9 Argentine restaurants in Latin America’s 50 Best

by ALCHEMY DMC | Nov 30, 2017 | ALCHEMY DMC News, Tourism News

Argentine gastronomy is living its best moment. In 2017, Buenos Aires was the Gastronomic Capital of Latin America and 9 of the 50 best restaurants in Latin America are in Buenos Aires, according to the San Pellegrino ranking known as Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, released on October 24. Neither more nor less than one fifth of the total.

The now famous Tegui (10th place) was named The Best Restaurant in Argentina, for the second consecutive year, followed by Don Julio (13), El Baqueano (19), Chila (26), Elena (37), Aramburu (44) ), Crizia (48), Proper (49) and Mishiguene (50). While these last three debuted this year, the other six held onto and improved their positions.

During the awards ceremony and thanks to an agreement with Wines of Argentina, the event sponsor, regional wineries offered their wines to be tasted. Among them were, Casa Bianchi, Familia Zuccardi, Rutini Wines, Navarro Correas, Finca Las Moras, Finca Sophenia, Bodega Luigi Bosca, Trapiche, Susana Balbo Wines, Tapiz, El Esteco, Finca La Luz, Los Toneles, Terrazas de los Andes and Trivento.

So without further-a-do here are the 9…

Tegui. Germán Martitegui is an eminence of Argentine haute cuisine. After working with Francis Mallmann and Beatriz Chomnalez in the nineties, it took him two decades of stylistic work to find the equation that defines Tegui as the best: a combo that crosses Buenos Aires cuisine with the techniques of haute cuisine, on a personal journey of flavours that remind you of adolescence and the present, endowed with much detail and aesthetics. Behind the graffitied door of Tegui in the heart of Palermo, the spacious and warm living room with the kitchen in the background is the ideal refuge to try a menu in constant renovation.
Costa Rica 5852, Palermo / Buenos Aires.

Don Julio. This temple of good beef and the best wines occupies a corner of Palermo with one of the best treasures stored in the cellar: vintage bottles from the 1950s of classic labels, as well as complete verticals of those wines that gave fame to Argentina. In that, the passion of Pablo Jesús Rivero, its owner, has no competition in the city. But in addition to the drinks, Don Julio’s secret is his beef. You can try aged cuts of more than 5 years – a rarity – to delicate pieces like entraña or cuadril.
Guatemala 4699, Palermo / Buenos Aires.

El Baqueano. The duo formed by the sommelier Gabriela Lafuente, and the chef Fernando Rivarola, has been bearing fruit in this culinary vanguard restaurant for several years. In fact, they created Kitchen Without Borders, which looks for the diffusion of local cuisines and products. Combining international techniques with products from these latitudes, in its cozy and renovated lounge you can try llama and quinoa croquettes, among other delicacies. Specialists in discovering new flavours, the wine list also offers some sophisticated bottles.
Chile 499, San Telmo / Buenos Aires.

Chila. With a display of cosmopolitan modernity, this restaurant whose glass terrace overlooks the docks of the old port of Buenos Aires is one of the pillars of Argentine gastronomic renovation. Andrés Porcel, its owner, has been building its reputation for over a decade, and this year has joined the Relais & Château chain. The kitchen is a search for excellence in the dishes supported by the seasonal menu, which was created by Soledad Nardelli and continues today under the watchful eye of the young Pedro Bargero.
Alicia Moreau de Justo 1160, Puerto Madero / Buenos Aires.

Elena. Since its launch in 2013, this restaurant inside the Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires has attracted the attention of meat lovers. With the executive direction of Chef Juan Gaffuri, in his spacious room with a colourful metal structure and open kitchen you can taste Angus and dry aged cuts and the best charcuterie and local cheeses. A mix of luxury and executive, the atmosphere is pleasant. The wine list, by sommelier Laura Cagnani, is a gem.
Posadas 1086/1088, Recoleta / Buenos Aires.

Aramburu. For the gourmet lovers, this small restaurant in the south of the city is a must stop, for three reasons. One, Gonzalo Aramburu is one of the most creative chefs of his generation. Two, he offers a step-by-step menu where you can see countless products and presentations, from fake corals to stones on which shrimp are cooked. Three, it is an intimate place where the experience of the dishes acquires a singular aesthetic character. With a well-chosen wine list, the choice of pairings is memorable.
Salta 1050, Constitución / Buenos Aires.

Crizia. The chef and owner Gabriel Oggero manages, in this sober and spacious Palermo premises, to combine the cuisine of the sea and the mainland, oysters as well as beef and lamb. With an oyster farm in the north of Patagonia, it is the right place to eat them and then jump to other dishes made from the menu. In the thirteen years it has been open, it has gone from strength to strength, with impeccable service. A more than deserved promotion to 50 Best.
Gorriti 5143, Palermo / Buenos Aires.

Proper. It only opened two years ago but is already among the best. With the help of chefs Leo Lanusol and Augusto Meyer in what could be a workshop, Proper is a vanguard of the wood-fired clay oven. In a combination of hipster aesthetics and accomplished and simple cooking, word of mouth consecrated the dishes of this duo of thirty-somethings.
Aráoz 1676, Palermo / Buenos Aires.

Mishiguene. Last but not least at number 50, is a recognition of a kitchen that does not usually shine in the city. Tomás Kalika, co-owner with Javier Ickowicz, is the chef who developed a concept of classic aggiornados. In a sophisticated environment, in a way that redefines Sephardic and Eastern European cuisine, with Middle Eastern influences. From the Liebe Tuna, the Kreplaj and the Meorav Yerushalmi, the kitchen of Mishiguene shines with its own light.
Lafinur 3368, Palermo / Buenos Aires.

Argentina and Edelweiss sign agreement to launch new air services from Zurich to Buenos Aires.

by ALCHEMY DMC | Nov 30, 2017 | ALCHEMY DMC News, Tourism News

At a special press conference held at World Travel Market lead by the Minister of Tourism for Argentina, Gustavo Santos and CEO of Edelweiss Air Mr. Bernard Bauer announced new direct services from Zurich to Buenos Aires. Flights will commence on 7 November 2018 with sales available with immediate effect. Also in attendance at the announcement and signing of the contracts was Mr. Horacio Rodriguez Larreta, Mayor of Buenos Aires. The flights will be operated on an A340-300 which will include 27 Business Class Seats, 76 Economy Max, and 211 Economy Class Seats.

Edelweiss plans to operate ZRH-EZE year round. The summer 2019 schedule might vary slightly but the current schedule is: Wednesday and Sunday 22:30 ZRH-EZE arriving 09:00 – Thursday and Monday’s 13:05 EZE-ZRH arriving 06:30 It is expected the new service will see an additional 33,000 passengers from Switzerland visiting Argentina each year.

Edelweiss is a subsidiary of Lufhtansa Group.

“In other aviation news as we continue to grow the tourism sector in Argentina we are pleased to announce our flight schedules and new services available in Argentina’s many airports. Our programme not only includes new flights, but also updates to our infrastructure which will increase capacity and provide tourists with an exceptional experience when travelling through Argentina.
A new aero-commercial programme that will double the number of passengers by 2019.

Our plans include the growth of Aerolineas Argentinas to a leading industry position, the incorporation of new airlines for more connection alternatives and the transformation of infrastructure and airspace to increase the capacity of Argentina’s airports.

We continue to increase service as we connect to the provinces without the need to transit through Buenos Aires. The new Aerolineas Argentinas hub in Cordoba connects destinations in the north and south of the country, reducing waiting times for connections and lowering ticket prices.

Further to this we are promoting new air routes and the establishment of new airlines servicing Argentina (many offer a low cost option) so we are in a position to continue growing connections and direct flights throughout the country.  135 routes were approved and established last year and there are 505 additional routes requested this year between domestic and international routes”.

INFOBA DMC ARGENTINA MOURNS THE DEATH OF ARGENTINES IN THE NYC TERRORIST ATTACK THIS WEEEK

by ALCHEMY DMC | Nov 2, 2017 | ALCHEMY DMC News, Tourism News

“THESE GUYS WERE ARGENTINA AT ITS BEST” – by BRIAN WINTER

A tribute to the special Argentine talent for life-long friendships, in the wake of the New York terrorist attack.

I was practically a kid, 22 years old, when I moved to Argentina in 2000 with the crazy idea of making it as a reporter. Shockingly, the Buenos Aires Herald was in no rush to hire a Texan with no experience, and the economy seemed to be in a bit of trouble. I knew only two Argentines – both lovely, but older, with kids and lives of their own. So I spent sweltering days wandering the streets and riding the #60 bus (it crossed the whole city from Constitución to Tigre for under a dollar, and offered a nice breeze) while devouring empanadas, ñoquis and ham sandwiches on a budget of 70 pesos – which then was 70 dollars – per week.

Weekends were most desolate of all. I read Borges, Arlt and Mafalda. I binge-watched the Weather Channel in Spanish, and memorized the lyrics to a Rodrigo song. Finally, after watching the inauguration of Uruguayan President Julio María Sanguinetti on TV from start to finish, I decided I either needed to get a life or go home.

Two things ended up saving me. The first, though a total cliché, was tango lessons – which turned into a nice hobby and, years later, into a book. The second, far more important, was a group of a dozen Argentine guys from Temperley, an old railway suburb of Buenos Aires, whom I met through a common friend back home. They had known each other since high school; they spent weekends playing tennis, making asados and going to 1980s-themed nightclubs until 5 a.m.; they gave each other ridiculous nicknames like Wallet, Wolfman and Boti. They took me in, for reasons I still don’t quite understand, and baptized me “Caruso” – after an Argentine child actor of that era, the only other “Brian” they knew.

I had my own crew back home, but I quickly discovered the Argentine talent for life-long group friendships was in a class of its own. These guys did everything together. They had decade-old running jokes – one guy was always “getting married next spring” – and indecipherable slang. They were also open about their struggles, sometimes shockingly so – girlfriend trouble, job losses and family squabbles were dissected with both humor and subtle compassion. They vacationed together: Villa Gesell, Bariloche, the glaciers. I tagged along several times, awed by the strength of their bonds, convinced – correctly, as it turned out – that this group would stay together over the years, even after marriage, kids and careers began to take root.

I thought of those guys last night, in the wake of the terrible terrorist attack in New York City, where I now reside. Among the eight fatalities were five Argentine men, high school friends on a group trip to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their graduation – exactly the sort of thing my Temperley crew would have done. When I saw the photo of them (above) gathered at the Buenos Aires airport, wearing T-shirts that said “FREE,” I instantly understood what this trip meant to them. Sure, they were “free” for a weekend from the middle-aged pressures of jobs and family, but I reckon that was secondary. Above all, this was an opportunity to maintain those bonds, to re-up on those three-decade-old jokes, and laugh until 5 a.m.

According to Argentine press reports, Ariel Erlij, 48, had a successful career as a steel executive in Rosario, where the group had studied. He helped pay for his friends’ tickets – no small thing in a country just emerging from a nasty recession. They landed in New York, then made a quick side trip to Boston, where another member of the group now lives. Upon returning to the Big Apple yesterday, they decided to go on a bike ride in Lower Manhattan. Erlij and four others – Hernán Diego Mendoza, Diego Enrique Angelini, Alejandro Damián Pagnucco and Hernán Ferruchi – lost their lives. One of the survivors’ wives told La Nación: “They’d been waiting for this trip for so long. I can’t believe it ended this way.”

I have lived in other Latin American countries in the years since, and social bonds are tight there, too. But – I insist – there’s something special about Argentina. So much else has gone wrong over the years: the brutal dictatorship of the 1970s, the hyperinflation of the 1980s, and the devastating 2001-02 economic crisis, which I experienced firsthand (and eventually covered in my first reporting job). Why hasn’t everybody just abandoned the country? Well, many did. But those Argentines who remained will almost universally tell you it was because of those bonds – family, yes, but also their crew from high school or college. The national talent for lifelong camaraderie is surely Argentina at its very best. To see it now at the epicenter of an international tragedy, in the city where I live – I’m so sorry. It just breaks my heart.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brian Winter is editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly magazine and the vice president for policy at Americas Society/Council of the Americas. A best-selling author and columnist, Brian is a leading expert on Latin America and a frequent speaker for international media and events.

Source: http://www.americasquarterly.org/content/these-guys-were-argentina-its-best