Eight out of ten Argentine households have pets, 63 percent of which are dogs. Argies love their four-legged amigos for sure. They also love milling about at sidewalk cafes and al fresco restaurants for hours on end. But unlike New York, where you can literally bring your dog anywhere (true story: brought my friend’s French bulldog Yoda to the 8th floor Bumble & Bumble salon in the Meatpacking district, thinking I’d get kicked out in seconds. Instead, the employees dropped everything to cuddle the fawn piglet. Ah, Manhattan), it’s not always clear where our amigos perrunos are allowed and where they aren’t.

Planeta Joy posted a lovely run-down of 9 pet friendly spots to get a bite to eat with Fido by your side. Click over to read the entire article with exact locations, but here is the list:

-Museo Evita – Palermo
-Muu Lechería – Palermo
-Gioia Restaurante & Terrazas – Recoleta
-Duhau Restaurants & Vinoteca – Recoleta
-Croque Madame – Palermo
-Minga – Palermo
-Nucha – Palermo
-Starbucks – Palermo

Ok, so some of these are obvious. I love that the Park Hyatt has a special “VIP” (Very Important Pet) program for guests of the canine persuasion; they’re even welcome at the hotel’s high-rated restaurants. Good to know. Although the Nucha and Starbucks locations listed in the article are in Palermo, it’s pretty clear that other locations with outdoor seating would welcome pets as well.

Where would you like to bring your dog in Buenos Aires?
Woof.

Photo Credit: Planeta Joy

Anyway, this is more of a pre-review since I don’t have photos and plan on going back prepared. While searching for a new restaurant near my office (San Telmo), I stumbled upon Tilde. And man am I glad I did! It’s brand new – about three months old – and just barely registers on Guía Oleo. But it has a 30/30 food rating, enough to pique my panza’s interest.

Tilde is tucked away on Mexico, just off of Defensa. It’s a family-run restaurant that is brimming with charm; you can really tell how much work and love went into the whole operation. The name itself has a dual meaning: not only is it an homage to owner Patricia’s mother, Clotilde, but it also is a bit of a pun. A “tilde” is an accent ( ´ ), and the restaurant creates food “with an accent on Latin American cuisine.” Patricia from the barrio and her grandfather actually constructed the buildings that are just across the street (from 1910), so there is a serious attachment going on here. It’s hard to miss.

The food is simple – homemade classics with a gourmet twist, nothing pretentious. We had an incredible crispy molleja salad, empanadas Tucumanas, and an excellent piece of fish with grilled vegetables. Dessert was amazing – fresh whipped cream and strawberries with an almond brittle. I was licking the plate.

It’s a must-try if you’ve tired of the usual San Telmo haunts or are looking to explore  beyond your own barrio. A real review, with photos and all, will be up soon … But I had to share this little gem with you as soon as I could!

Tilde
Mexico 345 – San Telmo
4342-7506
Lunch – Sunday to Friday, 12-3pm
Dinner – Thursday to Saturday, 7:30-Midnight

Photo Credit: Guía Oleo

Photo Credit: Aiyah via Flickr

My Last Day: Le Bernardin’s Pastry Chef Reflects on 8 Long Years – Great piece written by Michael Laiskonis muses on his journey to working at one of New York’s top restaurants as he plates all of his desserts for the very last time.

Chef José Andrés on the “most amazing business in the world” – On feeding people, the joys of culinary arts, and the challenges of the 21st century

How to Find the Best Food in Any Foreign City, According to Anthony Bourdain – Two words: “nerd fury”

Photo Credits: The Washington Post

Here are the details – also available on Facebook:

Tout le Monde Cafe – Gurruchaga 1417, between Gorriti & Cabrera
From 5pm – 2am (me likey)
Happy Hour: 5pm – 8pm, 2×1 jalapeño margaritas (!!), sangria, and more

Menu:
Molletes- homemade Bolillo bread, black beans, cheese, pico de gallo
Guacamole & Nachos
Tacos de Pibil – Slow cooked pork with Yucatan spices, pickled onion (I WANT THIS)
Torta de Res – Sandwich with braised beef, pickled onion, avocado, black beans, & mayo
Esquites – Fresh corn, chili piquin, lime, cream sauce (hello, foodgasm)
Coconut tres leches cake

Specialty drinks:
Margaritas- regular or jalapeño (!!)
Paloma
Sangria
Agua de Valencia

Photo Credit: NOLAChef

Photo Credit: Tender Crumb

Photo Credit: Tim Hall via NatGeo

Photo Credit: Brooklyn Based

-Fuudis published a nice little list of places that are either offering a special menu or ooze with romantic ambiance. Check it out if you’re stuck.
-Planeta Joy never fails – 10 restaurants for your Valentine’s Day feast (as always, good variety)
-Guía Oleo has exclusive deals with La Cabrera, Milion, María Felix and more
-Pura Vida published a link to some raspberry heart tartes – for the healthy chefs
-Cocina Sunae will be open and serving up Southeast Asian delights. Nothing says love like spicy penang curry in Chacarita. Details at the link.
-Bengal will also serve a special tasting menu (AR$300/person) on the 14th. Call 4314-2916. (Arenales 837 – Retiro)
-Vasalissa Chocolates in Recoleta will satisfy any sweet tooth craving
-La Panadería de Pablo (which I’ve been dying to visit) is hosting a four-course meal. Details on their Facebook page

Brunch in Buenos Aires. Le sigh. Few places have gotten it right, and thankfully we can add HG at the Fierro to the list. Don’t expect a greasy plate of sunny-side up eggs and bacon (mmm, bacon) though, this is kind of like brunch’s serious/foodie big brother. And that’s what makes it so damn good.

We arrived on a rainy Sunday, just on time for our 12pm reservation. Despite having received an e-mail confirmation, our name wasn’t on the list. Kind of weird, but since it was on the early side (the place was empty) it wasn’t an issue.

After being read the menu, we gave the waiter our drink orders (coffee or tea, water, orange juice, and a little shot of green apple/celery juice), anxiously awaited the first course. The little fruit bowl and yogurt parfait were a nice way to ease into the affair, although we ran a risk of filling up just on drinks alone. So much liquid! The little juice shot was quite good and I was glad that I could order green tea without any issue.

Then came the bread basket. Hellooooooo gorgeous. Warm, gooey medialunas and other amazeballs fresh breads were placed before us. It took a lot of self-restraint not to scarf down all the medialunas, but only because I knew that we were in for a marathon of eating up ahead.

After sufficiently lining our stomachs with sugary carbohydrates, the waiter brought out our Bloody Mary “shot.” It was almost big enough to count as a real drink, and it was pretty good. Luckily my brunch-mate isn’t a fan of Bloodys so I got to chug down two. Score!

The second course was a poached egg atop mashed potato and served with sauteed mushrooms. Simple but delicious. I love good earthy ‘shrooms and these added a nice, rich depth to what is otherwise a simple dish. Mixing the yolk with the potato gave it a nice thick texture, too. Just enough without being too heavy or greasy.

The next plate of joy placed before us was a simple langostino, cooked to perfection and served with a sweet maracuyá sauce. I loved the crunch and flavor the sesame seeds added, and though the sauce was a little sweet, overall I was about to lick the plate clean.

After the shrimpfest we were served a big bowl of rabas. Now, I love rabas as much as the next girl, but of all the dishes this was our least favorite. I think our waiter forgot to bring us some dipping sauce (we later saw other tables dippin’ away), which would have made a difference. And while the rabas had a bit of lemon zest sprinkled on top, lemon juice would have been killer. Unfortunately by the time he brought out lime(?) wedges, we had eaten almost all of our little batter-fried rings.

Ok, I need a moment. The next course was by far my favorite, in a way where I was ready to make inappropriate noises at the table to express my joy and satisfaction. We don’t remember being told about this dish when the waiter read us the menu, so maybe that added to our happy surprise.

Behold. Sardines (or maybe anchovies? Yikes, can’t remember) prepared in the most perfect way – marinated like crazy and cooked with a little oil, green onion and the slightest hint of hot pepper. HELLO, foodgasm. The texture was incredible – kind of like velvet – and the tangy flavor was salty without being overbearing. I had a hard time showing restraint and was glad when my brunch buddy let me have his share.

Feel like you need a break? There are still three more courses to go. The portions are pretty spot-on though, filling without being a real bomba in the tumtum. However, I will say that having just one waiter/manager and one busboy to manage the brunch was cutting it close – once the room filled up with other groups, the wait times between each course grew noticeably.

The entraña was nice and medium-rare, and the carrot puree was bright and refreshing. I loved the little wheat berries when I mixed them with the carrot. A nice little meat morsel before the desserts were brought out.

We were a little confused at the first dessert – it was like some sort of yogurt foam, topped with granola bits, lychee (yum!) and some Colombian fruit thing. The waiter didn’t explain it very well. While we were all a bit reluctant at first, if you mixed everything together to a uniform distribution, it was actually quite good. I loved the lychee and crunch of the sunflower seeds.

Ok, real dessert time. Dense chocolate marquise with a sugar cookie crust. The crust was actually so hard/frozen that it was impossible to crack. After flipping it over, we were able to attack with ease. Very rich, very chocolatey, very sweet. It was good though (I can’t say no to chocolate, natch). I think that some fresh berries would have been a better garnish than the biscotti-esque brownie chunks, but no biggie.

Three hours later, we were full without feeling gross, and had just eaten some of the most delicious food ever. And the price cannot be beat! It’s just AR$100/person, but if you have Club La Nación (basically my savior), there is a 20% discount. Given that all of your drinks are included, it’s a pretty amazing deal. Not to mention that you’re eating some of the most quality ingredients in Buenos Aires. True story.

Maybe you won’t have a standing date with friends at HG for brunch every Sunday (although it would be nice), but it will definitely enter into your rotation as a special spot. Go when you’re not in a rush, when you want to linger and enjoy every course without looking at your watch. I’d say go on the “early” end (12 or so) since it does get quite crowded and goes from “tranqui” to “expat convention 2012″ pretty fast. Try to snag the table next to the glass doors (if it’s not nice enough to eat outside), since you’ll enjoy the most natural light and be tucked away in a little corner.

HG Hernán Gipponi
The Fierro Hotel
Soler 5682 – Palermo Hollywood
Brunch is served every Sunday, by reservation only
3220-6800