An old school feeling bodegón (what in other countries would be called a cantina, or neighborhood…read morebar and casual eatery) as it's really not, as the name suggests, a pulperia (something like a general store where you can also grab a drink or a snack) that's known for being a bit quirky and offering some offbeat twists on classic local dishes.
I'd venture to say that the majority of folk at lunchtime (actually, they're only open for lunch except Friday and Saturday dinners, and closed Sundays) are regulars. Both the owner and the waitress seemed to know almost everyone in the room at least by sight.
So the three of us started off sharing a tortilla de papas española with a little chorizo added to it, and tried one of the much touted empanalgas - presumably a combo of empanada and nalga, the latter being a rump steak. The tortilla was good, though cooked a bit firmer than in general we like, and it could have used a touch more seasoning. The empanada, unusual for Buenos Aires, was fried, and had a decent filling of beef, egg, green onion, and peppers. It, too, could have used a little more seasoning. Respectively, 135 and 25 pesos.
Cotorro is particularly hyped for its milanesas. Of our trio, one decided to go as bare bones as they get - a plain, nekkid milanesa, nothing but breaded meat and some lemon wedges. Now, I've had better, I've had worse. My general feeling was that the meat is pounded too thin, to the point where it ends up a tad over-cooked by the time the breading crisps, and also at that thinness, the meat almost gets lost in comparison to the breading. All of us went for side salads instead of fries. 120 pesos.
Cotorro himself recommended two of his specialties, this, the endemoniada, sort of loosely translated as "demonized". It's topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and what he calls cordera voladora, which, according to the menu, is thinly filleted beef that's been coated with herbs, soy sauce, and mushrooms. So basically, you've got a second steak on top of the breaded one. I'd say, that in the middle of it, where it was all a bit thicker, it was pretty interesting, but towards the ends, a bit dry. 160 pesos.
And the other, the nuclear, which was ostensibly smothered in hot sauce (it had a faint blush of something brushed over it that may have had a hint of picante to it), then topped with sliced longaniza sausages, which are a mildly spicy sausage, mozzarella and a fried egg. Again, a bit overdone at the ends, better in the middle, and not particularly spicy. 160 pesos.
I like the space, it just has a kind of cool vibe to it - classic but quirky. Service at the height of lunch hour is a bit iffy - the only people attending to the room are Cotorro himself, and a young waitress whose job seemed mostly to be to bring the food rather than interact with customers. If you're in a hurry, this ain't the place, or at least not until probably after about 2:00/2:30. The food? As I said, I've had better, I've had worse. Mostly, I think I found everything a bit under-seasoned and a trifle over-cooked. If I found myself nearby, I'd probably stop in again, but I doubt I'd make the trip out there just for it.
