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Gardel's Abasto
History of the neighborhood that saw the birth of the greatest of all time, the immortal Carlos Gardel.
El Chanta Cuatro
El Chanta Cuatro was a two-story hotel-restaurant opened in 1893 at the corner of what is now Carlos Gardel 3200 (formerly Agüero Street). It had bocce courts, a game that was very popular among Italian immigrants. The name comes precisely from the game of bocce: “chanta” (from the Italian cianta) is the frontal shot that displaces the opponent’s bocce ball and takes its place; “chanta cuatro” refers to a high-scoring point or an important play. Over time, the expression became part of Buenos Aires lunfardo. Gardel was a regular there: he would dine there, sing until dawn, and meet with friends. It was one of the most famous meeting places in the tango scene of Abasto.
