Restaurant Update: October 2011

 

Above: Mid-afternoon at A Nos Amours

Code:  One star = bad, 2 stars – so so, 3 stars = good, 4 stars, very good, Five stars = outstanding

UPDATE: ***** A Nos Amours, Gorriti 4488, Palermo, Tel: 4897-2072 (Palermo – walking distance from Casa Palermo) $$ – This is one of our favorites. Every time we eat here, we say “why do we bother to go anywhere else?” The answer, of course, is simply that one must explore. Nevertheless, we return often to enjoy the  excellent food.  Although A Nos Amours is owned by a French expat, the food is what I would call “international” and locally is referred to as “de autor.”  The design and furnishing is simple; reminiscent of a French café (see photo above). The ingredients, always fresh and beautifully prepared, are organic and even the wines are organic.

UPDATE: **** La Fachada, Aráoz 1283 – still our favorite pizza in BA.  The restaurant is poorly lit and in serious need of remodeling.  The restaurant has been remodeled and looks much better. The service is characteristic of a place that caters to 20-somethings.  The pizza . . . it’s amazing.  The Fugazeta de la Casa is perfect.  The dough is somewhat bread-like, but it has a wonderful buttery flavor and an extremely crispy crust.  Word to the wise:  We discovered that if you are ordering the larger of the two available sizes, order two small pizzas instead. The large, we found, is soggy in the center. In contrast, the small pizza is crispy!

UPDATE: **** Las Pizarras Bistro, Thames 2296, tel. 4775-0625 (Palermo Soho/Viejo) $$$ – We have eaten here several times in the past and were happy to find that it has reopened. For unknown reasons it closed for a period several months ago.  The cuisine is “de autor,” and everything is very tasty. The name of the restaurant translates to “The Blackboards,” referencing the several blackboards on which the menu items and wines are written. (It is not a pizza place.)  Las Pizarras is always busy, so a reservation is recommended. They seem consistently under-staffed by one server, but the cuisine is interesting and always delicious.  The décor is eclectic, with a comfortable ambiance.  A good wine selection.

** Siamo Nel Forno, Costa Rica 5886, tel. 5290-9529 (Palermo Hollywood) $$$– This restaurant came with a good recommendation, however, it was disappointing.  The service and ambiance were perfectly fine, but the most important aspect of the pizza, the crust, was the opposite of our expectation.  The middle was soggy and the edges were chewy.  Fortunately, the wine (Trumpeter, Malbec-Syrah, 2009) was excellent, as was the panna cotta with cherries. The cherries, imported from Italy, were unlike any I have ever tasted before. The service was relatively good, but the waitress was an American, which made the experience feel very strange.  When in a foreign country, a tourist anticipates a local as a server. We didn’t pay attention to the prices when ordering, but were a bit stunned when the bill arrived.  The pizza here is quite expensive. $85 for the Rucula con Prosciutto.

**** Cabernet, Jorge L. Borges 1757, tel. 4831-3071 (Palermo Soho) $$$ – Excellent! Ambiance, service and cuisine (“de autor”) . . . all very satisfying.

UPDATE: ** La Colonia,  has moved to Araoz 1589. It used to be at Gascon Julian Alvarez and catered to locals.  Taxi drivers appeared to be the best customers.  In the last couple of years, however, the owner has enhanced the menu (and the prices), striving to capture tourists. The new location has a roof terrace and is another notch upscaled. The food was perfectly good, but similar to so many other restaurants in the area, however, we have not tried the new location.

Restaurants We Want To Try:

• Chef Iusef
• Armenia
• Arte de Mafia