Carne Carne Carne!

Casimiro Bigua

I've been reminiscing about eating in Argentina lately, and wish Casimiro Bigua was not so far away on the southern tip of the Earth in the distant Argentine Patagonia.  This restaurant showcases incredible food with a large selection of equally incredible Argentine wines.  We pigged out on an asado of different cuts of meat.  Each cut had its own distinct beefy flavor, even though all the cuts were grilled in the same argentine-asado manner.  Pat La Frieda would have loved this transcendent experience of subtle (and not-so-subtle) differences in tastes and textures of different cuts of grass-fed beef.  We also had a fantastic fish dish - lightly seared, moist, delicate, which was quickly polished off by me (Andrew was obsessed with the beef).  The waiter recommended a couple of Salta wines for us to try - Salta is the secret gem of Argentine wines.  Because of the high altitude, the grapevines are exposed to a good amount of sunlight and minimal precipitation (the soil is mostly irrigated by water from melted snow from the mountain peaks above).  Summer temperatures reach a 100F in the daytime, while cooling down to 55F in the evening.  Similar to the Californian Paso Robles wines, this climate allows for the Salta grapes to acheive a high sugar content, and hence the wines have a high alcohol volumes of 15% to 16% (but remain incredibly smooth).  MmmmMMMMMM, Salta wines = happy times.  No wonder our waiter waxed poetic about Salta wines.   

  

Centolla Crab

At the very southern tip of continental Americas lies Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego in Argentina.  Darwin sailed through these waters back in his days (hence the name, Beagle Channel).  It's a place where the mountains meet the seas, and windswept trees pepper the land.  It's also a place where you can try the deliciously sweet Centolla crab, the Southern King Crab.  Sweet and savory, the steamed Centolla crab is best served steamed with just a light touch of melted butter and parsley.

El Calafate

Argentine asado/parilla with many different cuts of lamb meat all grilled to perfection. What an awesome way to end the day after glacier hiking (with crampons and all) in Perito Moreno.