615016 Sat Apr 25 20:29:40 -0700 2009 0 56 South America 0 4628939 Writing up of the places we hit during our week down there from April 9-15. Overall, a super fun time, nice people, weather hotter than usual (not necessarily a good thing). After dropping off our bags, we walked to the main drags of Palermo and got pizza at Io te Amasso which hit the spot cuz we were so hungry but it was very oily. Is that a normal thing? We didn't get to the famous pizza places so not sure how it compares, but the pizza w/ ham and tomatoes was decent and the coke and diet coke in bottles tasted so good in 80 degree weather. Service of course was very slow as it was almost every time we were out. We then got gelato at Il Diverso which was fine but I wish you could see the sign with the flavors for those of us who don't know the language (and those flavors weren't in my phrase book). That nite was dinner at La Cabrera which was super fun but I didn't see god the way others have. On the walk over, we stopped at the bar Hollywood in Cambodia who serve very mediocre free pizza on Thurs. (I refrained) but it's kind of a cool place with stenciled/graffiti walls all over. The wait at La Cab was 45 min so we walked around the neighborhood, got a cocktail across the street, then drank the free champagne as we made friends with a guy from Seattle who joined us. And two nice guys from Toronto were next to us, touristy yes but the food is very good. My steak w/ blue cheese (38 pesos) was good but a few unchewable pieces, the sides were plentiful and he suggested a nice bottle of Malbec. Quite decent service there, sitting outside eating at midnite, a nice first experience. We then went to the bars Mundo Bizarro and Salon Pueriydon to hang out til 4:30 which is late for me, early for them. The next day after the cemetery and outdoor market, we stopped at the Buller brewery where T got another pizza and a couple beers. Had the best gelato of the trip at Un Altra Volta not far from there, coffee and dulce de leche w/ something else in it I think. Oddly, I couldn't find coffee flavors that much. That nite we trekked out to the Motorhead show which was an experience, thankfully two locals were with us cuz I don't think we ever would have found the stadium or the guest list without them. After, we went to a place on Santa Fe that one of the guys suggested that I never would have picked. I had a decent sandwich with chicken/egg/ bacon and a side fries. T had one of his many steaks, this time with gravy and potato puffs, and the guys split a pizza, reasonably priced stuff. Cakes in the dessert case looked good but too full. I think our best meal was in La Boca where a woman was grilling sausages not far from the stadium, they were tasty as anything, 5 pesos. Also got a beer at Cepas de Salta (a friendly Motorhead fan worked there) and watched some gaucho and tango dancing. Then we went to San Telmo market after a snack at Café San Juan where we split a bruschetta and one other tapas which were okay but the beer and white wine were refreshing. And nice people, I took a picture of the cook in his Kreator shirt which they got a kick out of. Ended up meeting friends at the bar 007 in the Bond St. punk mall then that nite was my "travel agent meal". It was between Standard, Olsen and Thymus, we were just gonna walk in and take a chance there'd be seating. Standard looked kinda dead (11PM on a Sat.) and after walking for after a while, we just wanted to sit and eat, so we chose Soberbia 22 (across from Standard) cuz it had a nice look and was pretty busy. It ended up being pretty good and my 2nd fave food item came from there, a wonderful side of spinach au gratin, really good. The steak was tasty too but pricier than La Cabrera. Service was fair. We then walked over to Olsen for some vodka drinks, see enclosed black vodka. Bartenders were nice. Then off to La Bartola to meet some friends, that was a fun little bar. Sun. we went down to Puerto Madero where I grabbed a not so great choc. chip cookie from a cute café/specialty food place then we had a drink at the Faena hotel. Lordy that was swanky, a champagne mojito cost more than almost all of our main courses. Saw the Evita museum then grabbed sandwiches at a café closeby,.along with the ever present Quilmes beer. More walking around in Palermo at nite brought us to Bar Uriarte for dinner and it was very nice. Lots of tourists in the back patio area but we had fun talking to a couple more Canadians (and laughing at some of the tables that looked like they were made for 5 year olds). T had steak of course which was tasty as was the side of potatoes. We split apps of cold cuts that were very nice and my 3rd favorite food, delicious figs wrapped in prosciutto and stuffed with goat cheese. My fried rice balls were okay, peach tarte was fine but not great. Crème brulee was the winning dessert. Pricey but another "cool" place if you're in the mood for that style. Mon. we went over to Colonia, Uruguay for a short time and our meal was from a guy in a cart by the park on the main st, split an empanada and sausage sandwich. He didn't grill the sausage nearly enough for me so I had 2 bites and gave it to T ("he'll eat anything"), emp. was fine. Dulce de leche w/ choc. chip gelato from a place on the main drag was quite good. Even tho I had intentions of eating at a more low key/cheaper place that nite, we ended up at Standard which was more jumping than it was on Sat. Had a very nice salad and a small rabbit & pea risotto. Friend ate this whole freaking steak, yowzer. It actually was a little tougher than I'd hope for the price, that side of fresh potato chips was very good as was the bread and butter. And the tarte w/ ice cream that we split was tasty. Dinner the last nite was at a friend's house in Burzaco with more tasty grilled meat, cole slaw and potato salad ended the main meals. I finally hit a super casual place on Wed. when I met a local for lunch at La Parrillita in Palermo. We split a blood sausage which was too mushy for my taste and I have to say, the steak was mediocre, very tough but okay fries. She got a giant steak Milanese that somehow needed sauce or salt or a ton more lemon, kind of flavorless. She thought the side of mashed was instant. Bad service. Dessert was at Café Martinez on Bulnes with this great piece of tiramisu and a cappuccino. Which I needed like a hole in the head but hadn't really sat at a café while there and had eyed their desserts during the week. Then I saw a Persicco in the airport, I stuffed another gelato down but can't judge fairly (and still no coffee flavor). Had a few items from random bakeries like a not so good corn/cheese emp, okay apple thing, wonderful pastry filled with custard, and hard but tasty churro filled w/ dulce de leche.. a really fun trip. Sat Apr 25 20:29:40 -0700 2009 14253 Joanie