One of the things you really have to do in Argentina is have steak. Argentina is famous the world over for its grass-fed beef and spectacular steakhouses, whether you choose a platter of grilled meat heavy enough to stagger the waiter (the whole BBQ platter, or parilla, usually includes a few bits of the cow we don’t normally eat in the US, including intestines and sweetbreads), or a more manageable portion of rib-eye or filet served charred and rare with endless glasses of Argentine Malbec.
We opted for the full-on tourist meal, from The Argentine Experience. Yes, it is aimed directly at tourists, but the dinner and ‘experience’ was so much fun! We drank too much wine, made our own empanadas, had absolutely perfect steaks and grilled vegetables, and then ate as many alfajores cookies as we could make–led by very funny and enthusiastic chefs and waiters. Perhaps not the traditional steak dinner, but we had a blast. I think if we could have convinced Mark’s sister and her husband to come out with us, we might have opted for a restaurant offering the traditional Padilla, but alas, they are mostly vegetarian and going out for giant hunks of rare-cooked cow is not so alluring for them.
