My Not so Secret Alternative Life Path…

is to run a closed door restaurant in Buenos Aires with a fellow foodie lover.

Every place I have gone to in the past 10 months  (Cocina Sunae, Paladar, La Cocina Discreta, Casa Felix, NOLA, iLatina) has been so inspiring. Each evening been an absolutely wonderful experience with my dining companion full of deep conversation and appreciation for food prepared with love and dedication. I don’t do math, but a winning combo for me = a couple/team of friends cooking for a small number of people in an actual home with a fixed menu and Argentine wines.

Recently I headed to NOLA for dinner with a friend. I was so charmed by Chef Liza and her courageous decision to come down here and make it happen for herself. Part of the experience here is sitting at a communal table, which can be weird if you are sandwiched next to people you don’t hit it off with, but hey, after you’re 3 courses in (read: 3 glasses of wine), you’re all best friends and heading off to bars afterwards to continue chatting.

This snapshot scored a place as my new iPhone lock screen background.

 

Delightfully surprised to get some pecan pie in Buenos Aires.

 

I also returned to iLatina…but this time for brunch! I have to say I was a bit turned off by the hordes of Americans wearing sneakers and yelling at each other in English, but this marks the first time I’ve had a 6 course brunch including some white wine and coconut lemonade. PS social media lovers, they have an Instagram: @ilatinabue

Highlight: arepas (traditional Colombian corn cake topped with goat cheese) with a lip-smacking good guacamole and salsa with a fried plantain chip.

End of the meal: Colombian coffee infused with cardamom and cinnamon. Kind of tasted like tea.

 

Currently slogging through midterms but emerging from my lair for food in varios lugares.

 

Nothing like a little DDL to make the pain of studying for an impossibly difficult midterm dull a little bit.

Another Saturday, another trip to the BA Market attracting weird glares in my workout clothes while I chow down on a piece of flourless chocolate cake from BAKING BA.

Actual pizza at Siamo nel Forno. By actual pizza I mean Italian pizza, which differs from Argentine pizza in that it has about 80% less cheese and dough but more flavor. Less is more, people.

The seasons are changing here in BA–it gets dark around 5 PM and the temperature peaks at around 70 degrees at noon but when I wake up it’s only about 50…

Happy Sunday evening!

 

 

In the mood for…

Today is a day for offering some suggestions on sweet treats in BA, of which there is most definitely no shortage (hello DDL/ice cream/alfajores).

1. For those days when you’re just really dragging (Thursday for me), some DDL with DDL (no that’s not a mistake) ice cream from Guardiola is bound to do the trick. Just look at that…

2. For those days when you think “I want chocolate” (I mean that’s everyday really but the rational mind has to take over at some point) go to Le Pain Quotidien for a brownie which is really more chocolate muffin like (no complaints, just clarifying) and serves as the perfect accompaniment to a BOWL of strong coffee. Warning: you will be most definitely be hyperactive the rest of the day.

3. For those sunny 75 degree days when you think that summer will just never end (what’s Winter again?), head to Top It for the closest imitation of frozen yogurt I have found this far in this city.

4. For those weekend mornings when you want to have a delicious brunch at a beautiful new cafe in Palermo Hollywood and gape at the paninis that look like they could change your life, there is no other option other than In Bucco Al Lupo. This place is amazing. Really. Go now.

Keep calm and nom on.

Out and About

The last few weeks have been full of what we like to vaguely call “cultural events” and apparently summer isn’t ready to give into fall yet.

I took in some films at BAFICI (Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente).

My inner Poli Sci nerd was pleased to be able to understand the opening night film (nominated for a Foreign Language Oscar) about the 1988 plebiscite in Chile. The movie was about the campaign for “No” to keep Pinochet from ruling for 8 more years.

I also hopped over to the Four Seasons and got all fancy at Bar Pony Line for BA Food Week.

The horse in the suit doesn’t really do it for me.

In other horse-related news, there will be no more polo (of the Ralph Lauren variety) down here in Argentina. Nothing like a good old bribery scheme in customs to move things through.

“Ralph Lauren has since closed its operations in Argentina, which has unusually strict import controls and is considered a difficult place for American corporations to do business.”

Happy Wednesday.

I’m excited for…

1. This issue of Vogue when I can finally get my hands on it/ the Great Gatsby movie/ the soundtrack/ the trailer/ everything about this spectacle.

 

 

 

2. Cool mornings and warm days. If this is fall in Buenos Aires, I’ll take it.

 

3. New food blog perusing thanks to this article by Refinery29. With a title like “Dig In: 13 Life-Changing Food Blogs you Need to Know,” you’ve got me hooked.

 

4. Outside Lands 2013.

Warning, the lineup announcement video may make you dizzy.

 

All Settled In

Time continues to zoom along down here in the Southern Hemisphere (yes I am aware of the fact that I have not posted anything for almost one month, dear friends) and I think that my attempt to cheat the system and have a full year of summer has finally come to a close. Fall is here in Buenos Aires and the down coats are already out–temperatures dropped below 70 degrees yesterday which is pretty much frigid for the average porteña.

Today has been a typical Sunday in BA, meaning that a very reflective and lovely brunch concluded around approximately 5:30 PM. The nomming continues (read on) but the “cultural immersion” part that is this sort of mysterious term in study abroad literature until you actually are in the midst of it is really what I’ve been up to lately.

However, specific happenings as of late include:

The maiden voyage to iLatina. Can you say “bomb bread basket” 3 times in a row? A little sweet, obviously some serious cheese, and overall carbolicious time.

Got a late summer sunburn while cruising along the Río Paraná in Rosario over Semana Santa.

 

Last week the capital city of the province of Buenos Aires endured a freak rainstorm and flash floods that has left at least 50 people dead and over 300,000 people directly and/or indirectly affected.

 

 

This week for me has been full of live music. Wednesday night I braved the mud to go to Pepsi Music Festival and sang along pretty much alone (major language barrier happening there) and quite loudly to the excellent performance by the Black Keys.

Last night, the absolutely stunning, adorable and talented Regina Spektor stole the collective hearts of a few thousand argentines when she came out on the stage said, “Buenas noches! I ate too much dulce de leche today! I should have worn a bigger dress.” What. A. Cutie.

Despite the fact that I was clothing-wise prepared for a small INDOOR intimate concert, I bopped alone and had a magical time.

And to top off this post, I conclude with a very accurate poster I encountered at the concert last night. It’s really the people who I have met here that have made my experience so special.

Happy Sunday!

Adventures in Argentina, Part 2

After a month of running around la República Argentina like a crazy person, I am back in BA, all moved into a lovely new home with a wonderful host family, and getting in to that thing called school (oh yeah, reading in Spanish).

Last week I had a veeeery special visitor from the U.S. Given that she has been my main foodie partner in crime for the last few years, you can imagine that most of our time spent planning our days involved restaurant selections. This was our home base from which we plotted our adventures and almost died walking on the cobblestone at nighttime.

Here are some of the greatest hits from our week together.

Anuva Wines for a casual Saturday afternoon 5 wine/5 tapas tasting. I was lucky enough to go to Mendoza last semester with a group of friends but to be honest I learned so much more about the wines sitting in a quiet, air conditioned room with a sommelier who spoke English.

 

bBlue. I cannot thank you enough for this SIZABLE 7 PM pre-dinner snack to get us out of the red zone of low blood sugar levels and hold us over until our 11 PM reservation.

 

A repeat offender: the burger of champions and fried sweet potatoes at Pani. 

 

Hands down, the best new find of the week was Guardiola, a newly opened natural food restaurant THAT ALSO MAKES ALL THEIR ICE CREAM IN HOUSE located in Las Cañitas. I can tell you right now that I am going to live there to the point where the waitresses will come to resent my presence.

I decided to go for it and order an avocado licuado which just had some milk, sugar, and ice. The idea seemed quite weird but it was perfectly slightly sweet. And you know, nothing makes me happier than a hearty salad with some squash and quinoa and almonds and goat cheese.

And here is a very happy camper with 2 quarter kilos of ice cream ready to be chowed down in a rose garden.

 

Last but not least, this week’s edition of “study abroad girls eat brunch at 3 PM” took place at Le Ble Palermo. I was so content with my bowl of coffee and a large cup of yogurt with all sorts of delicious fresh fruits and crunchy things in it. Not pictured: my dining companion’s monstrous (in a good way) Croque Madame and one sizable DDL medialuna.

 

I’m here in BA until July! Stay tuned for more foodie time, travels, and general craziness.

 

 

El Sur

Why hello March! I cannot believe I left the US of A almost a month ago to begin part 2 of my adventures in the Southern Hemisphere. After a few days back in BA to recover from jetlag/ get used to the humidity and falling all in colectivos again, I was off for an almost 2 week trip planned with Say Hueque heading South through the country…which if you didn’t know is quite large. A common complaint I heard among the hordes of slightly more senior German, South African, and Australian tourists was, “This country is too big!”

First stop, El Calafate for some glacier-lovin. To be honest, I wasn’t the #1 fan of the recently built up, very touristy town, but the proximity to these enormous icy patches was worth it.

 

Next stop was El Chaltén. I only have one word to describe my time there hiking: WIND.

They say that the weather in El Chaltén is similar to the mood of an adolescent, but if you manage to time your trip like mine so that you have 3 nonstop days of wind and rain, don’t miss out on the treks. Put that rain gear on, put some headphones in, and get ready to get muddy because guess what? 3 hours into your nearly impossible slippery climb, you might get this kind of view when the clouds decide to take a little break.

 

Of course I would manage to find the foodiest place in town and camp out there 3 nights in a row (to the point where the waitresses I think took pity on me), but hey, when you need protein and fats and carbs, go to La Cervecería.

From there, I took a very bumpy and nauseating van/outdoor vehicle ride to Torres del Paine National Park. 

There I made friends with some relatives of the beloved llama species: the huanaco.

 

And I also learned a lot about biology/geology (wooo Natural Sciences). Like who knew that a type of cyanobacteria only found 7 places in the whole world lives there in the Lago Sarmiento and through photosynthesis makes oxygen that makes the lake so blue? Well, I mean, now you know too.

 

Just your casual bus ride through drop-dead gorgeous scenery.

And last but not least, I made it to the Fin del Mundo. I did not pay $10,000 to go to Antarctica or camp out in a bar for a week and make friends with an old crusty fisherman to take me for $100.

But hey, I did kayak in the river which leads to the Beagle Channel and also got to see my hiking companions try to steal parts of leftover mussels once eaten and discarded by the tribe native to the area.

 

 

 

As far as my non-adventuring activities, I enjoyed finally reading The Life of Pi (interestingly translated to Una Aventura Extraordinaria in Spanish) in 24 hours and also watched Kristen kill it on Top Chef Season 10. I mean, look at this girl go.

 

Happy Sunday! Eat lots of pastries and read books!

Guess who’s back, back again?

I made it! I am back in Argentina with an entry stamp in my passport (so hopefully nobody will threaten to detain me this time) and lots of upcoming travel plans.

Obviously on my way out of SFO Terminal 2 I had to stop at one of the most wonderful food establishments ever imaginable and was all too excited to return to after my discovering it during my departure last July.

I had a few days in Buenos Aires to check out some things that I had on my “to do” list for last semester but didn’t quite accomplish. (I should say that my “to do” list is mostly restaurants…)

Bum around San Telmo NOT on a Sunday (AKA not being mobbed by mate and woven colorful things and tourists).

Hit up MAMBA (Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires.) Still have to say that MALBA is my reigning favorite museum of the city, but parts of this exhibit by Margarita Paksa were pretty cool.

Rorschach-like ink blots inserted over a map of the South Pole.

Cruise through Museo Evita, which I wasn’t able to see last December because, oh right, the power went out because everyone cranked up their noisy air conditioners when it suddenly became 90 degrees. I was especially interested to see quite a few of Evita’s dresses on display and was able to understand the museum a little bit more after being in Argentina for a while.

So I’d actually wear this, minus the hat.

Sweated through a class at BuenaOnda Yoga in Las Cañitas. Buena onda means good vibes, and I was definitely feeling it after some slow sun salutations and a lot of meditation.

And obviously I’ ve done some investigative eating too.

As usual, I couldn’t resist taking another suggestion from Pick Up the Fork and found myself in Centro craving a salad but without the usual heavy mayo dressing. Hello, BAKING BA.

Boom, enter Chicken Curry Salad. Almonds, seeds, curry, chicken, and a light dressing? Please.

But then, oh wait… you find out at the register why it’s called BAKING (yes, in uppercase).

I also wandered into Coco Marie, a bathing suit shop I had walked by plenty of times but never knew was hiding a secretly lovely restaurant in the back.

I think my favorite part was the witty menu (in Spanish, la carta means both “letter” and “menu”).

I’m excited for what the next 6 months have in store for me down in the Southern Hemisphere!

Boppin’ Around the US of A

Happy February! Many apologies for the hiatus in food/travel posts. I’ve been back in the US for about a month and a half now, ready to go back for parte dos of the aventura that is living in Argentina.

Here’s what I’ve been up to lately: nomming (obviously), driving around in my car blasting this song, reading (see below), yoga (AKA wearing Lululemon clothing much more than is socially acceptable in most parts of the world), running, and watching Revenge like a fiend (I secretly want all of Emily’s Hampton-y charity event dresses).

Pictures are worth more than a thousand words, right? So here we go.

 Ozumo

Quite potentially best sushi I have ever consumed. Next time I gotta get in that secret sake room.

American Grilled Cheese Kitchen

Who knew grilled cheese could be so cool? This place just made me so giddy I was probably annoying everyone else packed in there on their lunch break from their high tech jobs.

Relieving my empanada withdrawals at The Mmoon which is owned by a porteño and therefore has quite the authentic vibe. However, if you look closely, you will see the mac and cheese empanada, which made me cry a little bit inside.

 

Walking the dish at Stanford like a crazy person flinging their arms side to side with these crazy shoes on.

 

Soaking up the sun and scoring a new iPhone background in Maui.

Hanging out with a llama and eating some vegan meals at the Stanford Inn in Mendocino.

Reading a few books, including Eating Animals.

Get ready, this one is quite the shocker. I had to put it down a few times but ultimately found it really worth reading–lots of horrifying statistics and stories about factory farms.

Beaten, Seared and Sauced.

Cooking school sounds fun, right? Not quite…this book is alternately hilarious and downright scary.

And rounding out this list, I have managed to fit in some movie theatre time, with Silver Linings Playbook definitely being my favorite of the bunch. You just have to love when Bradley Cooper runs around with a trash bag on him and Jennifer Lawrence comes out of nowhere in all her running gear and screams at you.

Boppin’ off to BA in a few days until July!

Winter Wonderland

There’s no place like Tahoe for a white Christmas!

On our way up, we stopped in Auburn at this glorious food mecca called Ikedas.

There was a whole section for gourmet chocolate. It was ALMOST too much to handle.

 

 

And these pies, oh my.

After securing the prime position on the couch, I read Dave Eggers’ semi-depressing new book A Hologram for the King (named one of the NYT’s Top 10 Books of 2012).

Here’s a clue of what you’re getting yourself into:

“Mr. Eggers uses a new, pared down, Hemingwayesque voice to recount his story… he demonstrates in Hologram that he is master of this more old-fashioned approach as much as he was a pioneering innovator with A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius….[This] sad-funny-dreamlike story unfolds to become an allegory about the frustrations of middle-class America, about the woes unemployed workers and sidelined entrepreneurs have experienced in a newly globalized world in which jobs are being outsourced abroad…. A comic but deeply affecting tale about one man’s travails that also provides a bright, digital snapshot of our times.”
—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

Soon after, I decided I needed a lighthearted memoir, so I went for Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me?

 

I was already nonstop giggling (and having trouble keeping my mug of hot chocolate spill-free) before even getting to the real book due to this first section of imaginative and witty titles.

“Here were some titles for my book that I really liked but was advised strongly not to use.

The Girl with No Tattoo

When Your Boyfriend Fits into Your Jeans and other Atrocities

The Book That Was Never a Blog

Always Wear Flats and Have Your Friends Sleep Over: A Step-by Step How-to Guide for Avoiding Getting Murdered

Harry Potter Secret Book #8

Sometimes You Just Have to Put on Lip Gloss and Pretend to Be Psyched

I Want Dirk Nowitzki to Host Saturday Night Live So Much That I’m Making It the Title of My Book

Barf Me to Death and Other Things I’ve Been Known to Say

The Last Mango in Paris (this would work best if “Mango” were the cheeky nickname for an Indian woman, and if I’d spent any time in Paris)

So You’ve Finished Chelsea Handler’s Book, Now What?

Deep Dish Pizza in Kabul.”