Buenos Aires: A few of my favorite things

Artesania Argentina

Arandu - Avenida Ayacucho, 1924, Recoleta (Telephone: +54 11 4800 1575)

Right smack in the tony neighborhood of Recoleta, Arandu has been in business since 1987 producing high quality traditional Argentinean arts and crafts.  From belts to ponchos, alpargatas to boots and all sorts of leather goods, pewter items to silverware, carriages to saddles and even clothes, are all beautifully displayed at their multi-story boutique close to the Alvear Hotel.  They have several branches in the city but it's this particular location that is often visited by celebrities and tourists in search of a souvenir or made-to-order equestrian equipment. 

Best buy: gaucho-inspired belt or alpargatas for less than US$20.

Lecuona de Prat Artesanias - Pacheco de Melo 1967 - 1C, Recoleta (Telphone: +54 11 4803 0253)

In an apartment located in residential Recoleta is this amazing boutique of Maria del Pino Lecuona de Prat (a mouthful of a name) where one-of-a-kind pewter items from Salta are for sale. There are trays and soap dishes, bracelets and picture frames, ice buckets and tumblers, all of them handmade.  Prices are not cheap but this is a real find.  Call first for an appointment.

Best buy: pewter stirrup-shaped teaspoon with a handle covered in braided leather for about US$10.

30 Quarenta - Arroyo 890, Recoleta (Telephone: +54 11 4326 1065)

Although not a shop that specializes in traditional Argentinean artifacts, this colorful store on Recoleta's chi-chi antique furniture and art gallery street Arroyo, is a delight.  Antique posters, old toys reworked as lamps, decorative pieces and furniture.  You'll be sure to find something you like and if friendly owner Miguel is there, have a chat with him to find out a bit more about his whimsical designs.

Helado (a.k.a ice cream)

Argentina competes with Italy for best artesanal gelatos with an excellent quality and innovative flavors.  There is always the original, classic Freddo (several locations, Delivery ) but our favorite is Un'Altra Volta (also several locations, Delivery 0810 88-VOLTA) for their creamy flavors and an incomparable chocolate amargo (bitter chocolate).

Best buy:  Mini cones at both places for US$1.20 for a sweet afternoon treat

Treats to try: 

• fried (not baked) empanadas - the best ones I've tried are at El Mirasol (see below)
• medialunas de grasa (made from lard) and medialunas de manteca (made from butter)
• tostados de jamon y queso at any cafe for breakfast or an afternoon snack
• cortadito - a slightly taller espresso macchiato

Recoleta

A stroll around the neighborhood of Recoleta, mainly on Avenida Alvear and Avenida Posadas where several fantastic examples of Belle-Epoque architecture are evident and where the city's most expensive designer boutiques, both local and imported ones, are located.  Watch out for the dog walkers as well - another interesting Buenos Aires feature.

El Mirasol - El Mirasol de La Recova, Posadas 1032 (Telephone: +54 11 4326 7322)

My two favorites on their menu and probably the best versions in the city.  Empanadas de carne - hot crispy, fried pastries filled with a delicious ground meat and spice mix and Mollejas de corazon (veal sweetbreads) - sliced thinly and grilled to perfection and enjoyed just with a spritz of lemon.

Best buy: A dozen empanadas to go or to delivered to your doorstep in a box.  Empanadas are about US$1.50 each.

Alpataco, vinos y cuero - Avenida Pte. M. Quintana 450, Recoleta (Telephone: +54 11 4806 9637)

Good value and reasonably-priced, wines are good presents for friends or for your own cellar.  There are several wine stores in the city but this is one that we liked because of the friendly service and knowledgeable staff.  They have a well-edited selection of wines accompanied by wine accessories and beautiful leather products making it a one-of-a-kind store. Plus, they pack the wines in styrofoam cases ready to be checked in for a long flight and deliver to your apartment of hotel.

Best buy: a bottle of the typical Argentine white wine Torrontes for around US$15.

Aldo's Vinoteca - Moreno 372, San Telmo (Telephone: +54 11 5291 2380)

In out of the way San Telmo, this wine bar is paving the way to proper enjoyment of wines with it's policy of selling wines with retail shop prices in the restaurant to encourage diners to splash out on a good bottle of wine instead of ordering the usual cheaper wines by the glass. It's an idea that should be copied wordlwide.

Best buy: a plate of cured salmon (US$11) with a bottle of Torrontes (US$15).

GAYA GELATO

On our way back from Ubud, A insisted to take me to what he considers the best gelato on the island - Gaya Gelato.  Further up the road towards Ubud from Gaya ceramics, this little ice cream place is located alongside the large modern structure which is the Gaya gallery on the ground floor and the Gaya restaurant on the upper level.

This modern concrete box has a few ceramic tables and chairs outside and a display counter on the inside where the multi-flavored gelatos and sorbettos are displayed.  They also serve granite (slushy flavored ice) and tiramisu.  Also for sale are cookies, home-made cakes and ceramics.  Hard to choose when there are so many delicious flavors, we finally settled on a scoop of cioccolato for A and a scoop of caffe for myself.  The cioccolato was pure dark chocolate and the caffe was frozen espresso.  Creamy gelato perfect for a sunny day in Bali.  Best part is they deliver.  Just wait until we move into our house, I'm putting their number on speed dial.

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Gaya Gelato

(in the same building as the Gaya gallery and Gaya restaurant)

Jl. Raya Sayan, Ubud

Bali, Indonesia 80571
Telephone: +62 361 979252  or 979253

THE GOURMET GARAGE

On Saturday afternoon, we decided to drive around just to get familiar with the area.  As we are still living in the hotel while looking for a house, we wanted to see what the local delicatessen had to offer. In nearby Jimbaran, the Gourmet Garage hides behind the busy bypass off a small road, and caters to most of the expats who live in or around the Jimbaran-Nusa Dua-Uluwatu area.

The Gourmet Garage is actually a small supermarket that stocks fresh vaccum-packed meats, organic salads, dairy products, cheeses, select cereals and other imported ingredients.  There is also a small section in the back that has cooking utensils, pots, pans and even small appliances.  Near the entrance, is a makeshift cafe with a few tables, a cake counter, an ice cream counter and further in the back, a room filled with wines from all over the world.

On our first visit, we had a quick look around and then sat down for a snack - iced teas, steak sandwich and the garlic roast chicken.  The limited cafe menu has mostly sandwiches and salads as well as nachos and the very popular ice cream.  Steaks from the deli are also available to be eaten at the cafe for a small cooking charge (about 30,000 Rupiah).  When we were there, most clients coming in would get an ice cream cone (15,000 Rupiah) then sit outside on the benches to have it.  Service is friendly but a bit on the slow side so don't come in and expect to dine and dash.  This is more of a sit-around-and-have-a-coffee-and-cake kind of place.

The following day, after a morning spent at the beach, we went back again and had a quick lunch which was better than the day before.  The classic cheeseburger was very good while the chicken wrap was fine - stuffed with Tandoori chicken although served very cold.  A variety of coffee drinks are available as well as takeaway coffee beans and specialty teas from Caswells.  The food is fine but it's really more of a supermarket than a restaurant so it's perfect for a quick cup of coffee right before you do your weekly shopping.

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The Gourmet Garage

Bypass Ngurah Rai Street,

Gg. Tukad Melangi

(right behind Lotus Enterprises building on the bypass)

Jimbaran – Bali – Indonesia
Telephone: +62 361 701 650
Open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Laguna Beach Highlights

Waking up to a view like the one above is incredible and in Laguna Beach that's what you get every morning. When the fog burns off at midday, it gets even clearer and Catalina island appears over the horizon.

This was my second Laguna Beach visit and each time I come, I realize that southern California might be a place I could move to and never leave. The weather is similar to what we have in Marbella - sunny days all year round, the proximity of the beach and the fantastic food available. Here are a few other things about Laguna Beach that I didn't have time to do full posts on this time around but are worth a visit.

Ramos House Cafe - for scrumptious breakfasts in a quaint open-air restaurant alongside the railroad track. Sack-covered tables, water served in jam jars and California-cuisine inspired dishes make this a favourite among locals. Get there early if you want a table quick. It's best to do breakfast or brunch during the week when it's not that crowded and there's no rush to give up your table. The sweet potato fries are to die for.

Ramos House Cafe

31752 Los Rios Street, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Phone: +1 949 443 1342

Taco Loco - A cliche surfer hangout, this taqueria joint serves up modern Mexican fare that can be enjoyed on Paul Frank designer stools or for to-go. The blackened fish tacos I had here were better than those I had at the Border Grill. Lots of vegetarian options as well. During the day, expect laid-back service from surfer dudes so don't go if you're in a rush.

Taco Loco

640 S Coast Hwy # 1Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Phone: + 1 949 497 1635

Tutto Amore - new kid on the block gelateria with the best espressos and cappuccinos (hands down) in Laguna Beach. Traditional flavours are yummy but don't miss out on their daily specials or gourmet flavours like Ferrero Rocher, root beer float and almond roca plus experimental ones like durian and ginger. Most work but some are as strange as they sound. The coconut gelato I had was delicious with freshly grated coconut flakes in every bite.

Tutto Amore

247 Broadway StreetLaguna Beach, California

Phone: +1 949 715 9249

Buenos Aires Ice Cream: FREDDO and VOLTA

In my rush to finish posting on Buenos Aires, I completely missed a very important gastronomic highlight - Argentinean ice cream. I've always said that best ice cream I've ever had is Freddo which was the original cult ice cream of many, many years.

Freddo was a family business that started in 1969 with its' first counter in Barrio Norte and has been serving locals since then. The company was sold in the early "noughties" and have expanded because of this. Aside from the modern interiors and brand-new flavours, they have also created a line of Kosher and gluten-free ice cream and are even served in Aerolineas Argentinas business class in-flight menu.

Recently, there have been a few contenders in the competitive ice cream game with ice cream counters copying Freddo's style and opening on almost every street corner. I always ask myself how Argentines stay sexy with their diet of red meat and ice cream. Could there be an Argentine paradox in the making?

One of the new kids on the block worth mentioning is Volta. Opened in 2002 by the original family who started Freddo, Volta has created the concept of an all-around cafe that specializes in ice cream but also includes excellent coffee, chocolates and pastries. On our recent visit, we had the dulce de leche (caramel) and chocolate amargo (bitter chocolate) and were pleasantly surprised at how good they were.

Restaurants off the Strip

Having been to Las Vegas several times now and after the last three and a half weeks, I've experienced the lights and action on the strip with its' gigantic theme hotels, fancy restaurants and exclusive clubs but I've also been to a few interesting places which are off the main drag of Las Vegas Boulevard but worth the side trip. These places are in strip malls and are mostly not fancy but it's where the Vegas locals go when they need some authentic cuisine at realistic prices. Remember that there's much more to Las Vegas than what's on the Strip.

For classic American:

In-N-Out Burger - (several locations) Hard to miss with their large red and yellow neon arrow signs, the In-N-Out is a Southern California institution which was created in 1948 and still remains private and family-owned with no franchise locations. The concept has successfully transported itself to Las Vegas with their fixed opening hours of 10:30 to 1:00 Mondays to Fridays and till 1;30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. This is a diner/drive-in experience and is the best value "non-fast food" burger. They only have burgers on the menu plus fries, sodas and milkshakes. All burgers are grilled to order and made on the spot. The fries are cut from fresh potatoes and fried to order as well. Have a cheeseburger with grilled onions, french fries and either a chocolate milkshake or a root beer.

The Original Pancake House - (several locations) Another American staple and out-of-town creation, the Original pancake House was founded in Portland, Oregon in 1953. This simple place serves pancakes breakfast items with pancakes as their specialty. Go for the classic buttermilk pancakes with whipped butter and maple syrup or if you're willing to try something new, have one of their specials like the Apple pancake with cinnamon. This is a great place to take the kids.

For Asian cravings:

Food Express - (2003 S Decatur Blvd Ste B Las Vegas, NV 89102 (702) 870-1595) is a typical carpet-floored, aquarium-tanked, no-frills Cantonese restaurant with lots of surly Chinese waiters to make it even more authentic. Order the salt and pepper pork chop, crispy green beans in XO sauce, oyster hotpot with green onions and ginger and the salted fish fried rice. Expect to spend about $10 per person and still have lots to take back home. (P.D. Feb.09 - this has recently closed)

Satay Grille - Located right smack in Las Vegas' Chinatown on Spring Mountain Boulevard, this newish restaurant (opened in 2005) serves authentic Malaysian cuisine in a surprisingly modern interior. The menu is large and has some Thai and Chinese dishes as well but stick to what they know best - Malay food. Have any of the satay with spicy peanut sauce, roti (flaky bread) served with a curry dip, Singaporean Hainanese Chicken Rice with the accompanying chili and ginger sauce, Nasi Lemak and Nasi Goreng.

Royal Thai - (on West Sahara) I mentioned this restaurant in a previous post and I have to include it here because it my sisters and brother-in-law are regulars here. Once you try it, you'll understand why. Royal Thai is a family-run restaurant with simple interiors and fantastic Thai food. Don't miss the tom yum goong (prawn soup), prik king (green beans in a spicy sauce with crispy pork), prawn pad Thai and mee krob (crispy noodles). Leave some room for the excellent banana wonton dessert. (P.D. Feb.09 - this is now managed by a new family and has been getting god reviews but I haven't been yet)

Osaka - A Las Vegas institution since 1967, this Japanese restaurant has a sushi bar, teppanyaki tables and an a la carte menu as well. Lunch is the best value with a fantastic chicken teriyaki bowl with miso soup for only $5.95 (beef teriyaki $6.95). I always sit at the sushi bar and get a few temaki sushis (hand-rolled) - three of these is perfect for a light lunch with some miso soup. Dinner is packed and they stay open till late. A 10% off coupon can be printed out from their website.

Korean Garden BBQ Restaurant - (4355 Spring Mountain Rd Ste 201Las Vegas, NV 89102 (702) 383-3392 ) Get ready to smell like smoky barbecue at this Chinatown-located Korean outpost. Excellent bulgogi with the standard cook-it-yourself grill and all the extras: kimchi, spinach, bean sprouts, salads and pickled vegetables served with every order. Don't miss the sirloin with the sesame oil and garlic dip, the spicy pork bulgogi, beef rib stew, chap jae (fine noodles with vegetables) and the bi bim bop (rice topped with vegetables and a fried egg).

For un peu de Francais:

Marche Bacchus - a wine-retail store with a restaurant attached, this is one of the most pleasant places to dine in Las Vegas. Sophisticated and away from the gaudy glitz of the Strip, it's worth the drive to get here. An excellent selection of wines (with a reasonable corkage fee) plus traditional bistro fare and a friendly French husband and wife team running the show. Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner and brunch on Sundays. Go in late autumn when the weather is cooler and sit on the terrace overlooking the lake for a romantic diner a deux. Make sure to order some of the French comfort food like hachis parmentier (cottage pie) or cassoulet.

Cafe Soleil - On some days a real coffee (not Starbucks please) is what hits the spot and this little patisserie on West Sahara is where one heads for a millefeuille (puff pastry with pastry cream) and a shot of dark French espresso. Crepes are also very good and there is a limited sandwich and salad selection for lunch and light snacks.

For those hot desert days:

Cold Stone Creamery - An ice-cream parlor with a twist. Numerous classic flavours with different signature creations (like banana caramel crunch, an instant banana split) or your own special combination created on the spot with whatever you want mixed in. They do ice-cream cakes as well.

Ice cream time

Now that summer's here, we have a permanent stash of ice cream in the freezer usually a couple of pints of Haagen Dazs - Belgian Chocolate and Vanilla Bean . For some strange reason, Haagen Dazs Spain doesn't sell pints of vanilla ice cream (I checked their website) so we have the Macadamia Brittle instead.

When we want a real treat though, we head to Marbella where we always end up at Giangrossi which opened soon after we arrived here. It's an Argentine-style ice cream parlor with modern interiors and Lavazza coffee. Favorite flavors: Dulce de Leche granizado (Dulce de leche with chocolate bits)and Chocolate amargo (bitter chocolate).

So, where else have I had really good ice cream? Try these places:

Le Bilboquet in Montreal (1311 rue Bernard Ouest, Outremont) where lines snake outside the door and onto the pavement in the summer months sometimes even until midnight. Favorite flavors: coconut and chocolate orange.

Paris' Berthillon on the Ile Saint Louis has so many flavors of ice creams, from white chocolate to gingerbread and sorbets, from passion fruit to lychee. Buy a cone, sit right by the Seine where you'll have a close-up of Notre Dame. Favorite flavors: Moka, Chocolat noir and mangue.

In Buenos Aires, there's an ice cream parlor in almost every corner but set apart from the rest is Freddo which opened in 1969 and has recently undergone a makeover. The homemade charm is gone but the ice cream is as good as ever. Favorite flavor: dulce de leche (could there by any other?)


If you want to try and make some of your own, check out David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop - a real ice cream bible.

Hip and Happening Buenos Aires, April 2005

Argentina’s greatest claims to fame may be polo and tango along with Maradona, Borges, Gardel and Evita as it’s icons but set these clichés aside and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by all that’s new. The city that boasts the widest avenues and the most beautiful women still remains the most sophisticated in South America. Here’s the scoop on how to make your trip memorable.

Porteños, what the city’s residents are called, are out in full force and those in the know gravitate to the area of Palermo Viejo. Recent years have made this once rundown and unattractive part of town a developed concentration of endless boutiques and restaurants. Divided by railroad tracks, one side is affectionately nicknamed Palermo Soho for it’s similarity to New York’s Soho while the other is called Palermo Hollywood for it’s proximity to the local television stations.

Start at one end of Calle Honduras from the Plaza Cortazar where there is an array of fashion and home design stores. The atmosphere of the area can be fully enjoyed if you stay right in the middle of everything either at the Bo-Bo Hotel (a.k.a. Bourgeois Bohemian) or at the design bed and breakfast Malabia House.

For casual dining, head to Bar 6 (Armenia 1676) which is heaving with Porteños all-day long and serves simple Argentine-style dishes. Up the road is the more casual Mark’s Deli and Coffee House (El Salvador 4701), another favorite for breakfast and light lunches. If you’re after the “see and be scene” crowd then head to Central (Costa Rica, 5644) where long, low white sofas keep the fashionistas lounging around or La Corte (Arevalo 2977) where the beautiful people come to dine on fusion cuisine.

A little bit off the beaten track is my personal favorite Sucre which is probably Buenos’ Aires best modern restaurant concept. It’s got simple continental cuisine, fantastic drinks, a complete wine list, an open kitchen and a great layout and design. Take note of the catwalk, the route to the toilets, suspended right above the floor to very high ceiling bar, which affords the best people watching scenario. Keep in mind that dinner starts late so remember to book a table before 9:00 p.m. when most restaurants fill up and the service usually goes haywire.

When you’ve had your fill of the city, head out to the “country” as the locals call the outskirts of the Buenos Aires for a true home-style Argentine barbeque or asado. We were lucky to have been invited to the homes of our friends who prepared a typical lunch along with a tasting of two fantastic wines. The first was a French Premier grand cru - Chateau Angelus 1998 - a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot – a deeply aromatic wine. Soon after, we had an Argentine Malbec - Catena Zapata 1997 from Mendoza. Red wines and lots of meat is what an Argentine asado is all about – we had chorizo, morcilla (a delicious dinuguan-style sausage), asado de tira (short ribs), lomo (beef tenderloin) and chicken.

We enjoyed another country lunch at the lovely home of dear friends from Moscow days who have been living in Buenos Aires for three years now. Their two young daughters became fast friends with our 3-year old son. Overcast weather didn’t allow us to grill outdoors but that didn’t deter our hosts from ordering a grilled pierna de ternera (calf leg) for lunch. This was accompanied by several salads, roasted sweet potatoes, chimichurri, an Argentine barbeque sauce consisting of oregano, parsley, vinegar, garlic and olive oil typically served with grilled meat.

The wine that day was one of only 6058 bottles in that vintage, a Miguel Escorihuela Gascón 2000 - 65% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15 % Syrah. These kinds of meals always end up with everyone sitting around and having coffee completely sated with the wonderful food and thoroughly enjoying the wonderful company.

Exploring the city on foot is another option. Pay attention to the wonderful, classic facades especially in the areas of Barrio Norte and Palermo. These serve as a constant reminder of the European influence on Argentina’s architecture. La Mansion, part of the Four Seasons Hotel, and the residences of the Embassies of Brazil and France stand out in particular. Stop for a drink or a submarino (a chocolate bar dropped into a glass of hot milk) in a typical boliche or neighborhood bar. (Try Liber y Liber on the corner of busy Avenida Libertador y Calle Libertad).

Drop by Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires’ docklands, which was previously the location of rundown factories and abandoned buildings. It has been transformed with wide tree-lined avenues, parks and green spaces, skyscrapers, restaurants, high-rise apartments and the first-ever Philippe Starck designed hotel in South America, the Faena Hotel+Universe. It’s definitely over-the-top but an exciting concept and well worth a visit.

It’s been a while since we were in Buenos Aires. The last time was in pre-devaluation 2001 when the Argentine peso was one to one with the U.S. dollar. Four years later, the economic situation is more stable, exploring the streets is safer than before and the prices are reasonable. It is precisely because of these reasons that Buenos Aires is fast becoming a target tourist destination and featured recently in several travel magazines.

Much has changed but luckily, even more has stayed the same and the beauty and charm of Buenos Aires can be appreciated once again

My Little Black Book of Buenos Aires

SEE
 Explore Barrio Norte, Recoleta, Palermo Viejo, San Telmo
 Visit La Boca, birthplace of the Tango & Argentina’s #1 football team Boca Juniors.
 Teatro Colon – Buenos’ Aires famous opera House
 Casa Rosada – that famous scene where Evita waves to the crowds is from the balcony of this building, the Presidential palace
 malba - Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires, worth seeing at least for the building design
 Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
TASTE
 El Mirasol - A restaurant version of the Argentine asado. Empanadas, mollejas (sweetbread) and rib eye are not to be missed.
 Il Materello (517 Martín Rodríguez, La Boca +54 11 4307-0529)– A classic example of authentic home-made Italian cuisine in La Boca.
 Biella – In Recoleta for a coffee and lots of people watching
 Freddo – the best ice cream I have ever had. Try the delicious versions of dulce de leche (caramel) and chocolate amargo (bitter chocolate).
BUY
 Trendy designers on the Argentine fashion scene and can be found at most malls - try Patio Bullrich or Paseo Alcorta. For clothes try Paula Cahen d’Anvers, Akiabara, Clara Ibarguren, Jazmin Chebar and Etiqueta Negra. For shoes, you won’t go wrong with Perugia and Prune has great handbags.
 Puro Diseño showcases Argentine design talent from shoes to placemats, soaps to plates.
 Leather goods –especially belts, shoes, jackets – since the prices are good and the quality is excellent. Try Arandu (Ayacucho 1924) for gaucho-inspired creations.
 IN PALERMO VIEJO, Don’t miss Papelera Palermo (Honduras 4945) for hand-made papers in assorted colors. (try lime green with hot pink or chocolate brown with orange) and Mandarine (Honduras 4940) – for fashionable footwear
READ
 Time Out Buenos Aires – the only guidebook to the city that I recommend. It gives you the tourist information you need with the historical data written in an easy-to-read format.
 Buenos Aires Tourism Board for maps and updated event schedules on Buenos Aires
 Buenos Aires Guide: Simply the best – a little orange book with all the right addresses
 Actitud: Buenos Aires – a lovely coffee table book listing all the new places to see in the city