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Archive for February 11th, 2012

Feb 11

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Mondongo Cultural

Mondengocultural

Mondongocultural

While in La Plata I stopped by this unconventional restaurant/bar called Mondongo Cultural. It serves as a meeting place for artists, and musicians with a full menu and a limited, yet nourishing wine list. One of the highlights for me was the local beer, a nice addition to any hot summer afternoon.

I’m struggling to find the right word to describe the venue. I want to say bohemian but that doesn’t sound right. It’s a welcoming youthful establishment with plenty of character that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s run by a young couple from Tucumán who have a relaxed vibe. There’s lots of art work on the wall and a room where musicians entertain.

Anyway, for what it’s worth — and please remember I lack credibility and don’t like to take pictures of food because I completely suck at it — I would recommend you check this joint (yes you read that word correctly) out. Just for the décor alone. I was there for lunch, but it doesn’t come alive until the evening. Obviously.

Music room

Music room

Cabra 52

Cabra 52 beer

Lunch

Lunch. Completely vegetarian. And delicious.

The patio

The patio, lots of smoking and drinking goes on here!

Decorations

Such lovely windowsill decorations

Dining area

Dining area. I had to use the flash so it doesn’t look as good as it does in person.

Dishes

I had to take photos of the peanut things, ’cause I felt like it

Feb 11

Cathedral of La Plata
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Cathedral de La Plata

Cathedral of La Plata

Cathedral of La Plata

La Plata is the capital of Buenos Aires province. The most impressive landmark in the city is the Cathedral, which is dedicated to the immaculate conception (because you know how maniacally important it is to Catholics that Mary be a virgin), and located in the geographic centre of the city.

I could bore you with facts and dates but it’s not all that important really. Wait there is one important fact. Apparently the church underwent a major renovation in the 1990s because architects feared that the foundation was too weak and that the church could have caved in on itself. Scary.

However, all you need to know is that like most cathedrals throughout the world it’s a marvel to look at. Similar to the Church of Our Lady in Guelph, Ontario, the Cathedral of La Plata is the tallest and most photographed building in its home city. In fact it is among the four tallest churches in America.

I say America for a reason. Latin Americans are taught that North and South America are one continent, whereas in Canada we learn that they are separate. Argentines do not refer to the United States as America. That name is reserved for the entire continent. Got it? Was that clear? Oh who cares!?

Here are some photos from my outing.

From Plaza Moreno

From Plaza Moreno

Cathedral of La Plata

It’s so high! Extremely loud and incredibly close!

Cathedral of La Plata

I don’t think I captured how ornate the exterior is, but I tried

Cathedral of La Plata

So many pieces of brick and concrete

Cathedral of La Plata interior

“Enough columns already!” That’s what I would have said if I were allowed to speak inside the Cathedral. Wait, would these be columns or pillars?

Cathedral of La Plata

They could have at least painted a mural on the ceiling. I mean, slackers!

This is me, Franco

This is me, Franco. I couldn’t get me and the church into the shot. “There can only be one queen in this town!” This is what I told the Church.

Feb 11

La Siesta

La Siesta

La Siesta. All images courtesy of La Siesta's facebook page.

Note: I am not a food reviewer, and I hate taking photos of food. I am not a foodie, I repeat I am not a foodie. In fact, I’ve drafted an entire article about food in Argentina from a rabid vegetarian’s perspective. Food does not excite me like it does countless others, but I had such a lovely experience last night that I thought I would share it.

In Chacarita there is a quaint little restaurant with just the right amount of tasteful charm to prevent you from gagging. What I mean to say is that it doesn’t knock you over the head with how cute it is, that’s how much confidence it oozes.

La Siesta 2

All images courtesy of La Siesta's facebook page

It’s called La Siesta and that’s where I found myself after last night’s concert, nestled in my warm cardigan, on their outdoor patio. Based on what I’ve heard from locals, it’s apparently owned by a lesbian couple (incentive much!) who change the menu every month to accommodate their creative flare.

It’s small, but there wasn’t an empty table. Situated on Av. Elcano it’s a little far from the beaten track but worth the trip. The menu, for you foodies out there, was excellent in variety. The most decadent was the stuffed portobello in rolled egglpant served with ricotta, walnut and rice with lemon and rosemary, spinach and almond strudel with sweet potatoes and onions in balsamic and a honey reduction. Phew! Got that out. Dessert included creme brulee with dulce de leche, chocolate volcano (my ultimate favourite) with ice cream and homemade cakes.

The menu is usually heavy on organic and vegetarian cuisine but this month they’ve added more meat dishes to compliment the heavy summer we’ve been enduring. I just made that up, I don’t know why they’re serving more meat. No idea at all. It’s Argentina, common sense isn’t all that common.

I suppose what I liked about it the most was how unpretentious it appeared. The staff is mostly queer and the clientele was mixed, which I understand is the norm in Buenos Aires. To be honest I would never have known about La Siesta on my own. Yet another reason it’s great to know porteños. That or I’m a bad researcher. I think it might be the latter.

I didn’t stick around for the dessert but I’ve had the chocolate volcano with ice cream at other establishments and let me confess: You haven’t lived until you’ve tried it. It’s that good. You can’t even build it up enough, nothing will prepare you for the experience. It’s better than winning the lottery.

La Siesta 3

All images courtesy of La Siesta's facebook page

Feb 11

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Pedro Aznar At Verano En La Ciudad

Pedro Aznar

Pedro Aznar. I was far back, so this is what I documented. Sorry!

Verano En La Ciudad (Summer In The City) is a festival in Buenos Aires that takes place every year between Enero and Febrero celebrating Argentine art, theatre and music.

Last night I was forced to attend Latin singer Pedro Aznar’s musical concert in Puerto Madero. Aznar is an Argentine musician famous in the jazz, folk and rock music genres. He is a multi-instrumentalist and author of several books of poetry.

Before arriving I was famished and because it was an outdoor concert and I had to stand for all of the songs I became cranky very quickly. The audience was a mix of young and old who snapped me out of my funk immediately. The energy and excitement they demonstrated for Aznar proved a savoury experience for me, even though I couldn’t understand the lyrics to any of the songs. They were a surprisingly respectful group of concert goers.

Aznar’s voice was out of this world. I couldn’t help but be moved by his range and passion. He commanded the audience with his guitar, voice and beautiful melodies. I can’t wait to pick up one of his albums this week.

Audience

The audience was fantastic

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