Come with me and explore Argentina far and near...and I hope that you chance your hand at a few of recipes in your own kitchen...or better yet, take a trip to this beautiful city.
PART I - Far
Buenos Aires in 36 hours. A quick trip exploring the beautiful landmarks, architecture, culture, and of course...food and wine.
PART II - Near
An adventure focused at home as we explore the joy of bringing some of these lovely traditional Argentinian dishes back to our own kitchen.
PART I
In June of last year (2023), we stumbled upon a great opportunity to make a quick trip down to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Our main objectives: drink wine and eat (obviously). However, we were taken by surprise at how much we enjoyed just wondering around the streets. Taking in the culture, landscape, architecture, and the hustle and bustle of the city.
Join me as we journey through the city, passing a few key landmarks, enjoying the food of the wonderful restaurants and cafes sprinkled throughout, and of course the wine.
Our walk around the city brought us to a lot of beautiful places including the many parks. Throughout the city these parks were crawling with people enjoying the sunny day, reading the paper, drinking their coffee, or even just taking a nice mid-morning nap.
Our first stop was the Plaza General San Martin located in the Retiro neighborhood. This plaza is ripe with history. One home to high society Spanish Governors, slave trading by the British South Sea Company, and a place of battle for the Wars of Independence (Plaza San Martín (Buenos Aires) - Wikipedia). This beautiful open space offers an amazing view of the city.
We meandered our way south to Plaza de Mayo. This plaza, located in the financial district, is known as the "center" of the city, home to many momentous events in Argentine history. (Plaza de Mayo - Wikipedia). We could have sat for hours just taking in the architecture that surrounds the plaza and watching as the enormous Argentinian flag waved gracefully in the wind.
Directly to the east of Plaza de Mayo is the Puerto Madero Waterfront (Puerto Madero - Wikipedia). This port was originally designed to enable larger cargo ships to dock closer to land improving trade and commerce and was a significant engineering accomplishment at the time. However, the increasing size of cargo ships eventually made this port obsolete. However, lucky for patrons this area has been transformed into beautiful waterfront businesses, bars, and restaurants...and of course the iconic Puente de la Mujer bridge, a must see (Puente de la Mujer - Wikipedia). Designed by architect and structural engineer Santiago Calatrava
After we enjoyed a few pints overlooking the Puente de la Mujer bridge, we made our way to the other side of the city for an unforgettable experience.
I must confess, I never thought my favorite memory from this trip would be a cemetery, but I can honestly say that La Recoleta Cemetery is unmatched in every way. You can spend countless hours winding through the brick laid passageways of this 14 acre plot, paying homage to those who lay to rest, admiring the true beauty and craftsmanship of each unique mausoleum (large or small). Just enjoy your time as you quietly take in everything around you.
As the end of our time in the city drew near, our final stop was a local restaurant that honestly makes you feel like you're a local. One that doesn't hold back on portions, has delicious homemade chimichurri sauce, and of course ensuring that each steak is served with a local wine paring... El Establo! (El Establo (@elestablo.parrilla) • Instagram photos and videos)
At the end of our evening we happen to stumble upon a little-known speakeasy where, I must say, made the BEST Old Fashioned I've had... a fantastic end to an unforgettable trip!
While I'm confident there are many, many more places to go see on our next trip, we did make the most out of our 36 hours in the city. Until next time Buenos Aires! Adios xx
Look for 'PART II - Near', where we explore the traditional Argentinian cuisine in the comfort of our home. We had a lot of fun experimenting, making messes, and of course indulging in some of the sweet delicacies that are true to Argentinian cuisine. Photos, critiques (by my husband of course), and fun are all on the menu...as well as links to all the recipes, that I have to say are a MUST TRY. See you soon!
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