Isabella Aquilina may have been born in Brazil, raised by her maternal Argentinian grandparents, and lived for years in Uruguay, but for the last year, Greece has been her home, feeding and nurturing her passion for travelling and Latin American baking traditions.
So, for a few months now, she has been operating her own piazza and bakery, La Linda (beautiful in Spanish), in Glyfada.
The name is no accident, not only because Isabella is a beautiful person with a pure and restless spirit but also because that is the name of the bakery-restaurant that she has been running with her mother, Maria, for 11 years in Punta del Este, Uruguay.
"The house we bought in Uruguay before it was turned into a bakery was already named La Linda (Uruguyans often name their houses), and since it is traditionally considered rude to change the name of the house that goes into new ownership, we kept it," Isabella explained.
"But we liked it, too, because it so aptly represented what we were trying to build there," she added.
People who visit the Uruguayan bakery La Linda in Glyfada often ask her how this project came about so far away from her homeland and how she got these strong ties with our country.
“My father is responsible for this love at first sight. His professional obligations (he works for a large shipping company) brought him for long periods to Greece, and more specifically to Glyfada, where he lived so that he could combine the ease of commuting to work with his passion for the sea," Isabella said.
"During his trips, I got to know your country, and from the first moment, I understood that this is where I would like to live in the future," the Latina revealed.
She did not have to wait long for this future, and she expanded her business activity to Greece as well, transferring La Linda, exactly as it is, with the same philosophy and with the exact same menu, from Uruguay to Athens.
She even took the heads of the kitchen of La Linda in Glyfada all the way to Uruguay to train them in the local delicacies of the menu and experience, as Isabella said, "up close the philosophy and atmosphere of the original shop to familiarise themselves with the locals and the tastes they prefer and, in the end, to live as locals themselves, even if only for a while, so that they can understand the history and traditions of the place."
For now, Isabella has managed to create a sophisticated corner that churns butter and attracts all the fans of Latin American pastries early in the morning in its comfortable, multi-level courtyard with straw chairs.
In this courtyard, we find her every day until the afternoon, welcoming people with a warm smile, always with the open kitchen in the industrial-style hall of La Linda as a background.
Sweet and savoury pastries and wines from Uruguay
Among others, the Argentinian Torta Rogel, which looks quite reminiscent of the classic millefeuille, consists of layers of thin biscuit and dulce de leche, alternately, while a generous dose of burnt Swiss meringue covers its surface.
There are also the stuffed Alfajores biscuits, the Cocada, another traditional Latin American sweet with a biscuit base, dulce de leche in the middle (brought directly from Uruguay), and a thin layer of coconut cake on top, the Medialuna, the Uruguayan version of the croissant, Bizcochos with dulce de leche, and Margaritas with cream.
The menu has recently been strengthened by spicy Empanadas filled with ground beef, olives, eggs, and other savoury delicacies, perfectly accompanying La Linda's great collection of local Uruguayan wines (served by the bottle or by the glass).
So far, the service follows a self-service philosophy (sweet and savoury dishes are served on disposable paper plates).
However, this will gradually change as the space will also start to function as a restaurant, serving a small and comprehensive menu for meat lovers and side dishes based on Argentinian and Uruguayan recipes.
Info: 13 Kyprous, Glyfada, tel.: 210 8949900
Loukia Chrisovitsanou is a columnist for Cantina. Translated by Paul Antonopoulos.
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