Argentine football and the country’s cuisine rarely cross paths as closely as they do in Miami. Lionel Messi, captain of Inter Miami and co-owner of the restaurant El Club, has repeatedly mentioned his fondness for one dish in particular: milanesa napolitana, a breaded veal cutlet topped with tomato sauce and melted mozzarella — a heartier variation on the classic milanesa, itself an absolute staple of the Argentine table.
The dish is actually a broader cultural marker than just one player’s preference: milanesa is to Argentina what steak-frites is to France, an everyday classic that cuts across every social class and family table. Its napolitana version, more generous, is generally reserved for special occasions — a World Cup match is certainly one of them.
With many Argentine fans arriving in the United States for this final stage, several restaurants across the country are leaning on this kind of dish to capture some of the tournament’s excitement, much like several Argentine spots in Texas that have reworked their menus for the occasion.