Links:
© 2008 Dan Perlman
Casa SaltShaker
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Chef: Dan Perlman
Host: Henry Tapia
March 28-30, 2008
It turned out purely coincidental that I’d scheduled this week to celebrate the centennial of the Lliga vegetariana de Catalunya - really, I wasn’t in on the conspiracy and had no idea that beef wouldn’t be around this week, as many of our guests accused me of - not that we serve much beef to begin with. I actually entered into the idea with a bit of trepidation - regular readers know that I’ve not been thrilled with the response to our vegetarian meals - not that people who come don’t enjoy them, but despite the regular e-mails I get asking for more vegetarian meals, the people who write me never actually show up. It was the same case this week - except, lots of other people came - non-vegetarians, voluntarily submitting themselves to an evening of non-meat eating. Shock of shocks - we filled two nights quickly and had enough demand to filll a third!
Thoughts from some of our guests:
"Thank you for a unique and lovely evening in your home. It was a really enjoyable experience. The atmosphere was nothing like a restaurant (in a good way) and as a result conversation flowed smoothly. As a vegetarian, I particularly enjoyed the food. I've travelled to Spain several times but did not realise that spanish cuisine holds such varied vegetarian dishes. My favourite was the chick peas. We all loved the soup and r... and s... said their favourite course was dessert." - V.T.
"I've been meaning to send you an email since last Sunday, don't know where the week has gone. C... and I had a wonderful time on Saturday night. We enjoyed the ambience, the food and the company. I thought the wine selections were excellent and the the pairings well thought out. Although there wasn't a dish I disliked, my favorite was the polenta course. I particularly liked the smokiness of it. My least favorite was probably the dessert, but then I tend to favor all things savory. I also really enjoyed the Clover Club cocktail both for it's history and its flavor, which amazes me, I generally do not like gin. I do plan on trying it out on friends when I get back to the states next week. The only criticism I could offer, if you could call it that, was the quantity of food. I found it to be too much, I actually felt bad at not being able to eat more of the polenta. I simply was too full. I'm not sure this is a personal issue or a question of quantity. I do feel that both the roasted vegetable and the soup courses could have been served in smaller portions. Who would think one could complain that there was too much delicious food? All in all it was a delightful evening and I will most certainly recommend you to anyone I know who is on their way to Buenos Aires as well as those friends who are lucky enough to reside there. You have also peeked my interest in the whole 'underground' eating experience and I look forward to seeking out more of this type of culinary adventure in future travels." - A.F.
