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.