It’s so interesting to see the process from start to finish.

So bare in the beginning.  Then a complete fucking mess.  Stripped to the bones and rebuilt with purpose and care.  I’m so pumped to see the final product!!

Here are some shots from the first couple of weeks of construction.

The days have been so thrilling!

And exhausting.

Not only do we have endless decisions to make… but Ticol and I have to agree on them!!

And we are very different.

He’s all, ‘why spend money on clothes when you can use it on travels and adventures?!’ and I’m all, ‘I totally get that love that about you, and yes, save for travels 100%, but if you’re gonna play the role you gotta look the part.  And it’s okay to spend money on clothes/apparel/things with no real value, as long as they’re good quality and serve a purpose. ‘  It’s very non-superficial with him!

AND I LOVE THAT.

And in return he LOVES his fancy clothes that I have gracefully steered him to appreciate.

Win win.

Bueno!

Originally the NOLA space came with these massive black metal doors which in theory look really cool.  Unfortunately they take up too much space and logically they don’t make sense.  So we sold ‘em and decided to transfer the tall wooden doors from the outdoor patio space (now the bathrooms) to the front entrance.  This required outside skills and Chelo knew the guys for the job.

Two brothers, Argentine, very grumpy.  They constantly yell at each to shut up and just keep working, boludo.  Everyone does their best to stay out the way when they’re around.

Luckily, they know their wood!

They removed the doors, inverted some of the details, and built a frame connecting all four doors.  Ticol and I treated the wood to protect the doors from the sun, rain and overall anti-aging.  They’re installed and are looking beautiful!!  The glass still needs to be put in but that can wait ’til later.

And not only are these door eye candy, but they’re fancy wood!Apparently they were imported from Oregon back in the 1930s for the Llao Llao Hotel that was being built in Bariloche, an area of Argentina to the west covered in lakes and mountains.

The carpenters were very impressed when they first saw the doors and curiously asked how and where we got them.   It was cute to see these older men show such appreciation for something that so many wouldn’t think twice about.

Fortunately these brothers have a personal door collection that they allowed Ticol to browse through once they heard we were in the market for a few more doors.

We need – two for the bathrooms + 1 for the kitchen.Ticol and I discussed what we wanted and he went to check out their inventory on the opposite end of town.  He returned excited, showed me some photos and within a couple of days the doors arrived.

They need a lil treatment love, but they’re exactly what we were wanting!

Y’all like?!

Our kitchen door is hopefully arriving this week.  It’s going to be a swinging door, like a shutter cowboy style!!

It’s gonna be so good….. All of it, I can feel it!

¡Hasta la proxima! 

RESTAURANTS  ::

Local-  New age Argentine cuisine.  Open for both lunch and dinner, reservation appreciated.  Flawless service.  Palermo Hollywood.

Las Pizarras- Farm to table style cuisine with a French twist.  Think different proteins for Buenos Aires-  lots of duck, seafood, rabbit, lamb.  Dinner only, reservation recommended, but not necessary.  Palermo Soho.

Salgado Alimentos-  Homemade pastas.  Personal favorite is ravioli stuffed with wild boar & rosemary and they make a mean provoleta (An Argentine classic of grilled cheese with olives, tomatoes, and chives).  Very casual ambiance.  Open for lunch and dinner.  Highly recommend a reservation during dinner time as the place packs up rather quickly.  Villa Crespo.  *Great wine bar around the corner called Cava Jufre on Jufre 201 at Julian Alvarez, night only.

Primavera Trujillana-  Fresh Peruvian cuisine set in a very casual ambiance, order one of the ceviches!  Open for both lunch and dinner and located in Belgrano.  Great lunch prices.

Cafe San Juan-  New age Argentine cuisine with big portions.  Open for lunch and dinner, reservation highly recommended.  Located in San Telmo, the ambiance is casual with an open kitchen of line cooks wearing baseball caps, drinking beer and listening to reggae.  The chef/owner is kind of a local celebrity.

Fukuro Noodle Bar-  New to the Palermo Hollywood scene this noodle bar is serving the only citys decent ramen, dumplings and steamed pork buns.

L’adesso-  Italian, high quality ingredients located in Palermo Viejo.  Their lunch special is a terrific deal and the eggplant parmesan is simply to die for.

Hernan Gipponi at the Fierro Hotel-  Fabulous food in a boutique hotel.  Great Sunday brunch, make a reservation.

I don’t spend much time in Recoleta, but my food blogging girlfriend said her top picks are Parrilla Pena, Cumana, Chez Nous.

CAFES & OTHER TASTY TREATS  ::

Baraka-  my go to place when I need something slightly healthy or an afternoon tea/coffee.  Everything is homemade.  Great rooftop terrace, open for breakfast and lunch.  Palermo Soho.  No alcohol.

Pehache 1418-  hidden cafe in the back of a shop a half block down from Baraka.  Great garden and cool space, more about the ambiance than the menu.  Good fresh carrot juice, though!

Bar du Marché-  French bistro style cafe in Palermo Hollywood.  Really great list of New & Old World wines and a nice cheese selection.  Open for lunch, and check out the wine store next door for a bottle to go.

Siamo nel Forno-  hands down best pizza in Buenos Aires.  Thin with quality ingredients.  Palermo Hollywood, dinner only.

Burger Joint-  Banging burgers & fries.  It’s a spinoff of the hidden spot in the Parker Meridian in New York.  Located near Plaza Serrano in Palermo Soho.  Open til midnight.

Empanadas & Fugazzeta- these are my favorite local foods.  The best empanadas can be found at La Fachada.  There are two locations, one in Palermo and another in Colegiales.  They deliver and are open only from 8pm-12am.  If you’re craving these during the day you should go to Punto y Banca.  It’s a ‘taxi driver’ kind of place located on a quiet corner in Palermo Viejo.  They are known for their fried empanadas as well as their fugazzeta, a no-red sauce pizza covered in onions, oregano and mozzarella.

Ice Cream-  BA has outstanding ice cream.  There are loads of heladerias (ice cream shop) on almost every block. My personal favorites are Tufic (Guatamela 4597 in Palermo Soho) and the chains Persicco and Freddo which have locations all over the city.  The popular and local combo is- dulce de leche & límon.

El Topo-  The best churros in town.  Hands down.  Located in Palermo Soho after their original location on the beach south of Buenos Aires.  Open daily.

Casa Naturista- More of an ‘organic grocery store’ right next door to El Topo.  Great place to stock up on ingredients especially if you’re looking for local wonders like hongos de pino and azucar negra.

DRINKS  ::

La Cava Jufre-  charming wine bar in Villa Crespo.  Friendly and knowledgable owner.  Nights only.

Pain et Vin-  new wine bar in Palermo Soho that offers many great local wines by the glass, something rare in this city!   Also fantastic breads from their wood burning oven

Floreria Atlantico-  super cool new trendy bar in Retiro across from the Sofitel

Rey de Copas-  French/Moroccan bar with a killer ambiance.  Expect classic cocktails and a relaxing atmosphere.  Palermo Soho, nights only.

Pony Line-  fancy bar in the newly renovated Four Seasons hotel in Recoleta.  Pristine service and well made cocktails.

Soria-  directly across the street from Rey de Copas this is a younger hip scene.  Good music and decent prices.  Palermo Soho, nights only.

878-  speakeasy bar in Villa Crespo.  Expect fancy cocktails and a big open space.  Nights only.

Cervelar-  speciality beer bar with locations in Microcentre and Belgrano.

TOURS & EVENTS  ::

Thursday BROEDERS Beer Night-  every Thursday the local brothers & beer makers of BROEDERS Artesanal and NOLA team up for a night of beer tasting and Southern gluttony.  Four beers are showcased each week and are served alongside a three course dinner.  Reservations only, address given 24 hours prior to service.

Parrilla Tour-  Learn all about the biggest tradition in Argentina, the asado.  It’s a walking tour that has four stops all sampling a taste of BA.  There is two-  one in Palermo and the other in San Telmo.  It’s quite a feast and a great way to learn about Argentine food culture.

Foto-Ruta- This thought out tour focuses on photography and capturing BA through a lens.  Begin the day with a quick camera tip session and then head to the streets to snap away.  After the camera’s down you’ll gather again and print out some of the days shoots over a bottle of local Malbec.

The Man Tour- The guys at landingpadba.com have put together an afternoon for the men in BA.  The tour features a fresh clean shave, hand rolled cigars, a stop to the local hat store to try on gaucho classics, and is said to involve whiskey as well as other fine things.

BA WEBSITES ::

Pick up the Fork-  the go-to website for restaurant recommendations.  Word is the owner is now doing customized food tours throughout the city.

Whats up Buenos Aires- calendar of weekly events in Buenos Aires.

Landing Pad BA- informative site of things going on in the city, reviews, and BA tips.

Como Viajo-  navigating the streets of BA via bus, foot, subway, and train.

THINGS TO DO  ::

La Bomba de Tiempo-  experience a night of drums, percussion, and dancing every Monday night at the Konex Cultural Center.

Buenos Aires Life Centre-  yoga classes in English, real massages and acupuncture.

Polo & Futbol-  check out a match of some of the countries most beloved sports.

Tango-  whether it’s a lesson or a show don’t leave the city without sneaking a peek of the national dance.

Tigre- on a gorgeous day you’ll want to escape the chaos of Buenos Aires, jump on the train, and head to Tigre.  Enjoy a boat ride, shopping, and a quiet lunch.

Colonia, Uruguay-  a small old town that’s a boat ride away (tickets found at Buque Bus or Sea Cat) on the coast of Uruguay is a great way to spend the day or overnight.  Don’t expect much action, it’s super tranquilo.

You may already know it as this is their third location in Buenos Aires.  It’s called Le Blé and they’re known for their big coffees, croissants, and pan au chocolat.  

We arrived on a Saturday afternoon, grabbed a table outside, and decided to order out of our comfort zone.

You see, I am not a lover of ham, at all.   But I suggested that we go for the croquemadame given that it’s the classic French sandwich.  Basically it’s a ham and cheese sandwich covered with bechamel sauce, a fried egg, and melted Gruyère cheese.  The kind of sandwich you need to eat with a fork and knife.  It was big and warm, on fresh bread, and the runny yolk really brought it all together.

My hopeful friend opted for the bagel, which was beyond disappointing.  Service was so-so but the pan au chocolat made up for it.

Le Blé

Honduras 5999 corner of Arevalo

4779. 0272

Tues – Sunday, 8am – 8pm

Incredible food culture (think lots of- arepas, plantains, avocado, soups, seafood, and tropical fruits), friendly charismatic locals, and diverse cities is what Colombia is all about.

I was there in 2010 for about six weeks.  I easily gained 5-10 pounds.  Easily!!  There’s old romantic Europe meets the Caribbean Cartagena, gorgeous mountains, valleys, and loads of tall palms in Salento, wild jungles in the South, and major metropolises.  You could say it’s a colorful country.

I LOVED IT ALL!!

Luckily here in Argentina there are a handful of Colombians in the food scene.  Some are hosting elevated modern Colombian cuisine in Villa Crespo, others are pouring hot coffee and blending lulo juice in Charcarita.  Yes, that’s right, lulo and fancy-ish Colombian food in Buenos Aires.  Life just got so much better.

Over at Full City Coffee House on Jorge Newbury expect a quaint coffee shop with a spacious back deck.  Their serving strong flavorful Colombian coffee at good prices, fresh juices, and a small menu of salads, paninis, arepas and burgers.  All the goods are made in-house (no Bimbo buns or frozen patties!) and on Saturday they’re rocking a 45 peso promotion that gets you a stacked burger, cerveza and papitas.  

You can bet I’ll be there sooner rather than later.  A good burger in this capital is shamefully hard to find…

UPDATE-  Recently relocated to Palermo Soho.

Full City Coffee House

Jorge Newbury 3663  Thames 1535

4833.6774