's entire table, from the Abasto neighborhood to large gatherings of friends.