From Buenos Aires

“Any life is made up of a single moment, the moment in which a man finds out, once and for all, who he is.”
Jorge Luis Borges
Argentineans have mastered the leisurely art of three-hour lunches and languid dinners while sipping locally grown Malbec or Cabernet.
Imagine crowded restaurants, sans the high decibels – imagine having to beg for your check, as a waiter would never insult you by presenting the bill – turning tables is not in style here – linger and savor excellent meals, always followed by dulce de leche – a national dessert.
Argentina is a combination of charmingly interwoven European cultures exhibited in its elegance and style and the undeniably hot Latin American essence. No wonder the sultry Tango originated in Buenos Aires.
Argentina offers North Americans a superb escape: an overnight flight from the west coast, one arrives for breakfast sans jet lag.
Visit the enchanting Paris of South America: the gateway to Argentina for centuries, porteños arriving from Spain, France, and Italy, settled in this lovely city and brought their architecture, customs and culinary recipes. What Haussmann was to Paris, Charles (Carlos) Thais was to Buenos Aires. Carlos Thays, a Parisian born architect, spent most of his life in Argentina. He was named the city’s Director of Parks & Walkways in 1891. This position gave him significant influence over the design of the city’s open spaces, and his legacy is still strongly felt in the city today. Major projects included tree planting along wide boulevards, remodeling and designing public plazas and walkways as well as designing completely new parks and expanding older ones. Thays’ French heritage is reflected in many of his designs, in so far that Buenos Aires’ parks and plazas are often compared to similar spaces in Paris.
A cosmopolitan city, Buenos Aires neighborhoods are each unique Recoleta with its five star hotels, the very popular, comfortable and extremely well staffed Four Seasons and its separate, very Parisian Mansion suites, has the best hotel pool in the city. The Mansion suites are impeccable, a divine space for private Tango lessons! Alvear Palace,right down the street, reeks with European elegance—very French in attitude, including high tea; I observed fussy dowagers feeding their groomed pups bites of sweet cookies. The new Park Hyatt is also nearby. Chic shopping, wonderful parks, the famous Recoleta cemetery with its huge marble monuments and tombs is here. Eva Peron rests in a fairly simple tomb, surprisingly not as grand as her personality. Take a class from or meet the renowned silversmith Juan C. Pallarols; silver is abundant and very reasonable in Argentina.
Palermo is a bohemian neighborhood, much like a Manhattan neighborhood, a cornerstone of Buenos Aires nightlife. Palermo SOHO is full of designer and decó stores, Palermo HOLLYWOOD is a gastronomic center with bars and restaurants managed by young and creative chefs. Casa Cruz chef has opened a second location Tegui—one needs a guide to find these obscure restaurants—ring a bell to gain entrance—not easy to find, but worth the search! Casa Cruz is one of the city’s most fashionable restaurants, with its enormous polished-brass doors and lack of sign, you feel like you are entering a nightclub, and inside, the dark polished wood interior maintains the theme. A new option in Palermo under the familiar and innovative signature of chef German Martitegui, same chef who oversees Casa Cruz is Tegui. Exclusive, intimate and private, it is designed purposely impossible to recognize from the external facade. Outside, amid the graffiti covered walls, a small sign TEGUI and a doorbell. Inside, a sophisticated chic interior, eclectic delicious menu which will cost you a third of a comparable experience in Paris, London, San Francisco or New York. The menu is short but offers local specialties and traditional dishes: mero, corn emulsion, plantain andraw ham crisps followed by yummy eucalipto ice cream. Tasty delights,a country whose meat products would fall under organic if exported,this is what steak tasted like when we were children, most excellent!
Several other neighborhoods: San Telmo and La Boca, have narrow stone lined streets, and represent Colonial age architecture. The cafes of San Telmo are authentic and crowded; the antique shops are varied and represent a European influence. La Boca was the seat of the first port of the city and the place where immigrant’s—mainly Genovese—arrived between 1880 and 1930. On a weekend, stroll the art fair on Caminito, its winding cobblestone alleys are bordered by the famous tenement buildings now painted in bright colors. Local art, Tango displays, a great place for a weekend afternoon. Francis Mallmann, Argentina’s Thomas Keller, has one of his famous restaurants in La Boca. Patogonia Sur, is a bit tricky to find in the dark, only visit with a reservation and a driver who knows the location. Dining here is worth the price, one of the few spendy restaurants in BSAS– Chivito Mendocino (baby goat) or a delicate ravioli de queso manchego with manteca de salvia, each dish was perfection!
Steak and grilling (asado) is an art form in Argentina, local parrillas (steak house) in every neighborhood and region of Argentina offer classic meals at very reasonable prices. Dinner for three with wine rarely tops $100- unless you visit a few of the ‘name ‘ restaurants, fine dining is prevalent, even street fare is excellent! Generally a meal begins with a serving of Empanandas- small meat filled pastry pockets, each region has their own specialty fillings. Yummy little bites, street vendors bake them on small grills.