Argentines - meat y vino

As I said before, the smell of grill fired Argentine meat spanks your nostrils as soon as you step foot out of the airport. The country is especially known for its adobo sauces and fresh chimichurri sauce. Our first taste of the local meat was over a late lunch at Don Julio, a restaurant in Palermo that specializes in the local favorite Parilla (grilled meat). We started with a chorizo sausage, provoleta (grilled cheese) and an empanada. Delicioso!



Our main course of tenderloin, dressed with fresh tossed salad, tomatoes and onions, easy balsamic vinegar on top was out of this world! The meat - extremely tender, literally no fat (which makes me a very pleased carnivore) and cooked to a perfect medium, mostly pink in the center. Homemade chimichurri, a mix of fresh parsley, other herbs, garlic and oil makes a great accompaniment to this slice of animal heaven. (Sorry my veggie-onlys)




On a rare occasion, I managed to join the clean plate club.


With any great Argentine steak, a bottle of the nation's rich Malbec should be shared. We enjoyed a bottle of Pulcu Limited Edition, signed it and sent it away to join the many others lining the restaurant shelves consumed by many other happy patrons before us. Pulcu is produced by Tierra Inti in the Mendoza region. This is a better of the bunch bottle.






















The first time we tried Choripán, a chorizo sausage, sliced and served on hard roll, was at San Telmo market. The roll was fresh and the flavor intense. I put some extra red chile sauce and chimichurri on it. The place was filled with locales watching football on an old tv.

Milwaukee connection to Buenos Aires & a very special place

Buenos Aires boasts a cousin bridge to Milwaukee's Art Museum and bridge designed by famed architect Santiago Calatrava. The bridge, known as the ' Puente de la Mujer' or Point of a Woman, is in the Puerto Madero district.






















Milwaukee's Calatrava





This up and coming urban area is lined with factory buildings-turned-fancy flats, some fantastic restaurants like Cabaña Las Lilas owned by my favorite Sao Paulo-based restaurant group Rubaiyat (and chains like Hooters and TGIFridays which spoil it's potential some), and fantastic modern business buildings and high-end hotels. The area's much like Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward.



Anyone who enjoys getting lost in a book store must make the time to see El Ateneo in this European-like, Latin-hip city. This is positively the most beautiful bookstore that I have ever seen.



Housed within an early 20th century theatre, the balconies are lined with best sellers, children's books, Argentine thrillers and private nooks to dig into a few of them. I picked up a copy of 'Asi Cocinan los Argentinos' or How Argentina Cooks which offers detail in both Spanish and English. This will help me bring the dazzling flavors of Argentine cuisine home to Wisconsin.






It's been listed as one of the world's best bookstores, but it is not number one. Looks like a visit to this Dutch book shop housed in an 800 year old church is one to add to the bucket list. Incredible transformations!

Buenos Aires streetshot

In Porteño land...



Upon stepping into the Buenos Aires night for the first time I near instantly felt I liked the place. The drive from the airport to Palermo passed many street vendors grilling Argentine meats, the smokey scent lingering through my nostrils, driving my taste buds to dance. A couple of dogs stood in the line of the fragrance; you could almost see the pooches dancing tango as the scent boomed its rapid beat in their tastebuds. It's a dog-friendly city I soon found out.






Cafe Tortoni is the country's oldest cafe and can be found on the main drag of Avenida de Mayo. It's rich in history, proven by its well-preserved wooden beams, stained glass ceiling and photographs of the country's famous authors and intellectuals. It's a bit touristy but the step back in time is worth it.








This main street, and the city as a whole really, is an architectural dream lined with fantastic structures mimicking Paris in a clear way.









Street Art has its own place in Buenos Aires. Colorful, artistic murals depicting a variety of scenes are throughout the city. Stenciled political slogans and other messages are found on sides of buildings, national landmarks, the street. This rainbow clearly links the city and its people together in a extraño way. On our Saturday, a large group of people were working together to repaint murals on one of the main street walls that draws the line between Palermo & Palermo Soho - the boho chic area of the city.













Still, while many are quite beautiful, the consistent splattering throughout the city can often appear more chaotic than poetic.