Custom pasta and the burger boom; gender changes allowed for minors; road closures to the coast; Kimsa the condor turns nine months.

Hungry? –

(De El Mercurio del domingo, 15/3) Freddy Arteaga ofrece una innovadora experiencia gastronómica con “Pasta Pack” (Freddy Arteaga offers an innovative dining experience with “Pasta Pack”) – Pasta Pack is based on artesanal pastas, made daily which allows combining a large selection of pastas, sauces, proteins, and toppings. The restaurant is located on av. Paseo de los Cañaris y Jorge Icaza with hours from martes to domingo from 23:00 to 23:00, and until 22:00 on domingo. You start by picking your pasta: fettuccine, spaghetti, fusilli, ravioli, macaroni, rigatoni, penne, shells or farfalle. There are also pastas made with a base of carrot, beet and spinach. Then you pick your sauce: white sauce with parmesan, red sauce with tomato and spices, 4 cheese sauce (mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, and cream cheese), salsa rosa, salsa verde made with basil, garlic and cheese, or the traditional bolognese with ground beef and a tomato base. After that, you decide on the protein which can be chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, vegetables or meatballs. For those wanting a special choice there is a chicken milanesa or a trio of meats. Lastly, there you can add 3 toppings including longaniza, olives, mozzarella, cheddar, sweet corn, parmesan, chorizo, pepperoni, ham, peppers, cherry tomatoes, spinach and onion. Besides pastas the menu includes lasagna, bombas de maduro (bolones?), canelone, salads and empanadas.

(De El Mercurio del domingo, 15/3) 7 El ‘boom’ de las hamburguesas (The hamburger boom) – Cooper’s serves American food which has gained popularity with locals and foreigners. It is at Alfonso Cordero and Miguel Cordero Dávila and is a destination for lovers of grilled and smash burgers. Partner and administrator Mauricio Ulloa, said they use their own potato bread and premium meat mixes. Some of their favorites are the ‘Smoked Bacon Jelly,’ the Lamborghini with lamb, and the ‘Sweet Temptation’ with sweet corn, mozzarella, and glazed pineapple.

Latida is at calles Santiago Carrasco and Francisco Sojos, diagonal from the parque Santa Anita. Chef/owner Henry Abril uses innovative techniques and ingredients such as picaña of beef and brisket for his meat blend and other ingredients such as arugula, Dijon mustard, and strong cheeses such as blue and goat for a unique touch. Their best seller is the ‘Tida Burger’ with onion carmelized in butter for 4 hours, soft bread, toasted with juicy meat and crispy bacon. Other popular options are the ‘Blue Burger’ with bacon jam, and the ‘Goat’ with goat cheese, tomato chutney with poppy seeds and arugula. Latida has promotions through marzo from martes a viernes, and every miércoles this year except in diciembre with your 2nd burger 50% off in the cozy terrace. For delivery, call 099 975 4499.

Rob’s Beef was inspired by owner Roberto Quezada’s experience working in Spain for a well known New Yorker’s restaurant. For Roberto, the key to success is in the quality of his ingredients. He uses good cuts of meat for different mixes. His menu is a trip through the flavors of America including ‘Rob’s Clasic’ made with a mix of cheddar, bacon, caramelized onion and house sauces. The ‘Phily’ has mozzarella, roasted red peppers, and cream cheese. The ‘Brooklyn’ has mozzarella, olive oil, oregano and crispy bacon. He has a 2 for 1 promotion on burgers from lunes a miércoles. Rob’s Beef is located on av. Yaupi y Benjamin Franklin, or you can call WhatsApp 099 595 3577.

Black Angus Grill at Agustín Cueva and Gonzalo Cordero Dávila is popular with both locals and Americans living in Cuenca. It is a two time winner of GringoPost’s best hamburger award. Owner David Figueroa opened the restaurant in 2014. The most ordered burgers are the ‘Clasica’ which combines grilled beef with bacon and cheddar and the ‘Champiñones’ bathed in grilled mushrooms and a creamy sauce to highlight the flavor of the meat which is simply spectacular. There is a special on martes y miércoles for 2 burgers for $11 applicable to dining in house or delivery. Call 07 281 7400 or 099 573 3404.

Curious? –

Minors are now able to change their name and gender on their cedulas.

(De El Mercurio del sábado, 14/3) Cambio de género en cédula abre polémica (Change of gender on ID card sparks controversy) – The Constitutional Court ruled that a person who is 12 years old now has the right to change their name and gender on ID documents issued by the Registro Civil. The ruling declared the unconstitutionality of demanding a person reach majority before being able to rectify their gender since that violates rights for free development of personality and identity. In addition, it fails to recognize adolescents’ ability to progressively exercise their rights. For an adolescent to access the gender change they must comply with 3 requirements: to present the application in person, be accompanied by their legal representatives, and support their decision with psycho-social reports that show they have sufficient maturity to make a free, informed, and voluntary decision in relation to their gender identity. The ruling was approved 5 to 4 with 3 justices who filed dissenting opinions, in which they disagreed with the majority’s ruling. Dissenting justices had various reasons including that rectifying one’s gender can only be done once and the adolescent could not change their mind later. Others dissented based on the way in which the unconstitutionality was remedied relative to the requirement to be accompanied by the parents and the presentation of a psycho-social report.

(De El Mercurio del sábado, 14/3) Habilitan turnos para licencias (Appointments for licenses are available) – The Agencia Nacional de Tránsito (ANT) reported that as of el 13/3, users who have appointments to get their driver’s licenses in all categories can reschedule and continue with the process without paying more. Go to the ANT site and get a new appointment by clicking “Turnos en linea,” and then picking the time, date, and location. Also back in operation is where you can update your data. For the issuance of the Certificado Único Vehicular, you need to go in person while ANT is working to reactivate the online service. Users who paid, but did not get the document can go in person to pick it up. Some payments made between el 14/1 and 8/3 were registered with the previous rates. In these cases, there will not be double billing. If there are differences, users need to pay the pending amount to continue the process.

De El Mercurio del sábado, 14/3) Están cerradas las vías a la Costa debido a derrumbes (Roads to the coast are closed due to landslides) – Connections between Azuay and the coastal provinces have been suspended due to the damage from the intense rains. The vía Cuenca-Girón-Pasaje is closed between km. 50 & 52 in the Pichanillas sector because of a sinkhole and large landslide. Also work on installing a sewer line at km. 47 is advancing. Problems persist on the vía Cuenca-Molleturo-El Empalme with landslides at km. 91 & 103. MIT is working to open the road, but the process is difficult due to the large quantity of debris on the pavement.

(De El Mercurio del sábado, 14/3) 9 meses de Kimsa, la primera cría de cóndor ( Kimsa, the first condor chick, at 9 months) – Kimsa, a female condor who was born at the Amaru Bioparque Cuenca, turned 9 months old on the past 11/3. Her birth marks an advance in conserving this species in danger of extinction. She is the first Andean condor in Ecuador to receive puppet assisted parenting. This technique allows her to be fed without direct contact with her caregivers. It promotes a visual interaction with a figure similar to an adult condor and avoids the chick becoming used to humans. This is a key to introducing her to the wild. She is continuing to grow feathers which is a determining phase that will allow her to make her first flight in the next months. This week the zoo shared pictures of Kimsa enjoying the rain in her enclosure.

(De El Mercurio del jueves, 12/3) Consola Violeta da asistencia inmediata (Consola Violeta provides immediate assistance) – The City of Cuenca reported that it is maintaining the Consola Violeta, which is a safe and confidential channel to report cases of violence and to receive guidance and support. This system of the Consejo de Seguridad Ciudadana (CSC) is designed to bring immediate help as well as protective, care, and support services to victims of violence. In the first place, the service seeks to prevent and reduce risks confronting women and children by offering a timely response in dangerous situations with a module that guarantees confidentiality to those asking for help. Once a call is received, the operator asks questions to determine the level of risk to the victim. If the answers indicate an emergency, a code is activated that will dispatch a Violeta patrol car from the Dirección Nacional de investigación contra la Violencia de Género, Mujer, Familia, NIñez y Adolescencia (DINAF – National Directorate for Research on Gender-Based Violence, Women, Families, Children, and Adolescents). During the process, the operator will stay on the line until the agent arrives. Once the victim is safe, the responsible person from the Consola will stay in contact with the uniformed officer and caller to inform them of the reference and counter-reference for the case.

Information in this column, including dates, times and locations, is courtesy of the El Mercurio newspaper. Comments between the carrots, or guillemets (< … >), are the personal opinions of the author and not part of the news translation.