Muchaaachos Brings Argentine Cooking and Fútbol to Normandy Isles

Picture this: It's 2022, Argentina just won the World Cup, and you're at a sports bar in Miami where the crowd is chanting what has become their anthem, "Muchachos!" This is exactly what inspired Sebastian Aloi, Argentine movie producer turned restaurateur, to name his new Argentinian restaurant Muchaaachos in Normandy Isles.

"I am thrilled to share Muchaaachos with the city of Miami," says Aloi, whose new restaurant combines live-fire cooking and a passion for fútbol. "With Argentina's third World Cup win and Lionel Messi's recent move to the Inter Miami team, there has never been more excitement around fútbol and Argentinian culture in Miami than there is now."

Joined by Leandro Cabanillas, owner of Wynwood wine bar Ruka, and Katie June Burton, Aloi and his team have brought Muchaaachos to Normandy Isles. The recently opened restaurant is an ode to Argentinian cuisine, serving professionally cooked dishes with a homemade factor.

Yes, it's spelled with a triple a. We'll explain.

During the World Cup in 2022, Argentinian fans chanted the "Muchachos" song that soon became rooted in every fútbol fan's memory. Hence the name.
"I think the World Cup was like a movie for all of us from Argentina," explains Cabanillas. "Sebastian comes from the movie industry, so he was able to capture that and translate that sentiment with the restaurant's name. The song represents happiness, success, and getting together. We wanted to translate it into a restaurant where you go to eat, drink, and be happy together."

Aloi notes that he loves graphic novels, and it is common for words to be spelled in such a way to express a noise or chant, which is what he did with the name. Burton explains that Argentinian clients appreciate the nostalgia the name brings back.

As for the dishes served at Muchaaachos, the idea behind the menu was to craft dishes that would honor Argentinian cuisine while also attracting a wider audience. The restaurant is helmed by Argentine chef Sebastian Benitez, who worked with the team to create a menu that could reach locals and visitors alike with open-fire cooking techniques.

"It was months of debate," says Burton. "For them, it's so nostalgic. From how this plate is served, what needs to be on the menu, thinking of how we modernize it or do we keep it super traditional? So, it was all about bringing on the right chef to execute those ideas. Now, the menu is a mix of those traditional staples and vegetable-centric items to balance out all the meat."

The menu highlights dishes a parrilla, including grilled cowboy steak for two, whole branzino, and half a chicken, as well as main vegetable dishes such as roasted cauliflower with bagna cauda, charred broccolini served with green goddess dressing, and sweet potato with brown butter and chives.
For first-timers, the team recommends the skirt steak, the "Milanesa Napolitana," prepared with prime beef tenderloin, tomato sauce, mozzarella, and hand-cut french fries, as well as the chorizo made in-house and served with chimichurri and salsa criolla.

All the dishes served at the restaurant can be paired with a wine list curated by Karina Iglesias featuring selections from Argentina, Spain, Italy, Chile, and Uruguay. Bar options include vermouths from Argentina and Spain, Muchaaachos lager on draft, and classic cocktails including "Clarito," an extra dry martini with a twist, or a "Fernet & Coke" served in La Copa del Mundo glass.

A sweet end includes the classic dulce de leche flan and tiramisu, or the "chocomisu," which is a fusion of the classic Argentinian chocotorta and the classic tiramisu.

"We want people to come to Copa America or the next World Cup, but we created something for everyone," says Aloi. "We want Miami, we want Hispanics or not, fútbol fans or not, everyone."

Muchaaachos. 933 Normandy Dr., Miami Beach; instagram.com/muchaaachosmiami. Tuesday through Sunday 4:30 to 11 p.m.