Both ends of the stick

My last full day in Buenos Aires (the eating parts):

12.25P
La Rosalia is pure goodness in it's most casual form. Located conveniently between our apartment and class is the perfect place to pick up a 'choripan" (chorizo sausage sandwich) or a "morcipan" (blood sausage sandwich), the two staples of a quick Argentine lunch. The parilla is located street side, and orders are placed directly with the grillmaster.

The picture is a good example of the average amount of meat that is being cooked on the grill at any given time. In Argentina (the same is true at home) the asado (bbq) is considered a long-term project. The coals are heated separately from under the main grill and added gradually. Of course no chemicals are ever used on the natural charcoal except for occasionally some quick burning ethyl alcohol in the lighting phase. The grill itself moves up and down so that the heat can be expertly controlled.

Today being close to the end I opt on this day for the morcilla, my logic being that I can find some damn good chorizo sausage in Brooklyn but the blood sausage in this form is a bit tougher to track down. It is served on a simple bun with a touch of chimichurri sauce, delicious. It's just the thing to get me through my upcoming two hour Spanish class.

3.30P
Class complete, I am faced with a conundrum; what to eat that won't be too heavy, but still something that's exciting. A small portion of the ceviche at aforementioned Zadvarie DOC is just the thing.

11.00P
The main place I had been wanting to try for dinner was Thymus, the much heralded French-inspired high cuisine on the edge of Villa Crespo. We had tried to go once before but they had had no tables available. This time I take no chances and call ahead to make a reservation, a process that went quite smoothly, making me very happy with my ability to speak Spanish.

Thymus is a big part of the new guard of restaurants in Buenos Aires. Cluinary students from across Latin America now flock to Buenos Aires to study at one of the famous institutes there like the Insituto Argentino de Gastronomia. There are modern restaurants all over the city, but Palermo has the highest concentration of restaurants in which the food falls under the category "de autor". Thymus is one of a handful of restuarants with highest rating for food on Argentine restuarant sight Oleo. The chef, Fernando Mayoral, studied with the three-starred French chef Michel Bras.

Located on a very quite street a block on the Villa Crespo side of Avenida Cordoba, the security guard standing outside is most visible sign of the restaurant as you approach. There is a small outdoor space and a small entrance space where we wait for our table to be made "lindo." After sitting we were given an aperitif made with herbs, and a small dumpling. Drumm and I both opted for the "degustacion", a sampling of six dishes, two of which are dessert. Drumm's meal:

Reblochon cheese 'creme brulee'
Lamb tongues on leek puree
Beef tenderloin with puff pastry, teleggio cheese, daikon radish, and oyster mushrooms.
Roasted quail over house made ricotta
Cheese plate
Pineapple with sticky toffee pudding.

My Meal:

Cured tenderloin with herbs and lemon
Mullet cooked in light vinegar
Peking duck breast
Lamb with pesto and zucchini
Cheese plate
Assorted ice cream and sorbets

All of the above was delicious. I loved the cured tenderloin and the duck, I think Drumm loved his tongue and tenderloin.

In the end it was our most expensive meal of the trip, but the most interesting. Had the amount been in dollars instead of pesos I think it still would have been well worth it.