My liver is launching a rebellion. Mutiny against yours truly. I've been behaving like a complete disaster lately - I'll blame the 4-day weekend as well as the arrival of Jose's brother to BA. He lives in Monterey (Mexico) and we haven't seen him for several months. Since he's been here, we've drunk more wine than humanly possible, eaten gluttonous meals previously only seen in ancient Rome and generally abandoned any state of healthy/rational living.
It's been incredible!
My big vices are good meals and good wine. I can't really hold back when I'm at a fabulous restaurant with a tempting menu and an even better cocktail/wine list. We usually compensate with nice long runs and trips to the gym (well, we did go twice this week. Not bad...?) but lately that's been taking a backseat.
Two favorite moments from this week have been our dinner at Sipan & the day we went to watch the Argentina vs. England polo match in Palermo. Sipan is one of the most amazing places I've eaten ... ever. Over Christmas we ate at the one in Punta del Este (just next to Bikini beach ... impossible to beat) and Meredith and I haven't been able to stop talking about it since. It's a Peruvian-Japanese fusion spot (heavy on the Peruvian, unlike its quasi-cousin Osaka) loaded with tons of ceviche, sashimi and traditional seafood/rice combos typically found in the region. I wish I could have a video of our meal there that night in Punta. It was just spectacular. There is a Sipan in Buenos Aires, and the original location leaves much to be desired in terms of service and overall ambience (it's located downtown, off of the miserable Calle Florida, in what was once an indoor mini-shopping center ... aka horrible acoustics and poorly aging decor). Lucky for me they came to their senses and opened up another spot in Palermo, in the Palermitano boutique hotel (and conveniently next door to Casa Cruz + Bar Isabel).
Hello, paradise. Inviting and stylish decor with servers who actually know what they're doing .. Sipan finally got it right! There were 13 of us at this dinner and I can't even remember how we approached ordering; their main dishes are sized to share, and then some. At this point I had already had two delicious cocktails and just let the waiter take over, making only one small demand - that there be a tacu-tacu (as fun to eat as it is to say) with spicy shellfish included, preferably sent to my side of the table.
What ensued was a complete feast of some of the best fish I've had in a long time. Salmon and sole sashimi, with a drizzle of hot yellow pepper sauce .... A giant bowl of ceviche topped with heaping red onion and other little gems that were so good I think I blacked out for a second .... well-made and fresh sushi (side note: the only negative is that they put CREAM CHEESE in their sushi here ... It's an Argentine thing and it absolutely baffles/disgusts me) ... heaping portions of tacu-tacus (rice dishes with green onion and a random blend of things like octopus, scallops, calamari ...) all accompanied by an incredible wine and even better company. Luciano's friends from Mexico were joining us and I loved listening to their globe trotting stories (the majority of them have lived all over the world for work) and wishing that I too had my own private islands and 10km of private beach. Le sigh ...
After recovering from that food coma we spent the next day at Jose's cousin's house watching the Argentina / England polo match. Not on tv though ... His building is literally set on the polo pitch! Offers great views and the comfort of a nice seat and warmth (it's chilly now in BA) while you watch everyone bundled up strain to watch the match. Cayetano (cousin) is a wino, as are we, as is Luciano ... as were his friends who were watching with us. I lost count at bottle number 4 but we tried tons of strange and delicious types that kept appearing out of nowhere. We also had a mini Polish vodka tasting .... followed by some tardío (dessert wine) to round it out. Good grief. It wasn't even dinnertime yet!!!!
To make matters worse we made plans to go out for dinner with some other friends that evening. The responsible thing would have been to stay home, drink tea and eat something like a nice salad. Nope. Not us. Clearly we aren't capable of intelligent decision making. Let's run off to a restaurant known for its big portions and good wine list which HAPPENS to be next to one of the best boliches in town. Sure, good things will come of this. 2 bottles of wine and a few cointreaus later .... We're dancing at Tequila with the beautiful people of BA and toasting with some of the strongest g&t's I've ever had. The music was fantastic, the people watching even better ... and I figured that the following day we'd make up for our current excesses.
José and I have instituted prohibition in Basavilbaso and beyond. It's like we've been celebrating Mardi Gras / Carnaval at the end of Lent instead of at the beginning. Time for a little abstention. Time for a little non-alcoholic hydration. Time for a little r&r at home instead of this crazy social life we've been leading .... !
.... Although maybe we can make an exception tomorrow at Easter Brunch. Mimosa, anyone?
