I continue to explore different areas in LA that I’ve just never taken the time to get to know, and I’ve really loved having the time to do it! A lot of this exploration has been Downtown, but never have I walked around DTLA as much as I did last week. I was meeting friends for lunch at Grand Central and then had plans that night to see Judy Blume speak at a theater in Little Tokyo, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to spend the entire day downtown, exploring Little Tokyo and the Arts District. I’ve been to dinner and museums in the area, but have never taken the time to walk, explore, and really understand these parts.

At Grand Central I decided I wanted to try something new. I’ve had Wexler’s, Eggslut and Madcapra Falafel, so this time I went for one of the less trendy spots – Tacos Tumbras a Tomas. Possibly the largest tacos I’ve ever had – you get a lot for the $3 price tag. I opted out of the tongue or goat in favor of the more traditional carne asada and carnitas. Not my favorite mexican lunch ever, but very glad to have tried this oft-crowded stand.

After receiving a red notice of “double parking” from the Grand Central parking authorities (please!!), it was off to Little Tokyo for the rest of the afternoon and evening. I somehow managed to find the one block in the entire area with street parking sans meters, so I felt like my parking karma had returned, despite being momentarily rattled by the powerless red notice that I had just received.

I didn’t have an agenda really, other than a few shops I knew I wanted to stop into. I was immediately ready for dessert, so I started this adventure with a stop into Fugetsu-Do Confectionary, where they make delicious mochi. I bought a package of Peanut Butter (pink mochi filled with actual crunchy peanut butter), and one Strawberry (mochi filled with strawberry flavored filling, a small dollop of chocolate on the top and a little jelly crane cutout on top). I’m not a fan of mochi as a topping for things like frozen yogurt, but these beautiful pastry packages are perfect – not too sweet but just sweet enough to satisfy a craving.

  

Much of my afternoon was spent between 1st and 3rd Streets and San Pedro Street and The LA River. Japanese Village Plaza is in the center of Little Tokyo, an outdoor mall or sorts with stores, coffee shops, etc. Fun fashions, Japanese housewares and products, and of course no Japanese mall would be complete without Sanrio!

  

I walked into some of the sneaker stores, like RIF L.A., which reminded me of stores in NYC where the shoes are wrapped in plastic. Unfortunately most of these stores were just men’s – very few cool kicks for women.

After spending a couple hours in this area, I went to the Arts District – just a couple blocks away. I spent a lot of time on 3rd Street at stores like Poketo, Apolis, and Alchemy Works. Blacktop Coffee, connected to Alchemy, was aesthetically my favorite. Their tables were just tree stumps, surrounded by similar seats and other wood chairs. It is a stark contrast to the very urban street, but shows signs of what’s to come in this neighborhood. The mix of restaurants, coffee shops and boutiques is only expanding down here with lots of construction happening to continue this effort.

  

On my way back towards Little Tokyo I happened to run into my friend, Daniel, crossing the street. I had an hour to kill before dinner so it was perfect timing! Instead of going to read my book at a coffee shop we ended up taking a walk in search of good coffee. Daniel yelped and led us on a wild goose chase, but it was great to walk from Little Tokyo up to the Disney Hall and back in a loop. I never quite understood how close and walkable everything is Downtown, and this walk really helped me to ‘get in the map.’

We finished our DTLA loop back in Little Tokyo and stumbled upon Cafe Demitasse, just blocks from where we started initially. A deliciously subtle Shiso Iced Tea for me…but I now want to go back to try the Lavender Hot Chocolate and the Black Sesame Lemongrass Latte!!

From coffee I rushed off to meet another friend, Alexis, for some dinner and Judy Blume. The sushi bar at Hama Sushi was quick, delicious, and pretty cheap. Judy Blume was quick, witty, and for me, nostalgic. Listening to her talk about her career made me want to go back and read all of the classics again. I’m going to start by reading her new book, In The Unlikely Event, but from there I wouldn’t be surprised if Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret immediately follows it :).

A long, but really fun day in LA, practically in my backyard. I love that I now feel like I know this part of town, and I love that there are places that I didn’t get to in Little Tokyo, like some Japanese Gardens, that will definitely bring me back here for further adventures. I’m not quite done with the big adventures of this Laid-Off Life, but I’m perfectly happy to play in this sandbox until the next big one comes along.

I’ve covered S. Congress, live music, breakfast tacos and BBQ, but there are some very important staples of Austin that I haven’t yet talked about…swimming holes, honky tonks, food trucks, and picnic tables.

I visited two of the various swimming holes that are in and around Austin – Hamilton Pool and Barton Springs. The concept of the swimming hole feels so old fashioned to me, something you’d see teens do in a movie about a simpler time, decades ago. I think this is what felt so endearing about both places. Plus, I really do love public outdoor spaces where people of all types congregate…

   

Hamilton Pool was cool. About 30 miles outside of town, and a beautiful drive past ranches and wildflowers. First, a short walk/hike before reaching the impressive waterfall in what looks like a grotto. Surrounded by slabs of limestone – it’s really pretty impressive! Amazing to think that it’s all natural, just a product of thousands of years of erosion. There was no one swimming the morning that we went there, but apparently it can get really crowded.

The other swimming hole I visited was Barton Springs. This one is very different from Hamilton. To get here we walked along the Colorado River and then the Barton Creek before arriving at this crowded spot. People laying out on the shores, and others enjoying the cold, cold water. This spot seems like a great midday escape from work – just a few minutes drive, peel off your cowboy boots (see pic at top of this post) and go for a quick dip before you have to be back from your lunch break.

  

When day turns to night, the people of Austin move from swimming hole to out somewhere cool, probably outdoors, probably drinking and eating something delicious. We spent a night on the East Side of town, visiting a food truck, a honky tonk and a great outdoor bar. All 3 of these places completed the Austin experience for me.

First up, East Side Kings for dinner. This is one of a few of Paul Qui’s (Top Chef Season 9 Winner) locations, each with a slightly varied menu. We were supposed to go to his brick and mortar restaurant, Qui, but the truck experience felt more appropriate for my short visit to Austin. So, we went to the Whisler’s bar location where we ordered Thai Fried Chicken (two orders), Steamed Chicken (Khao Man Gai), and Waterfall Pork. A lot of food for 2 people, but what can I say, I wanted to try a bunch of things. The chicken fat fried rice with the chicken dishes was amazing, as were all of the thai sauces for each dish, and for me the broth served with the steamed chicken to help digest the fat of the dish was a perfect touch. I loved the setting here – tables filling up the outdoor patio of Whisler’s bar, with single strands of white lights hanging above our heads and leading up to the food truck at the end of the patio.

  

After this heavy meal we walked it off, a few blocks to White Horse, a hip Honky-Tonk. Now I’ve seen the movies and I’ve even been to the Maverick Saloon in Santa Ynez, but this was something new for me. Two-steppers, both young and old. In fact, so many young hipsters doing this dance that I felt like I was Baby walking into the Staff Party, witnessing Dirty Dancing for the first time. Not to say that any of the dancing here was inappropriate, but it was just so different for me to see so many young people enjoying this more traditional style of dance. I loved watching the way this all worked – if you were standing on the other side of the dance floor it meant you wanted to dance, so with each song change the guys headed over there for a new partner. Every guy had his own particular style – fast, slow, traditional, not so. There was of course one outlier: a flamboyant dancer who was basically turning the two-step into a weird contemporary broadway routine. We couldn’t take our eyes off of him as he just continued to repeat his one signature move – it was just that special :). But when I was able to peel my eyes off of him, I loved watching as couples changed with every song. I was way too nervous to partake in this tradition, but almost as if by accident I did end up on the dance floor for one dance. I don’t know that I’d say we were actually two-stepping, but we were dancing nonetheless. I’m intrigued by the culture of it all – do you grow up in Texas learning this dance, or is it frequent visits to the honky-tonk that develop these moves?

    

We ended the night at a small outdoor bar called Yellow Jacket Social Club.

There isn’t much to this place, but I loved it. A small indoor watering hole with some tables, but the outside is the highlight. Picnic tables and a single strand of white lights set amongst trees planted as if you’re in a forest or at a friend’s outdoor house party. There’s an inherent coziness to this place…some people even brought their dogs with them! I was really tired by the time we sat down here, but I couldn’t get enough of the simplicity and the very organic vibe that this place had. I wish we had a spot exactly like it in LA!

 

I had such a great time in Austin! Thank you to Katy for being a great host and tour guide. And Emily for hanging out with me and showing me around. Austin is a really cool city – very laid back and relaxed, with a fun and different sort of nightlife. It’s a city that feels both hip, cool and new, but also like a throwback all at the same time. I wish I had more time there, and will definitely be back for more!

And just one quick last thing. I don’t have enough for a full Sartorial Post, so below are just a few examples of some of the different characters I found around town.

 

Farewell for now, Austin…

When I booked my trip to Austin, a visit to Franklin BBQ seemed both like a must and a very daunting task. For those that aren’t aware, this is a place where people start lining up at 8am when the restaurant doesn’t open until 11am. There is even a twitter account devoted to the length of the line throughout the morning. Because of all of this, I grappled with whether it was really worth it…but I decided I had to see what the hype was all about!

10am was a realistic arrival time for me, and I knew I would just have to deal with whatever sort of line had formed to that point. When I arrived, the line was out the door, under the building and through to the end of the parking lot. The thing is though, I had no reference point to understand whether or not this was better or worse than usual. After 10 minutes in line a Franklin employee worked her way through the crowd, taking preliminary orders and letting everyone know how long they’d probably be in line and what might be sold out by the time you got to the front (a really nice touch, I thought). Apparently I was looking at a 2pm eat time (yes, nearly 4 hours) and by then they would most likely be sold out of Ribs and Turkey (which normally I would never think to get but it’s supposed to be great here). Brisket is the thing everyone raves about here though, so despite not being able to get ribs I was in it for the long haul.

Part of the experience of the Franklin line is chatting up those in front of you. You can see from the pictures, that some people bring lawn chairs, others books and even their computers to wait it out. I was in line alone, with my Kindle in hand, but directly in front of me were 2 guys who I started talking to. We were pretty much convincing ourselves and each other that waiting until 2pm was the right choice. We witnessed a few people decide against the wait in favor of coming back another day (when the line would probably be just as bad), but we were staying, despite being a bit skeptical.

 

     

And then as we continued to chat, something amazing happened!! I had seen a couple at the picnic table just off of the parking lot, and they seemed to be eating something for a while now, but I didn’t think much of it. Well, about 20 minutes later I saw what I thought was them waving me over, but I didn’t know why they would be talking to me so I kind of ignored them. Eventually they came down to the line and told me, as well as the 2 guys in front of me, that they had preordered (preordering at this point requires advance notice of several months, a minimum order of 5lbs of meat, and must be picked up between 10-10:30am if you want to skip the line) and couldn’t come close to finishing all of the food- so did we want to give them a little bit of cash to take over where they had left off? They had brisket, ribs, pulled pork and a little bit of sausage…so we would get to try the ribs if we took the deal. What would you have done??

I had $11 cash but I was immediately willing to do this. The couple seemed like people I’d be friends with, and therefore I wasn’t worried about eating their food…plus, BBQ is easy to share because ribs are individual, brisket comes in slices, etc. The guys took a little more time to come around, but eventually we pooled our money together and gave the couple $50 total (they paid $130 originally). We took ourselves out of the line, sat down at the picnic table, finally exchanged names, and then dug in. We barely knew each other after only 20-30 minutes in line together, but this experience bonded us :). 

Now the most important question of all – was it worth it? For a 30 minute wait time and $11, YES! For a 4-hour wait, well, I don’t know if anything is worth that! The brisket was fantastic – both the fatty and the lean cuts melted in your mouth. The ribs were peppery with the meat falling off the bone, and so tasty that sauce wasn’t necessary. The pulled pork was good too, but didn’t stand out as being more than standard. There were two sauces that we got – one tangy and one coffee based. I was a fan of both, but the tangy seemed to be the favorite at the table…that is, when we even needed to use sauce.

We pretty much demolished all that had been left to us, and a long walk home was never more necessary! I wish I was able to get to another one of the much talked about BBQ spots in town, both for another experience and to be able to compare…but that will have to wait for my next trip to Texas!

Austin, Texas has been at the top of my ‘US cities I need to visit’ list, despite not fully understanding why I so badly wanted to check it out. But as soon as I arrived it became clear. Music, food, picnic tables, patios and swimming holes – what more could you want?!. There’s a real charm to this place – the size, the pace and the lifestyle!

I spent a lot of time on South Congress, a hip street with restaurants, music venues, food trailers, and eclectic boutiques.. My first night in fact took place entirely on this great street.

Dinner at Perla’s was first up. Perla’s is a seafood restaurant with a large casual patio out front. It was too cold outside to sit on the patio, but it looked like a great spot to waste the day away. Hushpuppies, oysters, crabcakes and some of the best mac n cheese around.

  

After dinner it was on to the Continental Club, a popular music venue. There was a line outside, which apparently isn’t a normal occurrence…and we quickly learned that it was because Alejandro was going to be playing. We had no idea who this Alejandro was, but clearly he was beloved in Austin.

 

Turns out Alejandro is a Texas singer-songwriter, more rock than country, but his music was a combination of styles. I kept wanting to call him Rodriguez, the folk singer and subject of Searching for Sugarman – the one name was really throwing me off. Truth be told, we weren’t as enamored with Alejandro as the diehard crowd seemed to be, but it was really fun nonetheless.  We also went to the upstairs bar where a Jazz trio, highlighting a great trumpet player, was playing.

  

The highlight of the night, though, was the introduction I got to the friendly people of Austin. A few funny characters chatted with us throughout the night, though my clear favorite was easily the older leather-clad cowboy, wearing a flashy outfit with a snake theme: snake heads with mouth open on the front and back of his hat, snakeskin on his leather vest and pants, great bolo tie. With all that going on, I just realized I didn’t even get a look at his boots! I took photos of his outfit all night, I couldn’t help myself.

 

On my first morning in Austin I was introduced to another staple of the Texas way of life – the breakfast taco. Taco Deli tacos, yum! I could eat them daily. A papas (potato), egg and cheese, and a Migas, which translated means crumbs, but in texmex-breakfast-taco language it means tortilla strips, onion, chile pepper, tomato and cheese. Both were delicious, but because I like a little spice, I think the Migas was my favorite.

 

We got our tacos from Jo’s coffee, which houses a famous piece of local graffiti. This is an actual public love letter to one of Jo’s owners from her girlfriend, but it’s become a staple in town and a popular photo opp spot.

I spent the day exploring the shops on this street. Everything from authentic cowboy boots to antique shops.

 

Allen’s Boots has such a diverse collection of this staple, I could’ve spent an hour just investigating it all.

    

Uncommon Objects is a great shop with all sorts of antiques and taxidermy. There’s so much to see in there, my few pictures don’t do it justice – clearly I was most excited by anything in there that felt “Western.”

  

Hotel San Jose is another notable spot on SoCo – a hip boutique hotel in a revamped old motor lodge. Such a perfectly curated style and beautifully done space!

  

There’s a sister hotel – St. Cecilia’s nearby, just off of S.Congress, which is very different but equally as beautiful!

  

I love the mix of authentic Western/Cowboy and modern hipster that can be found in this neighborhood. That’s all for South Congress, but I’ve only scratched the surface on Austin. Next up – Franklin’s BBQ, Honky Tonks, watering holes, and much more…y’all come back now.

 

 

 

New York is in full bloom, despite the chilly temperatures. And yes for a native Angeleno, 50 is cold in April! But regardless of the weather, it’s nice to walk around amongst the cherry blossoms and tulips.

    

I’m here to visit friends, a college reunion of sorts, obviously to eat, and just to enjoy.

On my first night in, we took advantage of a company called Kitchen Surfing. Basically, you pick one of 3 menus, pay $25 each and have a chef come prepare the meal in your home. They spend 30 minutes cooking (the prep has already been done somewhere else prior to their arrival) and cleaning up and then leave you to eat. It’s a great concept, and a fun and different way to spend a night in.

  

We had delicious steak, kimchi fried rice and brussel sprouts. A lot of food for a great value! Thanks Chef Will!!

To continue the culinary adventures, I took a stroll through Chelsea Market for breakfast.

It should be no surprise that I love this place, seeing as I’ve been vocal about my love for LA’s Farmer’s and Grand Central Markets. I did a lap through the market before committing to Friedman’s lunch for some delicious avocado toast with eggs over easy. I sat at the communal table, did a little reading, and enjoyed.

  

Next up was a walk on the High Line to get uptown. I love the look and community feel of the High Line. The flowers and plantings, the art, the people – it’s such a great public space, with an actual function, and in a space that sat empty for so long.

 

While on the High Line I kept finding myself enamored with the quick glimpses I was getting of the Chrysler Building. I’ve been to New York many times, but on this trip in particular I really can’t get enough of this beautiful art deco building.

 

After walking off the avocado toast it was time for another meal – lunch with my college girls at Marta, Danny Meyer’s new pizza restaurant in the lobby of a hotel.

   

The restaurant is beautiful – a great space for lunch. And the Rapini Pizza and the Olive Oil Affogato dessert were fantastic. If you find yourself at Marta these are not to be missed!

The rest of the weekend was a mix of food and culture. I’ll start with culture (and if culture isn’t your thing you can skip ahead to food)…

Saturday we spent a large chunk of the day at the 9/11 Museum. I had been to the Memorial a few years ago, but the museum just opened on the 2014 anniversary, and I had heard it was very well done.

 

 

We were there for nearly 3 hours, and while emotionally draining and very powerful, I also found it to be uplifting. It’s a nice balance of history and memorial, and there is a LOT to see. I was especially moved by the various artifacts found in the rubble, and the twisted metal of different remnants from the site,  and shaken by the video of the bombers going through airport security. It’s a strange experience, walking through a museum commemorating an event that you’ve lived through and realizing that it’s there not only to memorialize, but also to educate the future generations. I think that’s a first for me. All in all it’s a beautifully done tribute.

                

As far as culture goes, I also went to see Fun Home on Broadway. It just recently opened after a run at the Public Theater. A fun, different, and yet dark and emotional show about family. Performances were great and it was cool to see the show in the round at the Circle in the Square Theater.

Ok, now back to food. Here’s a best of…

Jack’s Wife Freda for brunch. Fresh mint tea, orange blossom pancakes, a mediterranean breakfast with eggs, labneh, salad and pita, and Emily’s creation – the pea and ricotta toast with the addition of an egg on top…because what isn’t better with an egg on top?!

   

Rosemary’s for dinner.

The Octopus salumi is awesome!! And the Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage is standout. Linguine with lemon and chili was also good if you like spice, and the Foccacia are definitely a crowd fave, despite not being one of my faves. All of the vegetable and side dishes were also delicious – the brussel sprouts with balsamic mostarda amongst the top for me. As you can tell, it was a good dinner!

  

Chalk Point Kitchen (the other CPK) for dinner. This is a cute place on Broome, serving farm-to-table American fare. The room looks like a farmhouse and it definitely takes that theme as far as it can, including the rooster chalkboard on our table.

 

We ordered family style, as if we were the Duggars, which is to say we ordered waaay too much. I didn’t take a ton of photos, but the Cauliflower Steak with Tahini was the standout for me and is pictured below. The avocado and the mussels were also memorable. Thoroughly enjoyed this spot…check it out.

 

Those are just some highlights. So glad to be able to be here seeing friends, old and new. One more day in the City, an egg sandwich is calling my name this morning, and then off to Austin tomorrow.

                                        

Heading to New York and Austin tomorrow, so more posts coming soon!

If ‘the laid-off life’ has been about anything for me, it’s been about creating my own adventures, and figuring out what exactly I’ve wanted those adventures to be. It’s been about being selfish, in a good way, in a self-discovery sort of way. And as yesterday was my birthday, and the first birthday I’ve spent completely free of work or studies or any real obligation, it was all about creating the perfect day for me.

What does that entail, you might wonder?

 

Started with a spin class. For those of you who follow the blog you know how many culinary adventures I’ve been enjoying…which means exercise is a must!! 🙂

 

Spinning was immediately followed by a birthday tradition I created for myself about a decade ago, a treat I rarely partake in – a Rosemary Bagel with Veggie Cream Cheese, Tomato and Lemon Pepper. Thank you, New York Bagel in Brentwood!

The next step in my perfect day was my Free Birthday Trust Me from SugarFish. Every year I’m eligible for this free lunch, and most years I’m at work and things just get in the way of taking SugarFish up on treating me. NOT THIS YEAR!

 

Another birthday tradition of sorts for dessert…a Peanut Butter Chip cupcake from Sprinkles. This is the only cupcake that would really warrant me going to Sprinkles, and to complicate matters it’s only available on Tuesdays and Sundays. Thankfully this year my birthday was perfectly in line with the PB Chip schedule. And oh yeah, we couldn’t resist a Strawberry cupcake too…to offset the chocolate!

Food and sugar coma well under way now, it was time for the relaxation portion of the day…a foot massage. Hard to really say whether it was the food or the massage that put me to sleep!

  

After this day of my favorite things, I finished it off with dinner with my parents at a new-ish restaurant on La Brea, Odys & Penelope. My brother even made a cameo via FaceTime. We had a delicious meal – a refreshing glass of Rose for me, fried mushrooms, skillet focaccia, kale salad, skirt steak, bolognese, brussel sprouts, chocolate cake, sticky toffee pudding. I love the interior of this restaurant (I want to go back and sit at the bar), and everything we ate was very good, especially the bolognese!

Finally to end the night, another one of my favorite things…a much needed glass of Nocino (pronounced: No-chino), a digestif that my friends make themselves. Ever since visiting Bologna, Italy, this has been a staple in my life, and after a day of so much indulgent eating this ‘Noc’ was required for getting to sleep on such a full stomach 🙂

I couldn’t have asked for anything better today, and the best part is I designed it all. Whether it’s your birthday or just a random day, I hope you all take the opportunity to Treat Yo Self!

With my last few days upon me, there were a couple things left that I needed to do before I headed back home. I visited Puerto Madero (sadly, wasn’t impressed), and the upscale neighborhood of Recoleta, where I bought some locally-made perfume. Clearly, hitting all of the recommended ice cream shops was a priority, and there were a couple more restaurants that I had been saving for the end. PLUS of course, I couldn’t leave town without making good on a promise I made to all of you…to try on those platform sandals.

I had been looking forward to my last couple of dinners, with reservations at a couple of closed-door restaurants that I had heard a lot about – Casa Salt Shaker, which is one communal table in the home of an expat chef from New York, as well as OchoOnce, restaurant style in the home of the chef. Both were fun and unique, especially the communal table aspect at Salt Shaker. And lastly, there was Aramburu…

I had heard from friends that it was great, and I knew it was also on the San Pellegrino list of top restaurants in Latin America. There is barely a sign on the industrial door, and like many other restaurants in BA you have to ring a doorbell in order to be admitted. I was seated at the chef’s table, overlooking the open kitchen, and as I looked at what was being prepared I was excited by a few crazy objects that I saw in the kitchen but had no idea how they would manifest onto a plate of food. Aramburu is a tasting-menu only restaurant, with no printed menu, so yet again it would all be a surprise. I ordered a glass of Torrontes, a white Argentine grape variety which has become my new favorite white wine, excited by whatever might come out of the kitchen first…

First up, a tray of starters was brought out for the first course:

Nitrogen crab served in a shell – an ice cold piece of crab, meant to literally melt in your mouth. It was so cold that it kept getting stuck to my lip 🙂

Brioche with Mango something or other

Chicken Liver served to look like a cherry

Rice Cracker with Herbs served in/on a piece of coral.

 

Squid multiple ways – A piece of squid served with a squid ink cracker, aioii and foam. One of my favorites of the night!

 

Seasonal salad with Burratta skin and different preparations of different varieties of tomatoes

Shrimp wrapped in shredded phyllo served on a hot stone, with shrimp ‘soup’ poured over the top, tableside. Another one of my favorites. The hot stone continued to cook and brown the phyllo, and the flavor was really delicious! I also loved the style of the long fork that it was served with – necessary for really getting into the dish.

   

Quail served with a corn puree and a hard boiled quail egg. Tasty but I had a hard time eating this quail leg, served with foot and all. I grew up with quail running around in my backyard and this just felt wrong on some levels.

Pork, served with some pineapple and mint. Tasted like an elegant version of ribs, which I love.

Filet served with different textures of mushroom, and mashed potatoes with truffle. Also served with a little burnt shard of wood for fragrance. My favorite part was that the waiters had to make sure to tell each table that this was just for appearance and scent, NOT to be eaten.

Ginger and Lemon Granita with sorbet

Different textures of chocolate with carob and cinnamon ice cream.

 

Petitfours, including a mini cupcake, which I always find funny to see anywhere outside of the US.

I was seated at the chef’s table with a screenwriter from NYC, so of course we had things to talk about. And once again, this was a 10 course meal for probably half the price of what it would cost elsewhere in the world. I really enjoyed this meal. Not everything wowed me, but the dishes that did left an impression.

Also before I left BA, I had to finish out my quest for BAs best ice cream. And as far as I’m concerned…Best dulce de leche I had was at Persicco (a local chain); Best Chocolate Suiza was at Capricci in Palermo Hollywood; Best Cappucino was also in Palermo Hollywood, at Chungo. It’s not as if any of the other ice cream I had wasn’t good, it’s just that these were better.

After an ice cream a day, this was a sad moment on my last day. It truly marked the end…

My days weren’t just spent eating though…I also took some time to relax and lay out at the pool. It’s summer in BA so I was taking advantage of the weather!

 

And to truly complete the trip, it was time to try on the platform sandals. For some reason I was really timid to try on, but on my last day in BA timidity was no longer an option. My time was running low and I keep my promises! I tried 2 different styles, both of which made me feel like I time warped back to the early 90s.

    

With everything ticked off my checklist, and literally all of my pesos spent, it was time to come home. But Argentina, don’t cry for me, don’t worry, I’ll be back. I have a list of other regions I wish I could’ve visited.  Thanks for a great time BA, Hasta Luego!

In between coffee and ice cream breaks this week, there were actually a few tourist attractions that I wanted to see: The Cementario de la Recoleta and Caminito in La Boca most specifically.

Because I loved the street and graffiti art tour that I did during my first few days here, I decided to sign up for another one of their tours, this time on the south side of city. This is where the area of La Boca is. I had been told that parts of La Boca could be rough and not to stray from the few touristy streets…but I wasn’t at all expecting just how touristy this area was. La Boca is a poor barrio on the Rio de la Plata, but it’s become famous because of it’s colorful buildings. Benito Quinquela, an important Argentine painter, lived in this neighborhood and is the reason for this brightly colored alleyway, Caminitos, which has become the aforementioned tourist attraction. As soon as you arrive you are greeted by tango dancers and other performers, street artists, cartoonists, etc. I really liked seeing the alleyway but was bummed to see how built up it has become for tourists. Glad I went but if you’re in BA don’t expect to spend too much time here!

    

The street art tour met up at Caminitos and took us to areas we would never go to on foot alone as tourists. The southside has some amazing murals, most painted with political messages and meanings behind them. This area also houses the largest mural in the world painted by one artist – a mural that most locals will never even see because of its dodgy location. Many of the artists who I had become familiar with on my last tour also had pieces that we visited in this part of the city, so it was cool to see multiple works by some. Here were some of my favorites:

    

At the end of our tour, we drove on Pasaje Lanin, a few blocks of a street in another Southside barrio where murals were painted by one artist who lived there, and then glass tiles were placed on the murals to keep the colorful designs intact. This transformed a gray urban space into very colorful, lively art.

 

The cemetery was the other place I kept hearing I had to visit. I was mostly going because it felt like something you have to do while you’re here, but once I arrived I quickly understood why everyone was so passionate about it…beyond the fact that Eva Peron is buried here. This cemetery is all above ground – it’s a little village of tombs. There are a wide variety of mausoleums, typically one per family, different shapes, sizes, styles, materials. It’s almost like an outdoor art museum of sorts. It was raining while I was there so that added a little bit of an eeriness, but overall I was just enthralled by what I was walking through. Some of the family mausoleums are in utter disrepair – weeds growing all around, dust, rusted metal, broken glass – whereas others look attended to often. Some have paintings hanging inside and are large enough where you could go pay tribute and sit inside with your family, while others are more like small windows. The variety was just so interesting to me – it honestly had me wondering ‘what would [I] like on my tombstone’ ;). But seriously, I couldn’t help but feel like each family was expressing something about themselves through their mausoleums. It was all just fascinating to me – I couldn’t stop taking pictures and I could definitely have continued doing so if not for the rain.

                   

My time in BA is coming to a close. I’m so happy I was able to see and do everything that I did while here. Flying back this weekend, but will be posting about the end of my trip early next week.

Have a good weekend!

You’ve seen and heard about some of the great meals that I’ve had thus far in BA, but I haven’t talked about the more traditional foods here yet…well other than the ice cream, of course.

Yesterday I took an Argentine cooking class, so this seems as appropriate a time as any to talk about real Argentine food. Of course Steak is the biggie here. Whether it’s Ojo de Bife (Rib Eye), Bife de lomo (Tenderloin), or Bife de chorizo (NY Strip), you really can’t go wrong. Typically very plain, just seasoned with salt, but served with chimichurri, a somewhat spicy oil-based sauce with herbs…which is for me the whole reason to be eating the steak in the first place, but that’s just me. On practically every block there is a Parrilla – a restaurant with a grill – and they all serve steaks, other grilled meats, and a variety of sides dishes.

The other night I had a true Parrilla experience when I went to La Cabrera, thought to be one of the best in BA. A friend told me I couldn’t leave this country without trying the Proveleta, a pot of grilled Provolone with herbs, even if I was eating alone. So, I started with a half order of the Proveleta, still probably enough for 4 people, followed by a half-sized Bife de chorizo, again far too much meat for 1. At La Cabrera they bring you all sorts of vegetable side dishes – some with cheese, some with ham, potentially 1 or 2 on the healthier side (ie sans fat).

 

I soldiered through as much as humanly possible, but the amount of food left on the table was ridiculous. Regardless, I’m so glad I had the full parrilla experience. My faces below at the end of the meal will pretty much let you know how full I was feeling.

  

Now the cooking class I took was not about grilling meat. Instead, we learned how to make empanadas, a traditional Argentine lentil stew, typical dulce de leche sandwich cookies called Alfajores, and then finished with some Yerba Mate tea.

I’ve been eating empanadas since I got here. Typically for lunch, especially if I’ve been on the run, either from a pizza place or a bakery, but I also had one at a sit-down establishment as well. I’ve been able to try a bunch of traditional fillings (beef, onion and cheese, spinach and cheese) to get a sense for what I like. You can see below that while mostly similar, each place makes them a little bit differently.

     

For the cooking class we made a version of the typical ground beef empanadas found here. Most of the ones I’ve had on the street have been beef with some hard boiled egg as well. Our recipe in class did just that, with the additions of a few raisins and some green olives for salt. The beef is cooked with onions and bell peppers and just a few seasonings – cumin, pepper and some red pepper flakes – and then mixed with the other ingredients.

From there you take an empanada wrapper, put some of the meat mix inside and then fold it up and close it, with a closure that signifies what the filling is. The traditional top braid typically signifies a beef filling. I made the 2 empanadas in the picture on the left. And on the right, cooked and ready to eat!

 

We also made this delicious stew of lentils, squash, carrots, bell peppers, onions, chorizo and pancetta. Using the same spices as the meat mixture for the empanadas, this was a very easy way to make a really hearty delicious meal.

For dessert we made the dulce de leche sandwich cookies, known as alfajores here. We made the dough – just simple sugar cookies essentially, with the taste of lemon zest. The interesting thing about these cookies is that they are made with more corn starch than flour, so the texture is meant to be crumbly. We spread dulce de leche on one side, topped it off with another cookie, and then rolled the exposed dulce de leche in very fine coconut. These cookies can be found pretty much everywhere in town, and they are pretty delicious!

 

And to end the day, we learned about Mate. This is traditional tea here, drunk from special gourds. It is usually a communal experience, so it isn’t something that you can just order in a restaurant. Norma, our teacher, made the Mate and passed it around the table, the way it’s done here. I’ve seen numerous people out and about for the day with their gourd, and a thermos full of water, but I didn’t totally understand the concept. Now I know that the gourd is filled with loose mate leaves, and then hot water is poured over it. So, you only get a few sips each time around. Typically when drunk communally, the host pours the water and passes it clockwise. The first person drinks and then passes it back for more water to be added so that the next person can enjoy. Mate is bitter and earthy, I loved it…but I understand how it can be an acquired taste!

And that’s your Argentine food lesson for today. Back later with more crazy meals I’m sure.