A trip to learn English, a key bond and the success of the choripán

María Celia Miralles is 42 years old. He was born in Azul, province of Buenos Aires, and at 17 he settled in the City of Buenos Aires to study the Policy Science career.

“I was lucky to work in my field, something that I am passionate about,” he starts counting in a talk that is going to stretch for several days, time differences and labor issues between mail and whatsapp.

He always liked to travel and for that “Every weight that could save destined to know the world”.

Beyond the enormous enjoyment and passion to discover new places, I also noticed that English was a pending subjectthat he needed to take care of.

“Seeking to improve, I began to investigate scholars and so I won one for Study in Indiaat a university of English and foreign languages, ”says Celia and among his memories are the new friendships he made- they were more than 80 scholars around the world- and A particular link that would later change his life: a girl from Montenegroa country in southeastern Europe, in the Balkan peninsula.

The scholarship ended in April 2016 and in September, Celia took vacations and He traveled to Italy. He contacted his friend Montenegrina to visit her and that resulted in the Recommendation to add Croatia- another of the Balcanic countries- to their itinerary.

During his First night in Hvara Croatian island that is usually reached from Split, He met Marco, a Venetian with roots on that island on his mother’s side.

She followed her trip to two days -to visit her friend of Montenegro-, but The connection with Marco had been so strong that they met again 20 days later in Venice And they realized that they wanted to continue together.

“A story of comings and turns between Argentina and Europe began until Marco decided to move to Buenos Aires,” summarizes María Celia.

They married, lived several years in capital And as is many of them, when thinking about having children concerns began to emerge on which environment raising them, more for her that came from a quiet city like that of Azul.

“The idea of Probar a Hvar (The place where they had met). It was a difficult decision, we left everything behind and, seeing it distance, it was also a bit unconscious, but we launched, ”says María Celia.

Pandemia grabbed them halfwayin Italy, with all the uncertainty that meant. About six months later, as soon as they opened the borders, they managed to arrive and settle in HVAR. And then they began to evaluate what to do.

They had nothing organized in Hvar, they did not go with a fixed position and The world was quite upset with pandemic.

“I had a job and Marco was in interviews, but in that 2020 post pandemic Everything was very uncertain And what they offered us did not close us. We decided to take that summer to think and project, ”says Celia.

One of the ideas they had – and that had been projecting from Buenos Aires – was to produce espadrilles.

“We did courses, we brought molding and hues … it is a project that excites us a lot and that at some point we will resume,” he says about a project that is still latent.

“I was also going around the Choripán idea. I had done several courses with Marcelo Cagnoli, a teacher whom I admire a lot and who is always willing to give us a hand, ”adds Celia and getting close to what would be his current occupation.

One night, chatting with friends of Croatian island, the idea of MAKE A ARGENTINE NIGHT.

“A form of Share our culture… And by the way, the choripán. It was a Total success: Many people came, some with selection t -shirts, helped us restaurants owners, Argentine boys on the island, even Split people joined, ”recalls Celia.

It was the Pye to open a restaurant And so Don Armando was born, on July 3, 2021. The name is a tribute to Celia’s paternal grandfather and also, for them, it represents the Argentine identity.

“It is a very familiar name for me: my grandfather was called Armando Alberto, my dad is Luis Armando and one of my brothers, Facundo Armando. Unfortunately I did not meet my grandfather, but he was always very present in the family through anecdotes. He was a great worker, traveler of commerce, very dear,” explains Celia.

Four weeks after the opening, between super intense days, which demanded a lot of effort, Emma was bornCelia’s daughter and Marco.

Don Armando grew and gain fame between premises and travelers.

But Like all stories always have some great obstacle to overcome. In the case of them, at three years they did not renew the local contract and had to go looking for options. And so a OPPORTUNITY IN STARI GRAD15 minutes from the original Hvar store.

It is worth a stop in history to tell that, in mid -March, from this restaurant classics such as empanadas, choripán, milanesas, potato cake and even Chocoota and alfajores to commemorate the 12 years of Pontificate of Pope Francis, an event in the Cathedral of Hvar and the Garden of the Bishopric.

A short time later and a little as a result of that process of looking for new places, they ended up opening Another place in Split And he was born “Don Armando to the step”ideal for a destination where tourists circulate from here to there.

The most asked? There are no doubts: the choripán and the empanadas of Argentine meat.

Far from finishing there, the story gave them the rematch in Hvar with a new place that opened with one condition: it had to be a pizzeria and was born eighteen.

“An opportunity that we could not miss: a strategic position in the city of Hvar, right in front of La Riva, where all yachts stop. We alone could not face another investment, so I resumed an idea that we had been chatting long ago between brothers: do some project together. We are five brothers, and with our partners we are ten in total … Hence the name eighteen (10, in Italian), ”explains Celia.

Celia, Marco and Emma They return every year to Argentinawhere he usually stays two months for Reincentate and enjoy with your family and friends.

“Not everything is easy. There are times when The distance weighs. Sometimes I wonder what I would do if I came back, ”he reflects.

He loves Hvar, a place he defines “magical, with a crystalline sea that seems taken from a story. Tranquility and security are invaluable, but Family and friends always throw. And there is the dilemma with which we live with those who live away ”.