Buenos Aires Food Heaven

It's about time we get down to details on the wonderful food here. My wife and I have been having some of the best meals we have had in a long time.

Last night we ate at Sottovoce around the corner from our apartment here in the Recoleta. Sottovoce serves classic Italian food with impeccable service and an expert touch in the kitchen. It is said the restaurant is popular with politicians and the upper crust Italians in the neighborhood. There was a mix of very refined Italians, Recoleta grand dames and younger couples dining last night. Can't say if I saw any politicians.

We started with two appetizers of carpaccio. One was the traditional beef with arugula and parmesan. The other was a carpaccio of fresh salmon with capers and dill. The beef carpaccio was traditionally executed. However, the arugula here has a wonderful peppery flavor that can't be duplicated in the US. And when it is paired with the super thin slices of Argentina's famed beef, this standard Italian fare is turned spectacular.

Can't say the same for my salmon. I love dill on grilled salmon. I love capers with smoked salmon. The two just overpowered the raw salmon. Using the two together sparingly in more of a garnish combined with a little lemon would of been a better route.

For the main event, my wife went for the roasted conejo (rabbit) served in a wonderful hunters sauce. It was succulent and very flavorful without the gamey taste most rabbit dishes have.

I wanted to try some of the homemade pasta they are known for. My Tagliatelle Sottovoce was served with a simple sauce of tomato, basil, oregano, garlic and olive oil. It was a simple dish expertly prepared. The fresh tagliatelle was the best fresh pasta I have had anywhere. The sauce was a perfect balance of flavors.

We finished with the Chocolate Vulcano pictured below. Ummm, chocolate heaven.



Our whole tab came out to $224 pesos (US $70). And that included a bottle of 2004 Luigi Bosca Reserve Malbec. Easily a $50 to $60 bottle of wine in the states. While the cost of eating out here has dramatically risen lately, I can get use to eating a fine meal for about what we would pay for a nice bottle of wine in the US.