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© 2009 Dan Perlman
Casa SaltShaker
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Chef: Dan Perlman
Host: Henry Tapia
May 15-16, 2009
....
Comments from some of the guests:
"OMG, so I had sooooo much fun last night at dinner. We were at the cool table :-) Having the wine pairing with every course is lethal, though. I was already feeling the love after the first course. Thanks for a good time and the great food." - E.A.
"Todos los pensamientos, comentarios y sensaciones que tengo para Salt Shaker, se resumen en dos palabras: Alucinantes y Gracias!! Pronto nos volveremos a encontrar! Nuevamente gracias por una velada tan amplia y agradable!" - J.H.
"I was a little afraid that I talked a bit too much but even after only one full day there, I felt I was going to burst if I wasn't able to communicate with someone. My apologies. The group of people was stellar. The food needs work and my suggestion would be to stick to dishes that are more Argentine and forget the "theme" thing. I don't think that's the main draw. I think the main draw is the international gathering of people and to experience how someone lives and eats in Argentina. Most of us only experience restaurants and hotels.
[I replied to him a little about how the whole theme thing developed and noting that not all, by any stretch, of our guests are tourists.... he replied again with some more detailed opinions, including the one about the fish and cheese which I'm at a loss to explain, we didn't serve anything with fish and cheese....]
"And thank you for your quick reply. I did not know that most of your diners were locals and that explains everything to me. I can see by the places that I ate there that your food is unique and innovative. You must remember that I live in the restaurant capital of America (New Yorkers would beg to differ but I eat both places and unless you want to pay hundreds and hundreds of dollars, there's little comparison) so my expectations may be way too high. Not knowing a huge amount about what Argentines eat at home my comments might be way off but I'd say the soup or broth was a bit thin and that the best possible way to prepare any fish in my book is to broil it and serve it with a plain butter, garlic and lemon saurce. Cheeses tend to murk the flavor of fish though I had a wonderful crab cake yesterday which was covered in cheddar cheese so I may be wrong on this count. I can't remember the rest exactly but the dessert was good. You also have to remember that we Americans eat like hogs generally so I might have been hungrier than most people that would naturally affect how I judged the food.
The garden looked lovely - the books needed a bit of straightening up in the dining room and the flowers could do with a little more arranging but again I'm a QUEEN so those might be severe insights or even unwanted ones. The last one is not. Everything could be made much more romantic, sophisticated and glamorous with lighting. Try small lamps in corners or at least use less wattage in the bulbs and dim the overhead lights. It always works when everything is bathed in a lovely golden glow." - J.E."Really enjoyed it and no extra comments than that really. It was a highlight :) Cheers, PS - I will spread the word!" - A.M.
