Restaurant Survival Guide

[jb5]

BA is a place to cook, it has wonderful fresh ingredients. The fruits and vegetables at the good markets rival the best available near my California home surrounded by growers.

There are some great butchers who will cut and grind whatever you want. Great fresh eggs, very fresh chicken.

The 2 things really lacking are cheese and fish.

Pity most kitchens in the city are god awful!

 

[Barney]

I´ve found that there is quite a bit of fine dining here with excellent food and service, and generally a bit cheaper than the US. I´m not talking huge value but more like a $70 dollar quality meal for $50.

I´ve also a fan of the a lot of the cheap little parillas like those you will find along the costanera sur (5 peso chorripan and a million condiments). And I love empanadas, ARS 2.50 for a delicious little pocket of goodness! Can´t go wrong...

Where I think this city lacks is decent mid range restaurants. As far as I´m concerned most of the parrillas are just garbage, and the million and one confiterias that all have identical 20 page menus are generally awful. I haven´t gone out and ordered in one of these kind of restaurants in forever. I´d rather cook at home.

I´ve never gotten parrillas anyway. I like going out to eat because I like experiencing new sensations, dishes crafted like art by the chefs, things I probably would never cook or think to cook en casa. At a parrilla they cook the food the same way I would at home, the only difference is at home I can actually make my steaks rare unlike in most parrillas where every word for rare (vuelta y vuelta, muy muy jugoso, casi crudo, etc) seems to mean slightly pink. The quality of a grilled steak dish has nothing to do with the preparation and everything to do with the quality of the meat, all the chef has to do is not screw up the cooking. So if you have a good carneceria and a parilla, why go pay a lot of money for someone to do exactly what you could do better at home?

Luckily for you have never seen those informes about the parillas at the costanera because your opinion would change quite dramastic

 

[PhilipDT]

I disagree, when I love a place, especially after I have been there, I promote it, because that is what we do where I am from. Sorry. There are many places here that people mention, many times, and that is okay? Hmm. Is it because it's a vegetarian place? Is that why? I am also tired of not being able to find great places to eat for vegans, so I am putting the word out there, and when there is a good place I will tell the world, especially in a meat eating country, where people like me, expats, who are also nonmeat eaters, who are struggling with the same struggles as everyone else here and then , being vegan, please, let me share my info, it's a forum, and one thing I look in forums are the food places. And this one was meat based one. So if it's okay with you, I will like to continue participating in this public forum, being a vegan, I will like to give my suggestions, too.

You bumped an 8 month old thread because you weren't content with the other three opportunities you had to mention it? Maybe your not a shill but if we take that off the table we're just left with rude and uncouth.

 

[Californian_Oh]

California Burrito = horrible. They charge, what, us$13 for a burrito that is inferior to Taco Bell. The average burrito purchased in California for us$6 or less is 100x better. I highly recommend steering clear and instead going to La Fabrica del Taco, only a few blocks away, for tons of tasty tacos + stellar margaritas (try the spicy one!).

Olsen . . . meh, it's ok. But it's pretty cheesy + chock-full of tourists who saw it in every guide on the market (though, admittedly, the food is good and reliable). Check out Cusic or Oui Oui, again both only a few blocks away, for a hip, boutiquey brunch among the real Pallermo Soho locals, not the masses that come from miles away to talk loudly at Miranda.