By Kevin Vaughn.
This city sometimes feels like it is absolutely undiscoverable. No matter how much you know, there is always something new to find and fall in love with. The closed door restaurant scene is emblematic of that constant sensation of finding buried treasure. But with more than 40 projects and little information about them all, discovering the scene is a hefty challenge. Here are five menus to simplify this week’s search.
La Cocina Discreta
- Source: La Cocina Discreta
The Onda
La Cocina Discreta has been around for more than 6 years and is one of the first spots that pop up when you do a search for closed door restaurants. And with good reason. The intimate space is covered with artwork from local friends and artists, and the concept of gallery and restaurant very evidently fuse on the beautifully presented dishes. Tables are individual and the home feels more like a restaurant, great spot to take a date or go with a small group of friends.
The Menu
The menu is a fixed five course meal which begins with foie and almond balls, shrimp and crispy panceta over a pumpkin cream, lamb with a ‘patagonian’ salad, a pre-dessert mojito sorbet followed by dulce de leche cream puffs.
The Essentials
Meals are held Thursday through Saturday at 9pm in Villa Crespo. The meal costs 220ARS, with an extensive wine list that is ordered separately. To make a reservation call 114 772 3803.
La Casa Blanca
The Onda
La Casa Blanca is a multi-functional “art and playhouse” in San Telmo that hosts performances and food events. This week they will be hosting a 4 course Mexican meal cooked by American chef Sea Wellington. Casa Blanca is a beautiful open space, and with two Micheladas on the fixed menu a great spot to have a relaxed meal with friends.
The Menu
The menu begins with chips and guac, mini sopes with beans and the evening’s first Michelada to get the chatter started. The picada is followed by a trio of tacos on homemade corn tortillas: pesto and avocado quesadilla, rajitas (grilled pepper) a la crema and shrimp with caramelized onion. The main plate is a cochinita pibil (slow roasted pork) with rice and the second Michelada. And for dessert a chocobrownie.
The Essentials
The dinner will be held on Saturday the 14th at 9:15 in San Telmo. The full meal (with drinks) costs 200ARS. Reservations can be made by emailing Sean at seanwellington@yahoo.com.
MASA
The Onda
MASA began as a humble supper club for friends of chef Kevin Vaughn and partner Evy Duskey and has transformed into a weekly dinner party that serves American and Mexican food. The atmosphere is relaxed, with good music and cold local craft beer shared over good conversation on communal tables. The evening feels more like a party than a formal sit down event, and is great for a laid back night amongst new and old friends.
The Menu
This week’s menu (which will repeat on May 26th) is a gourmet twist on elementary school fare. The night will begin with some cornbread and will be followed by a main dish that includes a patty melt, homemade tater tots and coleslaw with MASA’s signature white bbq sauce. There will also be beer from local brewery Sexton beer which creates interesting flavors like Mate Pilsner and Dulce de Leche Amber.
The Essentials
Meals are served every Thursday night beginning at 9pm in the Almagro neighborhood. The meal plus a beer costs 120ARS. Reservations can be made via email, kevin@masamakestacos.com, or by calling Kevin at 153 435 9093.
El Paladar
La Onda
Let’s get fancy tonight. Chef Pablo Abramovsky and sommelier Ivana Piñar open their spacious Villa Crespo apartment three times a week to treat up to 16 diners to a meal that feels as sexy as the space itself. With warmly painted walls and low lighting, this is the perfect place to impress a date (the wine pairings with each of the five courses don’t hurt either).
The Menu
Menus change every month depending on freshness and availability of seasonal ingredients. Expect brand new approaches to traditional porteño dishes. This week the five course meal includes lamb tongue in a rosemary vinaigrette, squash soup, beef tenderloin and TWO DESSERTS, a pre dessert which consists of homemade red fruit and vodka ice cream and dessert sampler plate with caramelized apples, homemade cream and a chocolate and olive oil ganache.
The Essentials
Dinners are held Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights in Villa Crespo. You can choose a menu without wine pairings (but, why?) for 225ARS or the five wine pairings for 325ARS. Make a reservation via email, reservas@paladarbuenosaires.com.ar, or call 155 797 7267.
Adentro Dinner Club
Source: Adentro Dinner Club
The Onda
Want to partake in a traditional Argentine family asado but missing an Argentine family? Gabriel and Kelly have the hook up. The Argentine-American couple has renovated an old doctor’s office in the middle of Palermo to a home that doubles as a weekly supper club for those in search of an authentic asado experience. The event feels very inviting and truly feels like a dinner amongst family with a shared table and lots of food being passed around.
The Menu
First of all, you should probably fast today cause this is a gonna be an adjust your belt buckle when nobody’s looking kind of night. The evening is filled with appetizers, salads and of course, meat. Expect provoleta, fried empanadas and fresh salads. As for the meat, as you’d find in a traditional asado, Adentro serves up everything from the achurras (blood sausage, chorizo and instestine) to more sought after cuts (short ribs and rump steak).
The Essentials
Dinners are served Wednesday through Friday (Friday is seafood night) in Palermo. The meal costs $450. Reservations can be made here.