Buenos Aires. Saturday, February 2 — Steak dinner #2 La Cabrera

 Tonight we ate at a second steak restaurant, La Cabrera in the Palermo neighborhood.  It’s #33 of Latin America’s top 50 restaurants.  It was a completely different experience from La Brigada last night.  While La Brigada was old world service, La Cabrera was a bustling restaurant that could be in New York’s Little Italy.  Each course was served with several extras.  We received several kinds of bread and olives to start,  Then some eggs with peppers and onions with sides mashed squash, apple sauce, mashed potatoes, and roasted garlic.  We ordered their version of provoleta topped with sun dried tomatoes and pesto as well as a roasted pepper salad.  

On our waiter’s recommendation, we tried two different steaks — a tenderloin brochette wrapped in bacon and a strip steak.  Way too much food!  Either one would have been plenty for us but it was interesting to try different cuts of beef.  These were served with chimichurri sauce (Tom discovered he likes it) _, barbecue sauce and a mixture that seemed like a version of dukkah.  Our meal came with at least six side dishes — whipped lemon cream, broccoli mousse with orange peel, olive tapenade, fried plantain, eggplant, and more that neither of us can remember.  We drank a different Malbec with tonight’s dinner.  Cheaper, more fruity, bigger flavor.  All good.  Too full for dessert but we did take samples from the lollipop tree.

When we left the restaurant there were at least 30 people waiting to get in.  We were very lucky to get a reservation thanks to the Four Seasons concierge.

Difficult to say which restaurant was better since they were such different experiences.  I liked the steak (just plain steak without sauces) more at La Brigada but the extras at La Cabrera were such a nice touch.  I would tell people to go to both!

·        GM has replied to my email by time I wake up in morning.  Conversation with hotel manager Rafael who has been directed to fix things.  Resolved well. Comping 1 night room and ride to port.  Quite classy since we’re staying 3 nights but only paying 2 in the first place. He'd even looked at our bill of charges to see if he could waive anything.  And asked in Maxine would like chocolates as apology.  He is taller than me as was front desk manager last night.

·        Palermo neighborhood shopping is extremely interesting!  We feel safe but people are taking security precautions.  One shoe store has to unlock itself so we can go in.

·        Dave Grohl puppet for sale at a stand -- I send picture to Jordyn.   I tell artist that her work will be seen by Dave before the day is out.  Springsteen on someone’s radio.  Lunch outdoors.  Cakes at Havannas before lunch.  Chocolates and separately ice cream at Luccianos which has interesting ice cream bars and etc. after.  Back 3:30 and HVAC working.

·        Go down to pool

·        Dinner tonight at La Cabrera in Palermo.  Restaurant concierge made reservation for us.  We start with a beer at the Cerveza Patagonia location 2 blocks away.  Really sweet bartenders.  Vibe is PDX

·        Purell provided by restaurant before dinner.  We feel a bit handled.  They have 2 locations and we’re sent to tourist one despite reservation that says otherwise.  When we’re done we walk past original one and the street is mobbed outside.  Clearly a good choice!  Head of Saudi Arabia hosted dinner there last year.