The tale of two tours. Part II

We tried to fit everything we could into our short time in Buenos Aires and so although we toured around the city earlier in the day, for this evening we booked a foodie tour through Viator/Sherpa.  I was excited for this tour and it exceeded my expectations.  

We Uber-ed to the meeting point in the Palermo neighbourhood about 30 minutes away in heavy traffic. Palermo is a large well-treed neighbourhood with many nice shops and restaurants and a really nice vibe. Our guide, Lu, (short for Lucillia) met us at our first stop on a tour of 3 restaurants and 2 stops for dessert. She was a fabulous guide with a passion for her job and the food and culture she was talking to us about. The culture around the serving and enjoying food is always interesting to learn about in the countries I’ve been. 

We had a great cross-section of people on the tour of 8 which made for lively conversation. There was a woman our age from London, England who was on a similar tour as ours (Exotica), a gentleman from North Carolina who was here with his nephew who was there for a week writing exams to try and get in to university in Buenos Aires (he was Colombian), and a retired couple with their young adult daughter who were independently travelling and were heading off in a rented car to travel around the country for a couple of weeks. 

We started in a restaurant called Picsa, the Spanish word for pizza. I expected to be enjoying beef in our adventure and knew that there would be Argentinian wines on offer, but had no clue that pizza is something that the Argentinians have adopted and love. In addition to beef, Argentina produces huge quantities of cheese and it was used generously on the pizza we tried at Picsa. Lu had ordered one of the most popular local toppings for us which was onion, arugula, and olive. It was thick crust and had so much cheese!

We also had a beef empanada that had such lovely light pastry and really expertly spiced beef, rather than ground. Lu said the best empanadas had a perfect 13 twists of the dough along the crescent shape, and had no air inside the pastry. By those standards these certainly fit the bill. Wine was served at all three places and not being a wine-drinker I didn’t really pay that much attention, but I believe they were all Malbec, which is a specialty of the Mendoza wine region of Argentina. Lu explained that Picsa and empanadas were foods that one enjoyed on the spur of the moment when gathering with friends or family for a casual evening. 

We walked only a few blocks to our next stop down some narrow alleys filled with wall art that reminded me of Cartagena.

Our next stop was a steak restaurant in a beautiful 100+ year old former home.

Here we started with a cocktail of rose wine and a lemon/lime soda which was really refreshing. 

Our first food portion was cheese melted on the grill in small cast iron skillets which we tried as Lu told us that instead of cheers, Argentinians say cin cin (chin chin), and instead of cheese ( since the word queso would have them end with an o-shaped smile) but rather they say whiskey.

We then tried a mini-choripan sandwich, which I had eaten for lunch. We constructed the sandwiches ourselves, kind of like sliders, using fresh small buns. This one was considerably more flavourful and thankfully less garlicky. And then the star, grilled steak, served with three different kinds of sauce. I now realize I didn’t take a picture of the steak or the sauces. So anxious to try the delicacy. Lu explained that they don’t marinade their steaks but rather grill and then serve a sauce with it at the table. Tonight we had the option of a Chimichurri sauce or one made from peppers and onions and another green one that I can’t recall the name for or what was in it. (I wasn’t taking notes and rather enjoying the company) I didn’t eat all of my small portion as we by now we’d already eaten quite a lot!  

As we walked to our next stop Lu showed us a mural on one of the walls and explained the significance of the mural and squares in the sidewalk which we had noticed in other places in the city. They are memorials marking the spot where some of the approximately 30,000 or so people (referred to as desaparecidos) were each kidnapped and disappeared, and most killed, by the military during the years of the junta in the 1970s.  Wearing white scarves became a symbol for the mothers or grandmothers of those who went missing while they protested the actions of the military supported government of the time.  

As we walked to our third restaurant, dusk was upon us and the neighbourhood came alive. Neon lights turned on, chairs and stools were pulled outside, and primarily young people were joining with friends and family at the various bars and restaurants covered by an umbrella of huge trees. The noise of the traffic died down and was replaced with the sound of the friends catching up.

The boulevard surrounding the Palermo sign in the middle of the neighbourhood is a favourite meeting spot for friends looking to meet up and decide where to grab dinner.

At our third restaurant, called El Preferido, we were seated next to the glass walled cooler that held hundreds of hanging sausages and cured hams. The eating area had high ceilings and although it was early by Argentinian standards for dinner, it was buzzing. The chef/owner of this restaurant also owns another restaurant called Don Julio, a couple of blocks away which has a Michelin star. Even with reservations there were lots of people hoovering around the entrance.

El Preferido is on the recommended list to receive a Michelin star and has a green star from Michelin for sustainable practices.  They have their own wine supplied by a winery in Mendoza that supplies El Preferido and Don Julio. 

Here we tried several small dishes much like Spanish tapas. In fact, one dish was a Spanish Tortilla. Others included the most amazing rolls, (still warm from the oven), thinly sliced salami, a tasty tapenade with almonds, 3 kinds of olives in olive oil with lemon slice (from Patagonia), and a thin slice of bread made from chick pea flour (the only thing I didn’t like all evening). We lingered here chatting quite a while soaking up the great vibe.  

Lu finally moved us along toward the first stop of the evening for sweets, something that is near and dear to their hearts. We’ve seen more pastry shops in Buenos Aires per square mile than in any other country I’m sure. Lu picked up some foil wrapped treats in a candy shop that were absolutely possibly my favourite ever. They were chocolate-covered with a biscuit bottom, filled with caramel that was so good.  A stop at a gelato store capped off the evening. I felt like I could almost burst so didn’t take part in the gelato, but doubt I could have made up my mind because they all looked so good.  

Three and a half hours later we had sadly finished our wonderful evening and said our goodbyes to our new friends, including hugs from Lu. The neighbourhood, the food, the company were all fabulous, but Lu really made the experience.  Such a warm, engaging woman who clearly loves her job