Category Archives: restaurants

The Breakfast Buffet: A Great American Pastime

22 Monday Oct 2012

Posted by in north carolina, restaurants, travel

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , ,

I’ve been in a food coma for the past few days, and I am not ashamed.

One of the things I’ve been looking forward to the most for my USA East Coast tour – aside from visiting family and friends, of course – is all the glorious foooooood! Starting in North Carolina, because if you haven’t eaten in the South, you just haven’t lived! (And your heart is probably much healthier for it, but…whatever).

Immediately upon arrival, we hit up the Lighthouse Beer Festival with its glorious array of craft brews. So the following morning was the perfect occasion to visit a breakfast buffet. And where better than the legendary Golden Corral.

The breakfast buffet is all about strategy. First, I always survey my options so I know what is available, can prioritize and allot plate space accordingly. Skip this step at your own risk! Around every corner is another tray of deliciousness that you are going to wish you had more room for.

My personal favorite this time around was the Smokey Cheesy Potatoes because holy hell, there are just no words. Sliced red potatoes in a gooey smokey creamy cheese sauce with peppers and onions. Then there was the sausage egg and cheese casserole, the bacon, the corned beef hash, the cheese grits, the hash browns….and that was just on Plate #1.

For Round 2, realizing I had limited vacancy in my belly I zeroed in on the final non-negotiable: creamed chipped beef over a biscuit. On an impulse, I added an apple fritter that I didn’t expect much from. But WOW, that was the perfect sweet ending. It was like a funnel cake with chunks of sweet cinnamon apples. (Wikipedia link added for the benefit of my non-North American readers – ¡qué lástima si no lo has probado!).

Lest you assume I’m a total glutton, below I present you with the offerings in which I did NOT indulge. How it cannot be considered criminal to include a dessert buffet as part of a breakfast buffet is really not for me to question. And what is pictured is actually less than half of what was available. It took a lot of willpower to skip the chocolate cake, carrot cake, chocolate cream pie, strawberry pie AND the chocolate fountain. But, y’know, we all make sacrifices.

GOLDEN CORRAL – with locations all over the USA

God Bless America.

Philly Cheesesteaks in Buenos Aires

09 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by in buenos aires, restaurants

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Oh, what a beautiful discovery.

We’d been meaning to try El Banco Rojo for a while, the hole-in-the-wall spot offering comidas para llevar from the owners of dive bar favorite La Puerta Roja in San Telmo. I’d heard they had kebabs and falafel, and despite remarking on the regular that we should check it out, we just hadn’t gotten around to it. But when we strolled by one day and spotted the sign touting not only kebabs and falafel, but Philly Cheesesteaks and BBQ wings, it was a done deal.

The menu is rather…eclectic?

We went into it with low expectations. I mean, c’mon. We couldn’t even find decent cheesesteaks when we lived in Miami or Chicago, so how good could it be in Buenos Aires? Hmm, good enough that we’ve been back on a weekly basis for a cheesesteak fix to accompany Gaspar’s viewing of the Eagles doing whatever it is that they do on NFL Game Pass every Sunday. Football in the summer is just a cruel punishment.

Magic in the making

Okay, okay, so the purists may argue that the peppers are a no-no, but I love them. And unlike a lot of Buenos Aires eateries where fussy eaters are out of luck, El Banco Rojo is willing to make exceptions for someone who may just prefer Whiz Wit’ or Without. The key ingredients are all solid. Good bread, good meat and for the love of God they even have a delicious mysterious Whiz-like cheese! It’s no Jim’s Steaks (which, for the record, kicks both Pat’s and Geno’s asses) but what more could two ex-pats ask for?

EL BANCO ROJO – Bolivar 914 in San Telmo

Hierbabuena en la Primavera

24 Monday Sep 2012

Posted by in buenos aires, restaurants, travel

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , , ,

Bienvenida primavera! I’m so very pleased to see you again. The days of lazy long lunches al fresco have returned.

Freshly squeezed limonadas – photo from Hierbabuena’s Facebook page.

One of my favorite spots to do just that is Hierbabuena. The place is adorable, the food is divine, and the wait staff is friendly. I’m always impressed with the quality of their menu; everything is so natural and fresh, and the flavor combinations are spot-on. I usually fall for the Menú del Día, although my other top favorite is the Brie Salad: warm brie over beet carpaccio with a date and nut vinaigrette. Believe it or not, I’ve yet to try the brunch they’re so well-known for, mostly because I prefer my brunch savory and there are so many other options calling to me. I highly recommend a jug of one of their juices, or a smoothie. You’ll feel energized immediately.

Photo of the charming interior from Hierbabuena’s Facebook page.

This gorgeous day, we considered our lunch options over a chilled bottle of Cafayate Torrontés. I went for the Menú del Día: shrimp kebabs with grilled brie, braised pears and a mandarin reduction.  Gaspar got his favorite, the Avocado Sandwich. A chicken breast smothered in avocado, melted cheese, tomato, egg and mayo.

So consistently excellent. This spot is what spring in the city’s all about.

HIERBABUENA – Av. Caseros 454 in San Telmo

El Sótano de los Quesos: The Cheese Cellar

23 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by in restaurants, travel

≈ Comments Off on El Sótano de los Quesos: The Cheese Cellar

Tags

, , , , ,

After a failed attempt to reach Uruguay this past weekend, we unexpectedly spent a few days in Colón, Argentina. (Long story, don’t ask). While the weekend overall didn’t exactly go as planned, we definitely lucked out as far as the location in which we were briefly stranded. Colón is a charming historic town on the western shore of the Río Uruguay, with a mix of quaint shops, riverside restaurants and thriving nightlife.

On our search for the bright side, we stumbled across El Sótano de los Quesos (The Cheese Cellar) with its sunny patio overlooking the river. After ordering up a lunch of delicious picadas, fresh bread and a refreshing fruity licuado, I scoped out el sótano. 

As soon as you duck into the stone cellar, you’re met with piles of fresh cheeses, salame, bondiola and bread. Shelves are lined with homemade flavored oils and marmalade, jars of preserved meats, fresh honey, and pickled veggies. One corner is dedicated to fresh milks, yogurt and ricotta. A small alcove in the back is stocked with homemade wines, craft brews and artisanal liqueurs.

Pategras and provolone are available in abundance, with some mounds of provolone already seasoned with oregano and ready for the parilla, provoleta-style.  I was also delighted to find non-standard fare like mermelada de tomate (tomato jam) and pickled venison.

If you’re ever in Colón (hopefully by your own free will) it’s definitely worth spending a lazy afternoon by the river, and picking up some artisanal treats to take home.

EL SÓTANO DE LOS QUESOS – En el Puerto de Colón Entre Rios

Indulgence Francés at Brasserie Petanque

06 Monday Aug 2012

Posted by in buenos aires, restaurants

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

There’s something I love about nestling into this delightful French restaurant in the midst of San Telmo’s cobblestone-paved antiquity. It just feels…special.

Probably due at least in part to the complimentary Kir Royale whisked over upon arrival.

It’s always hard to decide what to order. There are so many delicious options! To start, agonize over choices like oysters, tuna carpaccio with pistachios and mango, or buttery garlicky escargots. Then move on to agonizing over cassoulet, beef burgundy, or duck breast in orange sauce.

On this sunny afternoon, Gaspar went for the groan-inducing deliciousness of the rabbit with dijon sauce. It’s pretty much a given: one of us has to order it.

Conejo a la mostaza de Dijon at Brasserie Petanque

And I can never say no to raw meat. The steak tartare was calling me. Topped with Dijon mustard and an egg yolk, it was majestic.

Steak Tartare at Brasserie Petanque

Raw is the name of the game.

Going during the mediodía will save you a decent chunk of change in comparison to the steeper dinner prices. So go on a sunny day, sit by the windows and enjoy a bit of decadence.

BRASSERIE PETANQUE – Defensa 596 (esquina México)

Read reviews on Guía Oleo and Trip Advisor.

Desayuno Dulce

02 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by in buenos aires, restaurants

≈ Comments Off on Desayuno Dulce

Tags

, , , , ,

Despite the abundance of decidedly indulgent food featured on the blog, believe it or not, we generally eat pretty healthy (healthily? healthfully? I need a copy editor). Whatever. My point is, every once in a while you just have to treat yourself. As I’ve mentioned before, breakfast and brunch are not a huge deal in Buenos Aires. The standard at the local cafés is usually along the lines of some tostadas with queso crema and mermelada, or a pile of medialunas. Cue sad trombone. I say, if you’re going to carb load why not just fully commit? Bring on the pastries.

After sampling pastries from a variety of panaderías and confiterías in San Telmo, I’ve finally found my favorite in the barrio. All you people who swear by Del Amanacer…well, you’re just wrong.

Panadería y Confitería Santa María is an unassuming shop on Defensa with an ever-present display of delicate alfajores in the window…and not a whole lot else. Unless you count the decorations for Christmas, New Year’s and Easter that stay in the window year-round. But hey, no judgement. You’ll be willing to overlook that when you step inside on a weekend morning, look to the left, and find a wall full of pastries of every shape, color and size. There’s a wide variety of medialunas, a selection of churros, and other breakfast delights stuffed with membrillo, some sort of cheesecake-like topping that I have yet to identify, and of course, dulce de leche. You can select your own mix of a dozen sweet treats for $24 pesos.

PANADERÍA Y CONFITERÍA SANTA MARÍA DE AGUILERA

Defensa 670 en San Telmo, Capital Federal

Expand Your Pizza Horizons at Sr. Telmo

12 Thursday Jul 2012

Posted by in buenos aires, restaurants

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, ,

The bar at Sr. Telmo. Hooray, beer!

Pizza in Buenos Aires can elicit a variety of responses from foreigners. I personally enjoy it, but have heard some people get downright ANGRY about it. To which I say, tranqui…and go home.

The typical Argentine pizza’s thick, doughy crust, piles of cheese and near absence of sauce is most likely not like the pizza from a visitor’s country of origin. If you’re craving a New York or Chicago-style slice, it’s not going to fill that exact void. But anything that includes piles of cheese is still going to be pretty damn tasty.

My favorite pizza in the city, to date, is from Sr. Telmo. With windows that line Defensa and Pasaje San Lorenzo, the ambience is open and inviting. The building boasts your standard San Telmo vibe of exposed brick everywhere the eye can see, and the walls display local works of art for sale. But the focus is on the pizza. Their pizza has a thin crust (by local standards) with an awesome variety of pizza roja (with sauce) or blanca (without) and toppings like arugula, shrimp, jamón crudo, mushrooms and more. Almost makes you not miss pepperoni.

Pizza Roja del Pasajero from Sr. Telmo

To make it even better, you can order two halves so you can try different flavor combinations. Our favorite is a grande, one half the pizza blanca de cinco quesos oozing with mozzarella, provolone, parmesan, roquefort and goat cheeses. The other half, pizza roja del pasajero with (a bit of) sauce, mozzarella and piled with mushrooms and panceta, the Argentine bacon that’s more like a fatty ham than crispy yanqui-style bacon.

I also love the cheesy garlic bread they give you. Well worth the cubierto charge. I’d come here just for this! And to top it all off (er, wash it all down?) there’s a decent beer selection that rotates (translation: they run out) regularly. But there’s always something new and interesting to try, and what a welcome treat to trade in the litros of Quilmes and Stella for a cold Estrella Galicia or Antares Porter with your slice.

SR. TELMO – Defensa 756, esquina Pasaje San Lorenzo

Read the reviews on Guia Oleo.

Birthday Brunch at Hernán Gipponi

02 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by in buenos aires, restaurants

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

,

I’ve reached the age where I’d prefer that my birthdays be non-events. Sure, it’s a perfect excuse for a great meal and decadent dessert, but beyond that…let’s just say you’ll never hear me claim it’s my “birthday week” and chances are I’m not even sure on which day it falls. I’m also awful at actually making any plans for said great meal, but Gaspar’s always on the ball. I’m in good hands.

This year, he decided it was time to try the much-lauded brunch at Hernán Gipponi in the Hotel Fierro. Day-drinking and a parade of gourmet food? That man knows me so well.

The brunch scene still seems to be in its infancy here in Buenos Aires, but I’m hopeful that sooner or later more restaurant owners will come around to the glory of diving into French toast and mimosas at 1pm – excuse me, 13hs. Hernán Gipponi’s doing a great job of leading by example.

The multi-course brunch menu changes regularly, and while it’s pricier than the average Argentine desayuno of a cortado and some medialunas, in my opinion it’s a bargain in that you get much more than what you pay for. With only ten tables, the setting is intimate and the service remarkably attentive for Buenos Aires. Friendly, too. “¿Estadounidenses? Pero hablan muy bien!” A well-meaning but back-handed compliment that’s a distant second to my favorite, “Pero no son gordos!”

The photos speak for themselves. I did miss a few courses because I was so busy stuffing them in my belly. It’s hard to choose a favorite, but it MAY have been the polenta with blue cheese and a morcilla fritter. Although I could have eaten that hummus that came with the boiled egg by the spoonful.

orange juice, fruit & vegetable juice shot, and seasonal fresh fruit

Medialunas & fresh bread with butter, dulce de leche, and mermelada de membrillo

68° boiled egg, hummus, crispy bacon and meat broth

Pumpkin cream soup, goat cheese and sweet onions

Prawn with mandarine, campari and beans

Pejerrey with roasted tomato, tofu seeds and liquified mussels

Organic polenta, blue cheese and morcilla fritter

Skirt steak with sweet potato, almonds, raisins and leek cream

Chocolate nemesis with creamy lemon ice cream, homemade dulce de leche and strawberries

Don’t take my word for it, pretty much every food loving ex-pat living in Buenos Aires has heaped this spot with praise. Check out the mouth-watering reviews and amazing photos on Pick Up The Fork, The Lost Asian and La Panza Porteña. But be warned, the price of the brunch has increased in the months since some of these reviews, and is now $120 pesos per person. Non-existent inflation’s a bitch.

HERNÁN GIPPONI – Soler 5862 in the Fierro Hotel

Territorio, a San Telmo Favorite

18 Monday Jun 2012

Posted by in buenos aires, restaurants

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

, , ,

In most of the cities we’ve lived, we’ve been lucky to find a thriving foodie scene with tons of restaurants to try. But despite our best efforts, we’ve always failed miserably at trying them all. I blame this on the fact that we know what we like. And when you want to wile away an afternoon or evening over a bottle of wine and good food, why take a risk somewhere new only to be disappointed?

Territorio, corner of Estados Unidos and Bolivar in San Telmo

Territorio is one of those places that we know will never let us down. From the first visit, I was enamored of their tablas. Eating picadas as a meal is common in Buenos Aires. Literally translated as “bites”, picadas are generally a mix of cured meats, cheeses, olives and such. Territorio takes picadas to a whole new level of glory. As their menu promises, the tablas are “simplemente, nuestra razón de ser” — simply, our reason for being. Each tabla comes with a different and extensive mix of picadas, and can be ordered for groups of two or four to share. From experience, I’d recommend that a tabla para dos is enough for tres or more.

The Gran Tabla Territorio

On our latest visit, we splurged on the Gran Tabla Territorio. It’s basically a little bit of everything they have to offer: smoked boar, salmon and venison, different cuts of ham and salami, six different cheeses, a huge variety of pickled vegetables, roasted potatoes, sautéed beef and mushrooms…oh, it all makes me so happy.

I’m pretty sure I could make a meal out of the cheese alone.

It’s a somewhat hidden treasure. Most days it’s not packed, just an assorted collection of regulars and tourists who’ve stumbled across it, especially on Sundays with the Fería de San Telmo in full swing a block away. The vibe is incredibly laidback. Good music. Muy buena onda. The owner’s usually around, chatting with customers, and the waitstaff’s friendly and showers attention on our boxer, Judah. She likes to come along on the weekends when we sit outside for a bottle of wine and plates of queso de cabra and patatas bravas, as she collects compliments from passersby in languages we may or may not understand.

Wall to ceiling shelves stocked with wine. What’s not to love? 

If you’re ever in the neighborhood – or even if you have to trek over from Palermo – it’s definitely worth a leisurely afternoon visit.

TERRITORIO – Estados Unidos 500 (esq. Bolivar) in San Telmo

Read reviews on Guia Oleo.