Business as Usual

Lima Mia (Las Cañitas)

Beautiful yuppies strut through Las Cañitas on Thursday evenings and sidle into the chic, colorful restaurants in this unexpectedly vibrant disctrict. 

Location: Baez 211

Dada (Centro)

Go here, order the sorrentinos. 

Location: San Martin 941

Cafe de los Angelitos (Balvanera)

Ever thought, “Man I just have NO idea what to spend all my money on this evening”? Neither have I, which is why I’m glad this meal was part of an organized event, paid for by not me. For everyone else, let me assure you that Buenos Aires is probably the easiest place to find yourself a sugar mama/daddy, and when you do, express to your porteño lover an interest in the pre-fixe dinner and show here. While there’s nothing local or homey, the food is impeccable the way that fine dining should be. Guarantee you will feel like a society Argentine from the Belle Epoque. 

Location: Avenida Rivadavia y Junin

Arkakao (Recoleta)

Apparently a staple for the fur-coated old ladies living in Recoleta, Arkakao won my heart nonetheless with its impossibly fresh bread basket. Piping hot every piece, the focaccia was springy and light; the parmesan pita slices perfectly crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside; sesame and whole grain rolls lovely; and oh god, the three inch tall butter roll- a Popeye’s roll in texture, more buttery in taste, and didn’t leave a trace of grease on my fingers. Heavenly. Even the bread sticks were infused with delicate flavors. And the spread! Pumpkin, salmon, onion pate. As for the main course? T’was as delicious as it looks.  And to top it off, rather than a little cookie or brownie, tea and coffee were served with tiny little corn muffins. 

Location: Quintana y Montevideo

La Cabrera (Palermo)

“One of the best kept secrets in Palermo”- website. If this is the case, then I thank my stars for finding out about it, because the juicy, impossibly tall, rare steak is a revelation in Argentina, where the steak (usually cooked medium well) is damn good already. American college students flock during happy hour, when everything- meat, sides, drinks, everything- is 40% off. The line starts at 6:30pm, door opens at 7, and you gotta be in by 7:30.

Location: Cabrera 5099  

26/7/12: Final meal at La Vicente Lopez! A takeout staple during our intern days, a medialuna favorite of our coworkers, and home of the most delightful limoncello candies that come free with your check. 

De Lira (San Telmo)

Made the mistake of coming here on a Sunday (crowded with Feria-goers) at 4ish (after they ran out of the beloved sabayon), but even so, the 45-peso menu del día (3 course pre-fixe) did not disappoint. 

Location: Cochabamba y Defensa

[Edit: came back a week later, on a weekday, and while there was no live music, the pre-fixe was ten pesos cheaper, and if possible even more delicious! And without the feria-goers, the service was incredibly attentive. While chatting with us, they noted how they remembered which table we sat at during our last visit!]

Buenos Aires Market (San Telmo)

Although the website is a little vague about how often this happens, I’m assuming it’s a regular affair. While most of the stands offered organic/vegan baked goods, others peddled home brews, produce, and organic chocolate (!). Definitely a worthwhile stop before heading to the Feria de Antiguedades a few blocks away, unless you’re craving meat. 

Location: Caseros entre Bolivar y Defensa

Chocotorta Wars

Earlier this week, two of my coworkers were debating who had the best chocotorta: Tea Connection, or Oui Oui. I tried both just to see. 

Verdict: Tea Connection’s is prettier, and tastes fancier (you know, when restaurants put secret, super-gourmet-sounding twists in recipes, in this case it’s got to do with whatever they dip the chocolina in), but the chocotorta at Oui Oui has more layers, and most importantly a more even distribution of chocolina to dulce de leche filling. 

Oui Oui (Palermo)

Pani’s more popular neighbor Oui Oui certainly lives up to its reputation as the best brunch in BsAs. The well-known Desayuno Gallo, with yogurt, homemade granola, and fruit salad, would delight even the crunchiest hippie yoga enthusiast, while the Desayuno Tony, with eggs benedict, potato wedges, and arugula salad nourishes the still-drunk-after-partying porteño’s soul. 

Location: Dorrego y Nicaragua