Roque Perez / Del Carril / Paraje Forastieri / Estancia La Dulce

You have to travel 35 km from the center of Roque Pérez to get to Forastieri, along a sandy road of about 5 km that goes from RP30 to a small chapel where you begin to see this Paraje, with the charm of the green of the countryside and the blue of the sky.

The gas pump, long since out of service, bears the marks of countless stories. Around the corner stands an old warehouse—where it all began—and beyond, the school and the small hall.

Guillermo Arean was born and raised in the La Gloria area, very close to Forastieri, and his parents, uncles, and other relatives are from there. He says it's a very populated area, with about 300 people living within a 5km radius, and that Emilio Forastieri was the local grocer.

“People didn’t have much transportation and would arrive by horse-drawn cart or on horseback to shop, get together for a meal, or dance on weekends in a large corrugated iron hall that’s now destroyed, where a circus once performed. Two of the women who came with the circus stayed, and one married the store owner.

The area was actually called El Progreso, but everyone said, ‘Let’s go to Forastieri’s,’ and that’s how it got its name. Forastieri died, and his wife married the butcher around 1960, and that’s when people started calling the place Anacleto’s Bar. Even I used to go there dancing on Sundays in the 70s; it was the meeting place for young people. None of them are still there, and the heir to the property rented it out,” recounts Guillermo, who currently lives in Roque Pérez.

Encouraged by Guillermo's story and curious about the latest news from the area, this weekend we came across a surprise: the new El Progreso Country Store, which opened in the same place where the story began, in which they managed to combine gastronomy, tradition and community.

They say that every weekend, from late afternoon, the store transforms into a meeting point for neighbors and visitors who come to share a different kind of night, with authentic flavors and the same spirit of the old country stores that one finds throughout Roque Pérez.

Local artists and dance nights blend with typical Buenos Aires cuisine of barbecues, fried cakes, bread puddings and a glass of wine, which can be enjoyed outdoors or inside the large hall decorated with antique objects that tell its story.

“El Progreso,” says Marcelo, one of its owners, “was conceived with the idea of ​​preserving the essence of a small town, where the general store occupies its historical role as a social and cultural center.”

Marcelo had the dream of opening this bowling alley that brings life to Paraje Forastieri every weekend, together with his friends who participate in the project.

“We offer a barbecue menu with beef and pork, homemade charcuterie, pork shoulder, chorizo, bacon, tenderloin, sweet and savory homemade blood sausage, and head cheese.

We also serve some traditional country desserts, like flan, a good fruit salad, ice cream, and a nice cheese and jam. People come and stay for the afternoon, sitting and drinking mate under the trees, so we're thinking about adding more activities. We opened very recently and we feel that the public has been very supportive.

It was busy during La Noche de los Almacenes (Night of the General Stores), the biggest local festival in Roque Pérez, and then with the rural carnivals. We had a great response from the people of Forastieri and everyone in the area.”