Feria Masticar 2016

I’m not usually a “festival” person. Long lines, massive crowds, getting jostled around without much to show for it… sometimes it’s just too stressful to handle. However, there are times when taking a deep breath and diving into the insanity is all part of the fun.

It’s time for Feria Masticar, the star of Buenos Aires’ burgeoning food movement, now in its fifth year running. Waving the #ComerRicoHaceBien flag, it promises four days of eating and drinking extravaganzas, with the city’s best and brightest talent showcasing their goodies for the people.

In an effort to make the experience more enjoyable for everyone involved, this year the fair is sort of an XL reloaded version of itself, having annexed a few extra blocks and open spaces surrounding El Dorrego. There’s a whole brasas section, a beer garden, tons of market vendor stands in the middle of it all, and more space overall to stroll/scarf/lie down when your food baby gets too big.

Let’s get down to business. Here’s my shortlist of what you can’t miss from this year’s edition:

Savory

• Chorichang by Astor Bistro (the wild boar raviolis are also the jam, slurp up that brodo, bro)
• Arepas de pollo y cerdo braseado by i Latina (#PuraSabrosura)
• Oysters from Patagonia (served both raw and breaded in Panko) by Crizia
• Chorifish + Cebichón by La Mar (be prepared for XXXL lines, however, everyone wants a piece of Gastón Acurio’s Peruvian magic)
• Empanadas de Yacaré by El Baqueano (yep, you’re going to eat caiman)
• 100-hour Bondiola by Pura Tiera (Chef Martín Molteni literally makes me want to live in a cabin)
• Pulpitos by my favorite neighbors BASA
• Pastrón by Mishiguene
• Prawns by Gipponi + Rastellino (#UnaToneladaDeLangostinos)

Sweet

• Sugar rush chocolates by Compañía de Chocolates
• Dolce Morte ice creams by Elena (smoked milk has never been so sexy)
• Elderflower sorbet by Cassis
• Cookies by Santa Teresita (if you weren’t lucky enough to summer in José Ignacio, now’s your chance)
• Chocolate Cardamom Mousse by the Nespresso Patisserie

Drinks

• Bar de Vinos by CAVE (rent a glass for 100 pesos and go to town on some fancy wines from Argentina’s best bodegas)
• Alfredo Romero + more by Ludovico De Biaggi at the Gancia Cocktail Truck
• Mimosa de Remolacha by Julep
• Negroni Balestrini at Florería Atlántico (points for their awesome floral garnishes and beards)
• Pisco Punk by 878
• Everything coffee by the Nespresso Patisserie (go for the coffee + chocolate pairings to really get your blood sugar roaring)

This obviously doesn’t cover everything, but these recommendations will guarantee you leave having sipped and nibbled one some of the best that Masticar has to offer this year.

Double up on patience before you arrive, be prepared to get pushed around by surprisingly strong Argentine grannies, and take a lap or two before you commit to anything. Crowds are more manageable later in the evening, and if you go on Sunday when things are winding down you might be able to take home some of the goods (one woman I spoke to made off with 14kg of clams last year… why that seemed tantalizing to her I will never know).

Feria Masticar
Zapiola 50 – El Dorrego
Now through Sunday, May 8, every day from noon-11pm

Entrance $80
Dishes & drinks range from $50-80
Be smart – Buy tickets in advance here

 

Cooking Classes at Fuego

One of the reasons I love this city is its uncanny ability to draw you in, seducing you with its hidden gems, stunning architecture, and nostalgic romance, among so many other qualities. In spite of the chaos, the stress of the hustle, and the feeling that the city might actually be out to break our spirits just for fun, there’s a redeeming quality that can be found around almost every corner – if you know where to look.

Life has been hectic lately, working long hours and weekends, rushing around just to get the basic things done, and I’m often left at the end of the day feeling like a deflated little party balloon. However, when I rang the buzzer and took the old-school lift up to Fuego for a Korean cooking class the other day, all of that noise melted away as the magic of Buenos Aires reveled herself to me yet again.

Review: Editor Market Café

Buenos Aires has experienced a serious coffee boom in recent years, with a slew of sleek spots popping up all over town – not only in the typically trendy Palermo but also in Microcentro and San Telmo. After generations of accepting burnt cortados and mediocre cafés con leche, younger palates have grown more discerning as their penchant for buzzwords like “fair trade,” “organic,” and “flat white” gradually evolved into genuine interest and expertise.

We’re all familiar with the current favorites: LAB Tostadores de Café, Lattente, Barrio Cafetero, and Coffee Town (special mention for The Shelter and its insanely well-done interior design). No one can deny that they’re the collective caffeine kings, bolstered by delicious add-ons like LAB’s chocolate chip cookies and Lattente’s special guest Sheikob peddling his perfect bagels on Sunday mornings.

So let’s take a minute to give a warm welcome to newcomer Editor Market Café, a special little gem that is sure to earn its spot along the new ruta de café porteña (patent pending on that phrase).

Review: Pain de Sucre

It doesn’t take much to convince me to dive into something sweet. No one has to twist my arm to order (more) dessert after dinner, and there’s always room for another bag of Haribo in my bag after a trip through Duty Free. Since I can remember, my palate has been fine-tuned to favor a decadent chocolate mousse or a brownie sundae piled high with whipped cream. When I moved to Buenos Aires however, I had no idea what I was in for. Dulce de leche on top of dulce de leche, crema pastelera out the wazoo, kilo after kilo of creamy helado in every flavor imaginable. The saccharine overload was almost enough to turn me into a savory-only girl.

Review: Brasero Atlántico

Once upon a time, calle Arroyo was just a place where you’d go to window shop for expensive antiques or drink free champagne out of plastic flutes for Gallery Nights. However, thanks to those brave souls that saw potential for a fabulous foodie future, the past few years have brought a fresh crop of delicious business to the barrio.

By this point we’re all familiar with Florería Atlántico and the magic it entails. The place is now so popular that locals are forced to hover around the entrance in line with Brazilian tourists and other curious travelers, yearning for a coveted seat somewhere, anywhere that’s free. It’s still one of the best watering holes in town, but as with everything in life, it never hurts to spice things up and forge ahead.

Enter Brasero Atlántico, Florería’s laid back little brother. After months of intrigue and patience, the much-awaited sibling made its quiet debut just a couple of weeks ago, right next door.