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In a city where dining experiences often lean toward spectacle, Chef Deborah de Corral is creating something different—intimate, nostalgic, and deeply personal. Los Pingüinos, her new weekly pop-up happening on Thursdays, is a tribute to the bodegones of Buenos Aires, where warm hospitality and honest, flavorful cooking reign supreme. Set in the glowing patio of The Door in Miami, the experience is rooted in fire, tradition, and a touch of argento-nostalgia—from wood-fired dishes to penguin-shaped wine pitchers and a soundtrack of rock en español classics.
We sat down with de Corral to talk about the inspiration behind Los Pingüinos, her love for cooking over fire, and why this project feels like coming home.
Los Pingüinos is such a nostalgic and evocative name, tying back to Buenos Aires’ classic bodegones. What inspired you to bring this element of Argentine tradition to Miami, and how does it reflect the spirit of your pop-up?
Well, it's what I grew up knowing and loving. When I thought about what to do after Tigre, all I knew was it needed to be the closest thing to coming home for dinner. The most relaxed and warm dining experience possible, like my backyard but with full restaurant service. I knew I wanted a wood fired oven, parrillas, fuegos. When I found the space @thedoormiami it all came together very naturally. So that's the spirit of my pop up I think. Warm hospitality, honest good cooking with a lot of flavor and chill vibes with a porteño accent. And fuegos!
You describe Los Pingüinos as the closest thing to eating at your home but with full restaurant service. What are some personal touches or dishes that hold special meaning for you in this experience?
Everything has my personal touch, this is a very personal project. I put this together out of a creative need and to have fun (I work in hospitality, so my idea of "fun" may differ to that of most people lol). I put together a small but mighty team of back and front of the house warriors. We work hard and have fun! The dishes vary according to what inspires me each week, could stem from a beautiful vegetable from a local farm or an idea of the moment ... but there's always a Tigre classic or two!
You mention wanting to push back against “form over substance” in the restaurant world. How does Los Pingüinos embody your vision of honest, flavorful food and warm hospitality?
I'm not trying to push back against anything here, there's room for everything in Miami. I do feel we need more neighborhood restaurants serving delicious food that's not trying too hard, with warm yet professional service. I feel a lot of restaurants opening lately are focusing on superficial aspects and food & hospitality are left to suffer.
The setting sounds magical, with a wood-burning oven and Argentinian-style parrillas. What draws you to this method of cooking, and how does it influence the flavors and textures of your dishes?
I've always been in love with wood fire and how it transforms a bunch of ingredients into something truly magical. There's a charring and caramelization that you simply can't get cooking on a stove or with gas. And that smokiness adds such depth of flavor. I especially love what it does to vegetables. There's nothing like it!
From half-bottle wine penguin-shaped pitchers to a soundtrack of rock en español classics, every detail of Los Pingüinos feels intentionally curated. How did you approach crafting an atmosphere that goes beyond just the meal?
Like I said, it all came together very naturally. I'm embracing my argento-nostalgic side fully!
The pingüinos are iconic in Buenos Aires and all through Argentina, no one knows how they came to be (probably Italian immigrants at the turn of last century) but by the 50's and 60's every bodegón and cantina was serving wine in these quirky ceramic pitchers. I knew I wanted to serve wines by the 1/2 bottle, to make it easier and more approachable for people to be able to try different wines. Not many places do that - Macchialina is one of them - and I always thought it was so thoughtful and a great experience. Of course I'd have to serve them in pingüinos! I had to ship them over from Argentina.
At $60 for a multi-course menu, Los Pingüinos feels like a labor of love rather than a luxury-priced event. How do you balance high-quality ingredients with keeping the experience accessible and sustainable?
It's very much a labor of love! I'm able to provide a quality experience because I know where and who to source my ingredients from but also not having the financial weight of a restaurant's fixed cost allows for more wiggle room for food and wine quality without breaking the bank. Also this is my playground, so if there's something I really want to serve although it goes over budget, I just go for it! This is a weekly experience so it's very manageable. It's also a great exercise for me before I dive into whatever comes next. I'm not going to get rich here, so I might as well have fun.
Right now, it’s a weekly pop-up, but do you see Pingüinos evolving into something bigger? What’s your dream vision for this project?
I do see myself running another full time restaurant at some point, it's what I love! May also be that I'm just crazy and a masochist, but that's a longer conversation.
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