Wine from a Penguin

Only in Argentina do they serve you a liter of the house vino tinto in a pitcher shaped like a Pinguino. We ate dinner at a restaurant in El Chalten on our first night in town, after three days of backpacking the Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy area. It's the only place in town that takes credit cards (aside from the grocery stores), so we decided to go all out. Hence the Penguin of Wine. And Marc's decadent plate of steak .... eggs ... AND fries.

It took all my restraint not to put the penguin pitcher in my backpack.

The Joy of a Bakery

Forget about the Joy of Cooking - there is nothing quite so pleasing as walking into a good old-fashioned bakery. Most Americans know not of this experience, as it has become painstakingly obvious to me that the bakery is missing from our landscape of eateries.

Fortunately for me, I had the opportunity to spend a considerable amount of time soaking up the sights, smells (and flavors) of one such place in El Calafate called, Don Luis.

Over the course of our travels, we returned to El Calafate several times - each visit punctuated by stop at Don Luis. Both of the hostels we stayed at were located a few block off the main street, and our route into town had us (conveniently) walking past Don Luis' doors multiple times a day. And because they have free WiFi, it was an easy place for me to park for a couple hours.

Marc and I enjoyed a variety of pastries - as you might imagine. From sugary glazed croissants (medialunas) and almond cookies to flaky layered numbers filled with dulce de leche. At about 1 peso per fractura (pastry), I couldn't afford not to try the multitude of things.

While the pastry counter drew in many excited faces, the bins of french bread had the most action. All of the hotels and hostels came here to pick up their daily rations.

Suckling Pig of the River

With only 3 nights in Buenos Aires and about a million restaurants to choose from, I did a little bit of research ahead of time to ensure we got a seat at at least one gourmet establishment. An article in the NY Times touting the booming food scene in Palermo Viejo (the chic neighborhood we stayed in) featured this write up:

Still, there are great finds in Palermo Viejo, as there are throughout the city, which showcase Argentina’s rich culinary history and its bounty, which stretches from the ocean to the Andes. A handful of these are new restaurants that pay homage to this tradition and draw a crowd less interested in who designed the room than in what’s coming out of the kitchen.

One is Jangada, where locals go for the pacú, a lumbering cousin of the piranha that can grow as large as 60 pounds. Jangada’s serving is the size of a porterhouse. Grilled until crispy, the flesh is firm but flaky, and so succulent that from the first bite you’ll understand how it earned its nickname, el lechón del rió, or suckling pig of the river. Pacú is worshiped in Argentina but a rare sight in Buenos Aires. And it’s certainly not anything you’ll find on a menu in the East Village.

You can see why I HAD to go there. Of course, we ordered the Pacu ... which to me, seemed more greasy than succulent ... but we enjoyed the mild fish flavor which was accompanied by onion rings, fried potato wedges and a tomato for color. All in all, it wasn't the most delicious piece of fish I've ever tried ... but the service was good and where else are you going to get to eat a cousin of piranha?

Back and Blogging

Just when you thought I slipped into a meat and wine-based food coma somewhere in the Patagonian backcountry, I've returned! We spent the last half of our trip basically out of touch ... which is great for mental well-being but not so conducive to blogging.

But don't fret! Just because I wasn't actively blogging, I was snapping shots and am ready to detail the remainder of our trip for inquiring foodies. Marc and I are now back state-side, I still have many meals to share ... stay tuned!

Detox is for Wusses

Well, my detox in Ushuaia isn't going so well. Friday afternoon we went on a boat ride out to Bridges Island, which included a couple champagne glass size beers from the on-board keg. Then we HAD to get centolla (king crab legs) so we went to a place with a giant red king crab painted on the windows - seemed like the right spot.

We both had "ensalada mixta" to start which wasn't really a "mixture" of anything. Just shredded green leaf lettuce and tomato ... but it's roughage, so I went for it. Marc got the Fuegian style king crab but at a whopping $58 ar, I went with a cheaper version of a seafood stew.

Everything was delicious, but we also ended up drinking a full bottle of wine (turns out the 3/4 size just means 3/4 of a litre and is actually a full bottle by US standards) and I constantly had my hand in the bread basket. Then, as if out of habit, we trotted across the street to Tarte Sara tea house for a piece of apple cake and coffee.

I am paying today.

My body has deciced to do a detox of its own - violently expelling everything from my system I have loaded up in the last 5 days. Marc got me some super delish yogurt from the supermercado and I determine I am back on the wagon. 8 hours of hiking in the Tierra del Fuego National Park and I'm really back on the wagon. Speaking of trekking, if you care to read more about our journey than my food-obsession POV, check out Marc's blog with tons of great photos.

That is, until we "grab a bite" at a local pizza joint. The brushetta is phenomenal (it's summer here so the tomatoes actually taste like something) and the pumpkin calzone knocked our socks off. Should have stopped there, but you know I didn't and we wrapped up the meal with a cheese/onion stuffed pizza. That's right - had to go with the twice the cheese and crust option.

Marc says we are "gorging" ourselves which makes me feel like a fat American pig. Tomorrow is a new day ...

Detox

A wise friend of mine once said (after several days and nights of binge drinking in Mexico), "Why detox when you can retox?" Although this seems a good rule of thumb for lounging on a beach, it is not necessarily the best course of action when one is looking at plane rides, shared hostel bathrooms and a catamaran in the Beagle channel.

3 days of fried food, meat, bottomless wine bottles and good old fashioned American gluttony, I'm starting to feel a little "off."

As we land in Ushuaia for two days of exploring the Tierra del Fuego, I have promised myself to seek out fresh fruit (which may require a trip to the market), ease up on the white bread, seek out vegetables that aren't fried and there will be no red meat consumption. King Crab legs, yes. And as for the wine ... I really don't think I need to drink it at lunch.

Last Tango in Buenos Aires

Our last night in BsAs and we went out with a bang ... and a stomache-ache.
After our customary siesta (from about 5 - 7pm) we headed to a neighborhood cafe, Terra Coffee, for a beverage. I went with yet another local Malbec and it will come as no surprise that Marc selected a Quisme. This time, the Litre of beer was served in a cute little pitcher!

Around 11p we headed back to Palermo Hollywood (of the previous night's sausage adventure) to hunt down some chow. We opted for a little spot called Carita Morena. We sat at a small table near the kitchen and watched massive tabletop grills piled with meat get delivered to drooling Americanos.

Hooray for empanadas on the menu. We got two as an entrada. The verdura was stuffed with creamy spinach and onions, while the carne was a deliciously spicy number. The meat had the consistency of something between a chunky italian sausage and ground beef.

For the plato principal, this place was kind enough to offer 1/2 bife de chorizo and mini bife lomo (sirloin steak and ribeye steak). We ordered one of each with papas fritas.

I have to tell you, this was the classic porteno meal I have been imagining! The meat was expertly grilled to medium-well done (my preference) and it was tender and flavorful. Like no meat I can recall in the US. The fries were thick cut, greasy and kind of like what you'd find at a London pub shop. We probably could have done without the chips - but it's hard for me not to order them.

While we were completely stuffed from the main course, I took it upon myself to order dessert - Panqueque con Dulce de Leche. A crepe with rich, creamy caramel. Wowza.
To top it off, we drank a "3/4 bottle" of Malbec, but since it was 750ml, we counted it as a full bottle.

All told, the meal was more food than two people should have eaten and only cost us about $30. We waddled home around 1am and crashed out for 2 hours before we had to be up again and catching our flight to Ushuaia.

Empanadas in La Boca

Wednesday afternoon we strolled through La Caminita de La Boca - a colorful neighborhood down by the port. It was at La Perla where we sampled our first (hopefully of many) of the Argentine specialty, empanadas. Unlike the Mexican cousins we have experienced before, these delicate little hand pies were light, flaky and obviously oven-baked.

The Herbiviore's Dilemma

Forgive me Linda McCarthy, for I have strayed. I have sinned against pig, chicken, beef and any number of any other animals I can't identify at this point in time.

Tonight, Marc and I partook in our first authentic Argentine parilla at a restaurant in Palermo Hollywood se llama Cava 71. For those of you who know me, I have been a vegetarian for over 10 years. And I still am. I'm just on a vacatation at this time. When in Buenos Aires ...

At about 10pm, we were able to score a table on the roof (al fresco) at Cava 71, a parilla restaurant in the neighborhood of our hotel. The first course was the "salchicha" course consisting of 4 different grilled sausages. Here's what I could identify: spicy chorizo, blood sausage, smaller pork sausage of some sort with a delicous crisp skin, grisly fat and something that appeared to be a chicken neck (of which I was unable to cut, let alone eat).

The chorizo was brilliant as was the smaller pork sausage grilled to a crispy perfection (that's the spiraled on on a skewer in the photo). I tried the blood sausage to discover a creamy, rich flavor that wasn't all together unpleasing ... had I known it wasn't a blood sausage first. Fortunately the table was dimly lit. Even Marc didn't go back for seconds following this discovery.

Second course was a plate stacked grill grilled pork, steak and chicken. The pork was my favorite - rich and flavorful with no fat to speak of. The chicken, was .... well like most chicken I remember having, but it was juicy and had a smoky flavor. The steak was good, but considering all the hype over Argentine grass-fed beef, I feel the true experience was lost in this medium. The meaty spread was served with papas fritas - some of the best we've had so far: thick cut steak fries fried to crispy perfection, and of course - a basket of bread.

Two glasses of vino blanco for me (it's so hot!), a grande Quisme cerveza and a glass of Malbec for Marc and the whole meal only set us back $98 ar pesos ... solamente $33 US.

The best score of the evening was our pre-dinner cocktail at a bar en route to the restauante. I had a fabulous half bottle of a Mendoza Malbec for just $12 ar, $4 us. Delicioso!

First Argentina Lunch

We chose to dine our first official meal at The Lobby, a vinoteca and restaurant in our Palmero Viejo neighborhood. We sat on the sidewalk and watched local portenos eat, drink and smoke while we did the same.

Marc sampled the pre fix lunch menu: Tomato Bruschetta, Penne with Salsa de Hornga (mushrooms) and Brownie con Helado (which never came, but we were all the better for it). The menu, with drink, was $24 ar ($8 us).

I went with a Vegetable Sandwich that was a triple decker affair featuring grilled tomato, zucchini, sweet potato, mushrooms, caramelized onions and gooey white cheese. The plate was completed with onion rings and TWO types of fried potatoes: thick wedges and thin crispy chips. I'm in heaven!

The owner/sommelier recommended several different Argentine wines, including a Sauvignon Blanc that was refreshing after all those fried potatoes. All told, our two hour lunch extravaganza set us back about $60 us ... not the "cheap" we were expected, but I'm sure we'll find more value as we explore the city.

Zip-Tastic

Believe it or not, I've lived in Colorado for over 10 years and I've never owned a pair of zip-off (or "convertible") pants. Blasphemy, I know!

Perhaps it was the complete lack of styling these pants-turn-shorts showcase that turned me off from making the purchase. Or, more likely, the consideration of "when would I EVER need access to shorts and pants in a single hike?"

Well, I have found the answer. Patagonia is one such magical place that may require me to have shorts and pants in a single journey without first having access to my suitcase. And so, I have ventured into the world of travel wear with the purchase of a pair of The North Face convertible pants.

On sale at REI, of course.

The Planning Process

Marc spent pretty much the entire month of December reading travel guides, researching hotels, hosterias and hostels throughout Southern Patagonia and generally planning where we are going to go, how we are going to get there and where we will be staying. He's the real hero of this story.

Now that those pesky details are out of the way, we've moved on to Planning Phase 2: Shopping.

Considering our garage is basically a scaled down version of your local REI, you'd think we'd have all the necessary details to hit the trail running. When we started thinking about this trip, Marc proclaimed we were going to do it without buying any new stuff. Not so.

Marc opted to buy a new ultralight 3-season tent for the trip. I'm pretty sure this decision was solely driven by the fact that it was a killer deal at Sierra Trading Post. I needed a new sleeping pad, because I seem to have lost mine (thanks mom!). And then there is the camera ... semi-pro digital set up that needs lenses, filters, tripod, carrying case, extra battery, extra memory ... seriously, the list will go on, and on, and on.

Of course, there are also wardrobe considerations.

Hiking pants for Marc. Socks and boots for me. I just placed an order with Athleta for a wicking UV-protection hoodie and a little travel skirt. Because we're doing this trip a little bit city and a little bit country, packing a convienent, yet stylish (and lightweight), wardrobe is going to be a challenge.

And the most exciting part of developing a "travel wardrobe"? The ExOfficio underwear my mom got me for Christmas. Wicking, odor-resistant and dries in like 2 hours! The packaging says, "16 countries, 4 weeks and 1 pair of underwear." I think I'm going to try 3.

These Boots Were Made for Hiking

My new Asolo Stynger GTX boots arrived last week and I'm starting the slooooow process of breaking them in. Considering it's been about 10 degrees everyday this week, I've been wearing the boots on the treadmill at the gym. Yeah, I know I look hot. Most people have their boots with them to wear out in the snow, but I do the opposite and change into the boots once inside.

So far, the Asolo are performing well! No hot spots or blisters and I'm feeling really excited to get these babies in some Chilean dirt in Torres del Paine! I got the color scheme "sage/black" but I'm wishing now I had gotten this orange color (pictured above). C'est la vie.