How can the food here be so bad ?

[Vince]

Is there any certified brands or way to know that certain beef is grass fed? How do people know the difference at the butcher?

You have to have a very good and honest carniceria. But my wife can spot it. Grass fed is different color compared to the really bright pink of grain fed beef. Grass fed has less marbling than grain fed.

Aves Argentinas and Fundación Vida Silvestre are developing a "grassland beef" label for their beef.

Certain places like Don Julio always use grass-fed as evidenced by their prices and good taste.

 

[daveholman]

Grass fed has less mar

Is there any certified brands or way to know that certain beef is grass fed? How do people know the difference at the butcher?

Grass fed beef will have less fat and less marbling, and is a deeper red (almost burgundy) color. Not always foolproof, but if it's bright red it's probably corn fed.

 

[Surfer]

Grass fed has less mar

Grass fed beef will have less fat and less marbling, and is a deeper red (almost burgundy) color. Not always foolproof, but if it's bright red it's probably corn fed.

Yes this is what the chef at Don Julio's told me. One night I had the opportunity to ask him and he was showing me and he said exactly what Dave and Vince are saying. I wonder why Kobe beef has so much marbling.

 

[VINO]

Yes this is what the chef at Don Julio's told me. One night I had the opportunity to ask him and he was showing me and he said exactly what Dave and Vince are saying. I wonder why Kobe beef has so much marbling.

Kobe beef's marbling is from it's unique genetics. Wagyu cattle where Kobe beef come from have a lot of marbling that is very intense. The muscles of the cow have a lot of fat. This has been like this for centuries. They have a special diet that is rich in grains that make them get fat. They don't let them them run around much.

Kobe beef is the best tasting by a long shot. But also the most expensive too.

 

[daveholman]

Yes this is what the chef at Don Julio's told me. One night I had the opportunity to ask him and he was showing me and he said exactly what Dave and Vince are saying. I wonder why Kobe beef has so much marbling.

Kobe cattle are kept in pens, fed corn, rice, sake and get daily massages.😀

 

[James Bond]

Kobe cattle are kept in pens, fed corn, rice, sake and get daily massages.😀

Interesting. I have had Kobe beef many times but had no idea it was genetic. I also did not know they are kept in pens. No wonder they are so fatty. But it is delicious!

 

[Uncle Wong]

You have to have a very good and honest carniceria. But my wife can spot it. Grass fed is different color compared to the really bright pink of grain fed beef. Grass fed has less marbling than grain fed.

Aves Argentinas and Fundación Vida Silvestre are developing a "grassland beef" label for their beef.

Certain places like Don Julio always use grass-fed as evidenced by their prices and good taste.

I went to a ton of steak places and I thought Don Julio was the best and it wasn't close. I met some friends that buy meat there and it is also expensive but quality is super high end.

Inicio - Don Julio · Carnicería

Don Julio Carniceria provee piezas enteras, cortes con y sin hueso, embutidos frescos, achuras, quesos para parrilla, proveeduria y vinos.

www.carniceria-parrilladonjulio.com.ar

 

[Colin]

I went to a ton of steak places and I thought Don Julio was the best and it wasn't close. I met some friends that buy meat there and it is also expensive but quality is super high end.

Inicio - Don Julio · Carnicería

Don Julio Carniceria provee piezas enteras, cortes con y sin hueso, embutidos frescos, achuras, quesos para parrilla, proveeduria y vinos.

www.carniceria-parrilladonjulio.com.ar

I agree on quality. This is where my local friends buy beef when they do asados. I asked them if the price difference was worth it and they said it is night and day vs. others. All grass fed and their own ranches. I didn't know about genetics but they say that has a big part of quality in the beef. Had no clue.

 

[ben]

My friends just BA and they also complained about food in general here at some restaurants. I don't think anyone can argue there are some gems in BA but they were going to non touristy places and their comment was that the food was flavorless here. They thought the chicken here had no flavor compared to their other trips during their trips in the area. They went to Brazil and Peru too and only complained about Argentina.

 

[Billy Goat]

My friends just BA and they also complained about food in general here at some restaurants. I don't think anyone can argue there are some gems in BA but they were going to non touristy places and their comment was that the food was flavorless here. They thought the chicken here had no flavor compared to their other trips during their trips in the area. They went to Brazil and Peru too and only complained about Argentina.

Quality has gone downhill. You have to stick to the free range chicken in Argentina for best quality.

 

[Larry]

It is a crime what many of these restaurants are charging now. Prices are very dear now. Smaller portion sizes and prices higher than most places on the planet in Buenos Aires. Especially outrageous is Asian restaurants.

 

[BarryBloomWwf]

Not just flavourless but the quality is horrendous, many times I think this is what food must have been like in the USA in the 1800s

 

[ben]

Not just flavourless but the quality is horrendous, many times I think this is what food must have been like in the USA in the 1800s

Well there are good and bad places. Much of the food here is very bland in comparison to other countries.

 

[Betsy Ross]

They have many great pasta restaurants and Italian food. Great steaks but there are also BA's fair share of places with low quality food. I have found while traveling other countries have more flavorful food. Food can be on the bland side here plus they don't like many spices or spicy food at all. I get this comment from friends that visit here.

 

[ben]

With so many of Italian descent some of the restaurants have good pasta but nothing compared to Italy and much much more expensive too in BA. Agree food here is mostly bland.

 

[lemonade]

I hear the same things from many expats that come here. My friend just arrived and he was stunned at the low quality of a lot of food here especially as he heard the food was great here. He was called a boludo (idiot) just for asking why it is so difficult to find high quality food in Buenos Aires. Argentines think they have the best food in the world. My friend travels all over the world with his job. He has lived in several continents and he told me he never experienced such poor quality and lack of basic items like high quality vegetables, fruits and dairy products.

He said he has purchased rancid butter and rotten eggs. He has to go to dozens of verdulerias just to find certain items to cook and spices are few and far between here.

He said the worst thing is that Argentines think their food is the best.

 

[Cardiac Arrest]

I hear the same things from many expats that come here. My friend just arrived and he was stunned at the low quality of a lot of food here especially as he heard the food was great here. He was called a boludo (idiot) just for asking why it is so difficult to find high quality food in Buenos Aires. Argentines think they have the best food in the world. My friend travels all over the world with his job. He has lived in several continents and he told me he never experienced such poor quality and lack of basic items like high quality vegetables, fruits and dairy products.

He said he has purchased rancid butter and rotten eggs. He has to go to dozens of verdulerias just to find certain items to cook and spices are few and far between here.

He said the worst thing is that Argentines think their food is the best.

That is the worst thing that Porteños think they have the best food in the world. The pizzas here are mostly just all cheese and the crust is not good but according to them it is the best in the world. I don't even think the typical steak in most places beats most countries.

I can't figure out why they can't get high quality produce here. I have also purchased items in stores that had rotten cheese. I remember reading a few members of this forum that had the same thing happen and these were not purchased at low end supermarkets but at higher end stores. Very puzzling.

 

[Esposas]

That is the worst thing that Porteños think they have the best food in the world. The pizzas here are mostly just all cheese and the crust is not good but according to them it is the best in the world. I don't even think the typical steak in most places beats most countries.

I can't figure out why they can't get high quality produce here. I have also purchased items in stores that had rotten cheese. I remember reading a few members of this forum that had the same thing happen and these were not purchased at low end supermarkets but at higher end stores. Very puzzling.

Sadly have to agree.

 

[fetch rover]

I thought the food was good at least at the higher end restaurants. We mostly went to highly rated and more expensive restaurants in Recoleta and Palermo and the food was good. Towards the end of the trip we ventured and tried a few places that were mid level at best and the food was meh. We found ourselves going back to the same restaurants at the end of the trip as we knew it would be very good.

I would have thought bakeries and bread would have been better. My husband kept telling me Buenos Aires was the Paris of South America. I was expecting better bread and pastries. Also for being heavily Italian influenced I would have expected better pasta but besides a few places like https://www.sottovoce.com.ar/ that always was wonderful I found the Italian pasta places meh.

 

[Johnny]

I thought the food was good at least at the higher end restaurants. We mostly went to highly rated and more expensive restaurants in Recoleta and Palermo and the food was good. Towards the end of the trip we ventured and tried a few places that were mid level at best and the food was meh. We found ourselves going back to the same restaurants at the end of the trip as we knew it would be very good.

I would have thought bakeries and bread would have been better. My husband kept telling me Buenos Aires was the Paris of South America. I was expecting better bread and pastries. Also for being heavily Italian influenced I would have expected better pasta but besides a few places like https://www.sottovoce.com.ar/ that always was wonderful I found the Italian pasta places meh.

I have visited BA a few times now and I have had many great meals. A lot of great steaks but most of the best steak was not in a restaurant but at private BBQ where I got invited. It was much better than any restaurant.

I went to most of the highly talked about steakhouses like Don Julio, Madre Rojas, La Cabrera, Fervor and many others. They were good. The meals were much less than what I would pay at a high end restaurant here in SoCal. @fetch rover I went to Sotto Voce twice and it was one of my favorites.

I also had a great steak sandwich at La Rambla a few blocks away but I have to say it was not cheap. It was incredible how much food costs went up from my first trip to BA to my last trip.