Aquaknox

Frank's birthday is tomorrow, so last night we headed to Aquaknox at the Westin on the Courtney Campbell Causeway. Aquaknox only has three locations; Tampa, Las Vegas, and Atlanta. We had appetizers and drinks when we were in Vegas, so we wanted to try the full spread here. The restaurant opened early this year.

Well, what a treat it was. This is first class dining, albeit pricey, but it was a special occasion. It is decorated with modern furnishings in tones of blues, greens, and chocolate browns, with blue and green accent lighting. Best to check the link in the first paragraph to get a proper feel for the setting.

With a tag line of Global Water Cuisine, the menu leans heavily to seafood. For the appetizer we shared the HAWAIIAN BIGEYE TUNA “TORO”, raw tuna with ruby red grapefruit slices and micro greens in a very nice dressing.

Frank selected the Grilled Jumbo Prawns service with warm diced yellow tomatoes and large-grain couscous. I selected SEARED DAY BOAT SCALLOPS, served with sweet potato puree and a mushroom pancetta fricassee. While the prawns were very good, I think I won with the scallops. The flavors of the accompaniments were a perfect match for the seared scallops.

Frank, as usual, picked a nice wine to pair with our meals; a Charles Krug Savignon Blanc. Our excellent server rightly suggested that we let it sit for a little while as it was overly chilled coming directly from the cellar.

For dessert Frank ordered a Napoleon with vanilla panna cotta and raspberry sorbet. I had the Aquaknox version of a S'Mor made with chocolate mousse, a layer of banana cake, on top of a graham cracker base and covered with a wonderful chocolate ganache. It was served with vanilla ice cream. Both desserts were excellent.

This was another wonderful dining experience and Aquaknox is a great addition to the local restaurant scene.

That's my story, and I am sticking to it.

El Querandi Tango Show

Here is a short video from the tango show at El Querandi

Eso Es Todo

The journey has ended. We had a wonderful time, in case you couldn't tell from the earlier posts. So it is time for some final thoughts on Buenos Aires.

1. Buenos Aires is made up of many very distinct neighborhoods, each with their own vibe. You cannot understand the city without understanding the neighborhoods. We probably only touched the surface, but we managed to visit the major barrios spending time walking the streets, visiting the parks, seeing the sights, and stopping in local cafes for a sampling of the culture of each area.

2. The Porteños were very friendly and gracious. The only negative experience we had was the attempted pick-pockets on the Subte (Subway). The Porteños we encountered in the service industry were exceptional, especially in the restaurants, where the servers are professionals and they take a lot of pride in what they do.

3. If you like good food and wine, this is the place. For the carnivores out there, in my opinion, the beef is superior to ours. And the prices are very reasonable considering the quality of the food/wine, and the level of service. The Malbec wines we had were softer than many we have enjoyed here. We also enjoyed a Bonardo, which we only learned about at the Argentine wine dinner at Toasted Pheasant the week before we departed. While Argentina is know for their reds, they also make a very nice Sauvignon Blanc.

4. Many of the sidewalks need to be repaired, but who cares; we were south of the Equator having a great time. Although as Frank pointed out, a personal injury lawyer would do very well there.

5. The Porteños dress comfortably, but stylishly. And, surprising to us, there seemed to be an equal number of nice mens clothing stores are there were womens.

6. Tango is everywhere !

So it is time to say, "Adios Buenos Aires": Eso Es Todo (That is all)

Chau

Adios Buenos Aires

The time has come to return home. We are waiting at the hotel for the car to the airport. I have a short amount of time to wrap up this very enjoyable trip. I may have some closing thoughts later in the week, but for now a recap of last night and today.

Tango Argentino: We went to one of the many tango shows in town. Our first choice was closed for the month, so option #2 it was - El Querandi. The food was better than expected as, in general, the tango shows are not known for their food. While not Cabana las Lilas, it was good, and my steak was nice and tender. The highlight was the show, with a small four piece band putting out an enormous amount to Tango music, and a group of dancers and singers who were great to watch. The show exceeded our expectations.

Today, our last day, and a long one, since our flight to Miami doesn´t leave until 10:40PM tonight, was our shopping day and a last chance to walk the streets. We stopped at two of the historic cafes in town, Cafe Tortoni and Richmond. Cafe Tortoni is the more elaborate of the two. We finished our shopping day at the wine store across from the hotel picking up a couple bottles to bring home. OOPS, we just realized this means we have to check our luggage, not what we wanted to do, but it is either that or leave the wine in BA.

Bags are packed, and we are ready for the next (return) leg of the journey. The trip has been wonderful and even more than I expected. The Porteños were very friendly, the food was great, the hotel was a good choice, and we loved waling the neighborhoods of this fine city.

Adios Buenos Aires... Chau for now.

Sunday in Buenos Aires

The streets were much quieter today, especially in the business district, with most businesses and many stores closed. After breakfast at the hotel we headed to Plaza de Mayo for a few more photographs, and another view of Casa Rosada. We then headed to San Telmo´s Plaza Dorrego for the Sunday open air market. Actually the market starts just south of Plaza de Mayo and runs ten or more blocks to Plaza Dorrego. Most of the vendors are selling a variety of clothing and knick-knacks; a linear flea market of sorts. The plaza is filled with antique dealers (San Telmo is filled with antique stores) and some local artists. It was fun just wandering down the street with the locals. No purchases were made (by us).

Next stop, lunch; food is never far away. We dined at another lovely restaurant in Puerto Madero called Sorrento. The complementary glass of champagne and basket of breads was followed by our Caprese salad which had wonderfully soft, creamy mozzarella; yummy. I ordered a trout stuffed with crab and served in a saffron cream sauce. Frank ordered a local fish, corvina, in a tomato and onion sauce. Both were very good. The one down side I have noticed about the local cusine is that they frequently overcook the vegetables, as my broccoli was today.

Tonight is dinner and a tango show... details later.

Unfortunately tonight is our last night in Buenos Aires. But we must return to our homes and start paying for the trip. (grin)

Adios for now

Photo Op. - Puenta de La Mujer

The Bridge of Woman in Puerto Madero.

Sent from my phone.

Dick

Walk, Eat, Drink, Walk, Eat, Drink, Walk...

You get the picture. I will cover yesterday as briefly as I can, but it may not be less than 5000 words. Anyway, first I must thank all those who sent good wishes for my special day yesterday. And to my family for the great voice mail I received, although singing isn´t one of their strong points.The day was all that I was hoping it would be and more.

We started the day with a Subte ride to Palermo and a visit to MALBA, the Museo de Arte Latinamericano Buenos Aires to view their modern art collection including some works by Diego Rivera and Frida Khalo. We had a lovely lunch at the museum cafe. I had a curry chicken sandwich on the flat bread that is similar to pita and seems to be so popular here. Frank had a Croque Madam, which was artfully presented with a round section of one half of the sandwich cut out to hold the fried egg.

From MALBA, we walked around Palermo, an upscale barrio north of the center, ending up with a visit to the Jardin Japones, a small but nice Japanese Gardens. Then it was on to the Jardin Botanica or Botanical Gardens. It was a nice break from a lot of walking, and we got to pet a lot of stray cats that are well cared for by a number of local women.

The highlight of the day was my birthday dinner at Cabana las Lilas in Puerto Madero. It is one of the top steakhouses, if not the top in BA. We had a wonderful experience from the moment we were seated at our table and a large plate of antipasti was delivered, along with an assortment of breads and dips/spreads. At our request, the host recommended a Malbec that was the best I have ever had. It was Riglos Gran Malbec 2006. Each of us ordered the filet mignon, and a mixed green salad. The steak had to be 10 oz or more, and was perfectly cooked medium rare. It is a very close second to the steak we had in Prague. We opted for no sauces, just the great flavor of the grill and coarse salt. It was perfect, beyond that I don´t know what to say. For dessert I had a Tarte Tatin, apple tart with vanilla ice cream. The tart and the ice cream both hit a high mark and rank as best ever in my book. Frank ordered a coffee express (espresso) which arrived with an assortment of petit fours. The meal ended with complementary limoncello and grappa, not just a glass, but a bottle of each, were place on the table for our enjoyment. What a nice way to end the evening. As usual, the service was exceptional. Oh, and have I mentioned that this meal came to a grand total of US$130... a steal, and amazing. After the 2 hour food extravaganza, it was time for a walk back to the hotel to call it a day.

I hate to mention the lowlight of the day, but mention it I must. On the return subway ride from Palermo were were ALMOST pick-pocketed. The sharp eyes of a local on the subway alerted us to the people gathering too close around us and started yelling at them. We quickly moved away, and were save from a loss of wallets. Neither of us felt comfortable from the time we got on the subway, but didn´t act on the threat until alerted by the good people on the subway. This is the only bad experience we had here, and is not unusual to BA, but can happen in any big city.

That´s all I´m saying!

Photo Op - MALBA

The Museum of Latin American Art of Buenos Aires.

Another good day.

Sent from my phone.

Dick

How do you say,¨¨Roll me out the door¨ in French or Spanish

Wow, another wonderful meal, and I am so full. It is a good thing we like to walk a lot since it helps burn all the calories we are consuming. After the day in Colonia, we tried to go to a Tango show, but the one we selected was closed. So, option #2 was dinner at Brasserie Petanque, a highly rated French restaurant in San Telmo. Dining is late here, and we had to wait for the 8:30 PM opening. (Well we were only 20 minutes early). As usual, we had exceptional service from a young waiter who seemed to be working the entire restaurant. The restaurant was one of the top five rated by the New York Times. We shared a pate and terrine appetizer which was wonderful. I have trouble finding enough words to describe the food experience. My entree of Chauteaubriand was a half-pound of great Argentinian beef, grilled to perfection and served with a garlic and chive butter. The side dish was the best gratin I have ever had. It was made with zucchini, onion, and mushrooms. Very very tasty. Frank had a duck breast in mushroom sauce which was very tender and tasty. We were both too full to order dessert, so it was ¨roll me out the door¨ time to walk to the hotel.
Dinner tonight, including a bottle of Saurus Pinot Noir 2006 from Patagonia, came to a whopping total of $237 AR Pesos or $US 63 for two. Buenos Aires is the place to come for great food at a great price. Last nights dinner at the Hotel Intercontinental was $US 60. Amazing in my book considering the guality of food and service.
Sidebar: The streets are covered with a flood of yellow and black. Every taxi in BA is painted the same colors; yellow tops and black bodies. There are 40,000 taxis in this city, so most of the vehicles on the street at taxis.

That´s my story and I am sticking to it.

Oh, Paul, can you translate the post subject for me; I may need it again before we leave.

Another Country

Here we are, at the Buqueus terminal waiting on our return rapido boat back to Buenos Areas. Colonia is a World Heritage site, from the Portugese colonial period. It is a quaint town with a number of small museums. Colonia is worth at most three hours for the historic section. We had about six hours available due to the boat schedule and the understanding that Uruguay was in a different time zone. Not so, as we learned. We managed to use up 1.5 hours having a nice lunch at Lobo. I had a very good ravioli filled with bacon, leeks, and ricotta in a tomato sauce. Frank had tarrigon chicken also in a tomato sauce , which was also good.
We enjoyed our day, and the weather continues to be very nice, although more cloud cover today.
So, we added a second country south of the Equator. Very cool,. i say

Dick