FAQ — Dining Out in Argentina
Q: What is the ‘cubierto’ charge that shows up on my restaurant bill? Is this a service charge? Am I a jerk if I don’t leave a tip since I’m paying this seemingly random cubierto charge? The cubierto is the ‘cover charge’ for the fork, knife, placemats and (often) stale bread you receive at the [...]
0800 VINO — Premium Wine Tastings
Wine guru Nigel Tollerman may be British, but he knows an awful lot about Argentine wine. Why else would renowned wine buff Francis Ford Coppola trust him to look after his Argentine collection? Attending one of his tastings is bound to be a learning experience, whether you’re a wine aficionado or a novice. Tollerman’s cellar [...]
Empanadas – The Tasty Pastry That Everybody Loves
Empanadas are Argentina’s version of fast food. These little pastry parcels are sold almost everywhere and eaten by almost everybody, save the most loyal dieters. They’re chowed down during short lunch breaks, taken home after work for dinner, delivered by reckless scooter riders late into the night, and prepared lovingly in kitchens all over the [...]
Argentine Cuts of Meat
Confused by all those cuts of meat on your Argentine menu? Here’s some common cuts of beef, as seen at restaurants, parillas and asados all over Argentina. Most common cuts served in restaurants Vacio – Flank, but with a layer of fat which adds flavor when cooked. Bife de Chorizo – Sirloin Rump Steaks [...]
Coffee Culture – A Guide to Ordering
Italian coffee culture has spread throughout the world in the last twenty years or so, replacing the previously ubiquitous instant coffee and watery percolator fare with macchiatos and café lattes, but thanks to the country’s Italian immigrants, Argentines have long enjoyed Italian-style coffee — albeit with a few local twists. Coffee drinking is a refined, [...]
Malbec – Argentina’s Signature Wine
Some say you haven’t been to Argentina unless you’ve enjoyed a glass of Malbec with a big juicy steak. The ubiquitous Argentine nectar made from the Malbec grape had been around in France for centuries without gaining any real popularity on its own. Although utilized somewhat in the southwest of the country under many different names and [...]
Pizza in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is one of the world’s great pizza capitals, at least in the sheer number of pizzerias. You can’t walk a city block without passing a pizza joint, or at least an eatery that serves pizza among other things (those ‘other things’ usually consisting of empanadas, breaded patties called milanesas, and pastas). Most of [...]
The Allure of the Buenos Aires’ Cafe
In order to get a feel for the soul of the city, it’s necessary to sample a variety of Buenos Aires eateries for a taste of Porteño life. The café cum-bar-restaurants you see on just about every city block are communal affairs. In the mornings sleepy-looking suits will stop by on the way to work [...]
