By Kevin Vaughn.
You’re making me drool Buenos Aires. If you need evidence that the food game in Buenos Aires is in the midst of a beautiful revolution look no further than the closed door scene. New spaces are opening up left and right and with every new project come fresh ideas. But although the trend is hot, the scene is still a bit of a mystery. To help you out bit, here are five menus for this week.
Como Sapiens
Photo by Victoria Romero.
The Onda
Way back when, we had a guest at MASA that asked us for a “glass of water and hold the ice please. I’m a paleo.” Really girl? Cause that tortilla in your mouth begs to differ. And the beans. And the rice. At first the Paleo Diet struck me as a conceited version of Atkins, but Como Sapiens is proving me wrong. The dishes on offer at Sapiens are both hearty and creative, with attention to more than just the meat. The apartment is a beautiful full piso in Recoleta with communal tables so you can get chummy with your fellow paleos.
The Menu
This four course menu includes a shrimp appetier, endives with smoked pancetta, a Brazilian fish stew with cauliflower rice (whatever that means. I’m excited anyway), and banana ice cream with coconut milk and walnuts. The menu also includes half a bottle of wine from Bodega Humanao and a coffee with dessert.
The Essentials
Dinners are held every Thursday night in Recoleta. Reservations are done by email, send a message to comosapiens@gmail.com.
Toro 777
Source: Toro 777
The Onda
Born in La Pampa, educated in Buenos Aires and formally trained in Europe, chef Guillermo de Saavedra Coria rolls all his life experience into one closed door project. The attention here is on the food and feeling of being at home. The intimate dining room has space for 14 people, all at separate tables, in a space that feels comfortable and lived in.
The Menu
Food is heavily Argentine influenced, with local popular cuts of meat (blood sausage, pork tenderloin) and pastas with small modern details. The evening begins with a blood sausage puff pastry, black and white tagliatelle pasta with red pesto, smoked eggplant pudding and honey mustard pork tenderloin with spicy akusay and potatoes.
The Essentials
Dinners are held every Friday and Saturday at 9:30 in Villa Crespo. The meal costs 220ARS, drinks sold separately. To make a reservation call 153 884 2633 or email reservas@toro777.com.
CASA Loyola
Source: Casa Loyola
The Onda
Chefs Claudia Faigon and Santiago Escudero met one another while studying at the IAG (Argentine Gastronomic Insitute) and bonded over a mutual curiosity for new foods. By day Faigon works as a musician and architect and Escudero is sous chef at the the French Boutique restaurant Jean Paul Bondoux. Twice a week they open the doors to this Recoleta home to explore “ethnic” dishes and seasonal products. Tables can be shared or reserved for private parties depending on each guest’s preference.
The Menu
This week’s menu is themed around the idea of ‘influences’. The first dish will be a trio of appetizers including a “thai shot”, eggplant caviar and a broccoli flan. The second course are inspired by the elements earth, air and water with a shrimp and sweet breads served with a mandarin reduction and carrots and turnips before the pork entrée. The autumn dessert is a Catalan cream with pears and kumquats.
The Essentials
Dinners are held every Thursday and Friday at 9:00 in Alto Palermo. Meals cost 280ARS with wine sold separately. To make a reservation send an email to casaloyolaresto@gmail.com or call 156 717 1447.
Ocho Once Maison du Chef
The Onda
The French inspired closed door celebrates its 100th menu this week. The restaurant is both fancy with private seating and informal with the youthful chef and staff; all you need hear is that funk music in their commercial to know that this is a fun and vibrant kitchen.
The Menu
Guests have the option of choosing from a three or five course meal. I don’t know how I’d be able to choose three. There is a cauliflower soup with an onion compote and smoked pancetta, calamari with lemon potatoes and a jalapeño emulsion, vegetable samosas, a slow cooked roast beef with risotto and a praline served with banana and dulce de leche.
The Essentials
Dinners are held Thursday through Saturday evenings in Palermo. The three course meal costs 230ARS and the five course goes for 280ARS (you might as well), wine sold separately or you can bring your own with a small corkage fee.
Jueves a La Mesa
La Onda
Jueves a la mesa is the product of happenstance and lucky for us those stars aligned. Meghan Lewis saw Sofi Madriz at a café and something in in her gut told her that they needed to be friends. They did. They immediately bonded over food, and now in addition to their work at Buena Onda Yoga they run an intimate weekly vegetarian supper club. The dinner is a mix of tourists, expats and locals looking for a meal that is both hearty and healthy.
The Menu
You had us at Aztec Soup ladies. The meal will begin with a tortilla-tomato soup hybrid, tomato soup topped with avocado, radish, sour cream and tortilla chips. The starter will be followed by red beans and brown rice in coconut milk and topped with plantain and joined with a tricolor carrots and red and white cabbage. All is topped off with the Jueves signature: homemade dark chocolate. Just let that marinate for a second. I will repeat, HOMEMADE. DARK. CHOCOLATE. And to help get it all down a hot cup of ginger tea.
The Essentials
Dinners are held on Thursday nights at 8:30 in San Telmo. The meal costs 200ARS, cash only, and includes a glass of organic wine. Make a reservation by emailing juevesalamesa@gmail.com, or calling 156 200 0004.