http://www.saltshaker.net/20051119/the-nation-recommends Casting a little flavor (and a few aspersions) on the world of food, drink, and life Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:47:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 http://www.saltshaker.net/20051119/the-nation-recommends#comment-40383 SaltShaker » Blog Archive » Back to School Wed, 16 May 2007 14:34:23 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20051119/the-nation-recommends#comment-40383 [...] also an immediate assumption, for the most part without having tried the food, that “Asian food is very spicy“. It’s even more notable that the non-Argentines in the class whom I’ve had a [...] [...] also an immediate assumption, for the most part without having tried the food, that “Asian food is very spicy“. It’s even more notable that the non-Argentines in the class whom I’ve had a [...]

]]> http://www.saltshaker.net/20051119/the-nation-recommends#comment-133 SaltShaker » Blog Archive » Country Style? Sun, 15 Jan 2006 14:55:24 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20051119/the-nation-recommends#comment-133 [...] However, La Cholita here is a moderately pricey, decent quality parrilla, or steakhouse. The food is entirely Argentine, and local style - no “regional” dishes are offered, no peasant food. Just grilled steaks, innards, and chicken, along with the usual range of salads and appetizers. In fact, other than a few cold dishes like salads, everything at this locale comes directly off the grill - todo a la parrilla is stated right on the windows of the restaurant and on the menu. Visually, the place is a virtual twin of its next door neighbor, Cumaná, which I’ve reviewed before (and which has all those peasant, regional dishes), long, narrow, heavy wooden tables and wicker chairs, white paper on each tabletop, and even the same basket of crayons. The open kitchen at the back could be a mirror image. The lighting is so dim as to make it near impossible to read a menu - 99% of the lighting comes from a small tea candle on each table, the balance comes from extraordinarily dim bulbs hanging high above (10 watt maybe?) and a touch from the grill area at the back. There’s no air in the place - it was stiflingly hot, without air conditioning or ceiling fans, and with no rear opening, no airflow even with the door propped open at the front, and everything gets heated from the kitchen and the candles. There’s a second, upstairs dining area as well, that unfortunately requires you pass by the bathrooms at the top of the stairs, which, bluntly, stink. [...] [...] However, La Cholita here is a moderately pricey, decent quality parrilla, or steakhouse. The food is entirely Argentine, and local style - no “regional” dishes are offered, no peasant food. Just grilled steaks, innards, and chicken, along with the usual range of salads and appetizers. In fact, other than a few cold dishes like salads, everything at this locale comes directly off the grill - todo a la parrilla is stated right on the windows of the restaurant and on the menu. Visually, the place is a virtual twin of its next door neighbor, Cumaná, which I’ve reviewed before (and which has all those peasant, regional dishes), long, narrow, heavy wooden tables and wicker chairs, white paper on each tabletop, and even the same basket of crayons. The open kitchen at the back could be a mirror image. The lighting is so dim as to make it near impossible to read a menu - 99% of the lighting comes from a small tea candle on each table, the balance comes from extraordinarily dim bulbs hanging high above (10 watt maybe?) and a touch from the grill area at the back. There’s no air in the place - it was stiflingly hot, without air conditioning or ceiling fans, and with no rear opening, no airflow even with the door propped open at the front, and everything gets heated from the kitchen and the candles. There’s a second, upstairs dining area as well, that unfortunately requires you pass by the bathrooms at the top of the stairs, which, bluntly, stink. [...]

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