It’s been over three years since my last foray into sandwiches, at least with any concentration. There have been numerous sandwiches on The Great Sandwich Hunt during that time, just not all put together for your lunchtime enjoyment.

 

Raclette, Grilled cheese & coffee house, Arenales 939, Retiro – other than peanut butter and jelly, there’s probably nothing more norteamericano in the sandwich world than a good grilled cheese. Aside a steaming bowl of soup, it was practically a religious experience growing up in the midwest US. So when I spotted this place one day shortly before leaving on vacation, it went on my list for a must do on my return. Unfortunately, it turns out that in this land of the provoleta, a block of cheese actually cooked on a grill and served up sans bread, the concept of “grilled cheese” apparently isn’t that of those of us from the north. In fact, there are no grilled sandwiches, cheese or otherwise. There are two big blocks of the namesake raclette cheese under heat lamps, keeping their surfaces gooey enough to scrape some onto each sandwich. But no grill. And, no cheese sandwiches. Just “pick your bread, pick your lunch-meat, pick your garnishes, and we’ll put some of that raclette over the top of all of it. Now, they’re not bad sandwiches – the bread is quite good, the meats are fine, and the accompaniments fresh. But, other than the gimmick of the raclette, there’s not a lot to see here, the sandwiches don’t rise past the level of “good”, and range from 110-160 pesos, with nothing else on the plate.

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Casa Cavia, Cavia 2985, Palermo – Ever since this spot opened up, I’ve been hearing stories about a) how amazing it is, and b) how expensive it is. Now, I’m not one to talk (though I do) about how expensive things are – let’s face it, dining at Casa SaltShaker isn’t cheap by BA standards. Then again, for us$80, or roughly 1600 pesos, we offer up a five course menu that includes a small cocktail, five glasses of wine, mineral water, and coffee, and, of course, the whole social aspect of the communal table. So if Casa Cavia is coming in at similar prices for their meals, who I am to kick? They may not have the whole social aspect, but damn that’s a pretty garden centered dining room. It’s a stunning setting to dine in – or, in this case, to brunch in, one Sunday while I was out and about.

Now, at brunch, if you want to do the whole thing, it’s a four course meal that starts with a bread/cereal course, then a choice of salad or sandwich, then a main course, and then dessert. It runs 1200 pesos and includes mineral water and coffee (although that goes up if you opt for the steak main course, 1 of only 3 options, at which point you pay 1550 pesos). Now, that’s $60, which is pricey, but not really outrageous for a top quality brunch. I also realized that after just getting back from vacation in Lima, I wasn’t really kicking about those prices on meals, and several of them were in the same range. However, it also sounded like a lot of food. I decided to go a la carte and order a salad and sandwich from the second course options. It’s worth noting that if you order a la carte, you could do the four-course brunch from as inexpensively as 1100 pesos, actually saving 100 over the fixed price, with the cheapest option in each round, on up to 1810 if you go the most expensive in each. Unlike many brunches at higher end places, it doesn’t include any alcohol. And, interestingly, despite my sitting literally right in front of the bar, I was never offered a drink, in fact, I was never given either the cocktail or wine menu – I even at one point asked about them, as every other table seemed to have them, to which the response was, “yes, we have them” – but they weren’t brought to me. I mean, I could have demanded a drink, and a good Bloody Mary at brunch is a favorite, if they have them, and I could have asked a second time about the menus, but I was fine without.

“Roasted eggplant, caramelized tomato, and cottage cheese” was my pick of the three salads. And, it wasn’t bad – several long halves of Japanese eggplant cooked down to a texture just verging on being chewy, but managing to stay just on the soft side, and, actual curds of housemade cottage cheese, something we don’t get down here. A few too many olives for my tastes, but overall, really good. But is it an $18 dollar salad, i.e., 360 pesos? On to the sandwich, our raison d’etre for this post, and the “roasted lamb, roasted peppers, and criollo sauce” sandwich. We’re talking ethereal lamb here. So tender you could eat it with a spoon. And beautifully spiced. And fantastic bread. And these amazing borderline crunch baked potatoes. It certainly blows away the lamb sandwich that was my favorite for eating, though not for paying for, one at Café des Artes at the MALBA museum, which ran the equivalent of $23. This is a mere 440 pesos, or a shade under $22, six years of inflation later. Add in a coffee (isn’t that purty?) and a bottle of water, and what would have been impeccable service had it not been for the cocktail/wine menu thing, and did I mention that gorgeous garden setting in which to relax and enjoy? Brunch came in at 980 pesos for all that, plus tip, so we’re looking at about $54. Less than some places you could have brunch here, more than many others. And you know what? Worth it. Every peso. Just not something I’m going to do on a regular basis. But dinner for a special occasion is definitely in the offing somewhere down the road.

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BIS, Vicente Lopez 1661, Recoleta – Round #21 for the Roving Ravenous Horde, and just two of us met up at the new incarnation of Gonzalo Aramburu’s BIS, which I reviewed in its original location four years ago. He packed it in over there in Monserrat, and re-opend in the space vacated by Sirop Folie, which used to be our favorite brunch spot here in Recoleta, until it closed up a couple of years ago. I think the space has actually been vacant since, though I’m not sure. Now, I really liked the room at the original BIS, with its high ceilings, tons of light, and the rustic feel. The new space is dimly lit, kind of eggplant (innards) colored, and its gone all Recoleta chi-chi on us.

The menu has changed, radically. While at dinner, apparently they retain the rustic dishes with touches of creativity to them that were the hallmark of the place, at lunchtime they’ve gone more basic. The prix fixe lunch, at 260 pesos, which is roughly the same as the four-year-ago 95 peso price, is now a choice of a steak, a piece of chicken, or fish, with oven roasted potatoes. It might even be a better deal as it now includes a glass of wine. The rib-eye steak is delicious, and cooked a perfect medium rare, though somewhat chewy; and the crunchy outside and creamy inside potatoes were fantastic, but hey, it’s a steak and fries. The a la carte menu offers salads and sandwiches, nothing more. There are no appetizers. The quite good club sandwich, executed nicely, was layers of chicken and bacon and avocado and lettuce and tomato and egg, on a nice sandwich roll. With the same delicious potatoes. I’d happily eat it again, and at 180 pesos, or about $9, it’s not overpriced. It’s all good, and it’s all fairly priced, and the local business folk and ladies who lunch all seemed happy to be eating there. I did miss having the option for some of those more creative dishes that are on the dinner menu though, at lunch. Still, it’s a five minute walk from home, I imagine we can make it over there for dinner now and again.

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Florentin, Junín 1795, Recoleta – A brand-spanking-new spot that just opened up in the Village Recoleta strip opposite the entrance to the Recoleta Cemetery. It’s a window in a wall, a takeout counter. The name, Florentin, comes from the Bohemian, slightly trendy, southern Tel Aviv neighborhood, and, as might be expected from that, the offerings are basically Israeli street food. The menu is short and simple, a trio of sandwiches, some sides, and stuff to drink. As of yet, there are no tables and chairs out front, though those are coming. For now, you can either sit on a park bench or grab a spot in the grass on the plaza. [Closed end of July 2019]

Given that the internet is apparently blowing up with a debate on whether poptarts can be considered a form of ravioli or dumpling (I fall firmly in the “not” camp, though I might be persuaded to consider them as a sweet empanada of sorts), I’m not going to debate whether or not a filled pita bread is a sandwich. I think it is, albeit not sliced bread. I went with the lamb kebab sandwich. At 175 pesos for a takeout stand that sounds a tad up there, but it’s lamb, it’s Recoleta, it’s packed with two good sized kebabs, and nine, yes nine, different garnishes, from salady things to sauces, and most importantly, it’s delicious. I mean, really delicious. A side of hummus runs 120 pesos, but it’s a full cup of hummus accompanied by two full sized pitas cut into triangles. And it’s easily the best hummus I’ve had in Buenos Aires that I haven’t made myself. Spicy, garlicky, and a perfect texture, and enough, really, for two people to share. The cucumber water, highly recommended by the young woman at the counter, was nothing more than soda water with some slices of cucumber in it, and maybe a little sugar, but as she promised, it was perfect with the food. I’m going to be dropping by this place regularly, especially given that it’s just three blocks from home.