In a city where barbecue is a religion and food trucks roam like wild mustangs, Rod Gaffoglio is chasing a different kind of culinary frontier — one born in the kitchens of Patagonia, Argentina, and now rolling through Fort Worth with a Texas-sized twist.
What started as a neighborhood curiosity has become a full-throttle family business. “My grandma — Nona — was always in the kitchen,” Rod says. “She’d let us kids play with dough and flour. It was a messy kind of magic.” His roots in cooking run deep, anchored in his grandmother’s traditional Argentine recipes, but with a personal spin that involves hours of experimentation and a dash of Texan bravado.
Rod’s journey back to the stove wasn’t straightforward. After his grandfather’s two Argentine restaurants shuttered years ago, the family’s culinary legacy seemed to fade. But in 2020, with the world locked down and kitchens humming across the country, Rod rekindled that spark. “I spent a year teaching myself brisket — 10, 20 different ways,” he says. The twist? Instead of the traditional smoker favored in Texas, he perfected a barbacoa-style brisket cooked in an oven — tender enough to fall apart in your hands, ideal for stuffing into empanadas.
“The idea came when I thought, ‘What if I put brisket inside an empanada?’” Rod recalls with a laugh. “My wife said, ‘You could probably sell that.’ I wasn’t so sure.” A Facebook post to their neighborhood led to 20 dozen orders in two days. It was the kind of validation that turns a hobby into a dream.
That dream took shape in 2023 with the launch of Nona’s Argentina Bakery, a food truck named for the matriarch who inspired it all. The menu is a rotating mix of flavors — from the traditional ground beef empanada straight out of his grandma’s kitchen to inventive combos like three-cheese, spinach, and chicken chimichurri, and the runaway star: brisket with mozzarella.
But the magic doesn’t stop there. Rod spent 2022 perfecting croissants inspired by the Argentine medialuna — infusing French pastries with lemon zest and vanilla. “We put Nutella, strawberries, powdered sugar on top — turning breakfast into an experience,” he says. It’s a nod to the past and a taste of what’s possible when cultures collide.
The truck roams Fort Worth, setting up shop three to four nights a week at spots like Cowtown Brewing, Hot Fusion, and Martin House Brewing — while also showing up for private events and city functions. “We don’t have a permanent location yet, but bouncing around helps us get our name out,” Rod says. Between a full-time job, a wife, and three kids, the hustle is real — but the goal is clear: “This truck is my passion. The goal is a restaurant, then a chain of restaurants.”
For Rod, it’s not just about food — it’s family. “My kids jump in the trailer and stick stickers on boxes just because they want to be part of it,” he says. “It’s a tradition we’re building, honoring my grandma and my mom, and hopefully sharing a little slice of Patagonia with all of Fort Worth.”
For those curious to taste this blend of Argentine soul and Texan heart, Nona’s is worth the hunt — a reminder that sometimes, the best recipes come from a little mess in the kitchen, a lot of heart, and a whole lot of family.