Fernando Navas Brings Argetine Cuisine to Pittsburgh
Written by Arlo Grey MacFarland
Located in the heart of the Strip District, Argentine cocina Balvanera delivers fun fusion flavors of South America in a laid-back, social atmosphere. Originating in New York City’s Lower East Side in the 2010s, head chef Fernando Navas and co-founder/partner Meredith Boyle brought Balvanera to Pittsburgh in 2023. Sitting at 1660 Smallman St., across from The Terminal, the restaurant offers Argentine dishes with a taste of Navas’ Mediterranean influences.
After studying cuisine in Spain and coming to the United States at the turn of the millennium, Navas found his way into the Japanese kitchens of New York City. Working for restaurants such as Nobu, SUSHISAMBA, and Spanish kitchen ElBulli, Navas gained culinary experience in a variety of cultures. Training under the likes of Ferran Adría and Nobu Matsuhisa, Navas diversified and developed his skills, gaining a love of Japanese and Mediterranean cuisine along the way.
“Even though this is an Argentine restaurant, you can see crudos, fish crudos, you can see the way that we handle the fish. That is something I did back in the Japanese restaurants… All the meat that we do on the grill is something that comes from my culture from Argentina. You can see it throughout the menu and throughout the menu, the lines, how we do business on the service side. You can see a splashing [of different cultures] in different parts of the restaurant.”
Blending cultural culinary practices and regional flavors brings Navas closer to his culture. In fact, in 2021, Navas was recognized by the Argentine government as an Official Culinary Ambassador of Argentina, a program dedicated to promoting Argentinean culture outside of the country. This title has brought Navas to different international cooking events, representing Argentine brands.
Navas grew up in the kitchen, “In Argentina, your life surrounds the kitchen. Homes don't have many rooms, like in the States, so [it’s] usually where everyone hangs out and gathers… On the weekends, it's all about barbecue, winter, summer, and if it's raining. So it's about being surrounded by cooking. Also, I had [a lot of] freedom as a kid, to fix something for myself. So at the age of 10, 11, I was able to make an omelet or fry some Milanes or bake some empanadas. So being close to the kitchen at that young age is what gave me the love for it,” he said.
Navas aims to bring those memories and kitchen experiences to Balvanera, sourcing ingredients from international marketplaces (fish from Japan, steak from Argentina, Iberian ham from Spain, and more). Alongside this, he hires up-and-coming cooks from Argentina on visas to join his kitchen.
“[Navas] hired chefs from Argentina to come and work here to support that educational process on a J1 visa, so they're bringing a lot of cool ideas to our team. Our American team, some of them didn't necessarily know anything about Argentina at all, and now there's this shared education in the kitchen and then a shared experience in the dining room,” said Boyle.
Bridging continental and cultural gaps via cuisine has brought people together for decades, and the increased globalization of food is a direct result of this. Combining his experience in different kitchens, time in the hospitality business, and childhood memories, Fernando Navas brings a taste of his life to Pittsburgh.
Since the restaurant’s opening in 2023, Balvanera has seen great success in the region. Boyle mentioned how it seemed like out of nowhere, she met Pittsburghers with Argentinean heritage.
“I think it's nice that through the restaurant, he's able to find this connection back to his home country, you know, through the food, through the people,” said Boyle about Navas.
As of now, Boyle and Navas are in talks of opening a new restaurant concept in the downtown area. Still in the brainstorming stage, they hope to shift away from Argentine cuisine and bring something new to the table. Hoping to open in 2026, Navas and Boyle are determined to expand. For more information on Balvanera, the menu, and hours of operation, you can visit their website here.
