AnuvaBlog

Obviously, Argentina is known for beef and Don Julio, on the corner of Guatemala and Gurruchaga in Palermo Soho, Buenos Aires, has been talked about for some time. So it was high time to check it out.With our 25% debit card discount given to us by our bank for using it at any restaurant on Friday nights, we were set to spend money. Thankfully, Don Julio is not terribly overpriced.

First to note: the ambiance. It feels authentic enough, with a lot of leather and cowhide hanging from the walls. But then there are the tons of wine bottles signed by guests that make it feel a little cheap, and the pieced together fix-ups of certain portions of their walls.

The wait wasn’t too bad and while doing so we were served a red cocktail of I don’t know what mixed with lemon and soda water. They should definitely switch to something else. Cheap champagne would have been much better. And the other guests next to us agreed, verbally.

The wine list I would have to give at least a 9 out of 10, with only very few notable Argentine wines missing from the list. In addition, they do have appropriate storage facilities for their bottles that range from 45 pesos up to 1,500. There is certainly something for everyone here.

The bread never showed up until we had already been served our meal, which was disappointing, because it was really great, freshly baked baguette. Nothing fancy, but very good quality, just very late.

Lourdes had chinchulines, her favorite, which were cooked very well, but not perfectly, and I had mollejas (sweetbreads), which left something to be desired.

This was followed by our bife de chorizo, which was appropriately cooked, and fantastic, and a matambre de cerdo (pork cut), which was also very nice.

All of this for just under 300 pesos including our wine, which was a 160 peso bottle of A Lisa from the Noemia winery in Patagonia. Lourdes and I had sampled this wine several times and loved it, but this vintage we had never tried (2008), and it was decidedly worse. I do not recommend this wine for this price.

All in all, Don Julio was a nice experience, with good food and decent service. If the price, were, say 110 pesos per person WITHOUT our bank discount, it would have been a steal.

Try Argentine Wines in Palermo Buenos Aires

Part of my responsibility as an expat in Argentina is to speak the truth about the restaurants here, especially the asado and parrilla, aka steakhouses of Buenos Aires.

One of the most famed, La Cabrera, on Cabrera and Thames in the heart of Palermo Soho in Buenos Aires, has lived up to its reputation.

My wife and two friends joined me for a fabulous evening. Although we tried to make reservations, they only accept them until 830 and have an infernal line for miles. We waited over an hour for our table. This piece of the puzzle is only one of 3 things that I found mildly–emphasis on the mild–wrong with the restaurant.

Overall the food was absolutely outstanding. We started with Mollejas (sweetbreads) and chorizo sausage. I’d like to point out that these appetizers (”achuras” or offal) came out immediately after we asked for them. The mollejas are simply the best ones I have had in my six years in Argentina. Beautifully crunchy brown on the outside and just thick enough to get the nice rich fattyness of the sweetbread texture and flavor.

The chorizo I also though was exceptional in terms of its quality. As the saying goes about seeing what goes on behind the scenes at a sausage factory… in this case it is clear that the chorizo is made of much higher quality meat products due to the consistency, color and flavor of the chorizo.

We then followed with two steak choices: filet mignon (bife de lomo) and a dry aged rib-eye (bife de chorizo).

The former was the first steak I have ever seen in Buenos Aires to have any sort of spice on it besides salt. A light coating of thyme and rosemary around the edge gave a very nice addition to one of the softest steaks I can remember. I tried cutting it with the side of my fork and it was no problem.

The latter was the epitome of steak flavor. Flavor! Wow! No sauce needed here.

All of the things you order and La Cabrera come with abundant side sauces and dishes.

The bread tray is good, not great, but that’s not why you’re there.

The service was excellent although it is clear that almost no one on the staff speaks English. My opinion, however, after learning that over 90% of the people who go there are tourists, is that GOOD! If you are visiting Argentina you should have to practice once in a while.

So the only 3 disappointing things were the following:

1. The wait. Long. However, they do give you sparkling white wine while you wait.

2. The wine list. It is very clear that all of the space has been bought because only large wineries appear on their list. The wines are perfectly fine it’s just that there is not much that is interesting.

3. The price. I would still consider La Cabrera slightly overpriced for what it is. It is certainly a fantastic experience with fantastic food, and while it’s not the absolute atrocity that Cabana Las Lilas is, it is on the spendy side.

Just as an aside, after going to La Cabrera last night, my opinion of Cabana las Lilas has dropped even further. In a comparison La Cabrera wins by a landslide.

www.anuvawines.com

Ok, so we’re getting off the subject of wine a bit… but after being in the U.S. for the longest duration since I left for Argentina more than 5 years ago, I sorely miss the best beef in the world. American steaks simply do not have the flavor or the correct preparation when compared to beef in Argentina.So where should travelers go to get the best steak, beef and asado? (Because keep in mind that asado includes a lot more than just steak and is, in fact, the “real deal.”). I will include places that I do NOT recommend as well for whatever reason.

1. El Primo (in Las Cañitas, Baez 302; in Palermo, Humbolt 1612). Simply great steak but also great parrillada completa (that is the real deal of all the offal (sausages and organ meats)) and a semi decent wine list. Wonderful outdoor seating right on the pedestrian street of Baez as well if you like people watching. Reasonably priced which for me means 50 pesos per person for steak, salad, potato and wine. Get there early (by 9pm, no later) if you want a table outside in the summer.

2. Las Cabras (Fitz Roy 1795), Las Cabritas (Migueletes 840), Las Cholas (Arce 306). All from the same owners with the same design and menu. Great for parrillada completa, only ok for steak. Other beef cuts are good and their provoleta (grilled provolone cheese) is phenomenal. Wonderful fries. No real wine list so get the house wine for 18 pesos per bottle. Great prices! My wife and I routinely go and have parrillada completa for two which comes with several different sausages, asado, vacio (flank steak), molleja (sweat breads), chichulines (intestine), riñon (kidney) and chicken (the absolute BEST CHICKEN) for only 55 pesos. It comes with fries also. Add wine and a salad to that and we get out of there for less than 80 pesos for the two of us. And we have leftovers for a full dinner the next day.

3. El Pobre Luis (Arribeños 2393 in Belgrano). The absolute best mollejas in the city. This is an “Uruguayan” parrilla, which means nothing really except that the sweat breads rock. They also have a specialty dish called a Pamplona which is either chicken, pork or steak wrapped around grilled onions, mozarella and bacon then grilled on the parilla. Reasonable prices and good wine list. Also, no tourists.

4. La Dorita. Really nice steaks and ambiance although a little inconsistent.

5. La Brigada (various locations: Recoleta location may have closed. Estados Unidos 465 in San Telmo). Expensive but perhaps worth it. Good service (and that is saying something for Buenos Aires) and they don’t overcook the steak (which is also something for Buenos Aires). They also have a lot of options and a good wine list.

6. Cabaña las Lilas (Alicia Moreau de Justo 516 in Puerto Madero). Unbelievably expensive. Tourist trap.

7. El Estanciero (Baez 202 in Las Cañitas). Expensive, good service, very nice and very clean. Nothing super memorable here though.

8. La Cabrera (Cabrera 5099 in Palermo Hollywood). This is a place that many have raved about. It is also a place that many have said has no reason to exist. My opinion lies right in the middle. The meat is decent, the service ok, and the ambiance fine. It’s in all the guide books so if you want a lot of tourists when you eat, great. If not, skip it.

www.anuvawines.com