Not as great as the other great historic bars of Buenos Aires.
But great historic bars in Buenos Aires are pretty good.
This is a mortal and not a god,
But it is a fine fine mortal.
* * *
There is a major campaign in Buenos Aires to preserve the great cafeterias and bars of the Golden Age of that city.
There is government money behind some of this.
There are wonderful entrepreneurs who truly believe in what they are doing behind all of this
Most of the rescued places are five star all the way.
This one is merely four star - but that makes it better than many places in your home town.
* * *
They don't have a house vermouth here.
The waitress told me the founders of the house invented La Fuerza vermouth, which is arguably the greatest commercial vermouth in Argentina.
A little internet research showed she was full of petunias.
La Fuerza was invented in Mendoza and not in Buenos Aires, by four people who do not have the same name as the person who created the Los Galgos Bar.
But I think the waitress was sincere, and really believed her story.
I was not unhappy to be drinking La Fuerza regardless of who invented it.
La Fuerza is simply good stuff.
* * *
Los Galgos is more run down than the bars that have seen all-out restorations.
From the floor up to the six foot level, everything looks wonderful.
A camera could tell great stories about the room.
But like many historic Argentine bars, this is a thirty foot high room.
Everything from Foot Seven to Foot 30 is cheap awful industrial that has seen a lot of wear and tear.
You feel like you are in a grungy warehouse that has had water damage.
You go into the great restoration bars and everything you see is magical.
* * *
None of these problems have any relevance to what is going on in the kitchen.
The cooking here is just fantabulous.
I had an absolutely amazing salami platter/sandwich
The salami was on millefeuille rather than standard bread.
Argentine millefeuille when it is good is to die for.
The millefeuille was at the top of the millefeuille game.
The combo came with first rate green peppers.
(Argentine sweet peppers of any color are better than what you get in the U.S.)
Superlative olives
Good enough grapes
and a nifty mustard.
I was one happy camper.
* * *
Normally when I am in gastronomic bliss,
My eyes tend to roll up to the ceiling.
I had to avoid that here because the ceiling was great at destroying the mood.
But if I kept my focus narrowly on my plate or on my lovely wife,
I could do okay.
But food this good deserves to be rewarded ...
Particularly if you are washing everything down with La Fuerza. read more