Típico Argentino

[Lucas]

^ Lucky you, back to a diet of fried chicken with french fries and hamburgers with ketchup and double cheese....yummy yummy

 

[citygirl]

Lucas - that's not a common diet for anyone from any country. You probably would be shocked at how good most culinary options are elsewhere in the world

And David, I bet part of what happened is b/c you're a guy. I find as a woman I rarely have to argue or go to that level but I think a lot of it has to do with being a woman and there still being some attitudes of chivalary here. My guy expat friends seem to have to escalate all the time to get resolution of a problem.

 

[Davidglen77]

Lucas - that's not a common diet for anyone from any country. You probably would be shocked at how good most culinary options are elsewhere in the world

And David, I bet part of what happened is b/c you're a guy. I find as a woman I rarely have to argue or go to that level but I think a lot of it has to do with being a woman and there still being some attitudes of chivalary here. My guy expat friends seem to have to escalate all the time to get resolution of a problem.

Hi Citygirl, I agree and disagree with you on this post.......first I agree 100% that culinary options in most other parts of the world are far superior to Argentina. Even basic things here like sandwiches here are so basic compared to other places. When people here say to me "oh in the US you guys eat hamburgers and french fries, I laugh inside because how many awful hamburger, hotdog, and pizza joints there are here. I am not a big hamburger eater but in the US the hamburgers are WAY superior to here and I won't even go into the garnish and dressing options that you can get in the US compared to here. The only places that have a good hamburger here are "The Office" in Las Cañitas and "Sugar Bar" in Palermo as well. I went with my partner to visit New York City in October, he had never been to the USA before. He couldn't believe the variety and quality of the food offered, and how inexpensive the food is compared to here. It's unfortunate that everything is so politically complicated here that the people can not even get good food at accessible prices.

And the other point about me being a guy and women don't have to go that far to get issues resolved, I completely disagree. What happens here is that women usually don't say anything if they have a problem like I did yesterday. I can´t tell you the amount of times I have been with people in a restaurant and I notice one of the women barely picking at her food, I've asked "qué pasa con tu comida no tenés hambre?" and the response has been either, it's cold, it's undercooked, is spoiled, not what I ordered, etc, not one would think of saying anything as to "not offend" the server. Sorry but if you serve me undercooked or sub par food I am the one offended and if the server gets offended for saying something well too bad for them. Just last week I was at a place in Belgrano with a friend and her daughter. The daughter ordered a salad, which was served in a glass bowl. The salad looked weird and I touched the bowl and it was hot. This salad also was supposed to be lettuce tomato and carrots. It had wilted lettuce, ONE cherry tomato and 0 carrots.......do you think they said anything to the waiter? NO.

 

[chris]

Argentines like to gripe but they seldom complain about customer service. At least they don't complain to the people in charge. They are used to low standards and rudeness so they just take it. There is also resentment when a foreigner complains. I have had experiences that did not turn out so well.

 

[Lucas]

I am not a big hamburger eater but in the US the hamburgers are WAY superior to here and I won't even go into the garnish and dressing options that you can get in the US compared to here. The only places that have a good hamburger here are "The Office" in Las Cañitas and "Sugar Bar" in Palermo as well.

but, but, but....David none not a soul ate hamburgers here until McDonalds come down to town, only Paty was selling those round flat things of beef and people eat them in a plate with a garnish of Russian Salad, and a fried egg with a fork and knife and not with a 'two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun' the choripan and milanesa were king and queen and still are.

 

[DontMindMe]

Lucas - that's not a common diet for anyone from any country. You probably would be shocked at how good most culinary options are elsewhere in the world

And David, I bet part of what happened is b/c you're a guy. I find as a woman I rarely have to argue or go to that level but I think a lot of it has to do with being a woman and there still being some attitudes of chivalary here. My guy expat friends seem to have to escalate all the time to get resolution of a problem.

Wasn't even going to comment on the food thing. Thanks for doing it for me. I dream of fresh Gulf Coast seafood, fresh and dried chili peppers for cooking and affordable tropical fruit (75-cent mangos in the summer!) more than anything else. Oh, and cheese. I guess he got that part right.

Now that I think of it, the only time I've had to escalate to raising a stink has been when I'm dealing with women in some sort of customer service position. Men might grumble a bit but it never goes beyond that. Funny story, I was in Mar del Plata once and a porteña in her 60s pushed someone in line at a seafood restaurant to get ahead. It started a scuffle and she was yelling at the woman she pushed, then the female hostess. The hostess simply called the police and they escorted her out. She was yelling at them outside when I left. I was thrilled. Finally, an adult gets punished for acting like a child.

 

[dani28]

I agree with whomever said that there is a lot of resentment when a complaint comes from a foreigner. I feel like they feel like we are complaining frivolously or just being spoiled. And NEVER compare out loud the differences between X country in a restaurant, or your waiter will respond something along the lines of, "Well, in the US, waiters get paid a lot more than here."

And his point was? And that is my fault as a customer just trying to get a decent meal? So do doctors and just about all professionals, but that doesnt mean that doctors here have to provide lesser service, now do they? I would hope not! LOL

Customer service and that general feel of "the customer is always right" that we are used to is almost non-existant here, which means that you cannot naturally expect it from the start or even expect them to on their own account correct whatever is wrong with X situation.

I always just politely but firmly TELL them exactly what I expect, why I expect it, and I feel like this is generally the best practice in order to get solutions. At first I think the waiter thinks I'm an a-hole but later I always say, If you were out with your wife at a nice restaurant, and you were the customer wouldnt you expect the same?

I was at an upscale parilla a few weeks ago and ordered the supposedly boneless breast of chicken. When it arrived, it had so many bones in it (the annoying small ones) from the moment I first cut into it, that it was basically unedible. I told the waiter and his response was that chicken was not their forte, so why is it on the menu I asked?

I insisted and reiterated to him I was not going to pay the 55 pesos for it, (I had cut into it in several areas but had barely eaten a bite) and sure enough, taken off my bill and comped a dessert liquor.

Still doesnt make it totally right, as my fine dining experience ended up being just the french fries, however you can sure as hell bet I wasnt going to pay 55 pesos for something I had not eaten.

 

[citygirl]

Oh, I don't tolerate bad service. I guess my point was that as a woman, I usually send things back with a smile or call someone and ask them to please help me and it gets resolved. Whereas my guy friends usually have to take it to another level to get things resolved which can include yelling, getting in someone's face and in general, out-machoing the other party.

PS - as someone who only eats RARE steak, you can imagine how many times I have to send food back in a restaurant. And as someone who works at home & is dependent on internet service, you can imagine how many times I have to call customer service to get some internet issue resolved.

 

[citygirl]

Lee - I was thinking of you as I was there at Kansas last Wed & Thurs and eating dinner absurdly (for here) early . How are things in the apt?