Colombia: Bogotá

In November 2013, two months after I made the move to Buenos Aires, work beckoned. This time (my last work trip of 2013), I headed back to the extraordinary city of Bogotá for two and a half weeks. 

Bogotá is a city of contrast, as many have been quoted as saying. There is old, new, fast, slow and, like many other South American countries, extreme diversity. It is one of my favorite cities on the continent, among Cartagena, Lima, and, of course, Buenos Aires. 

As I had just gotten back from a quick turn-around work trip to Dallas the week before leaving for Colombia, I decided to give myself a break. Instead of running off to explore a new city on the weekends, I spent my free time wandering about Bogotá - trying new restaurants, popping into local boutiques and checking out the local art in the famous Usaquén market. 

See below for some of my favorite spots to eat, drink, sightsee and shop in the city. I am going to try this post without photos, as I know the food photos get redundant.

Eats...

Harry Sasson

This restaurant is the namesake of one of the most famous chefs in not only Colombia, but all of Latin America. This particular establishment is ranked #22 on the 2013 list of the 50 best restaurants in Latin America, and for good reason (The World's 50 Best - Latin America).

The restaurant is set inside of a remodeled mansion in El Retiro (Zona T), featuring both tables in the classically styled dining room or in the modern bar.  For starters, try the octopus, caprese salad, salmon carpaccio or anything from their mozzarella bar. For your main course, dive into the perfectly cooked duck, rich pasta, savory scallops or delicious ribs. And make sure to save room for the banano - layers of banana cream and nutella between flaky pastry.


Club Colombia

Another restaurant by Mr. Sasson, however, this one is focused on traditional Colombian fare rather than modern, global dishes. Like Harry Sasson, Club Colombia is also situated in a remodeled mansion. However, there is nothing modern about this place, unless you count the enclosed patio - perfect for sipping mimosas while brunching on their yummy buffet options and taking in the sunlight. Do not miss the delicious rices, colorful fruits, cheesy arepas or the beef with caramelized onion all atop a biscuit.

Dinner is a completely different experience - think comfort food. You must start with the "maduro al horno con queso y jalea de guayaba" - ripe plantain topped with creamy, white cheese and guava gelatin, baked in an oven to let all of the flavors mesh together perfectly. 

If you can't make it to Medellín but want to eat like you have, try the "cazuelita de frijoles de Medellín" - a yummy casserole with, you guessed it, beans, along with root vegetables, plantains and beef, all topped with fresh avocado. You might want to make sure someone else at the table orders the "ajiaco bogotano con todos sus garnituras" - a very traditional stew made with different types of potatoes, chicken or other meat, onion, garlic, a slew of other spices, and - again, topped with that fresh avocado.


La Mar

While the original outpost is in Lima, I could not help but visit the Bogotá location. This is one of my favorite cebicherias in Lima and the Colombian locale did not disappoint.

Taste any of the ceviches on the menu and, if you really want to delight your tastebuds, accompany them with an order of "tacu tacu super la mar" - a mixture of beans and rice fried and then topped with beef and a mixture of seafood. Top it all off with a pisco sour or chilcano and call it one of the best meals of your life. 

Other notable restaurants include: 

Andres Carne de Res (for a fun night go to the one in the city called "DC" for a super fun night make the trek to the campo and go to the location in Chia… whatever you do, beware of the aguardiente)

Gaira (owned by Carlos Vives, the famous Colombian artist, come here if you want to listen to local, live music but make sure to make reservations for a table with a stage view)

Drinks...

Bogotá Beer Company

While I partook in most of my cocktail drinking at the fabulous restaurants listed above (and not in the many rooftop bars I saw), the best watering hole for local beer is at BBC. There is nothing special about the pub-like ambiance or the mediocre food, but the award-winning beer is delicious and fairly inexpensive. Tell me your favorite Bogotá bars for next time I go, por favor.

Sights and Shopping…

Museo Botero

If there is one museum to see while in the city, take a few hours to explore Museo Botero. Fernando Botero donated 123 pieces of his work to the Colombia's Central Bank, which are housed in a wonderful mansion in downtown Bogotá. Other works in the museum include pieces by Dalí, Picasso, Renoir, Matisse, Monet, Degas, Chagall and others.

Spend the rest day exploring the beautiful downtown area of La Candelaria.

Usaquén

To me, this is the best market in all of the city. You can find mouthwatering scented soaps and candles, delicious food and fun, inspiring art. Make a day out of it and hit up La Mar, located just steps away from the market.

Centro Comercial Andino

Yes, this is just a regular mall, like any you will find in your own hometowns. However, outside the mall you can find fabulous local boutiques, yummy restaurants and great people watching.

Outside of Bogotá…

If you are in the area, you might as well catch a quick flight to indescribable Cartagena. Spend a few days in one of the most romantic cities in the world, then take a small bus to the quaint fishing village of Taganga, located next to the insanely beautiful Tayrona National Park.

Argentina: El Cumple de Marce

I know, I know…it has been two months. What can I say? Sometimes life gets in the way. The next few posts will be a recap of the last 8 weeks.

Marce turned the big 2-9 on November 1st and we celebrated for a full week - complete with lots of food, drinks and a surprise party.

Friday, the night of Marce's actual birthday, we had a glass of champagne and a birthday treat at home to celebrate and then headed to a surprise dinner at Tegui, a closed door restaurant not too far from our apt. 

Marce being playful for the camera.

One passion we share is eating...and trying new restaurants - we had been waiting for a special occasion to try Tegui as it is named the top restaurant in Argentina based on the Latin American Top 50 restaurant list (number 9 on the full list):
 http://www.theworlds50best.com/latinamerica/en/the-list.html.

What a better way to celebrate Marce's birthday? 

We started with a cocktail at the bar and waited for an inside table to become available since the weather was not what we expected that evening. While the bartender admitted to not actually being a bartender, the drink he concocted from my "vodka and citrus, not sweet" instructions turned out to be quite delicious. However, it was quite a disappointment not to have the regular bartender available, especially on a busy Friday night.

Next stop, our table for two. We really wanted to go the tasting menu route, but they sold out right before they came to take our order. Instead, we opted to order a couple of appetizers, entrees and a bottle of wine. Ok - and a dessert too. 

To start, I chose the oysters, panceta and oyster flan with green apple. Too much just blah oyster flan but otherwise tasty - the oysters were to die for!

Marce always wins. This time it was with the rabbit, winter vegetables and pate app.

I heard really good things about their pasta, specifically the gnocchi, but I had to go with the artichoke ravioli with mandarin and pistachios, as suggested by our waiter. Heaven in a pasta dish.

However, I must say that Marce won again, this time in the entree department, with the quail, confit potatoes and goat cheese. Just the presentation alone is enough to make me swoon (and also why I had to post two, not retouched photos)

And now time for dessert - again, per suggestion from our waiter, we ordered the pineapple with a salted cookie, chocolate and vanilla. The flavors worked well together, however, I would try something else next time as there are soooo many amazing sounding desserts.

Tegui is definitely a place for a special occasion type of dinner. Although it is not my favorite restaurant in the city, I am dying to give it another shot …hopefully, when their tasting menu is available.

This brings us to Saturday. I told Marce that even though his actual birth day was over, the birthday celebrations would not stop until lunch at his parents' house on Sunday. We laid low most of Saturday but I told him I wanted to take him on a birthday pub crawl early that evening to drink some of our favorite artisanal beers. The first stop was Antares, a brewpub born out of Mar del Plata with a few locales in Buenos Aires. 

After we each had two beers (and, mind you, artisanal beer has a higher alcohol content than normal beer) we headed off to the next stop: The Temple Bar. Little did Marce know (or maybe he did since I was acting a bit nervous) but 40 of his family, friends and coworkers were waiting for us there. When we got to the entrance I stopped him and told him that I really wanted to make his birthday special (he still had no clue) then we walked in together and BAM! he was blown away by all of the people who came to celebrate. 

Below is a little photo montage of the evening. I apologize in advance for such a long post but I  could not pick and choose - this is as far as I could narrow it down. Enjoy!

 Last photo of the night.

The weekend ended with a fun, intimate birthday lunch at the Pratto house. Susi made pasta and cakes and we relaxed outside in the yard. All in all, a perfect end to a wonderful birthday week!

Beautiful day in the city!

Even prettier day in Temperley!

Up next: Colombia, El Calafate, El Chalten, K-C Asado/Techo and Christmas in Louisiana!

Happy Holidays to everyone! I will post (a lot) more after I return to BsAs! xoxo

Argentina: El Cumple de Flori y El Barrio Chino

Last week kicked off Flori's birthday weekend. 

On Thursday (her actual birthday), Flori, Antonella and I went to Porota for a quick, yummy lunch. The sandwiches there are seriously swoon worthy - even just reading the menu makes you want to set weekly lunch dates here. We ordered three sandwiches to split because we could not decide - chicken, bondiola and summer chicken. 

Super dangerous how close this place is to our apartment.

The chicken sandwich is topped with creamy white cheese, caramelized onions, tomato and a light hummus, all served on fresh rosemary bread. If I was forced to choose, I might call this one my favorite, surprisingly. Before digging in, I had prematurely cast this one to the bottom of my list. Shame, shame on me.

I. can't. put. this. sandwich. in. words.

The bondiola (a cut of pork between the neck and the back of the pig) is also served on the rosemary bread but comes with grilled pumpkin, fresh tomatoes, pategras (mild Argentine cheese) and, one of my favorite things in the world, basil pesto. 

Heaven in a bondiola sandwich.

The summer chicken is served on a tasty white bread and comes with panceta, tomato, avocado and basil mayo. Yum yum yum. Did I mention all of the sandwiches come with delicious oven baked papas (potatoes) and a fresh juice? The jugo del dia that day was a mandarin and strawberry combo - delish.

Summer chicken yumminess.

I am dying to go back for more sanguches (sandwiches) and to try their tartas (like a quiche in the US), salads and postres. If you need another reason to try this place, the prices are oh-so reasonable. Visitors beware: we will be lunching here.

Antonella and Flori with our fresh juice.

This leads us to Thursday night. Flori had class so Marce and I whipped up an abbreviated version of eggplant parmesan and some homemade chocolate chip cookies to make ice cream sandwiches with for the birthday girl. After scarfing down our dinner once Flori arrived, we headed over to Frank's, our neighborhood speakeasy, for a celebratory cocktail.

Outside Frank's. 

 First, you tell the doorman the password, then a different doorman gives you the code to

dial from this telephone booth, which finally leads to the elaborate two-story Prohibition-style lounge inside.

Cynar Julep, Tom Collins and Cucumber Martini.

Friday was the big birthday celebration. Flori rented out a bar in the neighborhood called Salon Berlin. This place is a barber shop by day and bar by night. We mostly had it to ourselves which was a perfect setting for a large group celebrating a birthday. I finally tried a Campari cocktail with tonic and orange. Mind you, I am not a tonic fan but this combo was fabulous - not too bitter and not too sweet.

Evidence of the barber shop.

Los Prattos.

La torta de cumple.

Feliz cumple, Flori! :)

Then came Sunday and the birthday asado at the Pratto house. Think two types of green salads, potato salad, carrot salad, bread and ALL of this meat prepared by Victor - bondiola (pork cut I referred to earlier), morcilla (blood sausage), chorizo (pork sausage - one of my faves!), asado (roast prime rib) and mollejas (sweetbreads).

Even though are bellies were stuffed, we, somehow ;), found room for the two delicious cakes Susi made for Flori's birthday.

Monday was an Argentine holiday and I took the afternoon off so we could explore El Barrio Chino, the Chinese neighborhood not too far from where we live. It was a gorgeous day so we decided to walk the 30 minutes there and explore parts of Belgrano along the way.

El Barrio Chino is actually pretty small - about 2 blocks wide by 2 blocks deep - but houses many food establishments, specialty grocery stores and little knick knack type of stores.

Our first stop was at a small store where we found paint brushes and playing cards. Then we headed to Hong Kong Style for a leisurely lunch. We kicked things off with the Hot and Sour soup as it was highly recommended by my friend, Michelle. We also ordered Kung Pao Chicken and Shrimp Chow Mein. The soup was out of this world - packed with veggies, tofu, pork and a heavy hand of heat. The mains were ok. I would order them again but they aren't anything I would crave...unlike this soup.

On our way out of the neighborhood, we ducked into a couple of supermarkets to browse the unique food items, and also to find my peanut butter. I am already planning our next trip, not only to stock up on more pb, but also to try the street food and the ice cream everyone was munching on while we walked around!

Buen finde a todos!