General Restaurant Reports

[Moore]

I also prefer the natural muffs, natural everything. But I'm not seeing anything else we have in common.

Is it difficult to score the 45yo chicks in USA/other? Hillary Clinton at the inauguration ball, yeah baby.

[StrayLight]

StrayLight I cannot believe that you condone RodiBar, very close to my house. Besides the place and food, it seems that the average customer in there is about 95yo. But hey our tastes are diverse. Ive seen it on tourist maps, unexplainably.

Well, you know, at this point I just like it. I like neighborhoody kind of places (like Billy Goat's in Chicago, or the Racoon Lodge in Manhattan, or Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store in San Francisco) I like that kind of place. I like all those old farts in there doing their neighborhoody thing. It's not the very best food, and it's not the very best atmosphere. But the combination of food, atmosphere, and price make it a great place for me to do my routine eating.

To put things in perspective, I ate at that place in Pan Americano once -- I forget the name, but everyone raves about it -- and hated it. And you will have noticed I've avoided Au Bec Fin.

But - to each their own, eh? When it comes to women, I prefer 45-year olds to 25-year olds. And I prefer a woman who's 2 or 3 inches taller than I to one who's shorter. And contrary to **ALL** conventions today, I prefer an unshaved muff. So there you go. It's why God created both vanilla and chocolate ice cream.

Cheers,

SL

[Moore]

Italian - Campo de Fiori on San Jose and Venezuela. Went there for lunch today. I rate La Bistecca as possibly the best all around place in town. Excellent/extensive Italian, Argentine, Spanish, parrilla/grill, salads, and reasonably priced. If I had to choose one restaurant that I had to eat at every day it would probably be there - come to think of it, I used to lunch there nearly every weekday when my office was closer.

StrayLight I cannot believe that you condone RodiBar, very close to my house. Besides the place and food, it seems that the average customer in there is about 95yo. But hey our tastes are diverse. I've seen it on tourist maps, unexplainably.

[El Aleman]

Another good italian place is Primafila, in the "Buenos Aires Design" mall southeast of the Recolete cementary. One of the few places where the pasta comes al dente, and not soft like at amy others. According to one of my Argentinean friends, who also holds an Italian passport, the chef is Italian.

A good parilla, for U Futbol afficionados (I mean the European variety aka soccer) is La Brigada in San Telmo, Estados Unidos I think 1700 or 188 something. Good meat, and the whole place is decorated with Futbol memories - I think the owner has been A professional player before going into the hospitality business. The right place to wash down your frustration about your country's bad performance in the coming world cup.

I also have been to the Mirasol on Posadas again, under the 9 de Julio bridge. Still good quality, but gets pricy. If U just want A good steak, go to Yugo or Gran Taberna. If along the way U want to impress your date, Mirasol is the place. If she happens to be Boca / River / whatever fan, La Brigada.

Buen Apetito.

Al Alemán

[Hunt99]

Another decent Italian place is under the bridge at the north end of 9 de Julio. There are two, actually. I can't remember the names, but I go to the one on the south side of the street. It's best to go with a few people as the portions are fairly big, and things often get split.

That's Piegari, also discussed a few posts down. Sorrento is the Italian place across the street. Piegari also has a parrilla as a separate restaurant on the north side, one place down from Sorrento.

[StrayLight]

I generally stay in Recoleta, and like Member #3313, I came across Au Bec Fin on my first night in town, too. It didn't look like what I wanted, however, and I kept going. Since I am partial to sweetbreads, though, I think I might check it out based on Hunt's review.

The first place I ate, which I still like a lot, was Camarico, at Junin 1621 (just down from Vicente Lopez) It's owned by Robby Montenegro, a Peruvian or Bolivian who went to high school in Wisconsin and speaks great English. His real love is wines, and the small restaurant really exists to showcase his wine collection. He has added a small cigar bar upstairs.

My current favorite is Rodi Bar, at the corner of Vicente Lopez and Ayacucho. It's pretty much my ideal place for a good meal and good atmosphere at good prices. When I'm in town I go there for breakfast every morning (phenomenally good "cafe con leche mas cafe") and I'll stop in 2 or 3 times a week for lunch or dinner, pretty much always getting bife de lomo jugoso with some papas fritas and a salad.

For good Italian, I go to Sottovoce, at the corner of Ayacucho and del Libertador. Kind of upscale. I wouldn't go in wearing jeans.

Another decent Italian place is under the bridge at the north end of 9 de Julio. There are two, actually. I can't remember the names, but I go to the one on the south side of the street. It's best to go with a few people as the portions are fairly big, and things often get split.

Bistro Despensa, on the corner of Quintana and Montevideo, is another place I like to drop in on for dinner from time to time. The first time I walked in they were playing John Coltrane's "My Favorite Things" in the background, and I knew I would like it. They have a very small menu, but the food is good. I had a memorable Patagonian trout dinner one night. If you're taking a non-pro out to dinner, it's the place to go in my opinion. Nice romantic atmosphere and good food.

There's a parrilla in Palermo that I think has the best entraña I've had. It called Parrilla Don Julio, and it's on the corner of Guatemala and Gurruchaga. At night they tend to get pretty crowded and noisy, but I've spent a number of quiet, leisurely afternoons just hanging out enjoying the food and wine.

Finally, for something really different, there's an Italian restaurant way down on Chile that has a cool thing going. They have a smorgasbord, and the deal is, you get your food and then they weigh it. If you can guess the weight after two guesses, you get it for free. If not, you pay by the gram or whatever.

The first time I went, they took pity on me and let me take three or four guesses. I started high and kept going down, and they kept laughing and telling me to try again. Finally they threw in the towel on me and told me the weight.

Well, I didn't have pity on them. After I finished, I went back and got the exact same thing. And I do mean exact. Took it up to get weighed, and guessed it on the first shot. Ha ha. But I didn't want to ruin a good thing, so I ceased and desisted for the rest of the night. But it's doable if you're so inclined.

I don't have the name and address of that place off the top of my head, but I can dig it up if anyone's interested.



Enjoy,

SL

[Starfe]

I second Hunts pick of Cabana Las Lilas. Also try the souflle fried potatos.

Starfe

[Amantelondres]

Hunt,

I agree 100%. Last time I went my table wasn't quite ready so free bubbly and canapes at the bar while waiting. Portions are more than adequate and a nice clientele. Another favourite is Oviedo, classic Spanish, on corner of Ecuador and Beruti. For French food I still like Le Sud at the Sofitel. For DATY, my all time fav. Is Alanis on the corner of Platynum and Heaven!

[Hunt99]

Also, where can I find the best quality Italian, in Recoletta (price is not an issue)

It's not quite in Recoleta proper, but I would say the best Italian place (as well as one of the more expensive) is Piegari, on Posadas, underneath the overpass of 9 de Julio.

http://www.frommers.com/destinations...es/D52704.html

[Hunt99]

I had some excellent lamb chops on my last visit to Cabana Las Lilas. The rest of the menu was disappointing to me (I think the place is headed downhill) but the chops were among the best I have ever had.

[WrldTraveller]

Can anyone recommend a place to get quality lamb chops? Also, where can I find the best quality Italian, in Recoletta (price is not an issue)

During my last trip, I almost overdosed on beef and am looking to add some variety to the menu this time around.

Usually, food inquiries stimulate as much debate as chica inquiries, so all opinions are welcome!

Thanks,.

WT

[Mpexy]

Empire Thai, at 427 Tres Sargentes, nearest cross street Paraguay.

Actually not that great Thai food compared to what I know as Thai food in the San Francisco Bay Area, which I think is a pretty good place to get Thai next to Thailand itself.

However, if you miss actual spicy foods while in Argentina since it seems Argentines think even a tiny little bit of spice is "peycante", try this place. Seriously, it's some weird tasting food, not bad in the sense of non-edible, just not really what I'd even classify as Thai food. But it can get pretty damn spicy and that's what I wanted.

Green curry is nothing. Zero spice so I thought on first visit this place was another Argentine spice level place saying they had spicy stuff but really wasn't. But tonight I tried their Red Curry with chicken / beef / etc that you choose, and wow. Even being a spice lover, and even being told it was "very spicy" in a real warning kind of way so that I actually said ok, please make it less spicy than normal, it was flaming hot.

Average food, but the only place I've found so far with actual spicy, even flaming hot, plates.

[Easy Go]

There are four of them. The other three are at Chenaut 1912 (Las Cañitas) Aguilar 2391 (Belgrano) and Paraguay 434 (Microcentro)

Featuring "Cocina Regional", the menu was a bit different than the typical BA resturant. They had some interesting empanadas for starters (I had "Del Tambo" which was 6 regular cheeses plus a touch of blue for 1.70p) but the main dishes are mostly stew type dishes. I had Bife a la Criolla for 10p which was more like a pot roast than a stew in texture. Quite tasty. The waitress said "muy picante" but that was by BA standards. Nobody from the US would say that it was at all spicy.

30p out the door with a 1/2L of Quilmes, spring water, and a monster piece of "Torta Querencia", and propina. I will return.

4824-4483, 4821-1888, 4823-1414

[Moore]

Sorry, all I saw was that they were closed, I rarely went in them anyway. I will be happy for each of those places to be replaced, hopefully by establishments with good service/food. World Sports Cafe especially sucked.

Maybe I'll rent one of the vacant buildings, connect CNBC/ESPN, and claim that it's an "American" restaurant & bar

Thatta be a winner.

[Jaimito Cartero]

Yes I noticed this a few days ago when I was drinking about next door to Henry Beans (don't remember the name of the place) I didnt look for any signs on the closed places. But maybe they are just closed for the Jan. Holiday as numerous places are?

I think the "For Lease" signs was a rather permanent thing.