It’s been an unfortunate couple of months for closures in the restaurant world. BASA, the Retiro stalwart and sister establishment to Gran Bar Danzón, has shuttered. And, after seven years as one of the earlier Chacarita pioneers, Apu Nena led by American-Filipina chef Christina Sunae, closed last week.

Wine bars have also taken a hit: Palermo Soho’s hipster spot Diviiino departed just this past week, as have Pablo Colina’s CAVA in Chacarita and Lucky Sosto’s Vini in Palermo Botánico in August. It’s hard to stand the test of time in a competitive environment continually hindered by Argentina’s eternal financial woes.

Then there are the day-to-day tribulations. Recently, Lardito wine bar was forced to close its doors for four days because the cleaning lady, helping out the team, unknowingly placed empty cardboard wine cases stuffed into a plastic bag in the wrong bin. Two City Hall sticklers caught the error in the middle of service – a first-time mistake, apparently, but still a mistake – and without a signal, negotiation or a warning fine that would have sent the message home (because there’s no pain like a financial one), closed the restaurant down that very night at 10:30pm, according to co-owner Pipe Collaca.

Pipe says, “Obviously we realize we made a mistake, but the powers that be shut the place down immediately because of that bag of cardboard boxes. Told we could go to the traffic violations........

© Buenos Aires Herald