Buenos Aires - Argentina - page 106

108

room faces an ex cellent walled wine rack. The best choices include the asado (short rib
roast), lomo (sirloin steak, pr epared with a mushr oom or pepper sauce), bab y beef (an
enormous 850g/30 oz., served for two), and the mollejas de chivito al verdero (young goat
sweetbreads in a scallion sauce). The Felipe Rutini merlot goes per fectly with baby beef
and chorizo. The waiters ar e exceedingly nice and pr ofessional. It was explained to me
that tourists had been driving locals away fr om this San Telmo favorite, but with prices
now obviously being set to captur e the tourism mar ket, in some cases tripled fr om our
last edition, this would appear to no longer be of concern for the management.
Estados Unidos 465 (at Bolívar). & 11/4361-5557. Reservations recommended. Main courses $4-$25
(£2.70-£17). AE, DC, MC, V. Daily noon-3pm and 8pm-midnight. Metro: Constitución.

La Coruña Moments CAFE/AR GENTINE This extr emely authentic old cafe
and restaurant bar, another of the cafés notables protected by law, is the kind of place
where you'd expect your grandfather to hav e eaten when he was a teenager . This neigh-
borhood hub draws young and old alike, who catch soccer games on television or quietly
chat away as they order beer, small snacks, and sandwiches. The TV seems to be the only
modern thing in here. Music plays from a wooden tabletop radio that must be fr om the
1950s, and two wooden r efrigerators, dating fr om who kno ws when, ar e still used to
store food. José Moreira and M anuela Lopéz, the old couple who o wn the place, ob vi-
ously believe that if it ain't broke, there's no reason for a new one.
Bolívar 994 (at Carlos Calvo). & 11/4362-7637. Main courses $2-$4 (£1.35-£2.70). No credit cards. Daily
9am-10pm. Metro: Independencia.
La Vieja Rotisería Value PARRILLA/ITALIAN/ARGENTINE The slabs of
meat sizzling at this parrilla are so huge you hope the cook doesn't drop one on his foot,
which would put him out of commission and deprive you from eating at one of the best
parrillas in San Telmo. Following the rule “simple is best,” this place concentrates on the
food, not the decor , and prices ar e r easonable. M ismatched vinyl tablecloths and old
tacky prints and mirrors in baroque frames are part of the visual disorder here. But your
eyes should be on the food. Steaks are thick and well prepared, but they also offer inter-
esting twists on the meat her e, such as lomo in tasty sauces. P astas, salads, fish, and
chicken are offered here, too—and the latter is served boneless so you don't have to waste
any time chowing down on it. The place gets very crowded at night, so make reservations
if you're coming after 9pm, to make sure you're not waiting outside the window looking
in. While the food is ex cellent as ev er, a r ecent r enovation has r elegated the grill to
the back of the r estaurant, so y ou can no longer watch in anticipation as y our order is
prepared.
Defensa 963 (at Estados Unidos). & 11/4361-7019. Reservations recommended. Main courses $2-$8
(£1.35-£5.40). No credit cards. Mon-Tues and Thurs noon-4:30pm and 8pm-12:30am; Fri-Sat noon-4pm
and 8pm-1am; Sun noon-5:30pm and 8pm-12:30am. Metro: Independencia.
Pappa Deus INTERNATIONAL/ARGENTINE An interesting menu every day
of the week, live music shows, folkloric dancing, and jazz and blues on F riday and Sat-
urday nights make this place one of the best alternativ es to tango venues along Dorrego
Plaza. This restaurant has moved around the corner from its old location. It still has a loft
area for a more secluded dinner.
Humberto Primo 499 423 (at Bolivar). & 11/4307-1751. www.pappadeus.com.ar. Main courses $7-$13
(£4.75-£8.80). AE, DC, MC, V. Sun-Thurs 9am-2am; Fri-Sat 9am-4am (often later). Metro: Independencia.

5