The first restaurant my boyfriend, David and I visited, could be designated as an "above-ground" spot, but given its relatively non-descript location and unassuming nature I am going to include it. The place is La Vineria de Gualterio Bolivar; the chef is Alejandro Digilio, formerly of El Bulli fame, working under Ferran Adria. As many of you know, or perhaps are not aware, this means this place is pretty heavy handed with the molecular gastronomy....for better or worse.
I am not going to go blow by blow through each of the over 10 courses, but sort of highlight those things that remain poignant in my mind to this very day. I recall a starter of three separate amuse bouche...the first two were unremarkable...one was a dehydrated veggie chip of sorts, but the one that just straight up didn't work was a ice made out of ceviche liquid and some portion of the fish in solid form. The ice cold briny-ness killed any flavor profile from the fish and basically went down in one quick swallow.
Have no fear, because the meal generally picked up from here. There was a sublime slow cooked egg dish....silken smooth goodness. Also, a pork belly from heaven. Needless to say, for an American that would have to pay well over $150 for a similar experience, the jaw dropping $60 for both food and a fair amount of wine was nothing. Even though there were a few minor misses, overall well worth the time and effort. Plus, this place is in the San Telmo district of BA...very artsy, lots of energy, and a fair amount of great restaurants. David and I stayed at the Cocker, which I can wholeheartedly recommend.
A little aside, but the wine that was paired for me was divine. This is a two to three man/woman operation, but front of the house was amazing. Super accommodating, friendly and not one ounce of pretentiousness (which is more than can be said for places like Paris, Rome, etc.).
All in all, our first stop in BA was a good one!
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