so here, in chronological order, are my adventures in buenos airesian gastronomy.
got here early wednesday morning. after a great night spent on a first-class bus i got my hostel and went for a walk-about. it's nice to just wander around and get lost on the first day, helps get the bearings. tried to find the modern art museum. couldn't. so my first meal:
- wednesday
- dinner wasn't great. went cheap and fast, but filling. breaded and fried fish filet with a whopping pile of french fries washed down with a Quilmes lager. awesome, but heavy food isn't the best idea before taking tango lessons. beer, however, is.
- thursday
- the next day i took a stroll. all the way to the hip and trendy palermo viejo neighborhood; home to argentinian couteur and some damn fine restaurants. lunch was spent at a sidewalk cafe. had the set menu of the day. the entrada: two chorizo-style chicken bon-bons. red pepper, chicken and spices in sausage sleeves lightly fried and served on a bed of arugula. the main course: beef brisket cuts marinated in honey, lightly smoked and served with wedges of something resembling a sweet potato. finish off with a coconut tort drizzled in caramel. the presentation on both was fantastic. all this with a nice glass of Mendoza Valley malbec. total cost: $7
- friday
- kept it simple the next day. went to the museum of history and another dedicated to turn of the 20th century house decor; this old french-style mansion with a beautiful dining room and sculptures by rodin all about.
had snacks for lunch. dinner at a nice, economic (cheap) italian place. napolitano pizza for one, loaded with cheese and a glass of the house red. - saturday
- when in buenos aires, it's pretty much obligatory to do some shopping. after 5 months of wearing the same two pairs of jeans it´s a necessity. i've been lusting after a black, pinstripe suit for months and now i have one. I rule!
lunch was at a nice ceramics store slash cafe. i had the best caesar salad. extra points for the home-made croutons.
dinner was an ok steak, smothered in a mushroom sauce garnished with house-fried potato chips. the steak was bleeding red but a bit tough. the wine was nice, though. a fruity, full-bodied malbec by the Bianchi bodega. beth is excited. - sunday
- spent the day wandering around the san telmo antiques market. its this great street market packed with old, european-import antiques; tons of designer shops selling argentinean couteur; and music everywhere. there were guys on guitar, guitar duos playing for tango dancers, full on bands with three accordions and strings. by far the best cultural day here.
speaking of argentine culture, a note about dining in the capitol: argentinians eat late. really late. for example, i went to dinner, starving, at 9:30. the only people in the restaurant until 10:30 were myself and a nice girl from oklahoma. i respect the idea of late dining; it makes one feel very cosmopolitan. my belly, however, is ready to get back to more reasonable dining hours.
the food was incredible. went to this nice italian bistro around the corner. red table cloths, bi-lingual servers in bowties. pretty stellar. to start i had a nice, light salad followed by an impeccable spaghetti in red sauce with strips of smoked salmon and generous helpings of red and black caviar. easily the finest pasta i've ever had. finished it off with a surprisingly delicious 'macaroni and cheese' ice cream.
today will be spent roaming around a few mid-town museums, maybe a little more shopping and probably some book reading - currently in the middle of malcolm x's biography. he was born in omaha. this would be something to be proud of if his family hadn't been run out of town by the klan.
i've finished my souvenir shopping, so all that's left is to relax and enjoy one of the most exciting cities i've ever seen. i'll be home at 11:30 inthe morning on thursday. go air canada!
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