La Vineria de Gualterio Bolivar
Posted on | September 25, 2009 | No Comments
Location-865 Bolivar,Buenos Aires , Argentina
Cuisine- Creative Down to Earth Argentinian
The Gagit’s last night in Buenos Aires and the choice tonight a creative Argentinian chef who also serves over 70 wines by the glass with his cuisine . Food and Wine rates this their critics choice.We enter this restaurant in San Telmo and are transformed into a new culinary experience for Buenos Aires.The Chef Alejandro Digillo , with Ferran Adria on his CV , but a mind and creativity of his own. We are greeted at the door by Nicholas,pictured above, who will be our server, our Sommelier, and anything else we need since he is the only outside employee and for this 8 table restaurant tonight.
Tonight, they are offering a 11 course Degustation menu,all shown above, ,at $40 a person, yes $40… We can also order any wine on the extensive list by the glass and Nicolas was at the top of his game here.I will review all the wines at the end of the menu , in order to give them the justice they deserve.The first course served by the Chef is a El Bulli retropsective and hopefully the last one of its type. As shown, 5 bite size tastes,to be eaten left to right for maximum tasting power. and, lo and behold, they did have taste and consistency ,and no pine nut juice or charcoal a la Ferran. The Mango ice could really be tasted and the next to last , the Tuna with Ginger was a knockout, This would have been 5 courses at El Bulli so we are really having a 15 course meal ,lol.
The next course is a salad adaptation and it really had crunch ,an El Bulli no no. Cauliflower , Broccolli, Arugula,a few ingredients along with a sensational pickled beet all enhanced with an Arugula puree. Now the real food, course 3, a white Salmon with a cauliflower mash and a sprig of green. a nice starter for the in depth menu. The next course brought me to attention, a Latin Surf and Turf,Lamb Tongue cooked perfectly and tasty, and local baby scallops with a brine based flavor , wowwwwwwww. Next shown, local favorite poached Negra Hacke in a Oyster Stew broth with gellatous tomato noodles ,I close my eyes and really think Heston Blumenthal is cooking and I am at the Fat Duck.
More mains,Beef Cheek cooked to perfection with Apple gelee , and a foam that even Nicolas admits is for show. The next course, a potato chip wrapper for a lamb and pea taste treat , to be eaten from bottom up. The last and best main, sous vide Rib Eye with Ratatouille in a spinach pancake in a rich Malbec Sauce . , yes ,Ferran you need lessons from this chef.
The wines are the topic of this paragraph and it really was everything I was expecting and more. A glass of Champagne to start the meal and then our new favorite white wine , exclusively in Argentina, Torrontes. Tonight, we are drinking a Jose L. Mounier 2008 from Salta of course and the perfect citrus bite for our first two courses. Next, a rich,Alfredo Roca,Pinot Noir , it was surprising in depth that I do not usually get from a California Pinot . Then, with the Hacke a Dona Paula Chardonnay that surprised me with its opulant taste. The potato chip and lamb course a Sur de Los Andes Bonarda 2006, rich blackberry taste but not equal to the Cavas Linterna , premium Bonarda,that I wish everyone could taste. And with the main course , the Beef Rib , a Colome’ Reserva 2005 , what a wine perfection from Salta and probably only at this restaurant in all of Buenos Aires.
Dessert time and we have three courses to go. the first dessert a pear dessert with Ginger Graham Cracker , with pear cavier, ordinary here but way above the desserts at El Bulli.The second dessert is here and what a presentation, Cacao Heaven.Frozen air of Cacao,creamy flan of chocolate,rock of yogurt,goat cheese ice cream, and earth of chocolate mousse , need I say more the picture says it all. Next to the Bacon and Egg Ice Cream dessert at Fat Duck , this dessert is the most creative the Gagit’s have ever seen or tasted.But wait, one more dessert. a sugar circle on a stick flavored with Anise , wow what a ending. And with that, Les Perdices Ice,,a unique ice wine utiziling Malbec wine.A perfect ending for a perfect meal.The cost of the wine , all 14 full glasses was about equal to the cost of the meal per person. In perspective, the cost of the whole food and wine experience was 20 % of the bill at El Bulli.
Let the Truth be Told, I can only say that if this restaurant was in Spain or England or the U.S. it could be rated in the top restaurants and if it was in Spain , a trip to El Bulli would no longer be necessary. This is a case of the student learning from the teacher the Art of Food and then realizing that Food is more important than Art and in his restaurant has achieved this goal.
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Let me introduce myself: I am ER Gagit. Food and Drink are my Game. I have done extensive traveling, eating and drinking in some of the finest establishments throughout the world. read more
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