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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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!
