We wanted to write a brief post dedicated to the meat-party-of-a-meal we had during our last night in Buenos Aires. After being told numerous times that we had to experience "the traditional Parrilla" meal while in Argentina, we saved our steak dinner until our last night, dining at La Cabrera, which was recommended to us by many of our friends.
I was expecting somewhat of a tourist trap, similar to Andres Carne De Res in Bogota, so was pleasantly surprised to arrive at a small, traditional-looking steakhouse with a homey interior.
After a brief review of the menu (sorry vegetarians - I seriously cannot recommend you visit this restaurant!) we decided to try a few traditional dishes: chorizo, provoleta (basically grilled cheese with meat) and bife de chorizo (steak fillet). Even though I read about this place ahead of time and knew that ordering side dishes was not necessary, it still felt like we over-ordered!
The "half" portion of the chorizo appetizer.
Provoleta: grilled provolone cheese, prosciutto and sundried tomatoes. Amazing!
Seriously, are those a million mini side dishes?
Our steak - delicious!
The meal was delicious - the meat was well prepared, the wine was great and our server was excellent. A few minor gripes though (should you find yourself in search of a meat-heavy meal in Buenos Aires):
1. The chorizo appetizer arrived literally one minute after we ordered it . Whether by design or coincidence, it felt like the first of several signals that we were being rushed out to accommodate the ever-growing line of would-be diners.
2. The steak had a thick layer of fat along the edges and I'm not used to that. We could easily cut off the inedible portion, but obviously this counted toward the steak's total weight - I just though it should have been more clear.
3. The "side dishes" (well really they're small sauce dishes) are mostly mayonnaise-based and not that great. Vegetables slathered in mayonnaise are not my preferred accoutrements for steak. The fries (not ordered) were great though!
Overall, we had a great meal and really enjoyed our parrilla experience at La Cabrera - we would definitely pass along the recommendation!