Buenos Aires - Food & Drink

I write this after a bout of food poisoning and a bad sinus headache that affected me for a few days. I'm pretty sure it wasn't due to anything I ate or drank in Argentina. At least 9 days passed between me puking my guts out and being in Argentina. Now, onto the food.

Meat Meat Meat - Anyone going to Argentina will know that the beef is going to be special. Even with all the hype, the meat surpassed what I expected. It really was great. You could taste the grass-raised cows and really sense the flavor of the land. The chefs knew how to cook their meat too. It was always pink, easy to chew, and just delicious. I sound like a real food critic, but I'm not. I just know all the beef I had was fantastic.

Finding beef to eat is mindless. It's served everywhere. The best places are the restaurants labeled paradillas (grills) where the meat is cooked on a huge grill where everyone can see it.

Finding other meats like poultry, pork, fish, innards is easy too. All of these fine things are served in every restaurant. If you don't have colon cancer after a trip to Argentina, count your blessings.

Sides - Potatos. Potatos. Potatos. When you order your meat, expect some sort of potato to come with it. Often if's in the form of fries, or sliced potato. Mashed potato is popular too.

Deserts & Pastries - If it's European, it's found it's way to Buenos Aires. Gellatto, sugary croissants, and tirramissu are everywhere. I usually stuck with flan, and made sure it was smothered in dulce de leche. Dulce de leche is awesome caramelized sugar mixed with milk. I love it. I would marry it if I could.

Vegetables - I think Argentines hate vegetables. It was more common to see old, unsold vegetables on the street than in a restaurant. You could see curbsides of carrots, cucumbers, lettuce and tomatos and then go to a restaurants where the only vegetables option is gross old grey lettuce. I had some asparagus one day. It was grey, and watery. I had some beef and broccoli at a Chinese restaurant. There were 2 broccoli heads, a ton of red peppers and a lot of beef. Mid-way through my trip I was having withdrawls.

Wine - I'm no sommolier, but I really enjoyed the wines that were offered. I think I prefer drinking wine in Argentina rather than beer. I wasn't careful enough to write down the names of what I had, but regional house wines of any color were great. My family especially liked that mot of the wines were nitrate-free.

Beer - Quilmes is nothing special, and you can get it in the USA. It hits the spot when temps are hot, but it's flavorless. I had a lot of it, and probably never need to have it again. Brahma from Brasil is prevalent too, but it's the same as Quilmes. Don't tell the two nation's that. They'll fight you.

Stella is the big "import" and like Quilmes and Brahma, it's weak and doesn't do anything.  In the Panama airport, I had an Atlas, which was a pale lager, just like the rest of what you get in South America. One beer I did try from Chile was called Kuntsmann IPA and it was decent.

In my trip to Mexico City in 2009, I had a wide array of great beers. South of Mexico, I think beer is kept cheap and easy because that's what people can afford. There isn't much variety because the idea of growing new and exotic barley and experimenting with various yeasts isn't cost effective. Oh well.

Mate - This tea you drink socially is alright. I had it twice and it's pleasant.

Water - I drank the water. I believe it's safe for gringos.

Street Food - Is not very common in Buenos Aires. There were some grills working where I had a great chorizo sausage sandwhich, but those were next to a street market.I think the Chorzipan was my favorite meal of the trip.

These ribs were huge. I barely got through them. They were so delicious I feel like all future ribs are ruined.

I bought this Pan de Dulce (sweet bread) for our Christmas morning meal. It was tastier than it looks.

Ducle de Leche and whipped cream flank my flan. That sounds dirty. It's delicious.

My dad and I split this spread of meats. The black thing is blood sausage, and the thing on the tray is intestine. I devoured both.

The dark Quilmes is bleh, just like the light Quilmes.

I ordred this plate of bacon for lunch one day. I was one with the pig.

Chorizo + Pan = Choripan. This was fantastic, on the street at San Telmo Market. I overheard Australian tourists exclaim "crikey" when they ate it. You know it's good.

Avoid Pizza in Argentina.