Afuego / 500 Cabildo

You'll never believe where this jewel is hidden. Inside the Super Coto on Cabildo between Maure and Gorostiaga. Its on the mezzenine near the cafeteria. Beautifully remodled and reopened in June. It is very upscale. It is a parrilla where they constantly serve you off those swords different cuts of beef, chicken, and chorizo. The salad bar is to die for with all the goodies. Lunch is a steal at 14 pesos.

I visited this place when it first opened in June. They food and atmosphere were first cabin but the service sucked. I wrote them a constructive letter of criticism in English. I complimented them on their concept but pointed out that management was not doing their job. They should hire a true maitre'd to properly train these grocery clerks as waiters.

My waiter remembered me and thanked me for the letter. He said they follwed my suggestions and replaced the manager with a real maitre'd! Sometimes they do pay attention.

I stopped here for lunch yesterday. It has been a week since I was last here. The price had increased 2 pesos. That is 15%!

New prices: Lunch 16p; Dinner 18p; Weekends 20p. Still a bargain and includes non alcoholic beverage and desert.

Mr. Coto is doing better than all his small time competetors at keeping the lid on prices. 20p for lunch but beverage and desert are extra. Still, the best value in town for a very good quality meal. Note this is a seperate restaurant and not the cafeteria on the mezzenine.

Lunch is now 28p. Still a comparative bargain when you consider the market. But a good example of inflation as the price has exactly doubled in the last four years. That's 25% each year. Add to that four years ago 14p included beverage and desert which is now extra, and you have closer to 35% average per year. Do the math from last year at 20p (without beverage and desert) and you have the truest picture of current inflation at 40%.

Lunch is now 150 p. Last year at this time it was 100 p. I'll let you rocket scientists do the math (Dickhead may need to help).

McDonalds Angus Bacon / large soda, fries. Now $100 p.

[QUOTE=Gandolf50;443074]McDonalds Angus Bacon / large soda, fries. Now $100 p.[/QUOTE]Big Mac index doesn't prove anything in Argentina's case. You can get the best steak in the world for 100, and compared to dollar the price is exactly the same as 3 years ago. No inflation at all in certain things.

[QUOTE=Pedropolar;443077]Big Mac index doesn't prove anything in Argentina's case. You can get the best steak in the world for 100, and compared to dollar the price is exactly the same as 3 years ago. No inflation at all in certain things.[/QUOTE]Are you of the guys on the government team that calculates inflation?

[QUOTE=Dickhead;443078]Are you of the guys on the government team that calculates inflation?[/QUOTE]No, I'm a total gringo, from Europe. I have a meticolous spreadsheet of my previous visit 3 years ago. Of course, all the imported goods are now more expensive than 3 years ago, but for a clever or experienced tourist Buenos Aires might actually be cheaper than 3 years ago. 3 years ago euro was also hitting all time lows, if you remember.

I remember very well the election day 2011, the day when the ATMs stopped giving dollars, authorities raiding and closing restaurants etc.

BTW, why would you eat a McDonalds or Burger King hamburger, if you can have a lomito for 70 pesos or a wonderful steak for 100 pesos?

[QUOTE=Pedropolar;443084]No, I'm a total gringo, from Europe. I have a meticolous spreadsheet of my previous visit 3 years ago. Of course, all the imported goods are now more expensive than 3 years ago, but for a clever or experienced tourist Buenos Aires might actually be cheaper than 3 years ago. 3 years ago euro was also hitting all time lows, if you remember.

I remember very well the election day 2011, the day when the ATMs stopped giving dollars, authorities raiding and closing restaurants etc.

BTW, why would you eat a McDonalds or Burger King hamburger, if you can have a lomito for 70 pesos or a wonderful steak for 100 pesos?[/QUOTE]Because out here in the boonies a lomito or almost any meal is $200 p and up (with drinks etc) and the lomito or steaks truly suck. All bone and fat. Very little meat. Besides, I really doubt you can buy a lomito today anywhere for under $100 $.

[QUOTE=Pedropolar;443084]No, I'm a total gringo, from Europe. I have a meticolous spreadsheet of my previous visit 3 years ago. Of course, all the imported goods are now more expensive than 3 years ago, but for a clever or experienced tourist Buenos Aires might actually be cheaper than 3 years ago. 3 years ago euro was also hitting all time lows, if you remember.

I remember very well the election day 2011, the day when the ATMs stopped giving dollars, authorities raiding and closing restaurants etc.

BTW, why would you eat a McDonalds or Burger King hamburger, if you can have a lomito for 70 pesos or a wonderful steak for 100 pesos?[/QUOTE]I agree 100% that when expressed in dollars everything except pussy is about the same, daytime pussy remains a good bargain but the club and caf chicks are fucking nuts. However inflation is real and getting ugly for people who earn in pesos.

I don't remember any ATM's that were still giving dollars as far back as 2002. Are you sure you don't mean in 2001 not 2011? I can remember seeing the option in the ATM's forever (vestigial programming thing I think) but none that actually spit dollars though I've never had a bank account here. Perhaps they were available if your card was for the bank but I don't think so because I asked a bunch of my Argentine friends about it.

[QUOTE=DaddyRulz;443087]
I don't remember any ATM's that were still giving dollars as far back as 2002. Are you sure you don't mean in 2001 not 2011? I can remember seeing the option in the ATM's forever (vestigial programming thing I think) but none that actually spit dollars though I've never had a bank account here. Perhaps they were available if your card was for the bank[/QUOTE]I thought Citibank ATM's did until Cristina's re-election in 2011, but maybe it was only for their customers.

[URL]http://baexpats.org/topic/16930-atm-machines-and-usd/[/URL]

Lunch is now 180p M-F 200p weekends and holidays.

I ommited the word inflation from my header as it seems to elicit too much political commentary.

Cafe closed and moved into restaurant.

Lunch M-F 280.

Weekends and evenings 350.

I added their Facebook page to the Restaurant Map.

[URL]https://www.facebook.com/fuegobsas[/URL]

[URL]https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?hl=en&mid=1lM78K-buYIRB2m95FPKF_SipS9I&ll=-34.57565030719543%2C-58.40302830000002&z=13[/URL]

[QUOTE=NormanStormin;449536]Cafe closed and moved into restaurant.

Lunch M-F 280.

Weekends and evenings 350.[/QUOTE]

Mr. Coto must be too old to run his flagship or the Argentines can no longer afford to support it. Restaurant and Cafeteria completely remodeled and replaced with your run of the mill Cafe. Only cafe bill of fare: sandwhiches, pastas, milaneses, salads, pasteries, etc. 200 to 300 price range.

[QUOTE=NormanStormin;350882]You'll never believe where this jewel is hidden. Inside the Super Coto on Cabildo between Maure and Gorostiaga. Its on the mezzenine near the cafeteria. Beautifully remodled and reopened in June. It is very upscale. It is a parrilla where they constantly serve you off those swords different cuts of beef, chicken, and chorizo. The salad bar is to die for with all the goodies. Lunch is a steal at 14 pesos.

I visited this place when it first opened in June. They food and atmosphere were first cabin but the service sucked. I wrote them a constructive letter of criticism in English. I complimented them on their concept but pointed out that management was not doing their job. They should hire a true maitre'd to properly train these grocery clerks as waiters.

My waiter remembered me and thanked me for the letter. He said they follwed my suggestions and replaced the manager with a real maitre'd! Sometimes they do pay attention.[/QUOTE]