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Ranging from the latest New York wannabes to the die-hard old school parrillas still thriving on the street corners. Palermo is divided into Palermo Hollywood and Palermo Soho. The dividing line between the two is Juan B.Justo Ave. which neatly bisects the two areas. The most commonly told story about how the areas got their names is that in the mid 90's a savvy real estate agent wanted to promote Palermo. He jumped on the fact that a couple of local tv studios are located there and appended Hollywood to the barrio. Soho from the fact that the neighborhood has a bit of a bohemian flavor to it, arguments abound over whether it's the NYC or the London Soho being referred to. There are so many great places in Palermo and I'm always discovering new places. It's worth noting that most restaurants have a lunchtime M enu del dia which usually includes appetizer, main course, a glass of wine or soft drink and coffee or dessert for between 10 to 20 pesos. Lunchtime hours are from noon to 3pm and dinner from around 8:30 pm onwards. Here are a few worth visiting.
One of my favorites of
the old school parrillas is a place called La Dorita
http://www.parrillaladorita.com.ar/. It's
situated on the corner of Humbolt and Costa Rica in the barrio of
Palermo Hollywood. There are two La Dorita's sitting catty-corner
to each other. I personally prefer the one with the upstairs
terrace (Humbolt 1892, referred to as de entrente). Some
say that say there is no difference in the way the meat is grilled
but to most Portenos, those are fightin' words. The decor is
reminiscent of the old west with simple wooden chairs and tables
and wrought iron candelabras made of empty red wine bottles
scattered overhead throughout the dining room. Hanging over the
very small bar as you walk in are 5 oak wine barrels labeled with
the house wines. The most jarring thing about the decor
is the huge, garish, pastel painting of a family that dominates the
back wall of the dining room. Both La Doritas feature full parillas
which include all the cuts of meat you could want and more. If you
are a fan of sweetbreads and other innards, this is the deal for
you. It's all you can eat for 22 pesos, you can always tell them to
leave off the innards and just bring more meat. The menu ranges from
meat to meat with a few pastas and grilled chicken thrown in for the
weak. The appetizers feature empanadas, chorizos, morcillas
and my favorite, queso al parrilla, round slabs of grilled
cheese. There is also a make your own salad selection (choose from a
variety of gustos or ingredients) and what parrilla
wouldn't be caught dead without papas fritas . The wine
list is representative but not extensive. I always order the house
wine because it's tapped from the barrels hanging over the bar and
served in penguin shaped pitchers. Until about 15 years ago most
bars and restaurants in Buenos Aires served their house wines this
way but sadly the penguin pitchers are going the way of the Dodo
bird. La Dorita is one of the few restaurants still serving wine
this way. Happily, the penguins are for sale (25 pesos) so you can
take home a bit of La Dorita with you. And since this is located in
Palermo Hollywood, WiFi access is available.
For pizzas and empanadas,
Romario (Fitzroy 2109, corner of Fitzroy and Soler,
http://www.romario.com.ar) although it is part of a chain, is
a laidback pizzeria with a sidewalk as well as a rooftop
terrace where you can munch away on their numerous traditional
pizzas and empanadas.
For traditional Japanese cuisine and
sushi, Dashi
(Fitzroy 1613,
http://www.dashi.com.ar) is one of the best restaurants in town.
While it may be expensive by Argentine standards, it's a bargain for
the quality and level of food and service. The sushi is always
fresh and there is always fresh tuna in house, something that many
other sushi joints in town aren't always able to offer. Beware of
the canned tuna that some unscrupulous restaurants try to pass
off in a tuna roll. Don't forget to save room for dessert. Although
this is a Japanese retaurant, Dashi has the best American style
cheesecake in town. As matter of fact, it's the closest I've found
to the real thing in Buenos Aires. The wine list is small and pricy.
I was walking along Honduras Street the
other day when I stumbled across a new bar-bookstore that has
recently opened. Eterna Cadencia (Honduras 5574,
Palermo Hollywood). The bookstore is divided in two but it's
difficult to tell from the street that the two establisments are
connected. The bookstore seems a bit out of place on the streets of
Palermo. The decor is dark wood and leather, rather like what you
would imagine an English gentlemen's club to look like. I almost
expected Jeeves to jump out at any moment and announce that tea was
being served. But don't let that fool you. The idea behind this
particular establishment is to lure you in with it's wide selection
of books in both English and Spanish and then get you to settle down
with a nice cocktail on the cafe side. The cafe couldn't be more
different. Where the bookstore is dark, the cafe is all light. The
cafe is an enclosed patio with a 25 ft high glass ceiling which
gives you the feeling of sitting outside but with the added bonus of
A/C, something not to be taken lightly in those sweltering BA
summers. I would say the decor more closely resembles a North Africa
motif with tan walls, turkish style hanging lamps and a fully
stocked bar on the far wall with an upright piano situated above the
bar. The bar features live music in the evenings Wed. thru
Saturday. To the side of the bar there is a small passageway that
leads to the wine cellar, and directly behind the bar, the 'living
room', a collection of very comy sofas grouped around a very sturdy
coffee table. There is a small bar menu serving sandwiches and a few
main course dishes but the main attraction of this bar
is to just chill out. A rooftop terrace with evening entertainment
is scheduled to be opening soon.
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