SALUD THE FOOD
Chefs prove there is more to Argentina than red meat
THE fuzzy sound of music through an old speaker provides the soundtrack at bar Varela Varelita, the perfect place in Buenos Aires to while away a lazy afternoon.
Argentina’s most famous writer, Jorge Luis Borges, wrote, “It’s hard to believe Buenos Aires had any beginning. I feel it to be as eternal as air and water.” But after one of the world’s longest lockdowns, the culinary creativity has bubbled over with exciting restaurants and incredible bars around every corner.
“Culture rises from these streets,” said local author and television host Eddie Fitte, and it’s hard not to agree as we walk from dinner at one of the city’s hottest restaurants — German Sitz and Pedro Peña’s excellent Niño Gordo — to grab cocktails at Tres
Monos, ranked one of the world’s best bars.
That sentiment was on display at Niño Gordo which fuses Argentinian products with a farreaching “world” influence. It’s best seen in their sublime katsu sandwich, a slab of perfectly marbled beef from German’s family farm in La Pampa. Argentina is known for the quality of its beef, and this is some of the best.
It’s also on display at Sitz and Peña’s temple to whole-cow butchery, La Carnicería ,a parrilla (grill) where you’ll find perfect steaks, sweetbreads, chorizo and blood sausage streaming out of an open live-fire kitchen. Their approach is at once celebratory, brash and delicious.
Nearby is another standout blending tradition with technique, Facundo Kelemen’s Mengano, which showcases bright cooking that would be welcome in any culinary capital. Empanadas exploding with flavor, earthy Patagonian lamb tartare and roasted artichokes swimming in a dreamy hibiscus cream come one after the other before crispy rice, studded with seafood and a fermented citrus and chile aioli, hits the table. All this is, of course, accompanied by Argentinian wine.
Stumbling out of Mengano, you only have to go five minutes in any direction to find some of the best bars on earth. For cocktails, there’s Inés de los Santos’s CoChinChina (ranked No. 42 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list), where the bar program harmonizes with the gorgeously designed interiors. Taste the Blend de Los Buenos (blended Argentine vermouths) or the Chulita (dissolved cherry and eucalyptus candy gin blended with juices). For wine lovers, there’s Vini Bar, which has a great selection of difficult-to-find Argentinian producers like Los Dragones “Blanco del Flor,” a sherry-like Torrontés.
But for a deeper look into Argentinian wine, take a short flight to Mendoza in the foothills of the Andes. There you can sample wines that strike the same balance as the restaurants and bars in Buenos Aires, with a stunning backdrop in every direction.
Visit the storied vineyards at Catena Zapata (look for “White Bones” and “White Stones”), but make sure you take the time to stop by Luigi Bosca’s Finca El Paraíso for a turn through the vineyards and a Mendozan meal from chef Pablo del Río. Pair the meal with Bosca’s best wines: Riesling, organic Malbec and the old vine “Finca Los Nobles” Cabernet Bouschet.
Mendoza isn’t just grand dames. Innovative wineries like Michelini i Mufatto, Bodega SuperUco and Passionate Winery (which houses multiple wineries like Escala Humana) are dotted throughout the region and are worth visiting.
After a few days of tasting, immerse yourself in Andean luxury at Rancho ‘e Cuero (six suites, starting a $660 per person, all-inclusive). This family-owned, 7,400acre property ranges from the foothills above Mendoza to Chile, where you can ride horses, fly fish, hike or simply watch the red deer run the mountain tops before a fireside feast. It’s truly one of the most gorgeous places on earth.
Luckily, the flavors of Argentina and the creativity of its people are strong enough to cross oceans. At Balvanera, an unsung gem in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, chef Fernando Navas is channeling the taste of Buenos Aires into his food. It’s the perfect place to sit, drink and pine for your next trip.