Arg Italian is the same as Tex Mex, just ask any Mexican what they think about it. I basically see it as cheddar cheese goop porn lol
Nikad is right. Real old school tex mex is goop on a plate. But I will say that tex mex varies. You start with the super traditional places, where you get (processed) cheese enchiladas, rice, refried beans and maybe some diced up tomatoes and iceberg lettuce on the side if they're feeling fancy, all served on a plastic plate. Then you go to the other places that tend to be more expensive, the ones that will have beef fajita salads with lime vinaigrette dressing, seafood enchiladas, top shelf margaritas and things of that nature. Then there are restaurants that serve actual Mexican food, although these are not as common. I can get down with the first kind of place because I was born in Texas and that food tastes like nostalgia to me, but the difference between Argentines and myself is that I won't take out of town guests to the goop-on-a-plate places and rave that it is the best food in the world. But I suppose I would had I not been exposed to other food. ^_^
I personally see more variety in food, particularly what is sold in stores/verdulerías, every time I come back to BA. I see limes and cilantro just about everywhere now, for example, and Casa China is always well-stocked. Just yesterday at the chino in my middle-class, non-touristy neighborhood, I saw Aguila brand semisweet chocolate chips. I used to have to go to Doña Clara on Corrientes when I wanted stuff like that. Oh, they also had peanut butter! At the chino!! The natural kind I use to make peanut sauce. So I think things are getting better, particularly for those of us who cook at home most of the time. And then if I'm really craving some other flavors that I don't usually create in my own home, Peruvian and Korean doesn't disappoint down here.
I straight up don't eat the stuff I don't like in Buenos Aires (food in other parts of Argentina is so much better, why??). I never order pasta in restaurants, facturas are out of the question, and I brought my coffee from Colombia. I have my list of good, fairly-priced restaurants that I rarely stray from unless a friend or Pick Up the Fork raves about a new place. Yes, some Argentines will make comments ("pero la gastronomía argentina es la mejor en el mundo!!) but I just ignore them. It's a little harder to ignore people who claim all Italian wine is vinegar, and people at the wine tasting who insist on talking your ear off about how they went to Napa Valley and hated the wine there, therefore all American wine must be bad...Oh, and you Americans eat so much junk food!! --but you learn to change the subject quickly in situations like these.
