ajgnet

Thanks so much! You have a great point, and I will be sure to explore as much of the country as possible. Regarding the camera, I'm pretty determined to bring it everywhere in the most tactful way possible (no flash, quick pictures, just of the food, etc ...). Photographing food, I've found, is really helpful for me to remember the experience. Also, it's a great way to share with others. My initial plan is to not hesitate and to respectfully photograph what I can ... let's see how that goes!

Are there any paris blogs (french and english ok) that you guys enjoy reading on a regular basis?

Thanks very much! I am looking forward to a great year. I'm doing my best to arrive open-minded and without judgement. Of course, my excitement and enthusiasm helps! I will certainly do my best to find a French girlfriend -- for educational purposes, of course. I would love to come! I posted something in the thread; but, I guess I'll find out more information as the date approaches? I just hope I can find something good in the two short weeks I'll have been there. Thanks for highlighting these resources ... I'm going to check them out.

This is absolutely hilarious. It took me awhile to get over taking out the SLR in New York restaurants .. but for some reason I'm terrified of Paris! I think I'm just going to go for it, flash off, and use the "my friend couldn't be here tonight" excuse ... after all, that is technically true for blog viewers.

This is a fantastic idea. I look forward to coming, and hopefully, with a newly found delicious salted butter! Great idea to restrict this to salted only ... not necessarily because salted is better; but, because it's much harder to compare salted to unsalted.

I'm going to be living in Paris for a year, with the hope of that when I return, I'll be speaking decent French and will have a better understanding of French cuisine and culture (fingers crossed, French is hard!). I've been spending the past 4 months in Buenos Aires with a similar purpose, where I started writing a little about my food-related experiences in a thread titled: Eating My Way Through Buenos Aires. As someone who is very passionate about food, specifically French cuisine, I hope to share my amateur experiences in a visually rich way with you guys throughout the year. Because of the size restrictions on eGullet with uploading images, I'm going to upload smaller photos here and full-resolution pictures on a small site I put up for this purpose: A Life Worth Eating. I'm certainly no professional writer (I studied computer science, if you believe that) nor am I culinary expert. I'm sort of a scatterbrain; but, like everyone else here, I love food and pretty much everything about it. A little about me: I spent the last 5 years of my life living in NYC where I had all sorts of cool food during which I probably should have been studying. I've been to over 400 documented restaurants in these past 5 years (I keep a notebook) ranging from Masa (along with a good friend of mine tupac17616 who actually inspired me to write this with his trip to italy) to scoops of gelato at Il Laboratorio, and many places in-between. My experience with food in NY has been wide-ranging; but, I have no preference for haute cuisine ... just for delicious food (in fact, I'm really turned off by pretense and the way it negatively affects my experience). My favorite restaurants in NY currently are L'Atelier and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, two places I really miss. I love the way a meal can bring together a group of totally different people to satisfy a common desire, even if they don't speak the same language or share many of the same interests. I love the feeling of spending a day in the kitchen and watching friends and family (usually) enjoying my attempt at creativity. At the risk of sounding cheesy, food is a very special glue that brings people together and, in the case of living in a foreign country, tells a lot about the culture. I leave for Paris October 18, and right now I'm working on putting together the beginnings of what always becomes an ever evolving list of restaurants to try. I'll be in Paris for a whole year, which gives me a really nice amount of time to try different places, though even that is probably not enough. I have some ideas of restaurants I want to try, but I could use always use more. So I ask you guys, my fellow eGulleters, for some help. Any recommendations as a starting point would be incredibly appreciated. I know that's a vague question; specifically, if you have any lists of recent favorite places you've experienced (and why you like them) I'd love to check them out. Also, if any eGulleters will be in the city during this time, shoot me a message and perhaps we can share a meal! This is going to be a lot of fun. And, most importantly, it's bound to make everyone very hungry!

Siga La Vaca Alicia Moreau de Justo 1714, Puerto Madero Several friends and I were in search of a somewhat authentic parilla that was both inexpensive and conducive to groups. Our guidebooks pointed us to Siga la Vaca, a “tenedor libre” (free fork, e.g. all you can eat) restaurant frequented by groups of young porteños, usually to celebrate a special occasion. The phrase “all you can eat,” let alone the notion that the restaurant was geared toward “young” people, should have tipped me off that this would not be an enjoyable meal. We showed up at 9:30 without a reservation and sat amongst children with their parents, and groups of overly touchy high school couples, before being seated half an hour later. Our small group of five was brought to a table in-between a group of 14 and a group of 10. Our waitress explained that everything was included (salad, appetizer, meats, drinks, and dessert) for 40 pesos (13 U$D). We started off at the salad bar to warm up, before making our way over to the parilla where the real action happened. At the parilla, there was a lot to choose from. A chalkboard on the wall broke the menu down as follows: Embutidos: chorizo y morcilla Achuras: molleja, riñón, rueda, chinchulín, tripa gorda. Carne vacuna: asado, vacío, colita de cuadril, matambre. Cerdo: carré, pechito con manta. Pollo: con o sin huesos. Especialidades: bife de chorizo o de lomo, entraña, brochettes, carré de cerdo a la ciruela o a la mostaza, solomillo y matambrito de cerdo. Pídalas al parriillero. I started with some cordero (lamb) because it looked the rarest and most tender of the selection. After tasting it, my suspicious were confirmed: it was overcooked, dry, and tough. Since this was a tenedor libre, I cut my losses and went up for another round. This time I helped myself to some Morcilla (blood sausage) and pork ribs. The morcilla was surprisingly bland, and the ribs had nearly no meat. Another disappointment. The waitress offered us some bowls of french fries which, ironically, became my dinner. For dessert, I selected the puff pastry. It was engulfed in dulce de leche. Kind of hard to dislike dulce de leche; but there was nothing particularly exciting about this. After the tenth bite, I started feeling a little queasy. Despite the impressive amount of meat, and the cheap bill, I would skip this place. There are better restaurants for the same price if not cheaper.

La Bourgogne Ayacucho 2027, Recoleta (Hotel Alvear) After months of eating Argentine cuisine, imagine my enthusiasm towards trying Buenos Aires’s only Relais & Châteaux, La Bourgogne, the restaurant of chef Jean Paul Bondoux. The restaurant is located inside the Hotel Alvear, the same hotel that has the place well-reputed for its afternoon high tea , L’Orangerie. I arrived with my friend for a 9:30pm reservation, only, the restaurant wasn’t able to find my name. Despite the fact that the dining room was fairly crowded, the hostess did not even hesitate and found a table for us immediately. The restaurant does have a cocktail lounge; but since we did not chose to sit there for an apéritif, the hostess casually converted the first few moments of our eating experience into a table-side slow-down with a glass of sparkling wine. While feeling rushed is not something I’ve commonly felt here in Buenos Aires, there was something about the initial pacing that really set the tone as extra-calm: perhaps it was the relaxed, but incredibly attentive and observant wait staff, who seemed to just know when we were ready to get started. About half-way through our champagne, we were brought a small plate of warm welcome pastries to accompany the champagne: three different puff pastries and one mini-torte. Of the puff pastries, one was of black and white sesame, another had a thin layer of a local cheese (seemed like cow milk), and one much like “pigs in a blanket.” The mushroom mini-torte was the most dense, and most tasty, with earthy highlights. Nothing particularly special, and all were somewhat reminiscent of frozen cocktail party hors d’oeuvres; although, they did remind me remember how hungary I was. Finishing up our champagne, our waiter handed us our menus. One of the first things that struck me was the special section on the second page titled, service et cuisine d’autre fois Jean Paul Bondoux (service and food from the old times). While I did briefly wonder what exactly old time service meant, it seemed like these dishes were much heavier with rich sauces and much more classical in style than the rest of the menu: carré de veau, filet de boeuf, and poisson en coûte de sel to name a few. One dish sounded particularly tasty: suprême de volaille, beurre de noisettes, écume de lait (chicken breast, hazelnut butter, and milk foam). I was pretty determined to give this a try, as well as huîtres chaudes et pétoncles en citron vert et lait de coco (cooked oysters and scallops with coconut milk and lime), especially since I wanted some variety other than steak. But then, my eyes found what they always find: menu dégustation. Done. After seeing the oysters on the menu, albeit they were cooked, I really began to miss fresh raw oysters. My friend and I discussed this briefly, and concluded that we would ask if, before our tasting got started, we could have just two raw oysters each to get things going. There was a bit of confusion as to why we wanted this; but, the waitress assured us it would not be a problem. And since it was before the tasting itself, I felt comfortable that it would not interfere with the progression of the meal. We were brought a basket of paper-thin white bread accompanied by salmon butter and salted butter. Since the bread was so thin, it seemed to me like the slices served mainly as a vehicle to taste the smokey flavor of the salmon butter. I actually thought the idea of thin and light bread was fantastic — something to much on in-between conversation without getting too full. The amuse bouche followed: a sauteed scallop encrusted in a thin layer of semolina. The scallop was a little firm, and any sort of ocean flavor was overwhelmed by the sharp lemon lurking in the sauce. Nothing particularly special here. Next came something rather interesting: instead of four simple oysters, we were brought a platter of twelve. When we asked why we were brought 12 instead of 4, the waitress said that the chef “could not do just four,” and that we shouldn’t worry about it. Believe me, I wasn’t worrying. The oysters came in all different shapes and sizes: some were very meaty while others were fairly small and thin. Despite being Argentina, these oysters were very fresh. The sommelier paired this with a Finca Domingo Torrontes 2006 from Cafayate Salta, because it would go nicely with the first official course of the tasting. The Torrontes was incredibly fragrant: I felt as if I had stuck my head in a rose garden. As we were finishing up our oysters we were offered a selection of fine bread, the highlights being the milk roll and the raisin loaf. Probably a bad sign that I was starting to feel a little full, and the tasting had yet to begin. Next was the first official course of the tasting, and I was very happy to see that it was something that I was going to order anyway: huîtres chaudes et pétoncles, citron vert et lait de coco. We were presented with two sauced scallops and an oyster served in shell, sitting atop a beautiful bed of sea-salt with bits of seaweed for color differentiation. Unlike the amuse, the lime and coconut flavor were in perfect harmony and this was absolutely delicious. If I had any bread left, I would have been soaking up the last drops of this coconut lime sauce. Impressively, the lime flavor was light enough to allow for me to taste the natural flavors of both the scallops and the oyster. This was the strongest course of the night. The momentum kept going with the following course, buisson de cuisses de grenouilles au persil aillé a handful of sautéed frog legs in a parsley and basil butter, surrounding a pile of shoestring fried potatoes. Aside from this attractively colorful presentation, the flavor of the rich and lightly salted butter sauce was just enough to compliment the frog legs without distracting. The frog was texturally appealing, with something in-between chicken and a firm white fish. With this we had a Chardonnay from Mendoza, a Rutini 2006. Unfortunately, the two strongest courses were followed by the weakest: abadejo en croûte de semoule a la poudre d’amande beurre d’agrumes served with an Escorihuela Gascon Viognier 2006 from Mendoza. This was a generous portion of abadejo encrusted in almond and semolina with a citrus sauce. The bitterness of the sauce was overpowering, and since the crust was super absorbent it acted as a lemon sponge. I also found the almond and semolina crust to be way too dry, making too stark of a textural contrast against the moisture of the fish. That being said, it was served with a dried pumpkin ring that had an incredibly fun texture — grainy and crisp, much like pear skin. The texture, combined with the fact that each piece would double in size in my mouth, made this really interesting. Next up was some meat, filet de cerf au beurre de genièvre. Nothing like some game in Buenos Aires. This deer filet was served in juniper butter with an accompainment of puréed sweet potatoes and some leek and celery a l’étuvé. Another hit. Nicely cooked and portioned, this meat was so incredibly flavorful. The texture was very gamey: a cross between calf liver and rare filet mignon. This course was paired with Infinitus Merlot Gran Reserva 2003 from Rio Negro, a merlot with a fairly high alcohol concentration (14%!). From behind me, I began to hear the light clanking of a wheeled cart, which made me smile: here comes the cheese. Most of the cheeses were native to Argentina, which was good since we are in Argentina. There were some general french cheeses like bleu d’Auvergne; but it seemed pretty clear to me that the highlights were in Argentina. Two of the most memorable cheeses, unfortunately, were unnamed. The first stole the show: a semi-firm earthy sheep milk cheese that tasted of mushroom. I wish this cheese had some kind of name; but then again, it wouldn’t be very accessible anyway. The second memorable cheese was a white clementine-sized tomme of soft sheep milk. The soft core began to spill as I sliced it in half. Unfortunately, this intriguing little cheese tasted terrible — my nose burned from the strong ammonia flavor. The cheese was served with a bowl of iced grapes, walnut and raisin breads. Dessert came, and it was very pretty: dacquoise de cacao avec sorbet de chocolat au lait. This chocolate dacquoise was served on a bed of mango with a chocolate passionfruit sorbet. The ratio of chocolate tarte to fruit was off — it seemed like the only purpose of the tarte was to support the sorbet. I would have liked to see a little more tarte or a lot less fruit. The sorbet was very nice, and had an interestingly grainy texture. At first the combination of chocolate and passion-fruit scared me a little; but, he balanced these flavors very nicely. With each bite, I first tasted chocolate and then a tart passion-fruit finish. It was very interesting. This course was also paired with what I thought was the highlight wine for the night, a Château Roustit 2003 from Bordeaux. The wine smelled just like fresh blueberries. The petits fours were last, the most interesting of which was a simple sugared grape. The almond tuiles were also particularly delicious; but I could only eat half of mine, that’s how full I was. The bill came, and we were shocked: it was exactly what the menu said! We were not charged for our extra course of oysters (let alone the extra eight they brought us), the glasses of champagne, the extra refills of wine — all of this, for an honest 360 pesos (120 U$D). While outrageously expensive for Buenos Aires, from a New York perspective, this was a steal. Overall, I was happy with my dinner. For someone without access to haute French cuisine, like a resident of Buenos Aires, this satisfied my craving. The food was very good. However, for someone coming from Europe or New York, while satisfying, these dishes may be a little dull to the palate and too heavily based in classical methods without modern inspiration. But if you’re in this city for a few weeks, and desire a high French dining experience, this is the (only) place to go.

Bereber Armenia 1880, Palermo Soho Despite being located in one of Buenos Aires’s chicest areas, Bereber was very laid back. Walking inside was like taking a deep breath and counting to ten. The first thing I noticed was the pile of pillows off to the right of the restaurant — there was a large area for dining while seated on the floor. Unsure of how adventurous my friends were feeling I veered to the left, the more traditional seating area. The menu was Moroccan with a large selection of vegetarian options. Lots of cous cous. It seemed like this food was conducive for sharing, so we tried to pick a few dishes to share amongst the four of us. The we noticed the cous cous royal, variedad de todos los cous cous con merguez y degustación de acompañamientos tipicos (assorted cous cous with merguez sausage and moroccan side dishes) designed to be shared between four people. Perfect, no? We started with a plate of hummus and pita, a plate of fresh tomato and cous cous with sliced lemon, and a third plate of eggplant dip and pita. The texture of the pita was very memorable — it was crispy but still maliable. It was really functional: it was both delicious, and served as a spoon to scoop the dips and bites of cous cous. The flavors were very clean and simple. So far so good. Next came the remainder of the included courses: cous cous badingian - ternera con cebollas confitadas y berenjenjas (veal with onion confit and eggplants), cous cous ray - cordero patagónico confitado con miel pasas de uva y garbanzos (confit of patagonian lamb and honey with raisins and chicpeas), and cous cous el aadi - variedad de vegetales y legumbres especialiaded al estilo tradicional (traditional spiced vegetable cous cous). Of these three, the lamb was the most memorable — the mildly sweet raisins and honey nicely contrasted against the lamb’s inherent saltiness. The veal was bland, especially when it came to eating some of the vegetables in the accompanying sauce — the onions, for example, were flavorless. The spiced vegetable cous cous had a sauce very similar to the veal, also bland. It was a little ironic how all these dishes were called “cous cous” and, technically, the only cous cous was in a bowl as a side. These dishes were served with dried fig, dates, and walnuts which, while delicious, seemed misplaced. For dessert, despite our extreme fullness, we chose the degustación de masas marrioquíes (tasting of moroccan pastries). There’s always a little extra room for dessert. Of the two different pastries, one was like a chocolate baklava which I really liked, the other similar to an ultra-dense chocolate brownie without the brownie flavor, which I didn’t particularly like. Nothing memorable. All in all, Bereber served average food. What was above average, however, was the type of food served. Not all meat and a lot of vegetables! I’d recommend Bereber if you’re in the area and are looking for a non-traditional alternative to Argentine cuisine. Other than that, there are better places.

La Cabrera Cabrera 5099, Palermo Viejo After hearing much about the famous Argentine meat, especially how all the cows are grass-fed without hormones etc …, my sister wanted to try some. I could have brought her to Cabaña Las Lilas, as would probably be on the top of most people’s “best steak in BA” list; but after my lukewarm experience there, I decided to try another popular parilla: La Cabrera in Palermo Viejo. And I’m glad I did, because this experience was well-worth it: it’s the best steak I’ve had in Buenos Aires. The restaurant doesn’t take reservations, so if you arrive during peak hours like we did (11:30pm), expect to wait for awhile. The restaurant was loud and busy, with tables practically on top of each other. After hanging out for 30 minutes, we were seated, and the fun began. The menu was nearly entirely meat, which is what I hoped to see. Definitely not vegetarian-friendly. The waiter emphasized the need to share, since each steak comes with a unique variety of side dishes. Between my sister and I, we ordered the bife de lomo (rare) and sirloin (rare). We decided to skip appetizers, since our surrounding tables looked intimidatingly full. The steaks came, and my stomach rumbled. Each steak was served on a wooden palette colored by an incredible diversity of vegetarian accompaniments. Perhaps this is why there weren’t any side dishes to be found on the menu. Of all the sides, one that particularly stood out was the creamed butternut squash puree: it had a perfect nutty flavor to accompany the grilled flavor of the meat. Despite the 19 side dishes, however, each steak could have easily stood up on its own. I found the sirloin to be the juiciest of the two, round earthy flavors with just a hint of char from the parilla. The lomo was incredibly tender as well. The entire experience was incredibly unpretentious, down to earth, and downright delicious. While the diversity of side dishes was certainly excessive, and not at all necessary to highlight the natural flavors of these perfect cuts of meat, they were so much fun. They also confirmed our initial hesitation to avoid ordering appetizers or additional sides. If I could do this meal over, I probably would have avoided that bread roll at the beginning … such is life. This has been my highlight Buenos Aires steak experience, and if I could recommend a visit to just one parilla in the city, it would be La Cabrera.

My sister came down to visit me for a week (how nice of her!). And, since one of her favorite things to do is take afternoon tea, I decided to take her to one of the most well-known places in the city: L’Orangerie at the Alvear Palace Hotel. For most tourists, this hotel restaurant would probably never be on the todo list. It would likely be intentionally excluded because it’s so “not Argentine.” Sure, it is true L’Orangerie is not known for its yerba mate nor for its authentic parilla grill. But, because it’s often so avoided by tourists for the precise reason that it’s not Argentine, the restaurant was full of local Argentine families and couples looking to get dressed up for an afternoon and dine in European style. Ironically, of all the restaurants in the city, this hotel restaurant might be one of the most authentic windows into well-to-do Argentine society. Afternoon tea is prix-fixe, which includes unfettered access to the table of french pastries: fruit tortes, mille feuille, dark chocolate cherry and passionfruit cakes, flan, pistachio cookies, tiramisu, pot de creme, and more. Certainly not the place for dieters, people who lack self-control, or those who have a “one of everything … just to try” policy (me). It was explained to me that the types of pastries change daily and seasonally; but that warning aisde, the dark chocolate cherry cake was phenomanal. Made with rich dark chocolate and black cherries with just a pinch of fleur de sel, this cake was moist and incredibly balanced. The selection of international teas was also equally impressive. While this afternoon splurge certainly left a hole in my wallet (70 pesos, $23 U$D), I’d recommend it for anyone who wants an afternoon break from traditional Argentine food. Just be sure to dress up a little, or you might get stares as I did in my jeans and hoodie.

Little Rose Armenia 1672, Palermo Soho Located on the second floor in one of BA’s (or BsAs as the really cool people say) trendiest areas, Palermo Soho, Little Rose offers Japanese cuisine catered toward the Argentine palate. To gain entrance to this restaurant, I had to ring a buzzer and be escorted up a staircase by the Maitre’d. I explained that I did not have a reservation and even though the restaurant was almost completely empty, my lack of reservation seemed to stir up confusion. Not sure why this always happens in this city. After an available table was “located,” the confusion stopped, and we head to the mesa. Quite frankly, this might be the single sexiest dining room I have seen so far in Buenos Aires. Everything is black: the walls, molding, ceilings, and carpet. The walls are decorated by eerie pictures of vampire-esque children with bright red lips and eyes that seem to follow yours everywhere. The lighting was focused such that while the restaurant was incredibly dark, the food on the table could be easily seen. Each table was wrapped in an intimate curtain of darkness which at times, made me feel like I was the only person eating, even when the restaurant was completely full, even when I could practically touch the table next to mine. It was very romantic, and very sleek at the same time. Even though people seemed to be talking loudly, the restaurant was quiet … must have been the vampire children on the walls working their magic. In the back of the restaurant lies the sushi bar illuminated by a cool blue glow. Very cool space. However, this is certainly not a place for diners seeking an authentic sushi experience; if that’s the case you will leave extremely unfulfilled. But, if salmon is all you seek, be prepared for a special dining experience. The menu was pretty much salmon, salmon and cream cheese, smoked salmon, red salmon, and other combinations of salmon and different vegetables. This was a little different from what I had anticipated after taking a recommendation under the “sushi” section of my guidebook. But hey, this is Argentina, and fish (let alone all the varieties found in traditional Japanese sushi) is not very popular. Instead of comparing this “inauthentic” experience to Japan and complaining about how they didn’t have マグロの山掛け(maguro no yamakake — slices of lean tuna with grated japanese mountain potato, perhaps my favorite Japanese sashimi dish of all time), I accepted the restaurant for what it was: a fashionable Argentine sushi house. And for what it was, it was a very cool experience. I ordered a pre-selected sushi combo, which came with 8 pieces of salmon sushi, 2 pieces of a salmon and avocado roll, 2 pieces of cooked salmon and cucumber, artificial crab and salmon, and salmon and “philadelphia” (cream cheese). Thankfully, the salmon was very fresh, soft, and lean, or this would have been an unpleasant meal. Admittedly, palate fatigue did begin to set in near the last bite of salmon; but, it was so clean tasting, I found it hard to complain. We skipped formal dessert and, instead, opted for some tea from their extensive collection of teas served in a a cast-iron pot. If an authentic sushi experience is what you seek, this probably isn’t the right place. But, if you really enjoy salmon, want to see an incredibly unique dining room, and happen to be walking down Armenia after a day of shopping, stop by Little Rose for some sushi and tea. Though, I wouldn’t recommend coming here during daylight — or anytime before 9pm for that matter — it would ruin the lighting effect, something I think that makes the space really special.

Bar Uriarte Uriarte 1572 My friend wanted to take a small group out for her birthday to a relatively “cool” restaurant that also had “cool” food to match. After an experience at Uriarte with my sister two weeks ago where I did not bring my camera (what a shame), I suggested repeating it … both because I thought it fit what my friend was looking for (hip/trendy but also good food), and because I wanted to take some pictures to share. Like many restaurants in Palermo Viejo, Bar Uriarte is long and narrow. The open kitchen is in the front of the restaurant, right next to the door, and it’s the first thing people see (and smell) when they walk in. On the edge of the kitchen is a counter where the well-presented dishes await table service under bright halogen spots. This meant that, while talking to the Maitre’d, my eyes and attention were elsewhere. I arrived on time, which apparently meant way too early, because I was the first one there. I decided to sit down at the bar to wait for everyone else to arrive. I ordered a Caipirinha and started talking with the person next to me who was also waiting for her friends. Shortly after, I found my friends walking down from the second floor staircase … they had been waiting for me upstairs! After a few minutes of “you should have checked upstairs/downstairs” we were led down the long hallway of a restaurant to our table. Dark and comfortable couches line the front of the restaurant opposite the bar and kitchen, while the dining tables are in the back and on the second floor. Most of the diners seemed to be foreign, as they were either speaking in english or reading english menus. But don’t be too concerned about the touristy vibes of the restaurant; your opinion will change very quickly once the food arrives. We started off with some bread and a bottle of red wine. The bread was of three varieties: whole wheat, white, and country, none of which were baked on the premises. We decided we’d be ordering mostly meat, and since we only wanted one bottle of wine, we went with a Malbec, Tapiz 2005. Tasted somewhat like cherries. For appetizers, we decided to order 3 dishes and split them: Calamari Marinated in Thyme, Garlic, and Lime Juice, Veal Carpaccio with Capers, Almonds, Arugula, and Parmesan Cheese, and finally Sautéed Mushrooms in Olive Oil, with Pecorino Cheese and Toasted Pine Nuts. Of these three, the highlight for me were the mushrooms lightly cooked in olive oil which really brought out the earthy flavors. The calamari was close behind, with a firm texture and simple fresh flavor. The veal carpaccio seemed a little texturally imbalanced, as if the dish were half salad (arugula) and half crispy hors d’oeuvre. While I was not quite sure what the lemon was doing on that plate, the meat itself was indeed very soft and clean tasting, and could have easily stood on its own. Main courses were equally satisfying: Braised Lamb with Roasted Potatoes and “Green Sauce,” Fresh White Fish Griddled, with Pumpkin Cream, Sweet Fennel, and Tapenade, Herb Stuffed Chicken with Barley, Bacon, and Leeks, and finally Veal Ravioli with Roast Juice, Oyster Mushrooms, Olives and Spinach. Despite the apparent absence of a mysterious green sauce, the highlight of these four courses was the braised lamb. The lamb was served with whole baby carrots, skin and all, which preserved much the raw carrot flavor, despite being tender from a moderate amount of cooking. I also really liked the griddled white fish; I’ve found it difficult to get a fresh cut of fish here and this certainly fit the bill. The pumpkin cream was well-spiced, and the nutty flavors complimented the sweet fennel very nicely. The lamb ravioli was way too watery, which can be seen from the picture. I felt like it was more like a lamb dumpling thin chinese soup than ravioli. Indeed, the flavor was earthy and pleasant; but, I would have liked something heartier with a thicker sauce that did not require a spoon. No dessert this night; but we left that evening very full, and very happy. Despite the restaurant’s swanky decor and intimidatingly attractive wait staff, the service was very warm and professional. This restaurant was a fantastic balance of innovative cuisine with well-balanced traditional flavors. I look forward to the next chance to return.

By the way, I bought my copy of SaltShaker, Spanish - English - Spanish Food & Wine Dictionary, by Dan Pearlman (Saltshaker). I made the mistake of not getting it before I came down here; but I finally got a copy, thanks Dan! The book is an absolute must for anyone traveling to a Spanish-speaking country who has an interest in food. Frankly, it's the only one of its kind that I've seen -- try to get it before traveling, it'll save you a hassle. The book not only contains essential food translations; but, it also has useful verbs like tasquear (to go on a bar crawl). http://www.lulu.com/content/987508

La Caballeriza Alicia Moreau de Justo 580 I discovered this upscale parilla by chance while waiting for a table at the restaurant next door, Cabaña Las Lilas. I decided to take a little trip next door to glance at the menu -- no harm in looking, I say. On my approach to the menu, I briefly laughed at the flock of people hovering around the doors to the restaurant waiting for a table, sticking together to stay warm. The menu looked enticingly carnivorous with most of the entrees being different cuts of meat. I knew I’d be taking a trip back here at some point to do more than window shopping. We arrived around 10:30pm on a Wednesday night to find that this weeknight was no exception to me becoming part of the crowd of people I once laughed hovering outside and waiting for a table. The wait, we were told, would be nearly an hour. For a brief moment my friends considered walking down the strip of Puerto Madero restaurants to find another place. Never a good idea with a group of people, in my book, to start thinking about a new restaurant when the wait is only an hour -- by the time you figure out where you want to go there’re only twenty minutes left anyway. We walked around for a little, thinking of another place to go, and by the time we reached a consensus, it’d already been fourty minutes. So, we headed back to the restaurant and decided to wait it out. It was possible to wait inside, we discovered, so long as we ordered a drink at the bar. Great excuse for a Capiairinas. The time started to pass much faster once inside with our Brazilian national cocktails until we were seated around midnight. The restaurant, like every other restaurant in Puerto Madero, had that new restaurant smell. Or, a surprising lack of smell, that is. Everything was impeccably clean, well-lit and, it was clear that on my departure from this restaurant, I would not be smelling like a grilled sirloin. The warm space was impressively large; but low ceilings and wooden tables with gaucho artifacts broke up the space into more approachable areas. The interior was very similar to Cabaña Las Lilas; but something, hard to pinpoint exactly what, just seemed more genuine. Perhaps it was because the restaurant wasn’t trying to trick me into thinking I was eating on cattle farm ... as in, there were no lassos hanging from the ceiling. And, while all were completely packed, everyone appeared to be speaking spanish. Nice. When the waitress came over to introduce herself, she didn’t proceed to explain how things were done in the restaurant, nor did she bring over plates of “traditional” appetizers to feast on as one would imagine being done somewhere in Argentina-land, Epcot Center. She pointed out the meat section of the menu, took our drink orders, and left the decision process up to us. And a tough decision we faced -- why can't we try all the cuts? We decided to split two simple vegetable salads to start, and I opted with the bife de lomo, juicy, for a main course. There was nothing particularly memorable about the salads except that one of them used canned corn, which is never good. The aluminum flavor was masked by the strength of the vinaigrette; but the telling chewy texture and dull yellow gradient said everything. To be fair, it’s pretty common for Argentine restaurants to use canned corn in salads, even relatively nice places. Vegetables just aren’t taken very seriously. But still, there's no excuse -- it tastes terrible. Then came the good stuff. The bife de lomo was served a la carte, just a great cut of meat on a fresh white plate. A really nice smell, one of the firsts of the evening, came my way as the plate was set in front of me: the smokiness of the parilla. They honored my request for rare, which I appreciated, as my plate soon filled with nature’s natural sauce. While a little leaner than I would have hoped for bife de lomo, it was incredibly succulent, tender, and earthy -- more thumbs up for grass-fed cows. None of the desserts on the menu looked particularly interesting in this steak-centric restaurant; but, I wanted something sweet. So, I asked for vanilla ice cream with dulce de leche and fresh rasberries on the side. I was brought a mountain of ice cream (4 scoops), a second bowl of dulce de leche, and a third bowl of raspberries in syrup. Very kind, my waitress was. My bowl of DDL likely had twice the caloric intake of my appetizer and main course combined. While it was satisfying and was more than I had asked for, I ultimately could have taken a trip to Freddo or Persico for more variety of flavor. At first being disappointed by the salad, I was immediately cheered up by the tender steak, kind service, and abundance of porteños eating beside me until 2am. The steak was certainly the highlight of the night, which is what one would hope for, as this is a parilla. I would recommend this place as an alternative to Cabaña Las Lilas, both for quality of service, authenticity, quality of food, and price. Just don’t set your expectations sky high for food other than steak.

haha! it's hilarious that there is any kind of doubt, considering the other pizzas are green and rainbow colored. definitely -- the cheese-sauce ratio was waaaay off.

Piola Libertad 1078, Recoleta Many medialunas and a full stomach after my first lunch at Café Tortoni, I stopped by Piola for a second lunch with some friends around 3pm. Piola was recommended by one of our guidebooks for having some top-notch semi-thin non-parilla pizza. And as a New Yorker, a considerably strong craving for pizza comes once about, oh, every afternoon or so. Although being part of an international chain of pizza restaurants originating in Italy, I can assure you this is no California Pizza Kitchen. Piola Buenos Aires has a fairly strong following and, as their website claims, “revolutionized the Buenos Aires food scene.” But while the menu is incredibly diverse with nearly 100 varieties of pizza, ultimately, I found the pizzas to be simply average. The restaurant is incredibly long, narrow, and dark, as the main windows are at the front by the entrance. While the walls are dark, the tables and artwork are incredibly colorful which bright solids: red, yellow, and orange. The lack of light reminded me of being in a club after hours with painted black walls, house lights that don’t seem to illuminate much, and strange but glaring artwork. It was empty when we arrived off-hours, in contrast to what we’d read about long waits; so, we were lucky in this respect. The very friendly hostess sat us down, handed us our menus, and proceeded to explain how things work at Piola — where sharing multiple pies was encouraged for variety. Ultimately between the 3 of us, we chose 3 small pies: Regina Margarita - Salsa de tomate, muzzarella de búfala y albahaca (tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, basil), Istambul - Tomates secos, muzzarella de búfala, rúcula (dried tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, and arugula), Vegetale - Salsa de tomate, muzzarella, berenjena, morrones, brócoli, zucchini, hongos (tomato sauce, mozerella cheese, eggplant, sweet red pepper, broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms). I’m always a fan of the traditional margarita pizza — no frills, just good cheese, fresh marinara sauce, and well-cooked crust and I’m very happy. The marinara slice is also a great common denominator for comparison between restaurants; otherwise, it’s like comparing zucchini to mushrooms … literally. The pizzas arrived to the table very hot, fresh out of the oven. They sure smelled fantastic. My biggest problem for both the margarita and the vegetale pies was the mozzarella cheese which I thought was excessively salty. From my food shopping here, I’ve found decent mozzarella hard to come by and maybe this is an availability problem. My second problem was the lack of sufficient sauce — two of the three pies that had marinara sauce didn’t seem to have very much. And of the sauce that was there, the flavor was somewhat bland, likely to please the Argentina palate. I wanted to taste some garlic! There was certainly none in this sauce. The crust, on the other hand, was very nice — right on that fine between a little burnt and too white. Ironically, I thought the best pie of the three was the Istambul, a pie I never would have even looked at on the menu if it weren’t for my friend. This pie, perhaps, was the highlight since it lacked both cheese and sauce. Though, it could be argued, these staple ingredients for pizza! I would certainly stop by Piola if in Recoleta with a group of people — the diversity of the menu is a crowd pleaser and, due to the number of large tables, it seems like the restaurant is set up to handle them. But if I had one night in BA solely for pizza, I would probably pick somewhere else.

hi godito -- i will be in santiago this weekend and would like to try Fabula! will you be open, and is there availability, for tomorrow night? if you could, please message me the address and information. i look forward to this very much (y no te preocupes -- hablo castellano).

Sorrento Del Puerto Av. Alicia Moreau de Justo 430 Monday, July 23, 2007 Craving some fish after many dinners of carne, I met up with some friends for a 10:30pm dinner at Sorrento Del Puerto, a restaurant most noted for its selection of fresh seafood. With two stories, this riverside restaurant in modern Puerto Modern is big. The decor is modern and the windows on both floors very large allowing for attractive views of the water. We arrived without a reservation and our party of 6 was promptly seated on the second floor by the window. On the way to the table, I couldn’t help but notice that restaurant looked rather empty, partly because it was (there was only one other couple dining on the second floor with us), but also because half of the lights were turned off, likely in an effort to conserve electricity. The waiter seated us, handed us food and wine menus, cracked a few jokes about my headband asking if I was Japanese (to which I pretended to laugh), and we were off. I decided to skip an appetizer, since I was very satisfied with the warm bread rolls and my Caipirinha de frutilla (strawberry). The prices looked pretty reasonable, with most entrees hovering around 30 pesos ($10 U$D). The exception to this was the fresh grilled fish page, which of course is what I wanted to order, where dishes ranged from 45 -120pesos (15 - 40 U$D). I opted for the grilled trout (70pesos, 23 U$D). I was explained that there were no accompaniments and that I should consider ordering a side dish. I took the waiter’s advice and got a side of pumpkin purée. The fish arrived very hot and moist, as if it had been taken immediately off the grill and put onto my plate — it hadn’t been sitting around, at all. This no-frills dish came exactly as described: grilled trout. The presentation was confident, as if nobody could complain because the fish was indeed very fresh and tasty. It was tasty, too, gently flaking apart with each pull of my fork. The pumpkin purée was also no frills: boiled pumpkin, puréed. Unlike the fish, though, the natural taste of pumpkin was little bland to stand on its own. If I were in BA for only one night, I would likely stick with steak. However this is not the case, and so Sorrento Del Puerto was a pleasant alternative, as the fish was fresh and well-prepared.

Mott El Salvador 4685, Palermo Soho After brunch at Olsen, we walked over to Palermo Soho to walk around and do some shopping. We quickly became hungry and stopped off at Mott, a fairly reputable café restaurant for something to eat. Most of Palermo Soho’s cafes are cozy with big couches and dim lighting. Mott, on the other hand, is clean and modern with tall ceilings, concrete floors, and lots of natural light. However, while this converted factory is certainly modern, it’s also very comfortable: the tables are natural wood, the chairs and bar stools are made of wicker, there’s a fireplace in the back, and there are still two black leather couches by the door. Mott seems to be a very good mix of modern and comfortable. And due to its central location, a great place to stop by for an afternoon snack or cup of coffee while shopping; but for full meals, I think there are better options. We arrived at an off-hour, around 6pm — a little late for an afternoon snack and way too early for dinner. Since we were having a pretty intense conversation, we decided to camp out at Mott and do dinner in reverse. We were told dinner service begins at 8pm; but, coffee and desserts were available now. So we decided to start with dessert and work our way to dinner once service began. I started off with a slice of the torta del día (cake of the day) which was a chocolate cake with a layer of dulce de leche in the center. The cake was extremely dry, likely made the day before. It was also very cold. My guess is it was refrigerated which would explain the dryness. I munched on this and my coffee for 2 hours until dinner service began. As an appetizer, I ordered the ensalada de los mariscos (seafood salad) which was disappointing. I was excited to have mussels since this was to be my first time in over a month (shellfish is not very popular here). Unfortunately, any taste of seafood was overpowered by the giant cubes of raw red onion. The only way this was somewhat enjoyable was to pick out the mussels one at a time and drain off the onion juice. The mussels were also not fresh. This dish was a no go. Next up was salmon tartar: raw salmon served over couscous. The presentation was very tight — each cube of salmon managed not to extend over its cylindrical couscous base. The salmon was light and fresh, but the couscous was a little dry for this combination. There was a mayonnaise-based sauce on top of the salmon which I scooped off — I’m rarely a fan of mayonnaise. This was a much better than the seafood salad; but ultimately, nothing special. The funniest part of the meal, though not so funny for Mott, came after we’d finished our mains. The waitress, unaware that we’d already eaten dessert, offered us a pre-dessert aperitif from the bar. We were pretty excited about this. Until we tasted it. Still unsure of what exactly it was, there was a distinct taste of both rubber and soap. The aftertaste of this was so strong, that it began to upset my stomach. The other 3 people I was with had similar reactions. We glanced over at the bar to see if there were any chuckles … either the bartender was really good at acting, or this was for real. We called over the waitress to see what was going on; but she couldn’t seem to understand why we didn’t like this drink. Anyhow, one thing led to another, and a bet developed into who would finish two glasses of this “aperitif.” The stakes kept rising and rising, no one wanted to do it! At one point, finishing two glasses was worth 20 U$D — we were all willing to pay to watch one or two of us consume a free drink that was supposed to be delicious. Finally, two of my friends (absolutely not I) accepted the challange and drank two glasses each. Both were sick after. While this doesn’t speak well for the restaurant, it was a lot of fun! So, for a cup of coffee and an afternoon snack, Mott is a great place to stop by. But for dinner, there are definitely better places in the area. And, if a pre-dessert aperitif is offered … you have been warned.

After Saturday’s dinner at El Trapiche, we decided to meet at Olsen: Olsen Gorriti 5870, Palermo Our guidebooks, as well as just about every other piece of Buenos Aires literature, had suggested visiting Olsen for Sunday Brunch. Sunday Brunch doesn’t seem to be much of a BA thing as, from what I can tell, it’s usually only the major hotel chains that have european/american breakfasts. So, this idea sort of intrigued me. Even more, Olsen purportedly puts a Norwegian twist on everything. While the minimalist decor and trend-following clientele was certainly a sight, the food was not up to match. We got out of our taxi to the entrance of the restaurant, a tall wooden fence with embossed lettering that spelled Olsen (note the “Scandinavian” O in the image). After being briefly embarrassed that I could not find the entrance, I noticed an intercom system which I assumed was the first step to admittance. So I pressed it; I was right. I was asked if I had a reservation; I did not. I was put on hold for a minute without notice until the hostess began to walk to the entrance. She informed us that reservations were necessary and that the restaurant was very busy, especially since this was Sunday brunch. There was an awkward pause after this where we weren’t sure if she was telling us we had to come back, or if we should just make reservations in the future. After about 20 seconds of stares, we were told that we were lucky and could be seated. Nice! We entered the gates and walked through the fairly large courtyard en route to the restaurant. While it was a bit chilly to want to sit outside, this seemed like a nice place to have a drink or afternoon coffee during warmer weather. The facade of the restaurant was entirely of glass which let in an enormous amount of natural light. As is typical with Scandinavian architecture, the differentiation between inside and outside was very loosely defined. It was drizzling outside and, although inside, at times I felt like I should have been getting wet! The restaurant consisted mostly of natural woods and concrete. In the middle of the restaurant sits a cast-iron pot-belly fireplace that was burning. This seemed to be the best table in the restaurant so, if you’re with a party of two, I’d recommend requesting it. After settling down, we were promptly shown the specialty drinks menu with specialized vodka section. Some of the drink concoctions looked really nice, especially the ones involving champagne. Olsen also boasts an extensive collection of frozen vodkas; but, it was a little early for us to start with that. Our menus came in the form of placements and I opted for for the $39 option (13 U$D) which essentially included a drink, a plate of appetizers, a main course, dessert, and coffee. We placed our orders and were brought a selection of house-made bagels stacked vertically on a ring. I regret not having taken a picture of this as it was the highlight of the meal. There were 3 flavors of bagels: white, whole wheat, and rye. To accompany the bagels came fresh strawberry and grape jam. I asked for butter, which was brought just after I was told that “Olsen doesn’t use butter in its dishes.” These bagels were thin with a texture very similar to that of Auntie Anne’s original pretzels, and they were served warm. A little butter and salt, and I was very happy. The meal was pretty much downhill from here. My plate of assorted appetizers came which included 5 canapés. I asked the waiter for a brief description of what each one was and I was told, “cucumber, cheese, meat, another kind of meat, and fish.” When I asked what kinds of meats, cheeses, and fish, the waiter had already run off to another table. The canapés seemed to be: manchego cheese with brown pear, cucumber and fish roe, roast beef with green pepper, mayonnaise, and grape jam, tuna with mayonnaise, and shrimp salad. Aside from the tuna, which I don’t believe is a fish abundant in Scandinavia, none of these canapés seemed particularly The bread was hard, dry, and cold, as was the plate. It was clear that this plate had been sitting in the refrigerator awaiting service. I sampled a bite of each and had no need to finish which for me, is not a good sign. Next came the main course where I ordered a ham and cheese omelet, crushed potatoes, and grilled vegetables. Not sure where the Scandinavian influence was for this dish, nor any other dishes on the menu for that matter. Everything was really oily (maybe that’s why they had no use for butter) and over salted. Just when I thought there might not be mayonnaise, it was brought out by the waiter with apologies moments after setting down the plate. Was that what made this dish Scandinavian? Dessert consisted of a fruit trifle with spongecake. This definitely the best out of the three courses (excluding the house bread); but there was way too much spongecake sucking up any last drops of moisture. I found myself dipping bites of the trifle into the strawberry jam left on the table from the bread. The tangy flavors of the berries where overwhelmed by the abundance of whipped cream and sponge. The check came, and Sunday brunch came to $15 / person. I’d recommend saving Olsen for a warm sunny day when you can stop by for afternoon coffee while shopping in the area, or on a nice evening for drinks. But I would certainly not make Olsen a destination spot, even for Sunday brunch.

My friends from New York who were interning in BA for the summer were leaving the following Thursday. In anticipation of a few final days of splurging, we decided to take it easy this Saturday night and attempted to find a really well-priced (aka CHEAP) restaurant nearby. When it comes to steaks, I had always been under the impression that cheap and incredible are mutually exclusive so, naturally, I was a little weary. But I trusted my friend's recommendation and kept my mouth shut. This was a very good move on my part. We ended up eating at El Trapiche which was, as far as I'm concerned, vastly superior to Cabaña Las Lilas both in terms of food, atmosphere, service, and price. El Trapiche Paraguay 5099, Palermo The restaurant sits on the corner of Humboldt and Paraguay. If you can't find the restaurant by the blatant neon signs outside, just look for the giant crowd of smokers and diners waiting for tables. I arrived at 10:30pm without a reservation with one of my friends to find out that we were the first of our party of five ... this ended up being good since there was an hour wait. An hour wait at 10:30pm ... what is this, Stanton Social? There wasn't much room to wait around inside since it was extremely crowded; but it was also really cold outside, so we just sort of stood around by the door like everyone else who didn't have thick winter coats. No matter where we stood, we were always in the way of people walking in and out ... we got a lot of the "hey idiots don't stand here" faces ... but there was no where else to stand! So the lesson here is, either make a reservation (though you will probably still have to wait) or dress appropriately to stand outside. The dining room is gigantic, the ceilings tall, the echos abundant. It's a loud restaurant and, despite its enormous size, every single table was full and diners waiting for tables were squeezing between chairs finding places to stand. One side of the restaurant carried an impressively large (and moderately priced) selection of Argentine wines. While it could have been because of the general volume of the restaurant, I heard no english which made me feel like, perhaps, I'd be getting a more authentic steak experience. We were seated at 11:30pm and were promptly brought a basket of warm country bread rolls and menus. After three baskets of bread, we decided to skip appetizers and head straight for mains. At the advice of the waiter, and of my stomach, I decided to go with the Bife de Lomo. Judging from what was on pretty much every other table in the restaurant, this seemed like the way to go. Sure was. The sizzling steak came right off the grill and right onto my plate, still sizzling in front of my eyes. The steak was served with confidence: no frills, no sides, no garnishing ... just 100% rare grass-fed sirloin. Cooked perfectly, incredibly juicy, it was almost as if someone had injected water into the steak itself -- there wasn't a single dry bite. As I was devouring this steak, as any other normal person would do, I kept thinking about dessert. But primarily, my attention kept being distracted by this white mountain being brought to my surrounding tables. Finally when dessert time came, I was sure to ask what everyone else was eating and and enjoying, from what it seemed like. It was the helado con frambuesas y moras (ice cream with raspberries and blackberries). It sounds standard, and I guess it ultimately was; but, there was something about the sweet and colorful raspberry and blackberry syrups running down the sides of white ice cream that was really appetizing. The bill came, and our jaws dropped. In a good way. We ended up forking out around $10USD / person including drinks, cover charge, main courses, and dessert. But despite the price, this is the kind of steak Cabaña Las Lilas should have been serving. How did this compare to my steak in Mendoza at Azafrán? Pretty close ... I'd give a few extra points to Azafrán because it was just slightly more juicy while remaining incredibly lean. Overall, this place is a winner and I would highly recommend it. As of now, this place is at the top of my BA steak list.

Yes, and I highly recommend visiting Saltshaker's Blog. It's been really helpful in recommending restaurants around town. As far as I'm concerned, Saltshaker is pretty much the authority when it comes to BA eats! Thanks! I'll be sure to add this to the list! Also, the Finca La Linda Tempranillo 2006 was really nice. But that's like 10 posts ahead!

After a relaxing weekend in Mendoza, I woke up bright and early Monday morning for my 8am spanish classes. I think I'm getting better -- I had a conversation with my taxi driver about the history of slavery in the US. I don't think I could have done that a few weeks ago. It's funny with taxi drivers ... if I say I'm from the US, I'm usually taken on the long tour of the city; but, if I say I'm from New York it's like a whole other country! I'm instantly flooded with tons of questions and, so far, have never had trouble with a taxi driver after saying this. Buenos Aires definitely has New York envy ... me too, for that matter. That Monday, we decided to go to a rather funky restaurant: Te Mataré Ramirez (I will kill you, ramirez): Te Mataré Ramirez Paraguay 4062, Palermo The restaurant describes itself to be sexy. What is not clear, however, is how literal this description is. The walls are filled with naked people, kamasutra, really graphic stuff. The titles of dishes are incredibly pornograhic with names like "he slipped two fingers slowly, looking me in the eyes" and "your body tense as the string of a bow, announces the coming pleasure." Needless to say, this was an over 18 restaurant. IDs are checked at the door. While the decor and atmosphere was certainly interesting and provocative the food was, frankly, terrible. The restaurant is incredibly dark with spot lighting on the nude figures that plaster the walls. Everything is red. Very red. At the front end of the restaurant is a mini stage for a Jazz band that plays several nights of the week. We were fortunate enough to be eating while they were playing. They were quite good. The menu was somewhat difficult to read (they only have spanish menus) due to the metaphors and puns. I'd recommend either checking out the English translation on the website before going, or going with someone who's native. While we were reading the menus, hot Chipa bread was brought out. After Cabaña Las Lilas, I learned to really appreciate this stuff. We skipped appetizers and went straight for main courses. I think we had too much bread. Tu Carne, Luminaria De Fuego, Agrava Mi Placer Gigot de cordero patagónico confitado en su jugo, salteado de porotos pallares y panceta ahumada, cremosa pasta de ciruela y queso crema de hierbas, y braseado de hinojos Your Meat, Lit by Fire, Gives Me Pleasure Slices of patagonian lamb confit a jus, smoked panceta, creamy plum paste, cheese cream braised with fennel Mi Boca Que Implora Bajo Tu Cielo Femenino Rols de trucha patagónica rellenos con espinaca y champgnones, sobre provocadora crema de hierbas, acompañada de croute de almendras en corazón de alcaucil y papa horneada My Mouth Implores Under Your Feminine Sky Rolls of patagonian trout stuffed with spinach and mushrooms, provocative herb cream, accompanied by croute of almonds in heart of palm and pope Me Deleito En Todas Las Partes De Tu Cuerpo Priápico solomillo de cerdo en coulis de naranja, acompañado de strudel de choclo y verdeo y, cítrica fideuà de puerro y uvas pasas al azafrán I Delight In All the Parts of your Body Pig "sirloin"in orange coulis, accompanied by strudel of corn, greens, and, "cítrica fideuà de puerro" and grapes with saffron (I'm not sure how to translate cítrica fideuà de puerro, but it's like leeks.) I got to try everyone's main, and was extremely disappointed with everything. My dish, the Patagonian lamb, was cold and dry. Someone decided it would be a good idea to throw a slab of mayonnaise on top of the lamb. Not sure what was going on. The trout was really off -- the fish was not fresh. It was incredibly fishy, also served cold. The "best" of the three dishes was the pork but, even that, was dry and cold. I decided to cut my losses, stop eating, skip dessert, and ask for another round of the chipa bread. If I weren't with my friends, I would have sent my dish back. This marks the worst meal I have had so far in Buenos Aires. Despite what your guide book says about Te Mataré Ramirez, skip it!

Hey -- how did you do the multiple quote response like that? I can't figure it out. I had notes, haha -- my palate and memory are not quite that good. Yes, you are right -- lomo is sirloin, thanks for pointing out the typo ... unfortunately, I can't go back and change that now. Ojo de bife is ribeye. Not sure why my pasta was so diverse ... maybe they were testing out the pasta machines? Whatever it was ... no good!