Thanks! I don’t like South American wine, but a useful post.
I know it’s odd to go to Mendoza if I don’t like the wine, but I didn’t want to go back to BA just to catch my flight home, and there is a nice Park Hyatt there to rest before the long flight back.
I’m currently booked at Centauro in Mendoza but will check out the others for non-meat options.
ETA I booked Marchigiana Central, looks good and walking distance to my hotel. Thanks again!
I could probably go on for pages but just a few more things before you go:
Not sure if you eat medialunas. There are two types, de manteca (mantequilla/butter) or de grasa (fat). The manteca are sweet and I don’t really care for them. Too sweet and soggy for me. De grasa can resemble an inferior croissant. The best that I know that are somewhat close to Recoleta are at the original Atelier Fuerza.
Fuerza also makes acceptable bread and some good desserts.
I remembered a place fairly close to you called Ragni. It’s mainly cheese and charcuterie. Not my favorite for these but one of the better places in town and it’s the closest to you. Might be a place where you can stock up on provisions if you plan to stay in on NYE. My favorite for these things is Remo. There is one in Alto Palermo mall which is not too far from you. If you like prosciutto you can try the local kind called jamon crudo nacional, tipo italiano (tipo serrano will be more like Spanish.) Careful not to get actual prosciutto because it will be much more expensive due to import taxes.
The wine down there isn’t bad even if you have a eurocentric palate. As Dan notes, there is quite a bit that isn’t exported. Some of it is actually pretty old school euro style. I never buy AR wines when I am not in AR but there’s plenty to enjoy. Today the trend is to make them between 12-13% and with little to no new wood. I don’t think I drank more than a couple Malbecs in nearly five years there. Mostly cab franc.
Some of my preferred producers are Riccitelli and the two (there may be a third) Michellini. One of the Michellini is right on the cusp of natural but stays within bounds IMO and makes pretty real wine of some character.
For whites, The Italian Job Chardonnay is pretty good. Not Burgundy nor California. Its own thing. Good wine. Unfortunately it probably clocks in around $100 with today’s fx and I was wondering if it was worth much more than the mid 30s I paid a couple years ago. He also makes a good sparkler but I liked the still Chard more. Just a bit more character and complexity.
If you find a Riccitelli Old Vines Semillon with more than five years on it I would get it. Those are good wines. Slightly tight when young.
Anything, but especially the whites, from German Massera’s Escala Humana. He makes at least three different labels. Livvera is the entry level. The Bequignol is tasty if simple. Finca la Catalina Proyetcos Circulares, especially the Chard. Small production and Chard usually sells out. Was solid value around $20 but I am sure it is more now. Credo is the top label. Semillon is up there with the better whites of AR but it really needs time. I think he started to make a Chard under the Credo label but I haven’t tried it. I would get it if I saw it. He’s definitely one of my favorites down there.
Zuccardi and Cara Sur are solid and fairly acid driven. Good sparkling from Zuccardi.
Since I don’t drink Malbec I never tried Perse but people that I know that like Euro style like his wines.
There are more than a few good Petit Verdots as well. Ginard Ballester is excellent and should not be very expensive.
There’s a lot of excellent Semillon as noted, many of them blended with Sauvignon Blanc. A threw an Agostino Familia Semillon - Sauvignon blend into a single blind tasting with Domaine de Chevalier and Chaleur Blanc and it easily held its own.
I will stop by Anchoita cava one day. If they have any Riccitelli or Michellini by the glass, I’ll give it a try.
Do you know which Michellini is on the cusp of natural? I’d rather try the other one.
Dan, is the Agostino Familia Semillon-Sauvignon old world style?
Matias. He has a couple different labels. I like this cab franc a lot. The Agua de Roca Sauvignon Blanc is good too. The Pinot can have a little Brett.
It’s been a brutal year for the blue dollar (the grey market fx but wide open and utilized by virtually everyone). It’s part of the reason I left. It’s been on a slight rally lately and gained 3.45% today so at least you have a little tailwind going into your trip.
Yeah, when I book my tickets last January, I thought everything g was a bargain. Cost must have gone up 60% for US dollar spenders. Domestic flights are pricey (in part my fault for traveling in early January).
I switched from $$ to points for my BA hotel.
At least I can now use a credit card.
Crazy swings. Prices up about 2-3x for most things in USD from Dececmber 2023.
It was insane when credit cards were still charging the official rate and the largest bill was still 1,000 and even those bills were sometimes hard to get. It would require loading up with bricks of cash just to go out to dinner.
What’s even more crazy is that real estate is done in all USD cash so if you want to buy an apartment for 250k you have roll to the bank with all of that on you.
Hotels by and large haven’t adjusted their dollar rates, so sky high rates at the high end (also due to the holidays).
When I was down there during the pandemic, even once things reopened, the Four Seasons was only $200/night. I almost stayed a couple nights just to use the Amex hotel credit but I was too lazy to leave the apartment.
Nearly 10,000 people cyber-elbowing one another trying to get that October reservation for the main resto.
Una locura.
Roux was excellent, so good, I’m going again (they are open January 1). Highlight was raw scallops from Tierra del Fuego in a very interesting and well balanced sauce. One of my dishes of the year… Then a nice sea bass, with little squid accompanying it.
Between Sunday closings, not being interested in a big NYE dinner, and closings on NY day, my slots have been cut in half.
One thing I learned- don’t go to steakhouses to eat fish. (I already knew that from the US, but more fish options home). They approach fish like they approach the meat. Simply broiled, simply presented.
Went to Elena at the 4 Seasons. Had a nice salad , poor starter, pleasant, simple main of local black sole. But the quality of the shrimp in the starter was poor (somewhat mushy) and service was weak (no one asked if I liked the starter, waiter was absent for long times).
My hotel had a free tango at its well regarded restaurant, Duhau, so we went. Only salad was a Kale salad, and while I like Kale, this was very rough Kale. So replaced with a simple salad. With a fish called white salmon (but it isn’t salmon, I think it’s sandperch), which was local. It’s a fish that seems like it’s not good medium rare, but gets dry quickly. I find that more in the southern hemisphere than the north, happened in Santiago last week with a different fish, and in Australia with Trevally.
Thanks to TG and Dan for being encouraging with the wine. The whites I tried (semillion, gruner veltliner) were nice. I looked for some of the wines TG recommended but was priced out (see picture below).
Tried Freddie for ice cream, very good, will try some of TGs suggestions later this week.
My concierge seemed very hooked into the food scene (Roux is his favorite, knows the chef well). He steered me away from Picaron, as we were talking about the great ingredients used at Roux and what other restaurants were ingredient driven, and Picaron wasn’t according to him. Not sure if TG would agree. However, he recommended Basa, Julio and Franco, the last two on TGs list, so a lot of consistency. May try Basa as it’s closer.
I ordered the expensive semillon by mistake but it was very good.
I like Picaron but it’s a little inconsistent. Trendy small plates. Ratio of something like one or two will be good, two OK and one probably better off being left off the menu. You leave thinking it would have been better doubling up on the good ones and avoiding the others. The burger, not on the menu, and served only Fridays at lunch last I knew, is very good.
Fish can be pretty decent there.
But Roux is in a different, more refined league. I really like it too. One of my favorites there. Chef/owner seems like a very nice guy. He’ll often come around to say hello to each table. Was crazy to eat there when the fx made it possible to eat well for ~$20-25 pp w/o wine.
Definitely try Obrador Florida for ice cream. Limited selection but best quality ingredients.
If you’re eating something that works with white wine and you see a Poligonos (made by Zuccardi) Verdejo, I think it’s worth a try. Retail probably around $25 today so not too expensive. Won’t blow you away but a reliable bottle.
Mendel for a value Semillon. Used to get that for around $6. Probably closer to $15 at retail today. Still a good value.
I’m headed to Cadore as chocolate and pistachio are my favorites.
$80 including tip for two courses with two glasses of wine. So your 3x estimate was accurate.
When I booked the tickets, it was right before (or right after the devaluation). I switched my main hotel to points so I’m ok, but it’s not cheap. Over the counter medications are very expensive (15,000 for four oz. Of Maalox).
By the way, I’ve been tipping 10%. What’s local custom?
I’m guessing the OTC meds are especially expensive because of the import taxes. Even worse is the tax on electronics. My guess is today a new iphone is over 2k! so be careful not to flash it in public. Word is these taxes will soon be reduced or eliminated.
10% is pretty standard for restos and a service like a massage. Taxi/Uber nothing is expected. I usually just rounded up (to what was under US$1.00) and said to keep the change for a taxi.
30 minute line at Cardone. Excellent chocolate and pistachio!
My line mate said he waited 90 minutes at Guerrin for pizza. So will be skipping that.
I will need to cash another $100 as tips are all in cash. Everything else is credit card.
