A week in Buenos Aires

[chefmd]

After falling in love with Lima, we decided to explore more of South America.  Buenos Aires, the Paris of South America, called my name.  Beef and red wine, who can resist!

 

Rented an apartment in Recoleta through VRBO.  Nice little kitchen.

 

 

Don't know how much cooking I am going to do but brought the basics.  

 

And it it comes with eggs!  Little bird decided to make a planter just outside our window her home.

[chefmd]

First meal in BA, lunch in La Querencia a block away from our apartment.  Empanadas with assorted illings (ham and cheese, beef, spinach). Each has a different shape.  Very large tomale.  Some type eggplant spread with bread.

 

 

 

 

[chefmd]

And gluten free situation is alive and well.

[chefmd]

Dinner last night was in Gran Bar Danzon.  It was so dark, one needed flash light to read the menu.  So no photos.  Food was an interesting mix of sushi and meat centric dishes.  

[chefmd]

Darto store is within walking distance.  Unfortunately it is not open on weekends.

 

https://www.darto.org/

[BonVivant]

I know you are going to hit the supermarket sooner or later, do check out the wine section which is the length of an Olympic swimming pool! Wine is categorised by region and there's hardly anything from abroad. I almost "cried" in the wine section every time. (Same in Chile, btw.). Also try other red wines which are normal in AR but not anywhere else. I didn't even know of their existence.

 

Nice wine can be bought nearly anywhere; convenience store, petrol station, corner shop, bus station etc. Got this at a bus station in Villa Gesell for my long-distance bus ride back to BA. Taking a break from Malbec and everything by Rutini is good.

 

Edited November 19, 2017 by BonVivant (log)

[chefmd]

@BonVivant, you are going to cost me money!  Not that I am complaining.  Exchange rate is about 17 peso to 1 US dollar.  We had great Malbec at dinner last night at about 500 (restaurant price) that were great.  I can only assume that Rutini is even better.

 

 

[chefmd]

But Fernet is cheap.  And Campari is 120 Peso.  Why am I paying 30 bucks in the US?

 

 

[chefmd]

The city is beautiful.  There are these purple flower jacaranda trees everywhere. 

[chefmd]

Museum of Bellas Artes is free and is currently having Miro exhibit in addition to very nice permanent collection.  Food art is of course is what interests me the most.

 

 

[chefmd]

Rather unsatisfactory lunch at Hilton where we had to go for business reason.  Expensive, of course.

local beer Quilmes for me.  Coke for DH.  

Empanadas and potatoes that were probably reheated in microwave.  Potatoes were slight crunchy in the middle.

 

 

 

[Shelby]

Yay!!!  Very excited that you are taking us along.  

 

That tamale up above is huge!

[rotuts]

"  Where's the Beef ?"

 

even if you don't eat that much of it

 

.......

 

I have had friends from BA

 

and yes     its about the Beef.

[chefmd]

@rotuts the beef will be consumed.  And I love it.  

[rotuts]

drooling here .....

 

and my friends said :

 

USDA ?

 

why bother

 

come down to BA and we will show you Beef.

[TicTac]

Fantastic stuff!  Love this travel blog already. 

 

And Miro to boot!  Behind Dali, he is one of my favourite artists!  Lucky you.

[kayb]

Settling in and anxiously awaiting all the details about all the meals, snacks and in-betweens! (and more jaracanda trees would not go amiss, either; those things are gorgeous)

 

[chefmd]

One of two fancy dinners planned on this trip was at Chila last night.  They highlight Argentinian ingredients and the menu comes with the map of where some their food came from.  We ate at 8 which is the earliest time they open.  People eat really late dinners at BA.  The restaurant was empty when we came in so we got table by the window with the nice view of people walking along the canal.

http://www.chilaweb.com.ar/

 

Menu arrived in a box that was hiding a small bean tart with quail egg on top.

 

 

[chefmd]

Now the money shot.  Beef that was actually the last savory course but was the highlight of the meal.   It arrived rare, glistening with fatty juices, incredibly tender.  You get to choose the steak knife.  Carbon steel for me, thank you.

 

 

 

 

[chefmd]

Snacks.  Octopus chip, ostrich pate, potato and kefir purée, steak and oyster tartar.  Tartar was incredible, can't wait to try that combination at home.

 

 

Bread and butter

.

 

[chefmd]

The rest of the meal.  We ordered one wine pairing and sommelier has graciously split it for us.  Very generous amounts of wine, different one with each course (and Punta Mes based negrni like cocktail to start).  Red wine paired with sweet breads and artichokes dish was genius but I did not write it down.  White on white sole with almonds was incredible.  Everything was cooked flawlesly, despite my tendency to mentally deconstruct and criticize the food.

 

 

 

[chefmd]

Desserts were not memorable, will not bore you with the photos.  But the kitchen had a huge Big Green Egg like cooker.  I immediately thought of @Kerry Beal. You can see it in the back on the second photo

[Shelby]

Steak and oyster tartar  does sound interesting.

 

Oh how I wish I was eating that meal with you   

[chefmd]

Just now, Shelby said:

Steak and oyster tartar  does sound interesting.

 

Oh how I wish I was eating that meal with you   

Oh Shelby, how I wish I could eat with you!  And many other eGulleters!  

[KennethT]

Looks great!  Can't wait to see the rest of the trip!