Buenos Aires

»Buenos Aires - best steak in the city (!?)

ok, was just being provocative in the title. thing is, i don't like standard american steakhouses. even peter luger's doesn't hit the spot for me. i like the bacon there. but i don't need a flinstone's size of unseasoned meat. for steaks i usually prefer a small delicate cut at a high end french restaurant. but recently i've been introduced to the fine art of argentinian asado ...

so, to relive...+READ ok, was just being provocative in the title. thing is, i don't like standard american steakhouses. even peter luger's doesn't hit the spot for me. i like the bacon there. but i don't need a flinstone's size of unseasoned meat. for steaks i usually prefer a small delicate cut at a high end french restaurant. but recently i've been introduced to the fine art of argentinian asado ...

so, to relive the experience, i did some "research" and found this place in east village. thankfully they didn't disappoint me.

pros:
- $20+ for a 16oz steak that is more flavorful, juicy and tender than any other steak i've had in a restaurant in NY, and it comes with fries/salad. if size is a concern they have 32oz versions too.
- inexpensive wines (good selection of melbec)

cons:
- the fries suck, but it comes free with the steak (you can opt for mashed potato or salad instead, which would be wise)

full lowdown. we had:
- a $65 bottle of melbec. i don't know my wine well enough but it's on special (reduced from $120) and i was in the mood for splurge. certainly wouldn't pay over $100 for the bottle but it did taste better than an average $40+ bottle. (there were plenty in the $40s range, and i suppose they would be decent because the list is pretty focused - on melbec of course)
- calamari salad: very nice. tender calamari, lightly grilled, not charred. lightly dressed rocket salad. only comes with rings of the calamari body. would have liked it more if they use the leg parts, and grill it whole. but that's a personal preference.
- skirt steak: they recommend medium well but i had it medium. not your standard flame-charred steak, this is argentinian-style which means it should be cooked in low heat, to bring out the flavor and keep the meat moist and juicy. they did an excellent job. fries on the side sucked. like it was refried too many times. gf said it was in the lowest 20% of fries in this country.
- ribs: also exellent. also had it medium. this one could have listened to the guy and have it medium well because there's quite a lot of fat. had salad on the side instead, which was decent.

the waiter was a little slow. but that's just him i guess. the busboys were rather attentive. despite the moderate wine "splurge", the bill didn't hurt (something like $130 for 2 before tip). and i left a happy man.

looking forward to going there again soon to try out the chorizo and other appz-COLLAPSE / REPLY (4 Replies) (by another_lau, created April 30, 2010)