Casa Felix

On my last evening (or night, as this city eats and sleeps very late!) in Buenos Aires, we went to Casa Felix. This may have been the highlight of my trip! Casa Felix is a "closed-door" restaurant, a common theme in this area. Chefs invite diners into their home a few days a week to enjoy a pre-set menu. Casa Felix has been featured in several major publications (which inadvertently attracts a lot of American tourists). An interesting choice by the chef is to feature only pescetarian dishes, which is rare in such a meat-centered country. Chef Diego Felix and his wife Sanra (a San Diego native) invited us into their home with two other staff members. They treated us to a welcome drink in their backyard, where they grow many of the herbs and vegetables used in their dishes. We enjoyed the 5 course meal on their patio with just 6 other tables. We finished our meal with Yerba Mate - an herbal tea that is quite popular in South America. I highly recommend this place to anyone visiting the area! The chef also does a summer tour of California, if anyone is interested, the contact info can be found on their website: http://colectivofelix.com/casa-felix/

Tasty herb and rum welcome drink

Herbs growing in the backyard

Enjoying my last night with my beautiful sister

Bori Bori, a Paraguayan dish of corn and fish

Mbeyu - a version of fried tofu

Mint and Melon Granita

White Fish with Cauliflower puree and Root vegetables

Pear Cake with Lemon Ice Cream

I can't believe it has been a week since this dinner! I am ready to go back...who wants to join me?

Sights & More Food

Here are various pictures from my phone and camera from my amazing Spring Break.

My first sunset in South America overlooking Rio de la Plata

Chivita - a Uruguayan sandwich with beef fillet, ham, mozzarella, bacon and eggs

Ceviche

Obelisco de Buenos Aires

Cementario de Recoleta

Grilled Filet, Short Ribs and Chorizo

Brownie Torta (with dulce de leche and meringue) - my favorite dessert here!

Burger (very American of me...)

Beautiful Dessert Display

Afternoon Tea with a small chocolate treat

Just some of the beautiful greenery in Buenos Aires

Empanadas - Roquefort/Celery & Carne at a great, local spot - La Morada

More Awesome Desserts

Argentina is known for a great steak selection

Enjoying my Lomo Steak

View from a lighthouse overlooking Rio de la Plata

Cafe Olsen

I am back from a wonderful week in South America, which flew by, leaving me little time to post on the blog. I have accumulated some pictures that I will share with all of you this week. A special thank you to my sister for being the best host! She is quickly becoming a local in Buenos Aires and I loved spending the past few days with her. I envy her as she takes this opportunity to live in a totally different culture and fully embrace every moment she has there. She has an Instagram account, called thefoodfiesta if anyone would like to follow along on her adventures! 

On Friday, she took me to a place called Cafe Olsen. The restaurant is full of Nordic influences, and is the place that made Western-style "brunch" popular in Buenos Aires. I enjoyed the atmosphere and decor here - we sat on the enclosed patio, with some relaxed music playing in the background, and enjoyed a glass of wine. They have a full menu of vodka shots but we decided it was a bit early for that! The food, though presented well, was a bit bland and nowhere I would return to. 

Unique Entrance

Lunch Menu

Nordic Bagels

Inside Decor

Indoor Terrace

Patio Seating

Mascarpone Risotto with side salad and Olsen potatoes

Roast Beef Sandwich and Chilled Tomato-Raspberry Soup

Chocotorta - an Argentinian Specialty

Back After a Little Hiatus!

Hi Guys! Starting medical school last fall made me sit (more or less) in one place after a wonderful six months of traveling the world. I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to spend my spring break visiting my sister in South America! She is doing a semester in Buenos Aires and is having a blast thus far. We wouldn't be true to ourselves if we didn't plan our time together around food, so I thought I would share with all of you. After landing in Buenos Aires Saturday at 1am, we went straight out until sunrise, then hopped on a ferry to cross the river to relax in Uruguay for a few days. Here are some pictures of our first day/night, and I promise to post a bit more regularly into the spring and the fall. Thanks for following along! 

Local Graffiti

Cute streets of Colonia

Beautiful Sunset

We stumbled upon a place called Buen Suspiro, known for their local wine and cheeses. They had an extensive wine list, and a variety of different sets of "appetizers" to choose from. We chose one that included four types of cheese, two cold cuts (salami and chorizo, my personal favorite), two vegetable tarts (onion and leek), and ricotta walnut truffles. We chose a Tannat wine, which is local to the region of Uruguay.

Local cheeses displayed in the restaurant

Local jams and preserves for sale

The courtyard we sat in

Local Tannat wine - full bodied, flavorful, and not too dry

Marinated local cheese starter

Vegetable Tarts and Truffles

Blue cheese and two local cheeses (the one on the left was my favorite)

Pretty arrangement of more local cheese and cold cuts

Me and my lovely sister (living in Ohio, my skin forgot what the sun looked like...hence the burn!)

Bonbon - dulce de leche ice cream covered in chocolate

Pears in red wine...yum!

View from the local lighthouse