I’m sad to have left Buenos Aires, I’m especially sad to have put emphasis in eating in “name” restaurants when universally the best meals were at the least hailed spots, the parilia on the corner, the pizza restaurant up the street, they were the real Buenos Aires, not the touristy moneyed “you can’t say you’ve ever been to Buenos Aires unless you’ve been to the Tortoni Café or Las Cabreras”, both of which massively disappointing. Buenos Aires offers more random meals of ignorant excellence than anywhere I’ve been outside Italy. Throw away the guidebooks and websites, go where ever is close when you’re hungry and is full of laconic locals linger over the dregs of a bottle of wine. In a country where the cuisine is remarkably similar from one restaurant to the next, creativity is not the overriding concern for your average dinner, market forces will see those spots that serve the best steaks fill up while others sit empty, use that as your guidebook.
I’m sad I didn’t eat more empanadas, and I ate quite a few.
I’m sad I never bought a hunk of the salami sold by Native American women in front of all the grocery stores. Buying home cured meats off the street is about my perfect level of danger.
I’m sad I only drank my share of Malbec; oh to be born a freak with two livers would be great.
A quick word about one restaurant we really did like, and is semi-on-the-tourist-eating-trail. Guido’s Bar, on a street hard up along the back of the zoo was so good we ate there twice, as it was in our neighbourhood. Every design trope of ‘60’s red checked cloth Italian is on display, but the food certainly is not. You are offered two choices upon entering, red or white wine and; with gas or without (the water that is.) Outside of that decision they bring the small plates in rapid succession to commence the meal. Not especially idealistic as to culinary identity, they’ll mix Spanish, French even Argentine onto the table. Caponata, plates of preserved meats, olives, salads, a slice of quiche, a square of lasagna. My favourite was a simple sliced zucchini salad dressed in a creamy basil pesto, which sounds somewhat dull, but the pitch perfect ingredients made this dull sounding salad a star.
Then we were brought some pizza, a crispy thin crust crackery affair. Then we went on with pasta. Both nights’ we were brought two different steaming bowls to be shared. Beef slow cooked ragu, orrichette with mushrooms and truffle. If you wished you could add a meat supplement after, a further 20 pesos (around five dollars,) saw a great fried piece of liver (beef, natch) and fries (being Argentina and all, natch). Then desserts, ice creams, maybe some semi-freddo, fresh berries and crème fraiche.
Then coffee and to finish a shot of icy limonacello. All in it was $100 a person, which translates to a somewhere south of thirty bucks. It was incredible food in an amazing city.
~KT
