Nees some food

[charly]

So the food in Britain is rubbish as well, I guess that must be why I can enjoy the food here so much. Must also be why I hate KFC Big Macs and anyother food saturated with trans fats thatcomes from the good ol US ofA.

For high levels of trans fat you don't need Big Macs... Just look at the labels on good ol' Argentine food...

 

[nikad]

I feel kinda sorry for you guys, especially for those that have been here for a couple of years now. I guess you all buy and eat at the wrong places or pick the wrong stuff. I am a foodie myself and always find food variety at restaurants, coffee shops and stores. I guess for some strange reason you are going in the wrong direction.

 

[sergio]

I don't expect to find good American or British food here. I expect to find good local food but most of what I find tends to be bland, uniform and limited in variety. I would disagree with the poster who said that Argentine cooking is about more than beef. Not much more. There is very little fish and when you can find fish the variety is limited - and its seldom fresh. Vegetables are almost absent from restaurant menus and what is available is very limited in variety. If Macdonalds is about all that you can find of "American" food in Argentina I'd have to ask why that is the case? What about some of the interesting regional cuisine of the US - southern cooking, Creole, etc. Why are these absent? And why doesn't Argentina have the huge variety of fresh vegetables and fish available in the US? What are the Argentine alternatives to beef and chicken? Tough pork (have you ever had a really tender pork chop in Argentina?) and - very occasionally - lamb, a somewhat gamey version not to my taste. Just about every restaurant in the country is limited to beef, chicken and tough pork. Anyone who has lived in a metropolitan American city and who cooks a little knows that you can find an infinite variety of food in the US. People who have travelled in the US and eaten in decent restaurants know that there is tremendous creativity and variety. When it comes to wine, Americans can choose from wines from all over the world. Why? Because the US governnment doesn't tax imported wine so high that it is unaffordable. You can fine some high end Argentine wines in the US selling for lower prices than in Argentina!

 

[nikad]

I don't expect to find good American or British food here. I expect to find good local food but most of what I find tends to be bland, uniform and limited in variety. I would disagree with the poster who said that Argentine cooking is about more than beef. Not much more. There is very little fish and when you can find fish the variety is limited - and its seldom fresh. Vegetables are almost absent from restaurant menus and what is available is very limited in variety. If Macdonalds is about all that you can find of "American" food in Argentina I'd have to ask why that is the case? What about some of the interesting regional cuisine of the US - southern cooking, Creole, etc. Why are these absent? And why doesn't Argentina have the huge variety of fresh vegetables and fish available in the US? What are the Argentine alternatives to beef and chicken? Tough pork (have you ever had a really tender pork chop in Argentina?) and - very occasionally - lamb, a somewhat gamey version not to my taste. Just about every restaurant in the country is limited to beef, chicken and tough pork. Anyone who has lived in a metropolitan American city and who cooks a little knows that you can find an infinite variety of food in the US. People who have travelled in the US and eaten in decent restaurants know that there is tremendous creativity and variety. When it comes to wine, Americans can choose from wines from all over the world. Why? Because the US governnment doesn't tax imported wine so high that it is unaffordable. You can fine some high end Argentine wines in the US selling for lower prices than in Argentina!

These are the cuisine styles that you can find in the city, I think it is a pretty nice variety:
- Alemana
- Arabe
- Armenia
- Autóctona
- Brasilera
- Casera
- Chilena
- China
- Coreana
- Croata
- Cubana
- De autor
- Deli
- Española
- Francesa
- Griega
- Húngara
- India
- Inglesa
- Internacional
- Irlandesa
- Italiana
- Japonesa
- Judía
- Kosher
- Latinoamericana
- Macrobiótica
- Mediterránea
- Mexicana
- Natural
- Nórdica
- Norteamericana
- Parrilla
- Peruana
- Pescados y Mariscos
- Pizza
- Polaca
- Porteña
- Rusa
- Sudeste asiático
- Suiza
- Uruguaya
- Variada
- Vasca

 

[ramon]

Nikad
Posting a list of restaurant types from GUIA OLEO does not constitute the normal here. Where are the good sandwich bars, restaurants that serve more than steak and mashed potato or steak with fries . In general the food is very poor. In coffee shops occasionaly you might get a great medialuna thats about it and dont tell me about the coffee here which never uses the Arabica bean because its expensive . They are always trying to cut corners here in their costs.
The tarts and cakes here are terrible and completely laking in taste. The sandwiches as I have stated before are downright cheap in quality but expensive in price and uninovative . It seems that people here do not have any desire in serving anything with any flavour . The blandest is the best for the Porteno.

 

[nikad]

A big % of the places listed at Guia Oleo are classic in the city, now if you go into any place and expect great food, I guess that is a matter of luck really. I don´t do it, and always go for the restaurants´specialty ( some ppl expect to have great pasta at a place that specializes in beef ) Most restaurants and coffee stores will prepare your sandwich with whatever ingredients you want ( a lot of them do not list this on their menus though )

 

[ramon]

Nikad
I have always asked for changes and 99 percent of the time its Ham, Ham and Cheese or Ham with Cheese and Tomato.
There are literally hundreds of sandwiches made with many ingredients in most western countries in the world.
For a country that prides itself on its Italian Heritage why is there so little good pasta here Nikad.
The icecream is good I give you that

 

[nikad]

Off the top of my head, the most common type of sandwiches are: ham and cheese ( yes you guessed that one !! ), leberwurst and eggs, prociutto and butter, prociutto and tomatoe, tuna and lettuce, chicken or turkey and tomatoes, salami and cheese , pastrami and pickles and the most common types of bread for these are pita bread, pebete, frances, figaza de manteca. Any standard bar or restaurant serves these
The best deli stores prepare sandwiches with whatever type of cheese and coldcuts that you want.
Also most baker stores sell sandwiches de miga ( very popular for birthdays and parties in general ) with a lot more combinations: palms, olives, peppers, ham, prociutto, cheese, cream cheese, pastrai, salami, pickles, eggs, lettuce, tomatoes, turkey, corn, eggplant, artichokes, pineapple, roquefort cheese, mushrooms, tuna, anchovies.
As for pasta, I only like it hand made so I only go to places where they make their own pasta. In general at most italian restaurants you can get ravioli, gnocci, caneloni, capeletti, torteletti, fettucine, vermicelli, spaghetti, lasagna, with different fillings and in different sizes, with different sauces.
I am very curious as to where you are getting this bland stuff, can you name some places?
nik

 

[sergio]

I haven't found these "best" deli stores, Nikad. I agree with Ramon that ham and cheese are the standard sandwiches and there is little else. Go to almost any party and what are you served - sandwiches de miga! A little imagination would help! It would also be nice to see some quality bread. Ethnic restaurants...in theory! There are few that are authentic. Most get adjusted to bland local tastes.

 

[Matty]

sergio, our family has decided to grow some cooking herbs ourselves. So we make our own bread, italian breads especially, infused with our home grown marjoram or tarragon. And there are no popovers like the ones you make at home.
Our porteno here at home loves the imagination that we introduced into his palate by our "innovative" cuisine. If the food here lacks flavor to you, create the flavor that you crave. One time I even brought my own "tajin" inside an asado restaurant - what were they going to do kick me out? I do not think so.