BLOCHO'S TACOS

Brace yourselves! The post you have all been waiting for! CHIPÁ! What is chipá?  I call it cheesy bread.   According to Wikipedia via Google: " Cheese buns ,   cheese breads,   pão de queijo  or   chipá  are a variety of small, baked, cheese-flavored rolls ”. I have a few problems with this definition: 1.       These are not cheese flavored. There is real cheese (and lots of it) in these bad boys. 2.      Cheese bun sounds like a version of a Danish and, again, these are not “flavored” or Danish-like In other South American countries there have variations on chipá so I give kudos to Wikipedia for associating them with Brazil’s popular pão de queijo. I discovered these bundles of joyful deliciousness while dining at Cabaña Las Lilas.  I asked if they had any gluten-free bread and they pointed to the chipá.  I was initially very hesitant because the consistency was li...

When in Argentina, eat meat. It seems that on every block there is at least one parilla  (Argentina steakhouse/grill) emanating the incredible smells of steak, chorizo, and melted cheese.  Tourist-trap steakhouses exist as do fancy Peter Luger status steakhouses.  Up until this trip I had only been to local parillas and was more than content with my $15 (or less) all you can eat meat extravaganza. As part of my UJA Mission to BA, we got a special treat and had lunch at Cabaña Las Lilas in Puerto Madero.  On TripAdvisor  there are 2,502 reviews and 83% of reviewers recommend this steakhouse that boasts of using their own meat from a farm in rural Argentina.  I was prepared to be blown away by this luxury steakhouse.  And, in the end, it was fine.  My favorite parts of the meal were the appetizers and the  chipá (post coming soon!)...and the Malbec.   Provoleta  - Grilled Provolone Cheese with Roasted Veggies (photo...

My sister lives in Buenos Aires. She has  fully adapted to the  porteño  lifestyle. I went to visit her (my 3rd time in Argentina) and I realized why she moved from New York. BUENOS AIRES IS SPECTACULAR. The weather.   I was there during the Argentine summer and despite a day of humidity and some morning sprinkles, it was in the high 70s for the whole week. My first time in Argentina was during their winter and it was chilly, but not unbearable like today's blustery 27 degree NY winter. The food.   Meat. Bread (yes, even gluten-free! Get ready for a future post on  chipá ).  Cheese.  Also, hearts of palm, avocado, fish.  Not to mention my two favorite beverages: Fernet and Campari! The people.   The sense of friendship and community in Buenos Aires is overwhelming.  When you meet someone new (even if it's in the local  dietética  - health food store) you give them a cheek-to-cheek kiss.  When y...

More on Bodega Negra from TimeOut NY.  Just out today! " Bodega Negra  Nightlife impresario Serge Becker imports London’s sex-shop-themed  Mexican  cantina, scrubbed clean for the  Dream Downtown : He’s swapped the seedy original’s neon lights and peep-show silhouettes for copper-trimmed tables and mirrored panels. For his third venture at the hotel—joining  Melvin’s Juice Box  and  La Esquina —Becker taps chef Michael Armstrong ( Morimoto ) to roll out Yucatán-inspired  tacos  (soft-shell crab), quesadillas (habanero and roasted tomatoes) and large-format dishes (whole suckling pig). Banked by a wall of antique  tequila  barrels, the amber-lit bar stocks 90 bottles of the spirit, employed in cocktails like the Chamomile Daisy (chamomile-apple agave, lemon) and a hibiscus-infused Paloma.  355 W 16th St between Eighth and Ninth Aves (212-229-2336) " http://www.timeout.com/newyork/food-drink/restaurant-and-bar-openings-f...

UrbanDaddy  fills up my GMail promotions tab with lots of useful information. I glance at the "Perks" but focus most of my energy on the happenings they highlight in NYC.  That could be a restaurant opening, a bar with a new cocktail menu, or a fun event that will soon be taking place.  Their content is relevant and if you act upon it, you may feel like a trendsetter. This happened to me just over a year ago when UD highlighted Rogue and Canon  and I made my way over to try the Peanut Butter Cheeseburger.  (Quick Review:  Absolutely delicious!  I went bun-less and was still so happy with the flavor of the meat and loved the juxtaposition of the cheese, chunky PB, and pork belly.  All the flavors meshed well and the cocktails were on par with the burger.)  Shortly after visiting Rogue and Canon during its first week in business, I started receiving emails from other sites "in-the-know" in NY recommending a visit to R&C.  I felt real...

I've been told there are good tacos in Texas.  Tex-Mex, I imagine. I think I should try these tacos.  Maybe in Austin?? https://generalassemb.ly/win/sxsw?rid=bWFkZHlibG9jaEBnbWFpbC5jb20 And going to SXSW would be pretty cool as well!

I love breakfast. Yes, it's the most important meal of the day, but it's also something that can take on so many shapes and forms.  I'm a big egg person so that tends to be the base of my breakfast, but I'm happy adventuring into the land of pancakes (gluten-free, of course), yogurt parfaits, and other interesting creations. When breakfast and Mexican food come together, I jump for joy. A favorite Mexican dish of mine is "chilaquiles".  El Centro ( http://www.elcentro-nyc.com /) describes Chilaquiles as a "casserole" of tortilla chips and other goodness.  It's not a taste for everyone -- some see it as soggy chips, but I find chilaquiles to be like Mexican comfort food and the perfect dish to have for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. So, when my favorite meal of the day joins one of my favorite dishes, I cannot resist. This recipe from PureWow for Breakfast Chilaquiles (to get rid of all your Super Bowl leftovers) is spot on.  A bit elaborate...