Buenos Aires

We decided to knock another continent off our bucket list, and set our sights on South America. We had gone back and forth between Buenos Aires, Santiago, and Lima, but after looking into each city Buenos Aires seemed like the right place for us.

Turns out we were right, this city is incredible – home to old European architecture but full of Latin flair, with a diverse yet familiar cuisine and culture. It’s as if we’re in Paris or Barcelona, but with a tropical climate and palm trees dotted in between the hundred year old trees that we are accustomed to seeing in Western Europe.

Buenos Aires is certainly a city that comes alive at night. We have never seen a place so quiet in the day and so lively at night. This is evident in the time that locals eat dinner, which is around 10 or 11 PM. Most restaurants don’t open for dinner until 8PM, and are only patronized by tourists until later on.

When it comes to food, Buenos Aires (or Argentina in general) is known for two things – steak and wine. Argentina has one of the highest consumption rates of beef in the world, with an average of over 100 pounds consumed annually per person. The “steakhouses” of Argentina are known as “Parilla” which translates to “grill”. Meat is served in thick, large portions meant for sharing. When it comes to wine, Malbec is the most common wine coming out of the Mendoza region, but Argentina is also known for great Chardonnay, Cab Franc, and Torrontés.

Not surprisingly, we spent our time here eating, drinking, and walking around. We explored various neighbourhoods such as Palermo, an upscale family-friendly neighbourhood of cool restaurants and cafes, San Telmo, an older, grittier neighbourhood with many Parillas and home to the Mercado San Telmo, and Recoleta, a neighbourhood with a Paris-like vibe and affluence.

Our AirBNB had a great balcony that had a window wall you could open all the way up. Great for sitting either indoors or out to relax after a long day out in the sun!

The trees in this city put NY to shame (sorry NY). The city is filled with enormous and beautiful trees that line most roads, and the parks are absolutely stunning (and abundant).

 

Alicia has a thing for all the beautifully designed doors and windows that have frequently fallen into a bit of a charming disrepair. You will notice they continue to pop up in her pictures.

Graffiti and Street Art are a massive subculture and add great character and vibrant colours to the side streets and alleyways of each neighbourhood.

Alicia for scale.

San Telmo Market

The San Telmo Market, built in the late 1800s, is an open air but covered market of primarily food vendors. We spent some time walking through it but it was so crowded we only ate at one of the food stalls. The real gem was the Feria de San Telmo, a massive antique and artisan market that spans more than ten blocks just outside the covered food market. The streets are lined as far as the eye can see with small white tents where locals sell handmade clothing, pottery, art, knives, and much more.

The goods sold at the market are very high quality, and the merchants were so laid back they barely even looked at you as you walked by. This is not the fast-paced hustle of counterfeit watches and misspelled t-shirts in Asia but rather a bringing together of artisans, antique brokers, and average Argentinos with great quality goods, low pressure selling, and no bargaining at all. Below are some of the really beautiful things we found in the market.

Matt made it out with 6 new spoons, something he’s continually bought throughout our travels as practical souvenirs used for tasting while cooking.

The locals in BA love their Yerba Mate. They spend all day drinking it out of special cups with the filter straws you see pictured above.

We bought a hand painted sign from this jolly fellow. I think half the reason Matt wanted the sign was so that he could justify asking for this picture!

The great Choripan! Choripan is a common snack/lunch time sandwich eaten in BA. It is basically a single chorizo sausage sliced down the middle and served on a bun, and is topped with sauces such as Chimichurri (which we learned is more often than not made with dry herbs here as opposed to fresh, the way we make it at home), and various toppings. This little Parilla also offered Morcilla (blood sausage) and Asada (sliced beef) served the same way.

Choripan and beer – a perfect combo.

The architecture here is amazing. It really makes for an interesting walk no matter where you are going in the city.

We also decided to tuck into a couple of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants and have really enjoyed our experiences. The menus are affordable (in relative terms), creative and really well executed. Surprisingly the ingredients are very familiar to what we see at home, although it is summer here right now, and the cooking styles a blend of Western European nations.

Sweetbreads and peach.

Oyster with bone marrow broth and seaweed water.

Tomato, fig and fennel; Ricotta and flowers; Scallop and strawberry; Venison and plum.

 

The palm trees that don’t seem to fit in at first, but quickly become very familiar.

On one of the last days we met up with Alicia’s friend Mariana and her beautiful daughter Eva. Mariana grew up in Buenos Aires and now lives in Vancouver. We walked around Palermo Soho, a chic neighbourhood filled with restaurants, cool art, and beautiful streets. Definitely one of our favourite areas of BA.

More doors!

 

We finished out last night off in another classic Parilla called Fervor and it was excellent.  Despite the poor glassware demands from a pretty particular guest, the bartender was incredible!

Pano of the restaurant; very old school vibe. Felt like old school Paris meets the tropics.

We of course had to order empanadas!

 

Matt can always find a place for a quick nap (sorry about the socks on the floor Louise). Not a bad option!

Overall we had an incredible time in BA, and are looking forward to spending a few more days here when we get back from Patagonia. This city is certainly one we would recommend to anyone looking for good food and drink, beautiful architecture, and a European influence outside of Europe.

• M&A