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!