There are so many perks about going to school that’s not in state, or for some, even in their home country. You get to meet new people, branch out from places that you are familiar with, try new foods from all over the world, and have a huge level of independence given the fact that you are farther from home.
But at the end of the day… We are all human. We crave familiarity. We crave feelings of security, of belonging.
Of home.
Coming from North Carolina to NYC felt easier than I know the shift has been for others. Despite living in NC, my heart belongs to Argentina: the home of Futbol (3x world cup winners!), Messi and Maradona, Mate (our signature drink), and dulce de leche. Having my roots there has allowed me not only to be bilingual, but also have experience with cities such as Buenos Aires or La Plata that are very similar in many ways to NYC (just without the European charm that cities like Paris and Buenos Aires share.)
I travel there often to visit family, as everyone besides my immediate family resides there. I consider it such a privilege to be able to have that culture ingrained in me, and I take my experiences, knowledge, and customs everywhere I go. From eating dinner much later than Americans, to celebrating Christmas the night of the 24th instead of the 25th, these are traditions and ways of living that nothing, not even having lived in the United States most of my life, can ever change.
You may be thinking: “Avril, you don’t seem like you are complaining about NYC. So why write about missing home?” The reason for that is because of the diversity and range of foods, community, and culture that I can find from my home country, in the backyard of my college experience. In North Carolina, it is hard to find Argentine products, as it’s much more niche and the population of Argentines in the state isn’t as large when compared to Colombians, Mexicans, or other nationalities. In NYC, I have a much wider net of places I can try, which was just another reason behind many others why I decided to leave NC for NYC.
I have been to Queens, around Manhattan, and even just around Greenwich Village to find people and foods that bring me back to my beloved country, even if I may be 8,521 km (5295 miles) away. One of my favorite foods from Argentina has to be the empanada.
Similar to other Latin countries, empanadas consist of a dough (for us, flour-based but some other countries use maiz or other things to make the dough) stuffed with meat, cheese, vegetables, ham, or even fish (mainly for Easter). Argentine empanadas are very unique as they are often flaky, and our fillings consists of ground beef with olives, hard boiled egg, spices, and sometimes even raisins, sweated onions with cheese, caprese, spinach with bechamel sauce, and ham and cheese – among other varieties depending on the province.
While exploring the city, I found one place in the Upper East Side called Criollas. Using organic, local ingredients, this small shop makes one of the best Argentine-style empanadas I have had in the city, and immediately takes me back home. The ones they sell at this shop are baked, and while we do have fried empanadas, the baked ones remind me of those my mom would make me growing up. They are so comforting on a cold day, and whenever I go I enjoy speaking Spanish to the employees.
They also sell a small variety of sweets, such as alfajores de maicena and medialunas. Alfajores de maicena are these macaron style cookies made out cornstarch (maicena) and layered between a slab of dulce de leche (a thicker, much richer caramel spread) and dipped in coconut shreds around the rim of the entire sandwich cookie.
Medialunas are a cross between a brioche and a croissant, and can come either sweet or salty. The sweet ones have an almibar (or simple syrup) covering them, making them slightly sticky and irresistable. They also have versions with dulce de leche and powdered sugar which are so yummy.
They recently opened a location near the NYU Campus (right near the exit at West 4th Street), and with the student discount they have I went a LOT at the end of last semester.
Another place I found that serves some of the best Argentine food is around 50th Street at a place called Baires Grill. It is gorgeous inside, with dim lighting, chandeliers, and very fine decor. Everyone I have talked to at the place is from Argentina, and it’s amazing being able to sit down and talk to someone in your native language. I have been 3 times, and something I cannot stop ordering is their vacio, or steak. Brought to you with chimichurri (a parsley, onion, red pepper, and olive oil sauce for meats) and salsa criolla (red peppers and onions in olive oil), paired with the meat it tastes phenomenal and has a flavor that makes me want to come back for more.
I always get it with the ensalada rusa, or russian potato salad, which is a common side dish in Argentina composed of potatoes, peas, hard boiled eggs, carrots, and mayo, which they also prepare exactly like home. You cannot leave this place without trying one of their desserts, my favorite being the flan with whipped cream and dulce de leche, which is the way we do it in Argentina, and it tastes just like the brasseries that I go to when I am back there.
I spent my birthday dinner there back in May, and I went with one of my closest friends who is also Argentinian that I met at NYU. We bonded very closely over our home country, and I am so glad that I was able to find someone to share things about myself to someone who would understand, and speaking to someone in Spanish while being far from family allows me to feel relaxed and definitely makes the city feel comfortable.
Even if you call NYC home already, or if you come from the other side of the country, or even world – try to find what feels familiar. Find that link, that tether that keeps you grounded and makes the city feel exciting. For me, that was being able to meet people from home, which I usually do not have the chance to do when in NC, and being able to have restaurants that serve home cooked foods from Argentina, which I also don’t have in NC, nor my mom closeby to prepare.
You are bound to feel homesick even in a city as fun and exciting as New York. But it’s how you manage your time, the people you find to be your closest friends, and the places you keep going back to because of the people, the food, or the atmosphere, that will make this place be your second home. The city is your oyster after all.
By Avril Walter
Avril Walter is a Sophomore at New York University, majoring in Drama and Cinema Studies. Coming from an Argentinian background, she loves anything related to futbol, steak, and dulce de leche. When she is not in class, she can be found playing the violin, running, cooking, or at the movie theatre.
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