#12: Palaces, pet shops & pinot

Hellooooooooo everybody!

Can we just take a moment to acknowledge that August is almost over? What is happening? What day is it? Where has the time gone? Is Mercury still retrograde? (Spoiler: Yes, until August 25).

And respectfully, what the fuck was up with that crazy Supermoon Blue moon energy earlier this week?

Perhaps things feel a little more frenzied than usual since I’m in the throes of prepping for a month-long trip that will have me traipsing across Iceland, London, Portugal, and Spain.

It’s my first “big” trip since before COVID, when I went to Japan; 2019 feels like more than a lifetime ago - and in a sense it was. And sure, I travel quite a bit for work, but that’s always within Argentina and follows the same itinerary every time. As the days pass and my departure grows more imminent I find myself writing (and re-writing) my pre-trip to do list, certain that I must be missing something.

Am I just out of practice, or just letting the pre-travel jitters get to me? In any case, I’m aware that this is a good problem to have. I could use a change of scenery. Not to mention that I haven’t seen my sister in five years, nor have I met two of my three nieces ❤️‍🩹

Have any recos to make my time in London, Lisbon, Porto, Bilbao and/or San Sebastián as spectacular as possible? I’m all ears, babe.

Girl About Town (Reprise)

Instead of packing I thought I’d put together a little roundup of where I’ve been, what I’ve been drinking/eating/doing, and what else is on the horizon here in Crazytown.

🎂 The Palacio Duhau Turns 18

Let’s start things off on a high note. The Palacio Duhau - in my opinion the most elegant of BA’s luxury hotels - celebrated its 18th birthday with an event so exquisite and intimate I don’t know if I’ve ever been to one like it.

To be totally honest, I still can’t believe I was included on the guest list; it was a bit of a mini “pinch me” moment, indeed. I’ll chalk it up to being a good vecina, after all I live just around the corner and can always find a reason to pop in with Pocho for a quick cocktail at the Oak Bar or sweet treat from the patisserie.

Anyway, the dinner party was like something out of a dream. Hundreds of candles everywhere, a carefully-crafted menu and wine pairing (Valentina Litman really knows her stuff), and perhaps the world’s most opulent chandelier. A much-needed mimo al alma, it gave me the perfect chance to forget for a moment everything going on outside that room.

Palacio Duhau - Av. Alvear 1661 - Recoleta

🍸 Dirty Martinis at Pony Line

Bad day? Martini

Good day? Martini

Just a day? Martini

Few things can’t be remedied by a really good dirty martini. I’ve been under a lot of stress lately and have been needing to take the edge off a bit more than usual. Thankfully, Pony Line at the Four Seasons is just a stone’s throw from my door and always ready with a seat at the bar. The delectable potato chips that come with your cocktail make for the perfect girl dinner, too.

Pony Line - Posadas 1086 - Retiro

🥩 New in Town: Raíx

It’s easy to forget just how sprawling Buenos Aires is if you limit yourself to the corridor along Av. del Libertador from Retiro to Belgrano or the terminally hip Chacalegiales bubble. I was over the moon to have a reason to visit the leafy-green barrio of Villa Devoto to check out Raíx, the newest project from Julián Díaz’s deeply porteño empire (878, Los Galgos, you get the drift).

Housed in a bakery over a century old, almost half of the dining room is located where the original bread production took place; its brick ovens and massive wooden bread paddles aren’t merely decorative elements, but vestiges of another era. It’s cozy and modern, warm yet minimal, a beautifully-designed space in every way.

As with all new restaurants, there might be a couple little kinks to work out, but overall it was a great experience. Highlights? Desserts by wunderkind pastry chef Cami Vilas (ex Chila/Amarra, who learned from one of the best, Ana Irie), the wine list (tkm Cielo Arriba by Mil Suelos), and the ridiculously rich molleja with creamy onion and truffle. Oh, and the team uniforms were very much up my alley - work vests and shirts made from repurposed cotton, a “Boy Scouts meets Carhartt meets indie” aesthetic of which I approve wholeheartedly.

Definitely worth the mini-sojourn to get there, sin dudas. Big things are definitely on the horizon for Raíx, of that I’m sure.

Raíx - Asunción 4405 - Villa Devoto

🐶 The Vet (x5)

Hey, it can’t all be glitz and glam. Allow me to spill my guts (briefly). For the last six months, Pocho’s been dealing with some health issues that just won’t quit. I’ve been lucky - in the last ten years he’s never had more than a stomachache because he ate too many medialunas off the sidewalk.

It’s tough trying to decipher what’s going on given that you know, he can’t talk and tell me what’s going on. Watching him grow older is also hard, and he’s definitely slowed down quite a bit over the last year or two.

For the last several weeks, we’ve been back and forth at the vet more times than I can count, and let’s not even talk about how much money I’ve spent trying to nip this in the bud. Knowing that I’ll be gone for so long adds some extra anxiety to the equation. Anyway, if you’re so inclined, could you send some good vibes our way? Pocho and I thank you 🥺

Pocho’s vet - You don’t need to go here - Palermo

🌶️ Pop-Up: Christina Sunae & Juli Caruso at Apu Nena

Buenos Aires loves a good pop-up, and I’m always here for it (unless I have to stand in line outside with no promise of getting a seat or something - sorry, I’ve aged out of that system). Next week - August 27, to be exact - two of my favorite chefs, Christina Sunae and Juli Caruso, are teaming up for one night only and I personally can’t wait to feast into oblivion.

Christina is one of the reasons Buenos Aires has great Asian food (the OG’s will remember the closed-door restaurant that she ran out of her own home, back before Chacarita was overrun with too-cool types in Salomon sneakers), and Juli worked at the world’s best restaurants before returning to Argentina to run things at Casa Cavia. She’s also the genia behind the dreamy lamb dinner at a private estancia in Patagonia on our Wild Terrains trips.

Apu Nena is celebrating its fifth anniversary, which is as good an excuse as any to throw a little party. See you there? I’ll be the one stuffing my face and trying to sneak some leftovers into my coat pockets for the next day.

Apu Nena - Aguirre 1600 - Chacarita

🍇 5 of My Favorite Pinot Noirs

Fun fact: August 18 was Pinot Noir Day, giving us a perfect excuse to indulge in one of my all-time favorite varietals.

While Argentina made its mark on the world wine stage thanks to its Malbecs (which is actually a French grape), there’s a whole universe ready to be discovered. From the sunny deserts of northwestern Jujuy all the way down to Trevelin in southern Patagonia, it’s impossible to run out of options, styles, or bottles to enjoy.

Here are some of my favorite pinots so you can celebrate, albeit belatedly, in style.

(Best enjoyed with this bop playing in the background.)

✨ Pintom Pinot Noir del Frío

My love affair with El Cepillo, a cold and rugged corner of the southern Uco Valley, began as soon I tasted the incredible wines produced by Canopus and the expert hand of Gabriel Dvoskin. I loved how different they were to other wines typically associated with Mendoza, and I can’t get enough of their unique textures and elegance.

So, if I were to give myself an early birthday present, it would probably be a bottle (or two?) of the Pintom Pinot Noir del Frío, because sometimes you just need a little treat.

✨ Chacra 32

Wait, did someone say treat? Buckle up baby girl and get ready to feel ~* expensive *~. It’s kind impossible to compete with Chacra, which is synonymous with a commitment to quality, excellence, and pure perfection. Velvety, mineral, and delicate, the wines are a beautiful representation of the Maniqué area of Patagonia’s Río Negro province.

The Chacra 32 pinot is a single vineyard wine, made from vines planted back in 1932. If you’re looking to make a splash - and then some - you know what to do.

✨ La Voja

Can I be real for a second? Sometimes, when I’m at a wine bar or shop, faced with what feels like an overwhelming amount of choice (just #Libra things), I’ll let myself be influenced by the style or aesthetic of a wine label. So sue me! I have a feeling you do it, too. Don’t lie.

This is how I first discovered La Voja, so I’ll say that the means definitely justify the end. Dominio de Freneza is a small, family-run project that produces organic wines with grapes from Mainqué and San Patricio del Chañar, in Neuquén. It was a surprise (but no less impressive) find a couple of years back that has since worked its way into my rotation of MVPs.

✨ Costa y Pampa

Wines made by the beach? Sign me up! But for real, though. The windswept coastline and dramatic cliffs of Chapadmalal - located in the Buenos Aires province - provide a unique and unexpected climate for winemaking, and the results are continuously exciting.

Costa y Pampa (by Trapiche, one of Argentina’s largest wineries, and now the official sponsor of Inter Miami (?)) sort of snuck up on us, but in the best way possible. The cooler temperatures and oceanic climate result in fresh, delicate wines that stand out from those produced in more mountainous, desert regions. This pinot is a can’t-fail option if you’re looking to try a more budget-friendly version of the varietal without sacrificing originality.

✨ Colomé Altura Máxima

How can a grape as delicate as pinot noir withstand the intense sun of Salta’s Calchaquí Valleys? Ask Colomé, winery home to the highest vineyards in the world at over 3,000 meters above sea level. I’ve loved Colomé ever since I had my first sip of their torrontés (and visited the awe-inspiring James Turrell museum located on its remote property in the actual middle of nowhere).

With daytime and overnight temperatures that can differ by as many as 68 degrees, the winemakers have to deal with a challenging set of factors to protect the vines and thus ensure a quality final product. This pinot has excellent acidity, a bright expression (thanks to Salta’s super-sunshine), and enough body to accompany you company on your empanada-eating marathon.

That’s enough yapping out of me for now. I also just remembered I should be stocking up on mosquito repellent before the price gouging - and seasonal dengue-related hysteria - ensue.

Stay tuned: something new and fun is brewing for the coming installment of Tutti Frutti 🔮

Until next time,

Paige

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