Okay, I know it's Thursday, but it's the weekend anyway. Before you get all jealous, we finished work at 9 this evening. Liz is working 30some hours a week (in four days) and I'm doing a bit less but with more travelling.

And as Thursday rolls around the question comes up again and again... 'pizza or parrilla?' because the big decision is whether to head to Pizza Napoles or Lo de Jimena (Jimena's, as we discovered our local parrilla was called, we had to ask though, thanks to the dearth of signs).

Today it was the parrilla (barbie). Now, one thing you couldn't accuse Argentine cooking of is subtlety, the parrillas are big man sized cooking, any place where a spade is part of the kitchen equipment (either for moving coals or carcasses) is a bit butch by definition. Lo de Jimenas is two rooms. One, the original, I guess, is smallish, with space for 30 or so diners, and a big old grill by the door. The other room is next door but one, and used to be a pizza parlour, it holds another 40ish. Tonight it was packed, at least it was by the time we left (10:40 for those who care).

We had a new waitress who was very friendly, she smiled as she told us that there was no bife de lomo (fillet steak) because there was a birthday party in there... so we followed her suggestions and had the bife de chorizo (sirloin) a la mariposa (cut like a butterfly). She also suggested we put perfil y ajo (parsley and garlic in oil) on the chips, and looked a little shocked when we mentioned the English propensity for vinegar on said tubers.

But we started with provoleta, which is a barbecued round of cheese (a little cheddary) topped with oregano mmmmm.

Nouvelle cuisine it aint, but oh my did it hit the spot. I haven't got tired of the beef here yet, there's still a oooohhh-my-goodness-shoot-me-now-because-this-is-the-best-beef -I-ever-tasted feeling about each plateful.
  ¶ 2:18 AM