Vendimia 2009, Huge Party

Vendimia 2009...This was a real treat.

The video is from a Mendoza News station.



Vendimia is a yearly festival which coincides with Argentina's annual agricultural harvest. Always the first week of March, in more recent years, it has become in large part a celebration of wine.

Also the Harvest Queen of Mendoza Province is chosen, which is more or less a beauty pageant. This is a huge deal in Mendoza. There have been many times when the father of the losing queen has filed lawsuits over the judging. The province of San Martin delivered the winning beauty this year a-mid controversy about the governor's dealings with the judges, blah, blah, blah. Our taxi driver told us that it was the same arguments every year, no matter who wins.

Many people from all over South America come to Mendoza for this grand festival and it is really a huge party that goes from Friday midday until Tuesday morning. We definitely tried our hardest to keep up with the locals but man, they party.

That night as we were pushing our way through the mobs of people that had formed on San Martin Ave. we started to realize the extent of the party. Each county in Mendoza has a float that displays their Queen candidate to all of the captivated on-lookers. They also throw fruit back and forth between the crowd and the parade participants making the street look like the end of a Gallagher Show.



We were starting to get a little squished by all the people on the streets and just so happened to see a fellow English speaking couple, cracking a joke about the old camera equipment that the tv stations were using. Will and Lara invited us to go to a resto-bar that their concierge had told them about. The concierge assured them it was the best spot in Mendoza to watch the parade and it wasn't long before we realized that she was right. 10 floors above the street, on a open-air terrace was just what we needed to get away from the crowds and relax. Decimo...More on this bar in another post.

Here are some pics of the parade from the terrace at Decimo.

Best juice in Mendoza - Dante Soppelsa

Dante Soppelsa

The first weekend in town Ash and I found the best fresh juice in the city of Mendoza. Dante Soppelsa. This was a really chic ice cream shop that hosts some of the best treats in the city. It is locally owned and you can tell that they really have a passion for what they do. We stumbled upon this at about 1 am after dinner at Facundo. They were advertising fresh squeezed juice. Some of you make know that we are juice freaks and serve this seasonally at the cafe, so we had to try it. (Little did we know that we would be drinking the best juice ever for about three more weeks!)



We ordered two jugos de naranja con pomelo. (Orange/Grapefruit Juice) They were simply amazing. A short time after we ordered, a dapper looking waiter served us two juices and two small cups of sparkling water...Such a nice touch.

Memorial for the Disappeared - Argentina

24 de Marzo. The 24th of March. This is the day in 1976 that the Argentine Military Junta staged and succeeded in the coop over President Isabell Peron. Juan Peron's third wife had accended to the Presidency because of Juan's death in July of 1974, but was more of a puppet than leader.

It is now a national holiday - a day of remembrance for the Dirty War that would follow in the wake of the coop.

I have become fascinated with the Guerra Suciar, (Dirty War) been doing a lot of reading and when I can, talking to people about it. The Military Junta began and led an aggressive campaign against left wing political/social activists and military guerrilla activity in the country. It is estimated that there was 10,000 to 30,000 Argentine "desaparecidos" or forced disappearances, for committing subversion and treason.

I am not going to go into huge detail on it but I will give you link for a declassified file from the United States National Security Archives.

Nuts and Bolts on US/Argentina

Not surprisingly we had a role in this proxy battle during the final years of the Cold War. This file contains more or less an interview with one of the high ranking officers in the Argentine Military. It goes into detail about the disappeared and the detention centers around the nation. They definitely didn't teach us anything about this in history.

If you Google Dirty War (or click because I did it for you) you can read for decades about this.

I just wanted to say that we might think we are in a huge, devastating crisis, but the people of Argentina are laughing at us.

As our new amigo Fernando said, "Crisis, Ha, We are always Crisis."


On another note: Today is the 20th Anniversary of the Exxon Valdez crash that spewed 10.8 million gallons of oil in the pristine Prince William Sound. While Exxon originally had been levied with $5 Billion in punitive damages; the US Supreme Court overturned the ruling in July 2008 and reduced the damages to 383 Million -- a drop in the ocean.

First day in Mendoza, beauty and gluttony begins....

When Ash and I got to Mendoza we had just finished about 40 hours of straight travel. I am actually surprised that is was only that long. We arrived a few hours before our apart-hotel was open and we had to struggle over the phone with the Spanish speaking receptionist in order for her to let us in. We stayed at the Modigliani Art and Design Suites. It was pretty nice and really felt like we had our own home in Mendoza. The top floor was the office and an art studio. There is a lot of boutique Apart-hotels popping up in Argentine cities and many are outfitted with the latest in art and chic design. While I wouldn't recommend staying here if you can afford more it was perfect for Ashley and I. The room was quite small and the bed was not very comfortable, but for $100/night it was a steal. We were also right down where all of the action of Vendimia 2009 would be. More on that later as it deserves it's own Post.

After we got checked in we quickly showered and hit the streets in search of real food. (I was starving, even after all that wonder plane and bus food, who would have thought?)

We quickly found it in the shape of a pear. This luscious piece of fruit was bursting with flavor and I quickly devoured it and pronounced it "Best Pear ever Eaten"Ash and I continued on to lunch at Anna Bistro which we had been checking out in our travel book. We were pretty sure it wouldn't be to full of tourists because it was kind off the beaten path. In in the two times we were there...(both lunch) I never heard anyone speaking English.

When we arrived at Anna Bistro we were welcomed into the chic restaurant/lounge by the bartender squeezing fresh limes, oranges, and lemons for the many great cocktails that they serve. Almost every restaurant and bar in Argentina squeezes juice fresh. (some of the big shops in Bs As serve it out of the box however.) We were told to pick our seats and we went to one of the many ope-air patios that surrounded the enclosed portion of the restaurant. You got the feeling that you were lounging on the deck of your close friends in an intimate garden.

It was a hot day in Mendoza and after walking we were in need of a cool crispy white wine to refresh ourselves. We decided to go with a bottle of 2007 Perpetuum Torrontes from Bodega Gimenez Riili. This was a great wine to start out with in Mendoza. With grapes produced in the Maipú appellation of Mendoza Province it has strong guava, pear scents. This is a very light straw-yellow colored wine, possibly the clearest wine I have ever seen. In the mouth it exhibited some grainyness and a tounge coating viscosity that is textbook Torrontes. The wine was not as complex as some other Torrontes we have had; think (2007 Crios - Torrontes Ask Tricia at the Deli) but finished very crispy and slightly dry. This wine went very well with the cheese plate that we ordered and allowed us to really get the full flavors of each cheese.
The cheese plate came out and was nicely displayed with fresh olives and the best tasting tomatoes I have ever eaten. The waitress didn't understand when I asked what cheese we were eating, but both were very good. The cheese in the top of the plate was a semi-soft cheese, very mild and smooth on the palate. It was somewhat like our Emmentaler Swiss but not as nutty. (I love the Emmentaler at the Deli, ask Tricia or Nitya for a taste, I think you will agree.) It took on a buttery flavor as we sipped our wine that was very enjoyable. The cheese on the bottom of the plate was a smoked chedder of sorts. Very different from the first cheese as it was harder and was laced with black peppercorns. It was my favorite of the two. The smokiness and peppery tones really exploded in the mouth. Our other appetizer was the goat chese crostini. Now we were so impressed with the smell and the appearance of this dish that we forgot to take a picture. It was so dang good. The goat cheese had a tangy flavor that went very well with the wine as well. Sorry for the non-picture.

Our meals were just as good as the wine and cheese. Ashley's Roquefort, sundried tomato ravioli took the cake as far as best entree, but my peppercorn salmon bake was very good as well and only skin and a few bones were left on the plate. (yes bones...Be careful in Argentina because the fish is not fully boned.)
Roquefort and sundried Tomato Ravoili topped with Serrano Jamon and toasted seasame seeds.
This was just delicious, homemade raviolis in a white roquefort cream sauce. This was stellar with the Torrontes and I told Ashley that we (she..hehe) will be making this at home.

Salmon Bake with pink, black, and green peppercorns and bay leaves
This was also a great dish and the fish was well cooked and tender. It was really peppery and athough I am a pepper freak this dish was even a little too much for me. All in all it was a darn good start to Argentine food. I know you all are thinking, "What, he didn't eat Steak?" Well I decided that I would let Ashley have her way with the wine so the salmon paired well with the white.

We walked around the rest of the afternoon and admired the beauty of the sidewalks which are all done with amazing tile work. No boring grey concrete here. Not the best picture of it but it really was amazing.
Also we saw a funny sign that let us know a little bit about how the Argentines feel for our former president. That is all I will say on that topic.

The never ending journey to the South!!

Well we made it to Mendoza. Via Buenos Aires y Cordoba by bus! Believe it or not, the bus ride was the best part of the long trip. United Airlines took us from Chicago to Toronto where we then boarded the Air Canada Boeing 757 to Buenos Aires. I stole this video of Air Canada taking off from Toronto (notice the 767). But you get to view the Toronto Skyline....and that is the extent of the Toronto leg of the trip.




After about a 14 hour plane ride, A trip where Ashley and I weren't able to sit together because of a seating chart error (of course), we arrived at Buenos Aires International Airport.

The ride wasn't all that terrible, I got a chance to watch Body of Lies decent but still fell asleep with about 30 minutes left. That was the point though. I woke around 8am and played computer games until the flight attendant made me turn my computer off.


Upon arrival in B.A., Ashley and I knew we were very over-dressed. It was a balmy 82 degrees and rainy (much better than snow).


We only carried on luggage on the logical decision that we would rather have a few clothes than just what was on our back. Not to mention, I apparently am a target for getting my bags lost, sent to the wrong state, etc...(ask me for stories). Only doing the carry on was the way to go...We swooped through customs and were on shuttle to the Buenos Aires Terminal de Omnibus Central.

It was raining hard when we got into the city which wasn't so bad, as we got dropped off at the main door to the Bus station. However...Inside the bus station was a different story. It was bad and there must have been more water coming through the roof than was going off it. No wonder our bus driver said "Es un lugar terrible" Meaning exactly...It is a terrible place.

Now Ashley and I are pretty savy when it comes to public transportation but the B.A. bus station was anything but easy to navigate. Once we figured out where we had to go to get tickets we were rewarded with packs of dogs roaming the second level of the station. No leashes, just dogs running around. Very amusing to me, not so much Ashley. We got our tickets to Mendoza and had about two hours to kill before we were to get on a 14 hour bus ride.

We decided there would be nothing better than to have a nice Argentine wine and beer. We found a small cafe and did just that.


<------Quilmes...The main beer of Argentina..Now owned by beverage giant InBev












Also a bottle of Valmont. This is from the Bodega Chandon. Moet et Chandon, is a super wine house that has been in business since 1743. They have made huge investments in the Argentine wine industry and we have enjoyed some of their bubbly.

The Valmont wasn't my favorite but it is a pretty cheap table wine with a little bit of effervescence. Since the day I drank this I have seen a lot of Argentines drinking this with ice which would probably quite refreshing.










We finally boarded our beautiful bus...Via Bariloche was the company and I highly reccomend them as they are very comfortable busses and right on time. In 1994 Argentina privitized their railroads and when the economic crises ensued in the late nineties and early 2000's they were largely ignored. Buses rule in this land. Check out the Via Bariloche website and see the amazing buses they have for long journeys.










The food on the bus was interesting, a salami and cheese meat and a sweet coleslaw. Needless to say after eating airplane food for two meals I wasn't all that excited about the meals on the bus. They did however give us champagne and that was nice before bed.

We slept well on the bus and awoke in the morning with just about two hours to Mendoza. We saw a lot of farm land in the morning and the Andes Mountains kept getting closer as we neared our destination. Mendoza Province's countryside is littered with vineyards and fruit farms for as far as the eye can see.





Small Wine and fruit shop/farm on side of highway.

Last Day in the Windy City.

This morning, Ash slept in while I ventured out again to get us some awesome coffee from - you guessed it - Intelligentisa.

I ordered an espresso and two 16oz coffees. They make all of their coffees on a Clover. This is an awesome machine that makes the coffee by the cup. You grind the coffee, put in in the clover and out comes an amazing cup. In yesterday's post you heard about the Clover. Here are finally pictures.



Today we had an Ethiopian. It had a blueberry hint in the nose, so I am guessing it was a Harrar.


The espressos today weren't as good as yestersday. Just a little over-extracted. Still drinkable by all means, and served with a smile. The barista seemed a bit flustered as it was pretty busy and she was handling a customer complaint. The girl did an amazing job and made at least three drinks for the lady in front of me, who was not satisfied with her cappuccino. It was nice to see that she cared and the woman was extremely grateful. I love it when customers give us critiques and would like to ask that you continue this. We, like Intelligentsia, put our quality first and if you are ever not satisfied with any of our products, we will refund you or get you want you need ASAP! Just email Chris or Ian for anything you need.

In the end I chatted with the baristas and the girl who made me my shots poured out an awesome cappuccino for a photo op!

For you latte art lovers...











And as always I took a fun pic of my destroyed espressos..












We had to grab a quick lunch because our flight from Chi-town to Buenos Aires (via Toronto) was leaving at 6pm. Ash and I walked for a bit and found a really busy Thai restaurant. The food was decent, with great presentation. It was however a bit weak on the spices. The service was quick and you could tell that they were turning over tables at a very high pace. We ordered crab rangoons, spring rolls, fried tofu, and our entrees. I went with the roasted duck, Ash; the pad thai.

Here is the duck dish...not the best ever but who can turn down duck for $10.

Ash's Pad Thai...not bad, weak on spices.

Fried Tofu...Should make Ian and Nitya proud

Fresh Spring rolls. This was very good...So fresh.

The best dish of the meal...Crab Rangoons, MOM; you would have ate the heck out of these.

The sauce was really great and spicy,(unlike the rest of meal)

Then is was off to the Airport and about 38 hours of traveling. Chicago -> Toronto -> Buenos Aires, Argentina -> Mendoza, Argentina.

See you all in Mendoza!

Long Lunch...To nourish and warm our souls...

Ash and I were cold and hungry. We wanted to find a nice quiet spot for "long lunch" We stumbled onto a nice place called Farmerie 58. This was a very quiet spot...(we were there at about 3pm on a Monday) but the menu looked great and we weren't going to walk any farther. It was a menu that stressed simple yet great meals... Seasonal menus, sustainable producers, and a chef that takes an inspiration from Asain, French, and American Cuisine. They also have a raw bar but we went with the hot food. (it was seriously 20 degrees with wind)The cool thing about this place was that you order the lunch and it is a three course meal. There were about 5 options for each course. Ashley and I also wanted to try the spring rolls (see me smiling). Duck Confit Spring Rolls.
Awesome...And look at the presentation. The yellow sauce was a spicy mustard that was delicious with the rolls and wine!

Our waiter Steven was very nice and informative. He picked out his favorite Sauvignon Blanc from the menu (for Ash). It was a crispy tart selection from New Zealand. As many of you know Ashley is a fanatic about this fun little grape, the Sauvignon Blanc. Originaly used in Bordeax blanc blends, the grape has become a hot item in warm climates such as New Zealand and Chile. See Morande<---

We were drinking The CrossingsTheir sauv. Blanc is there flagship varietal and really was a great accompionment to our food. While I like a bit more grassyness in my Sauvignon Blanc's, (think French Maid, Boeger in our Vault) Ash loved the gooseberry and lime flavors. (think Chilean Sauvignon Blancs)


Ok on to the food... Three courses of goodness, about a 2.5 hour lunch!

Arugula Salad.
All arugula with lemon aioli and flaked parmiggiano reggiano. The salad looked great. It was so so fresh. The dressing was just way to salty. I am not sure if that is how it was supposed to be but it was really over done. We picked away at it and decided, if it were to have our lemon vinagrette from the deli instead, it would have been a winner.Lobster Bisque
I can never turn down a good lobster soup when presented. I really enjoyed this creamy, and rich soup. It wasn't overly sweetened like some bisques and had just the right spices to set off the lobster. I would have liked larger lobster pieces, but it was the lunch portion and therefor sufficient.

Salmon BLT
This was Ashleys pick for the main entree and it was very nice. It was a huge portion of salmon on toasted whole grain with bacon, lettuce, tomato. Served with REAL shoestring fries.

Grilled Chicken Sandwich
This too was a huge portion of protien. I am not sure how they could make money on that? The chicken was very tender and moist. I wasn't a huge fan of the roll so I ditched that after about three bites and just went for the chicken. It also had a lemony-mayo that was very tasty. This too was served with shoestring fries.

Chocolate Trio
Ashley ordered this decadent dish as her third and final course and it was so, so, so rich. There was a flourless chocolate cake component, (Don't worry John, your's is still the champion), chocolate pudding and then chocolate gelato. Steven told us that he had never seen anyone finish it all and although we tried were also unsuccessful.

Ginger Creme Brulee
This was the best dessert either of us have had in a while. The creme brulee was so smooth and creamy with vanilla, ginger and lemony flavors. The top was flamed to a crispy perfection that was candy-like. This was the winner of the meal and I really would go back here just for this dish. The berries were super fresh and complimented the creamy pudding well. You have to go try this when in Chicago!!

We were very impressed with Steven and since his shift was over he invited us to go have a drink with him and his friend in Wrigleyville. This is the neighborhood around Wrigley Stadium and was just a quick EL ride north on the red line. Alot of young professionals and students reside in the beautiful row houses here. Steven and his friend Chris had been roomates in Boston as undergrads and now were in Chicago doing more studies.

Jared, Chris, and Steven. Now our connection in Chicago..












Dinner that night wasn't all that great as we went to Bin 36 and had very bad service but decent wine. More on that later.

Follow your nose to Vosges...

After coffee Ash and I continued to brave the cold Chicago weather and worked our way over to our favorite chocolate MECCA --- Vosges Haut-Chocolat. This is simply the best chocolate that we have found ever. In addition to the Exotic candy bars, Vosges is also making awesome carmels and peanut butter bonbons, both of which we sell in the cafe. Definetely try out these tasty morsels with some good Small World Coffee and you will have a treat fit for a king/queen.

Peanut Butter Bon Bon
This is my favorite treat because it has my favorite peanut butter, infused with pink Himilayan sea salt, coated in lucious milk chocolate. Alas it is topped off with a little Fleur de Sel.
Salt and Chocolate were meant to be together.

Ashley and I ordered a few truffles, a Naga cookie (this was awesome, just like the bar with sweet curry and chocolate!) However the winner was the Caramel Marshmallow that was simply delectable. We will hopefully get these in the cafe ASAP!