Comments on: Musings and Apologies http://www.saltshaker.net/20060111/musings-and-apologies Casting a little flavor (and a few aspersions) on the world of food, drink, and life Fri, 29 Aug 2008 23:51:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Un Altra Volta | Buenos Aires Travel Guide http://www.saltshaker.net/20060111/musings-and-apologies#comment-8591 Un Altra Volta | Buenos Aires Travel Guide Thu, 14 Dec 2006 20:16:42 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/?p=225#comment-8591 [...] At this point, I will turn to people that know food far better than I do. It is their profession, after all. First up, Buenos Aires foodie Saltshaker says in his own review of Un Altra Volta… [...] [...] At this point, I will turn to people that know food far better than I do. It is their profession, after all. First up, Buenos Aires foodie Saltshaker says in his own review of Un Altra Volta… [...]

]]> By: dan http://www.saltshaker.net/20060111/musings-and-apologies#comment-179 dan Sun, 12 Feb 2006 02:02:43 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/?p=225#comment-179 <blockquote><em>It was a hot and humid, sort of steamy night.... It was a hot sticky night... There was mist in the night air, but it was hot... It was a warm night, but not hot, and sort of sticky.... It's so damn sultry in here!</em></blockquote> Okay, the word I was searching for was "tout" not "shill".

It was a hot and humid, sort of steamy night….
It was a hot sticky night…
There was mist in the night air, but it was hot…
It was a warm night, but not hot, and sort of sticky….

It’s so damn sultry in here!

Okay, the word I was searching for was “tout” not “shill”.

]]> By: SaltShaker » Blog Archive » Ice Cream is a Real B*tch http://www.saltshaker.net/20060111/musings-and-apologies#comment-175 SaltShaker » Blog Archive » Ice Cream is a Real B*tch Fri, 10 Feb 2006 14:01:06 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/?p=225#comment-175 [...] Buenos Aires - Family owned and operated, in business since 1973, now with 12 branches around the city, but I headed to the original shop, because it was near to where I ended up my walk yesterday. The first Chungo, which literally means “a real bitch” or “a nasty piece of work” or anything else along those lines, is at Arias 2510, at the corner of San Isidro, a lovely boulevard, right on the dividing line between the barrios of Nuñez and Saavedra. Oh, and since I only put it in the title so far, this is, by some, considered to be up in the top echelon of helado shops in the city. I can’t vouch for the other 11 locations, but this one is doing something right. The helado is excellent, and both flavors I sampled win major points - a cappuccino granizado and a chocolate al turco. The former is coffee gelato the way it was meant to be, with rich, delicious coffee flavor tempered by cream and bits of dark chocolate; the latter is a wonderful bittersweet chocolate base swirled with bits of, well, walnut jam would be the best I could describe it. Not quite candied walnuts, as they aren’t crunchy, but clearly cooked down in some sort of syrup, much as walnut jam is, resulting in a soft, sweet, almost jelly-like texture. It also takes the bitterness out of the walnuts. Yum! I have to admit, it’s now a toss-up between Chungo and Volta for current top honors, and the only real contestant left to try is Persicco, touted by many as the best, and soon to be sampled. [...] [...] Buenos Aires - Family owned and operated, in business since 1973, now with 12 branches around the city, but I headed to the original shop, because it was near to where I ended up my walk yesterday. The first Chungo, which literally means “a real bitch” or “a nasty piece of work” or anything else along those lines, is at Arias 2510, at the corner of San Isidro, a lovely boulevard, right on the dividing line between the barrios of Nuñez and Saavedra. Oh, and since I only put it in the title so far, this is, by some, considered to be up in the top echelon of helado shops in the city. I can’t vouch for the other 11 locations, but this one is doing something right. The helado is excellent, and both flavors I sampled win major points - a cappuccino granizado and a chocolate al turco. The former is coffee gelato the way it was meant to be, with rich, delicious coffee flavor tempered by cream and bits of dark chocolate; the latter is a wonderful bittersweet chocolate base swirled with bits of, well, walnut jam would be the best I could describe it. Not quite candied walnuts, as they aren’t crunchy, but clearly cooked down in some sort of syrup, much as walnut jam is, resulting in a soft, sweet, almost jelly-like texture. It also takes the bitterness out of the walnuts. Yum! I have to admit, it’s now a toss-up between Chungo and Volta for current top honors, and the only real contestant left to try is Persicco, touted by many as the best, and soon to be sampled. [...]

]]> By: SaltShaker » Blog Archive » Nature’s Most Perfect Food http://www.saltshaker.net/20060111/musings-and-apologies#comment-154 SaltShaker » Blog Archive » Nature’s Most Perfect Food Fri, 27 Jan 2006 13:41:29 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/?p=225#comment-154 [...] Continuing down my list of places to check out I found myself yesterday at Güerrin, Corrientes 1368, near to the Obelisk. This is yet another location that has been touted as “the best” in the city. A very different style of pizza from that of Las Cuartetas which I loved a couple of weeks ago, I think Güerrin makes an equally first-rate pizza. First, of course, I had to sample an empanada - here they are offered both baked and fried - tasty, though my one caveat is that given the volume of food that is being churned out here, they are kept piled up on platters, already heated, and grabbed by the waiters as needed. This means that other than those on top, the ones that have spent any time down the pile have steamed a bit and gotten a trifle, well, limp. I’m not sure what time of day one needs to come to get one hot and fresh out of the oven, the place is jammed with people - the front area is standing room only, with literally 3-4 dozen eaters jockeying for position at rows of high center communal tables, or balancing their plates next to the cash register, or on the coffee station, or anywhere that remotely has open space. I’d hate to be a waiter here. I preferred to sit at a table, and the two level dining room holds an easy 150+ people, most of the tables were full at 2:00 in the afternoon! Decor is odd - tables are dark wood with salmon colored formica inlay, and the chairs have vinyl, burgundy colored seats with a damask pattern impressed into them - a sort of vague attempt at a formal look. [...] [...] Continuing down my list of places to check out I found myself yesterday at Güerrin, Corrientes 1368, near to the Obelisk. This is yet another location that has been touted as “the best” in the city. A very different style of pizza from that of Las Cuartetas which I loved a couple of weeks ago, I think Güerrin makes an equally first-rate pizza. First, of course, I had to sample an empanada - here they are offered both baked and fried - tasty, though my one caveat is that given the volume of food that is being churned out here, they are kept piled up on platters, already heated, and grabbed by the waiters as needed. This means that other than those on top, the ones that have spent any time down the pile have steamed a bit and gotten a trifle, well, limp. I’m not sure what time of day one needs to come to get one hot and fresh out of the oven, the place is jammed with people - the front area is standing room only, with literally 3-4 dozen eaters jockeying for position at rows of high center communal tables, or balancing their plates next to the cash register, or on the coffee station, or anywhere that remotely has open space. I’d hate to be a waiter here. I preferred to sit at a table, and the two level dining room holds an easy 150+ people, most of the tables were full at 2:00 in the afternoon! Decor is odd - tables are dark wood with salmon colored formica inlay, and the chairs have vinyl, burgundy colored seats with a damask pattern impressed into them - a sort of vague attempt at a formal look. [...]

]]> By: SaltShaker » Blog Archive » Mondays http://www.saltshaker.net/20060111/musings-and-apologies#comment-139 SaltShaker » Blog Archive » Mondays Tue, 17 Jan 2006 18:15:20 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/?p=225#comment-139 [...] And, speaking of confectionaries, I’d heard about what several folks have touted as “the finest” Italian bakery in the city. La Pompeya is located right off the corner of Independencía and Combate de los Pozos, at #1912 Independencía. Not that I put any credence in anyone’s touting of “the finest” anything here (or anywhere), as it’s all a matter of opinion, and usually in response to “oh, and I suppose you know where to find the best…”. Regardless, it’s a small, cute shop, that properly smells of freshly baked bread and pastries. Not having any of either in the house, I picked a selection from what looked good - some crunchy whole wheat rings, scones, membrillo (quince paste) filled empanadas, and peanut spice cookies. They are indeed pretty darned good and that’s about as far as I’d go. The neighborhood there is heavily Italian, with many shops having their signs in Italian rather than or in addition to Spanish - in fact several ice cream places use gelato rather than the local helado. I tried one, Fiume, at Entre Rios 601 - good, but it doesn’t top my current favorite Un Altra Volta. But then, that’s just an opinion. [...] [...] And, speaking of confectionaries, I’d heard about what several folks have touted as “the finest” Italian bakery in the city. La Pompeya is located right off the corner of Independencía and Combate de los Pozos, at #1912 Independencía. Not that I put any credence in anyone’s touting of “the finest” anything here (or anywhere), as it’s all a matter of opinion, and usually in response to “oh, and I suppose you know where to find the best…”. Regardless, it’s a small, cute shop, that properly smells of freshly baked bread and pastries. Not having any of either in the house, I picked a selection from what looked good - some crunchy whole wheat rings, scones, membrillo (quince paste) filled empanadas, and peanut spice cookies. They are indeed pretty darned good and that’s about as far as I’d go. The neighborhood there is heavily Italian, with many shops having their signs in Italian rather than or in addition to Spanish - in fact several ice cream places use gelato rather than the local helado. I tried one, Fiume, at Entre Rios 601 - good, but it doesn’t top my current favorite Un Altra Volta. But then, that’s just an opinion. [...]

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