I want to tell you that I am Alberto Pino and I was born in Carmelo, Uruguay. From a very young age, I was captivated by gastronomy through my family. My aunt Lidia cooked like the gods, and tasting her dishes turned out to be an unforgettable experience for me.
At fifteen, I started working; a bit with my grandfather in Carmelo, a bit with my father in Buenos Aires. At seventeen, I set up my first business, focused on selling candy; then I sold firewood, later I had a pharmacy and perfumery, until finally, I became a pilot. However, this did not distract my ongoing interest in gastronomy.
I later settled in Mercedes, set up agricultural businesses and others related to different sectors, although I was always organizing trips that allowed me to enjoy good cuisine around the world. I remember being almost thirty and planning my trips thinking about which restaurants to visit and, above all, which dishes to enjoy.
In 2018, I was invited to write restaurant reviews. Since I didn’t want to use my name, I invented one, and that’s how Tony Soler was born. From then on, I experienced personal growth, but above all, I began my first major contacts and connections with chefs whom I tried to support and give visibility through critical writing.
In recent years, everything went well, I enjoyed many gastronomic experiences, and this led me to think about creating a gastronomic guide that would help position the country on the world stage. I am convinced that people eat very well in Uruguay, but I also believe it is necessary to communicate this better. To do this, I met with Carina Silva and Eleonora Navatta, with whom I discussed a project that, little by little, began to take shape. I also invited a chef friend of Argentine origin, Matías Cucco, who, in addition to being a great professional, joined to write the reviews.
That’s how we started in 2025. We began the year 2026, and we now have a product ready to embark on an extensive journey to promote the best Uruguayan cuisine both within the country and in major international destinations.
