I’m actually a bit excited about this particular Bite Marks. I think it’s been quite some time where every place that I’m including is one I’d recommend. It’s nice when that works out!
One of my brothers was in for a visit, and Tigre was on the list for a day trip. We decided on a vegetarian option that I’ve heard about from quite a few people – touted by some as the best Indian vegetarian food around. And so we made our way to La Cocina de Daksha, Av. Liniers 1756 in Tigre. It’s an outdoor dining space in the garden – as best we could tell, if the weather is inclement, there’s nowhere to sit and eat comfortably. There’s not exactly waiter service, or it’s… modified. There’s a menu, but they don’t take your order, and it’s not 100% related to the food that’s actually available. Some of the dishes are, some aren’t, and there are dishes that aren’t on the menu. You have to wander into the kitchen and basically discuss what options you have, select them, and pay for them. Someone may bring them to your table, you may have to collect some of them yourself – it’s all a bit random.
There are various samosas on offer, we went with a pair of squash and a pair of eggplant and chard. Both delicious, but even more delicious, a jar of tomato chutney selected from the various chutneys and other sauces available. Plus, after we were done dipping, just closed up the jar and brought it home. There was a decent grilled vegetable sandwich, though nothing special. On the other hand, the tofu and paneer versions of the day’s rice bowl were excellent. Surprisingly, we liked the tofu version better than the paneer version – though the sauces were somewhat different, so that might have had an impact as well (the paneer version using cream, the tofu version using toasted cashew puree).
All around, a really nice meal, and quite reasonably priced. Best Indian vegetarian food around? Maybe for a place dedicated to that, as I’m not sure there is another any longer – those I’ve tried in the past, I’m pretty sure are all gone. But there are certainly Indian restaurants with vegetarian dishes that are better than these. Still, I’d go back if I was up in Tigre and in the mood for something different.
As I was working my way through various pizza romana places, in various posts (here and here, for example), Ipolitina, Av. Dorrego 1065 in Chacarita popped up more than once. It was, however, I was cautioned, Calabrian, not Roman, though offering a similar style cut square pizza. It’s a little shop, mostly a mini-Italian grocery and with food to go, but they do have a couple of tables on the sidewalk where you can eat. They’ll even bring it out to you, though you have to order and pay inside.
So what’s the difference between the Roman pizza in teglia and the Calabrian version? Online, no one seems to agree. The woman who waited on me assured me that while similar, they were different – the Roman version being cooked in a large sheet pan, the Calabrian version being cooked directly on the oven deck – resulting in a difference in the crust. Or maybe it was the other way around. And, the toppings are different she asserted. I think that’s more pizzeria dependent than anything. I had a slice of porchetta and rosemary pizza, and another of pepperoni and stracciatella cheese. Both delicious. If I could detect any crust difference, it seemed that the dough had less olive oil in it – less foccacia-like and more pizza dough-like. But again, that could be pizzeria dependent. I’d happily return, any time. I already discussed the cannoli from them – it was good, but too sweet for my tastes.
This place came up as a recommendation for the cannoli hunt, and, at the same time, as a place for great pasta. Who am I to ignore two of my favorite things? And so I popped off for lunch one day at La Tratto Biasatti, Ciudad de la Paz 1917, Belgrano. It’s two side by side locales – one a restaurant, the other a pasta shop. While there are a few tables inside, most of the seating is outdoors. I ordered up one of my all time favorite pastas – hoping against hope, since I’d yet to have a really good one here in BA – bucatini all’amatriciana. Easily, far and away, the best version of this I’ve had in town outside of my own kitchen. Biggest difference is I use more guanciale and I spring for the pricey imported sheep’s milk pecorino romano instead of using a local cow’s milk version. But I’d eat this anytime. I also sampled the cannoli but, again, far too sweet for my tastes, though really well made. I do love that each person gets a mini-loaf of excellent freshly baked bread – most of which I took home. I will be back to try other pastas!
And for our final and bigger review, a place that came recommended by a local chef friend, Mondongo y Coliflór, Del Barco Centenera 1698 in Parque Chacabuco. A lot of the Horde is on vacation for the end of the year, so it ended up only a trio of us for lunch. I somehow had visions of something slightly more trendy and upscale, but this is more or less a bodegón, a local diner of sorts, just without the usual kitsch mounted and hanging around the room. It’s actually pretty spare when it comes to decor, and all hard surfaces, which makes for a very noisy place as it fills up.
For a round of appetizers we went with the highly recommended, both by my friend and online reviews, buñuelos de acelga, or swiss chard fritters. Really some of the best I’ve had, and a nice intro. The ensalada rusa was good, but nothing special. The fried beef empanada, the same.
We were here, however, to try their two signature dishes, the eponymous mondogo and coliflor – or, tripe stew, and cauliflower gratin. I’m not a huge tripe fan, but I’ll taste it, and this was decent, while the horder who ordered it loved it. It reminded her of the tripe stew she grew up with. The cauliflower was maybe a little soupy for my tastes, but the flavors were good. All the above dishes could have used a good pinch or two of salt in them. I’d been forewarned by my friend’s writeup of the place that they don’t use much, if any, salt in their cooking. For me that’s a negative, even if it’s a relatively easy correction. On the other hand, one of the two others at the table cooks at home without salt, and thought everything was spot on. No accounting for tastes, right?
Would I go back? Maybe, maybe not. I wasn’t wowed by it, but I did like it. It’s not in a neighborhood I frequent, but I suppose if I was there for another reason. Most of their menu is grilled items and we didn’t order any, so maybe I’ll toss it into the hopper for my next Steak Scrolls post.
