Artemisia
Cabrera 3877, Palermo, Buenos Aires 4863 4242
When people talk about the limited veggie options in this city, I gather they didn’t come across the many cafes between the parrillas where they can find women gathering around gossiping, flipping their long hair, ordering their quiches, sticking their forks in undressed pieces of salads, sipping their coffee, and crunching into bland toast.
I’m not judging because in 5 years time you’ll spot me in one of those cafes doing the same: me and my limp greens with a heavy hand of salt and a drizzle of olive oil- and gladly playing 10 dollars for it.
For now, optimism is still in the air- a veggie cafe that has the following ingredients that reminds me of home: some granola love, a shake of flavours and the laid-back generosity. And I happily found it in this place.
Restaurant Critic
The space is unpretentious, organic and comfortable: high-vault ceiling, lots of natural light, wooden beams, clean cement floor, an intimate tiny-garden seating space, and outdoor seating as well. The service, though sometimes under-staffed is warm and as prompt as they can be. A great neighborhood place to go for a quick un-parrilla lunch, or get together with friends over a plate of dessert and some juice.
Food Critic
The home-made complimentary breads are yummy: the scallion soft rolls, and the black-nutty breads are my favorites. Salads are creatively, abundantly thrown together and has all combinations of grilled, brined, and freshness. Juices are not only limited to the ginger-lemonade, and ranges from mango, passion fruit, berries, and lots more. It is a lunch meal that I will happily pay 80 pesos ($17): a main hearty dish + drink.
Pros
- veggie + non veggie options: salads, delicious raviolis, tapas to share, brushettas, fish woks
- flavours: hint of some spain, some asian, some middle-eastern and everything in between
- homely service
- hearty careless big portions
- easy and laid-back ambiance
- they must know that I love senegal music
- mmmm ginger ice cream.. delicious desserts
- good juice options
Cons
- lasagna polenta not that great: polenta cakes are too dry
- better for lunch and merienda
Cafe des arts (MALBA museo)
Figueroa Alcorta Av. 3415, Palermo, Buenos Aires 4808 0754
Another quick post to tickle your palate.
As you all know by now: I love butter. My ideal wake-me-up is a big jug of strong coffee with pastries that has somehow found their way into sticks of butter before hitting the oven and into my hands.
I’m easy to please with croissants (of any kind), danish turn-overs, pastries layered with phyllo, and even a good ole’ medialuna de grasa- as long as they hit the following criterias:
- the palm-size goodie gives a texture of all three: warm, soft and crunchy
- when torn apart, it flakes onto the plate, fingers, and the table
- the fillings (if any) are not overwhelmingly sweet and made with solid ingredients
- deceivingly covers the fact that I’ve just ingested a stick of butter
The cafe adjacent to MALBA museum is the standard for the perfect Pain au Chocolat. Yes, better than Le Ble, or L’epi.
It is bigger than my palm, shape like a baby’s bum, and holds that creamy, perfect ratio of chocolate filling that just makes my teeth happily stained.
My advice: go early (in the morning), skip the museum, order a chocolate pastry to go with your coffee and enjoy the quiet buzz in the smartly-designed space. Try to avoid going in the afternoon as theses delicacies usually run out and the place gets saturated with people. Look past those tempting regular croissants and their overly-priced salads and dishes. Trust me. Stick to Pain au Chocolat. The best I’ve had yet in this city.
Pizzeria La Buena Onda
Benjamin Matienzo 1693, Las Canitas, Buenos Aires 4777 3079
This will be a quick post; I was being playful this afternoon with taking pictures: searching for some bloody-ketchup-messy look. I like that.
If you are around in the Las Canitas area, and carb-craving hungry: go to this place and order a porcion of their tartas. This place caught my eye a few months back but it wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I finally got some courage to walk straight to the counter, sweeping pass those fluffy-puffy local men huddling around and proudly announced: I wanted a few empanadas. “How many?”, the fluffy-puffy owner gruffly asked.
I walked out with a dozen: 3 carne, 3 jamon y queso, 3 espinaca, 3 pollo. Fantastically filling and good. 5 pesos for one.
I came back a few days later and got their tortas- it was just as humbly good. Forget those famous-old empanadas/pizzerias mentioned by international magazines; this is much better. The family-owned joint makes their torta base wee-thin with dense high-quality packed veggies: one inch layer of calabaza and another layer of espinaca, light and flavorful. Another one of my favorite is their zapallitos torta. Want a bit hearty? Order the torta that is packed with a layer of jamon y queso, broccoli puree, sliced tomatoes, and another layer of eggs. Next time, I’m going to try their Fugazzeta pizza filled with melted cheese and topped with too-much charred onion slices. 9 pesos for one big-size portion: one is filling enough, two is just being greedy.
Pros
- veggie options without cheese
- thin crusts and thick fillings
- family-owned place
- cheap and not pretentious
- love the tarts and empanadas
Cons
- skip the pizza: too thick of a crust
here it comes. dulce maria
got to show you the filling
yes yes, the salad: enchives, green sun dried tomatoes
El Farol
Estado de Israel Av. 4488, Almargo, Buenos Aires 4866 3233
“You have to go check out this place I’ve just been to,” my friend Katy exclaimed, “this dish they have there is to-die-for. The shrimps, crab, and lobster mix platter is divine.” Just hearing the word of the uncommon red-shell creature just gave me goosebumps. I asked about the other dishes; she shrugged, “it was okay, but that seafood platter- OMG”. Months has passed since then and I’m constantly haunted by her ‘OMG’ expression about that one dish, yet every time the reasoning in my head was: it wasn’t worth hiking to Almargo for just one dish.
Or was it?
So it came down to this; last week I ended up doing the same ‘OMG’ expression. Yes, I caved. I’ll never know what my justifications were for coming in the end, but most importantly: why didn’t I come earlier?
Restaurant Critic
This long-standing place sits right at a fork of two intersections, squeezed between other reputable restaurants surrounding these streets. Old-style, all-men, and white-table cloth service pretty much sums up this place. The well-aged owner, walks around to greet the returning customers, and if inspired- delivers a complimentary plate of something from the antipasto table. Packed with asians (where do they appear from), old retirees, families, and celebrations, the place is full by 9pm with bunches of people waiting infront of the door. Good for gatherings and families to celebrate, as the seafood portions are hearty. Or anyone who craves for pastas and anything seafood.
Food Critic
If we were to go do it all over again, I would cut down the party to 3 and stick to one order of dulce maria, the awesome salad, and the desserts: tiramisu and chocolate sundae. All other dishes pale in comparison. Dulce maria comes with four balls of dense seafood mix, more so crab meat, shrimps than lobster meat, and sits in a creamy tomato sauce; and every bite is just more reasons to come back here every week. The rest? Let’s skip to dessert. Have a taste of the tiramisu that is dedicated to be a mascarpone heaven drenched in coffee liqueur. As if that is not enough, scoop up spoonfuls of Porque No: a chocolate creamy-sticky sundae that hypnotizes me to agree, “porque no”? Why not un-share this dessert, and eat this whole great thing all by myself? I advise not. One order of Dulce Maria is 190 pesos ($44). For this price, this dish is meant to be shared; unless your doctor’s visit for your cholesterol is already scheduled right after. A meal of two starters, an order of dulce maria, a crab-filled ravioli, seafood risotti, drinks, coffee, two dessert-for a solid group of 6 came about to 150 pesos ($34) per person including tip. Not bad.
Pros
- great service and the complimentary little bits: drinks/or antipasto dish
- good for groups
- bread basket: the parmesan flat-crisps
- local, neighbourhood joint: good standard local fares
- lots of seafood everything: pasta, risotto, grilled fishes, shrimps
- eggplant rolls with risotto filling
- delicious components of salads and dressings
- dulce maria is the highlight for me: this dish is meant to be shared, and could be the main dish or something to be shared with a big group
- dessert: tiramisu, and porque no- the chocolate sundae
- good price, and unpretentious mark-up
- they have tabasco sauce (?)
Cons
- pastas and risottos: although the seafood was abundant and fresh the flavours were somehow lacking, or more so- unmemorable
- spinach croquettes were okay
- normal wine list
complimentary bites of fritters
Don Zoilo Parrilla
http://www.don-zoilo.com.ar/
Honorio Pueyrredon 1406, Villa Crespo, Buenos Aires
A step away from the Palermo neighbourhood, this local place is packed by early evenings with families, retired couples and strangely, a lot of asians; and without doubt, the line is out the door during the weekends, all waiting for their weekly taste of familiar old-school service and good food: pastas, salads, meats, and milanesas. Wanting to know what the buzz was all about, we went there a few times to sum out if the experience was worth crossing the fuzzy comfortable vicinity of Palermo and onto the Pueyrredon street of Villa Crespo. So here I was, poking, chewing, chewing some more and contemplating, concluding in my mind that this place was in the ‘good, but not hot enough to blog category’- and just at that moment, a big piece of milanesa slid right onto the table.
I paused.
Took a bite. And converted.
Restaurant Critic
I like local restaurants and parrillas packed with locals: families, retirees, couples, dads and moms- minus all the tourists. Not just that, the place itself is situated at the bare scattered land of Pueyrredon, holding itself prettily with big windows and a very white storefront. The interior is clean, with natural light shining in, high ceilings, with a brick wall that separates two big dining areas. Dressed in clean white uniforms, the old-men professional service is quick, and to the point, making dining easy for parents with kids. Good for foodies who wants to venture out of Palermo, and who craves a mean milanesa.
Food Critic
What makes this place work is the ambiance, hearty quality portions and tad cheaper prices than Palermo. Though the good food isn’t solely on slabs of meats, their matambrito is one of the best I’ve had: grittily juicy, tender and fatty. Their chorizo was very good; and their Don Zoilo house salad which I am beginning to be addicted to is a must-order: abundance of radicheta, boiled eggs, olives, hard cheese, and palm of hearts. Another visually impressing salad is their Campesina: hill of basils, tomatoes, and mozzarellas. If you have a big stomach (or lots of people), get their well-known pastas: fussilli that looks like worms on a plate, or even the creamy rolls of cannelloni. Oh yes. How can I forget the milanesa? Get it- you won’t regret it; it is 1-inch tad thick, and took over half the table, baked to perfection, and about 43 pesos ($10). I will go back each week just for that dish. Each of the dishes mentioned above are big portions, enough to feed 3 normal stomachs, or 2 gigantic stomachs (us), and then take some home- about 200 pesos ($46) for a group of 3 to eat like a pig: starters, 3 mains, something fried, and drinks (not counting alcohol).
Pros
- milanesa: the juicy thick bites of chicken with a thin baked crust
- complimentary little bites when sitting down
- service: fast but good
- great portions and price: half portions can be requested
- matambrito is very good
Cons
- rabas is a bit too eggy and the batter too thick although the squid is very fresh
- the bife de chorizo is good, but there are much better places out there
- stray away from the garlic fries, just order their perfectly fried fries
- wine list is normal
- a more of a neighbourhood joint so the servers will give you more attention if they see you more than once- and they remember everyone
- try to go on a weekday
- bring your own ketchup
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