Picture This: Argentina: If You Go to Argentina, Eat Here

Here's a run-down of my five favorite restaurants and meals while in Argentina, in no particular order.

Casa Saltshaker (covered in the previous post)

El Establo
This parilla (steakhouse) is no secret. Porteños eat there and recommend that you eat there as well. A high school friend of mine who is no stranger to BsAs and whose opinion on food I hold in high regard was actually the first person who told me that El Establo was not to be missed. His sentiments were echoed by two salesmen at a shop on Calle Florida who called it "the best" and pointed us in the right direction. Four of us took our hungry selves there for lunch, and waddled out a couple hours later, quite certain that we'd just had the ultimate asado meal.

The restaurant itself looks like an old-school Italian eatery - salamis, prosciutto, cheeses and ropes of garlic hanging from the ceiling. There is a massive wood-burning barbecue grill that divides two dining rooms, and two different bars. The waiters wear tuxedos.

We ordered what we thought was appropriate, and thankfully, our waiter advised us to downsize. Food started arriving in massive quantities, all of it delicious. The steaks, of course were out of this world. We got an entrana (skirt steak), as well as a lomo (filet), and both were perfectly prepared and succulent. They were so good all on their own, but the chimichurri sauce in the squeeze bottle on the table was so good, I couldn't help but pour it on as well. We also ordered the mollejas (sweetbreads), and I loved them. They were perfectly crispy around the edges, tender in the middle, and extremely flavorful with the addition of a dash of salt. And the provoleta - a grilled slab of aged provolone cheese, served with a glug of olive oil, tomatoes and sprinkled with oregano - completely indulgent. There were also side dishes of papas fritas, an order of chorizo, probably salad and vegetables of some sort thrown in for good measure, and even a pizza (whose idea was that?!). Vino tinto was liberally poured, and glasses of exceptional limoncello came in lieu of dessert. It was a crazy huge amount and variety of food. Bordering on the obscene. And what did we pay for this ridiculous spread of food and libations? A mere $25 per person, including tip.

Provoleta

Mollejas

Azafrán
"Delicacies and Wine" reads the sign. There is a reason why Azafrán in Mendoza comes so highly reviewed and recommended - it's amazing! We went on a stunning, warm evening, and since our reservation was for 8:30 p.m., we were among the first diners to arrive. We chose to sit outside on the sidewalk, but the restaurant was so charming, we kept sneaking inside for pictures or to browse the wall of specialty foods and olive oils they had for sale. The front of the restaurant is taken up by a gorgeous wine room, where the sommelier helped us narrow down our choice for the evening. We settled on a 2008 Lamadrid Single Vineyard Reserva Bonarda, which set us back a whopping $17 (the restaurant adds only a minimal markup to its wines, simply so people will try more of what Argentina has to offer).

The menu is billed as International fare. Our meal started of with an amuse bouche of something green that I can't quite recall what it was - a melon soup or something? - and joy of joys, a basket of delicious artisan bread (no hard white rolls here!).

My first course was ahi tuna with corn, avocado, cucumber and fried plantain chips. The tuna was melt-in-your-mouth tender, and the combination of ingredients was perfect. It's probably exactly like a dish or two or ten that I've eaten here at home, but down there where I was craving fresh, light food, it was divine. My main course was solomillo de cerdo, a grilled pork tenderloin with a blueberry and Malbec wine sauce, served with a mushroom flan topped with braised leeks (oops - no pictures!). The pork was good (a bit overcooked for my taste... par for the course in Argentina), but the shining star of the dish though was the mushroom flan. What a brilliant idea. It's something I'll be attempting to recreate here at home - stay tuned to Fare to Remember to see if my efforts pan out.

Cafe des Arts at MALBA
As if the art wasn't enough, MALBA has a killer cafe that provides inspiration and art of the culinary variety. The food was not only scrumptious (more artisan bread - yippee!), but as befitting a museum, stunningly presented as well. I opted for the Sandwich Argentine, a pita filled with grilled lomo (filet mignon), roasted red peppers, cheese, arugula and something crunchy, like jicama perhaps, and served with fresh, flavorful chimichurri. It was accompanied by a simple, fantastic butter lettuce salad with a mustard vinaigrette, and a cone of papas fritas. The fries went straight to Zak (ok - I snuck a few), and I wound up having to deconstruct my sandwich in order to finish it. But man, was everything delicious. It's a lunch I would seek out at home if such a thing existed.

I didn't indulge myself, but some of the others ordered the chocolate sampler plate - a little bite of nearly ten different chocolately desserts. The pictures say it all....

Club Tapiz
Club Tapiz is a bodega (winery), lodge and olive house in the Lujan de Cuyo wine region of Mendoza, one of the stops on our winery tour booked through Trout & Wine. (Did I mention that I love Trout & Wine? Love.) It was where I enjoyed my final meal in Argentina (I literally had to leave before dessert to hop in a taxi bound for the airport), and perhaps I had saved the best for last. The location was stunning. The lodge and all of its amenities made me want to book a stay there - like tomorrow. We were treated to an olive oil tasting and a tour of the property before we sat down for an incredible four-course meal (or three course in my case). If you read my food blog, Fare to Remember, you know that I'm a firm believer that meals are better with friends and that communal meals contribute to some of our fondest memories, no matter what is on the menu. Lucky me, at Club Tapiz, both were of the highest quality. I was in very special company, my traveling pals and three new friends, and the food was off the charts (and yep - they served scrumptious artisan bread... I'm sensing a theme amongst my favorite meals). I had had my fill of steak over the previous three weeks, but aside from the El Establo beef bonanza described above, the steak at Club Tapiz was beyond compare. So. Good. At any rate, here's my final supper.... bon appetit!