Archive for the 'Restaurants' Category

Una Cena con Casa SaltShaker

Published on January 17, 2009 in Buenos Aires and Restaurants. 8 Comments Tags: , , .

I wanted to make my parents’ visit special while they were in Buenos Aires, and I had heard from some reliable sources that Casa SaltShaker was a great way to spend an evening.  It’s a supper club run by an expat and his Peruvian partner, and they’ve got it down to a science.  Dan, the proprietor / chef / sommelier / kitchen wunderkind did not disappoint.  We shared drinks with the other dinner guests while everyone was arriving, and sat down to one of the few communal dinner tables in Buenos Aires after swapping stories.

Each evening’s menu has a specific theme, and ours was the Teapot Dome Scandal of 1921.  All of the menu items had some sort of tea used in their preparation.  We started with an excellent salad:

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This was the first time I’d had a salad with pistachios, and it worked beautifully.  The rest of the ingredients include red onions, spinach, feta cheese, and fresh peas.  The dressing was a Spring Mint tea-infused vinaigrette.  Then soup:

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Potato soup.  Simple and delicious.  He used a Calm blend of tea here for the soup stock, and also added in leeks and onions.  I think the soup gets a tie for first place of the evening in my mind.  The soup was followed by an Italian dish:

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Langanelli is an unevenly cut wheat pasta, and Dan tossed it with sauteed chickpeas, celery, and olive oil, then added cubed chicken rubbed in Indian Market tea.  It was very good, but the salmon to follow came in neck and neck for the top spot with the potato soup:

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Great, great dish.  I’m a huge fan of salmon to begin with, and I’ve never had it combined with polenta.  The salmon was rubbed with the Chinese Soul tea blend and baked, then placed atop the polenta with drizzled brown butter.  And for those with a sweet tooth:

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The dessert was a peach custard tart using cream infused with Rooibos tea from Africa.  I don’t have much of a sweet tooth but I enjoyed a couple of nibbles.

Also, though not pictured each course comes with a wine pairing, and I have to say that every wine we had was excellent.  Do keep in mind though that I’m 23 and know next to nothing about wines beyond the fact that 5 glasses leaves me a little tipsy.  My parents and I thoroughly enjoyed our dinner there, and I can’t recommend it enough for a unique night out if you’re visiting Buenos Aires.  Here’s a crowd shot, with Dan standing:

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For more information on our evening, Dan has posted the menu here (with comments), as well as an explanation on his own food blog, Saltshaker.  I’d also like to thank Henry, Dan’s partner and our host for the evening.

PS- Shout out to my sister Courtney and cousin Ashley for getting into UNC, GO HEELS!

Sarkis

Published on November 10, 2008 in Buenos Aires and Restaurants. 0 Comments Tags: , .

I haven’t done any restaurant reviews in a while, so I figured I’d throw up one of my favorite Buenos Aires spots: Sarkis!  If you’re ever in the mood for Middle-Eastern / Mediterranean fusion food then Sarkis has you covered.  I’ve eaten their probably more than any other local restaurant, since it strikes the perfect balance of cheap, close, and filling.

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Sarkis has an entire page of starters you can go with, though I’m a particularly big fan of the falafel.  They use a really interesting sauce that gives it a slightly sour / sweet taste, definitely haven’t had anything like it at other falafel joints.  Be careful with those starters though, because portions here are big, and you shouldn’t miss out on the main courses.  Behold, my favorite:

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The kebabs are wonderful, this guy here comes with chicken.  You’ve got your grilled onions, grilled tomatoes, huge chicken cubes, and enough yogurt sauce to drown a small child.  Oh, and what you see here is just a half portion.  They don’t mess around!

You can find Sarkis on Thames, only a block off of Avenida Cordoba.  If you want to do dinner try to get there around 8pm because the place fills up quick, especially on weekends.  And if you need a dining partner let me know, this is one expat that won’t pass up any opportunity for Sarkis!  Enjoy!

Antares

Published on October 2, 2008 in Buenos Aires and Restaurants. 3 Comments Tags: , , , , .

I found a new bar to park my rear at.  Antares is a bar that shares its name with the brewery it’s associated with.  The place reminds me of an airplane hangar, it’s a really long building with really high ceilings.  The bar’s sparsely lit and has plenty of booths, it’s a good place for a rendezvous with a femalien friend.  The real star here is the beer though, and my friend Alana and I opted for sampler to start.  We both agreed that the Imperial Stout and the Cream Stout were the real stars.  They’re a welcome respite from Quilmes, which is pretty much the equivalent of Busch Light.  It’s nice to try some microbrews after being spoiled back home.

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They had a band come a bit later in the night that was cool, heck they even covered Queen’s “Fat Bottomed Girls.”  A band after my heart.  They also covered Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” and a Radiohead song I’m blanking on right now.  It made for a real fun night, especially with their 2×1 happy hour special they have every day.

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Speaking of food, I interviewed for the touring job on Tuesday and I think it went really well.  I should hear back from Kirsty tomorrow, so here’s hoping!  I’d be leading small groups of tourists on dining tours around Recoleta.  It would be my ideal job down here.  Wish me luck!

Oh, and did I mention Antares also serves legit bacon cheese fries!?  And that it’s less than 10 minutes from my apartment?  That could prove dangerous.

Foodophiles

Published on September 23, 2008 in Buenos Aires and Restaurants. 9 Comments Tags: , , , , .

One of my absolute favorite things to do in new places is to try out local restaurants and cuisine.  I’m a foodophile.  Lately I’ve been on a quest for good pizza, and also trying out local recommendations around Palermo.  A couple of the places I’ve tried out in the last week are Lucky Luciano’s, Mark’s Deli, and a return trip to La Cabrera for Katie’s welcome dinner.

Going out for a pizza is usually a highlight of anyone’s week, and although we’re all usually watching for high cholesterol levels and calorie intakes, there is many an old Italian woman, and she’s definitely eaten many a good pie, I’d hope. The restaurants on the list were an adventure and experience to remember, for the mind and the body.

Lucky Luciano’s is a tiny Italian joint in Recoleta, full of kitschy decor ranging from Scarface posters to a miniature David.  It also plays a pretty smooth mix of of lounge music in the vein of Thievery Corporation.  The main focus is on the food though, and they do Italian really well.  My friend Suresh and I both opted for the margherita pizza.  Lo and behold, this pizza actually had a decent amount of sauce!  New York style slices don’t exist down here, but the Italian pizza we had was great.

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Mark’s Deli isn’t actually owned by an American, which is strange given the name.  It sits on a corner in Palermo and is an Argentine’s take on New York bagels, giant cookies, and deli sandwiches.  Katie and I went there for lunch yesterday and it was great.  Unfortunately, I forgot my camera so I’ll have to forego pictures until I make a return trip.  If anyone reading is in town, go for #15 on the sandwich menu.  Turkey, mozarella, tomato, spinach, and guacamole on white.  Bomb.

The crown jewel of the culinary trifecta I tried out this week was La Cabrera.  For those faithful readers that have been here from the beginning, this is actually my second time going to La Cabrera.  And it was just as ridiculously good as the first time.  We went last night for Katie’s welcome dinner and to give her an initiation to Argentine steak.  I went for the lomo marinada con verduras (marinated rump steak and vegetables), and I’ve got a picture of it below.  The picture actually is two portions, one for me and one for Alana, so don’t go thinking I eat that much steak in a normal sitting.  Kelsey and Jo went for an artery clogging concoction of steak stuffed with tomatoes, cheese, and ham.  Katie got the skirt steak.  Every single one of the dishes we ordered was great.  And you know a place is serious about beef when even its plates are shaped like cattle.

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Speaking of food, I have an interview this week with a tour operator to start giving food tours to Americans.  As far as I can tell I’d lead groups around Recoleta and take them to nice restaurants, and tell them what they’re ordering and what kind of specialties the restaurants have.  And then I’d get paid for it.  It could very well be the best job ever.  I’ll keep you guys posted.

Oh, and you can click on the pictures to enlarge them.