I live in New York, and my favorite restaurant is 'ino, a panini place in the West Village. The food is delicious, the wine list is great (and super inexpensive), it's cozy (read: tiny), and it has amazing lighting so you always look great. It's also lovely because not everyone knows about it, so it's like a hidden gem. My friend and I are going to be in San Francisco over Presidents' Day weekend. What's the 'ino-like restaurant of San Francisco?

http://cafeino.com/

My boyfriend and I did a private all-day wine tour today in Mendoza with Gustavo Pedro Delucchi, and I cannot recommend him strongly enough. He was a remarkable guide. He speaks excellent English, is very knowledgeable about wine, history, and politics, and he knows everyone at the vineyards and got us VIP treatment (or at least it seemed like it to us). If you're going to Mendoza, i would strongly recommend booking a tour with him. It was 600 Argentinean pesos per person, plus tasting fees, and it was worth every penny. His email address is delucchigustavop@yahoo.com.ar, and his website is http://www.gustavodelucchi.com/. He also said that he organizes private trips to the Andes. We don't have time for one of these trips, but if we come back we will definitely do one.

We had lunch at the Casa del Visitante at the Zuccardi vineyard. It was delicious. We did the traditional menu, as opposed to the tasting menu. We started with three different types of empanadas -- cheese, onion, and beef. The onion ones were particularly good. We then had salad with roasted vegetables, followed by beef ribs, beef filets, and pork. All the meat was cooked right outside on the grill. The food was all delicious, perfectly cooked, and accompanied by Zuccardi wines. It was a fantastic experience.

La Vineria de Gualterio Bolivar is open on NYE.

Hey everyone! I got confirmation today that La Vineria de Gualterio Bolivar will indeed be open on NYE. The menu is pasted below. It costs 150 USD/person, which includes wine.

Appetizers
Olive butter with olives and bread
chicken chicharron
Fish-skin chicharron
Ceviche in its own juice
Passion fruit, vodka and ginger shooter
Parmesano cheese croquette
Small plates
The memory of the scent of the seaside woods after the rain (mushrooms boletus carrots beet radish turnip sprout of artiplex Nepeta Pimpinela Borraja (flor) Rucula (flor))
Egg - Bread - Truffle (Coulant-style yolk encased in bread, soft goat cheese, broth of chicken wings and the powder of white truffle oil)
Rabas
Sea and Mountain. March '09 - September '09 (Nitrogen-sealed scallops, butternut squash ravioli, mango, lamb tongue, "sea-stock," and seaweed salad)
Sea “Salmon” (mugiloides semifasciatus) + beans + black garlic + bacon
Sauce Grande’s truffles ( HC dixit)
Fondant of pork with apples (air of apple cider vinegar and tepid aromatic gelatin)
Lamb-less lamb. April '09 - September '09
Slow-cooked beef cheek with quínoa.
Pasaje
Piña / campari / piña
Desserts
Moscovado sugar cane ice cream with marinated strawberries.
Sierra-Mist (chocolate mountains, milk chocolate cream, goat's milk ice cream, truffle of yogurt and crunchy chocolate cereal, nitrogent-frozen air of cocoa)
Petits fours (rotating availability from the following list)
Bitter Bombón, lollipop, cotton candy, and cornstarch spongecake with a shot of dulce de leche
Valor del menu u$s 150 / ar$ 600
El menu incluye (vinos de alta gama):vino espumante, vinos blancos, tintos, vino dulce, café Nespresso, te evy, infusiones, agua Villavicencio, bebidas carbonatadas
Se toman reservas abonando el 50% del valor del menu por persona, hasta 24 hs antes a la cena, por transferencia bancaria, tarjeta de credito o pago en efectivo.
lavineriadebolivar@gmail.com
Tel: desde el exterior (0054 11) 43 61 47 09

Thank you all for your suggestions! Unfortunately I'm still not having any luck finding a place for New Year's Eve (we're not interested in the Four Seasons' event -- I've heard it's super stuffy and not our style). I do have one lead, though: La Vineria de Gualterio Bolivar may be open on New Year's Eve. I don't know yet for sure -- they haven't responded to my last email -- but I'll let you know if I learn anything. Other than that every place I've contacted is closed.

My boyfriend and I are going to be in Buenos Aires for New Year's Eve this year. We're staying at the Four Seasons and are looking for a nice restaurant where we can spend a fun evening. We don't mind spending a bit of money if it'll be worth it, but we don't want someplace stuffy. Ideally we'd like to go to the Argentine version of Gramercy Tavern in NYC (i.e., a place with really good, creative food served in a relatively casual restaurant). If you have any recommendations please let me know. We're 29 and 30, gay, and from NYC, if that helps.