#23: Morsels

It’s a moody, gloomy day in Buenos Aires and I must have sat down to write this as many times as the National Weather Service promised that it would finally rain - that is, more than I can count.

Before we dive in, let’s just take a moment to send some good health to the one and only Pope Francis, aka Jorge Bergoglio, “the cool pope,” and maximum representation of “Argentines doing cool things abroad.”

It’s pretty hard to compete with a guy who has this much aura (isn’t that the term young people use these days? I still prefer “vibes” but what do I know?).

And because porteños are nothing if not super-intense, you can read about one man’s quest to determine which exact train car is featured in the above photo.

With miserably-high temperatures, inhumane humidity, and dwindling purchasing power, how have I been keeping busy these days? By watching movie after movie, of course.

It’s no secret how much I love going to the cinema, especially the Lorca and Cacodelphia theaters downtown, but I’ve also been catching up from the comfort of my couch at home. In the spirit of the culmination of awards seasons with the Oscars on Sunday, here’s a roundup of some of my favorites.

📽️ Summer Cinema Club for One

Five films that I’ve seen recently and that you should, too.

Conclave

Ralph Fiennes. Stanley Tucci. Palace intrigue. High camp. Incredible cinematography. Turtles (!). What more could you want? If you’re as much of a head as I am, you’ll appreciate the Pope Crave Twitter account, which is beautifully deranged and brimming with memes.

The Last Showgirl

After discovering a newfound appreciation for Pamela Anderson in the 2023 Netflix documentary Pamela, a Love Story, I was eager to see her in Gia Coppola’s third feature film. At 57, showgirl Shelly learns that Le Razzle Dazzle, the show to which she’s given her entire life, is closing after 30 years. The fading glitz, glamor, and grit of a bygone Las Vegas era is beautifully portrayed through the costumes and cinematography. I loved these behind-the-scenes photos and learning more about the archival Bob Mackie costumes used during shooting.

Anora

Another stunning example of shooting on film! Listen, I’m not even going to try to express in just a few sentences what’s been written about by more skilled and insightful writers. But watching this film was a heady, all-encompassing, and beautifully vulnerable experience.

Sing Sing

Wow. Sing Sing is a powerful testament to the transformative power of art and the resilience of the human spirit, and is one of the best movies I’ve seen in the last year. Inspired by the real Rehabilitation through the Arts (RTA) program at Sing Sing maximum security prison, it features incredible performances by Colman Domingo and several formerly-incarcerated RTA alumni. Again, I can’t and won’t try to go into more articulate detail. This Vanity Fair piece dives in and explores exactly what makes the film so exquisitely tender.

Nickel Boys

Nickel Boys, based on Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer-prize winning novel of the same name, is a unique and distinct approach to a period piece that portrays the devastation and trauma of the Jim Crow-era south. Shot from a first-person perspective, it invites us to project ourselves into the experience; archival clips and abstract montages are expertly woven throughout to add depth and complexity. It’s a restrained and beautifully-told story, a reminder that despite the abject horrors of humanity, there is redemption in human connection.

+ What I Still Need to See

Thankfully, I have more than enough free time on my hands these days 🥲

• I’m Still Here

• Flow

• The Girl With the Needle

• The Apprentice

• Maria

• The Brutalist

• Heretic

• The Seed of the Sacred Fig

🐢 Turtle Interlude

If you follow me on Instagram, you already know that my latest hyperfixation is the pair of turtles that live in the garden of a building on my block. Fewer things have brought me as much joy and wonderment over the last month than watching them nibble on grass, meander across the walkway, or lounge in the sun.

After doing a little recon - being invited in by the doorman - I learned that the pair (a male and female! Turtles in love!) have been there since the building was constructed in the 1980s. Living the dream, residing rent-free in one of Recoleta’s most lush green spaces.

Never underestimate the power of nature to give your brain the serotonin boost it deserves. Since happiness is only real when shared, you can check out my Instagram Story Highlights where the #TurtleOfTalcahuano’s adventures are documented with terrifying frequency.

🛐 Bourdain Interlude

🪅 Carnaval Season

Buenos Aires doesn’t “do” carnaval like our carioca brothers and sisters to north in Rio de Janeiro, but did you know that the province of Jujuy hosts an all-out, full-blown, absolutely incredible celebration of its own?

Known as el Carnaval de Humahuaca or la Diablada, it’s a fusion of the tradition brought over by Spanish colonizers 500 years ago with local indigenous culture and folklore honoring Mother Earth (la Pachamama). Festivities begin with the unearthing of the devil, or coludo, from a pile of stones where it was buried at the conclusion of the previous carnaval.

With it, repressed desires are released and people are invited to cast their morals (and sobriety) to the wayside. Donning elaborate and colorful costumes and masks, revelers engage in nine days of reckless abandon.

I learned about this tradition through a 2017 exhibit at the CCK in downtown Buenos Aires, entranced by photographer Gaby Herbstein’s hyper-saturated images. Since I won’t be traveling to northwest Argentina anytime soon, I thought I’d share some of my favorite photos with you here.

🔎 50 Best Discovery

It’s always a good excuse to celebrate the buzzing bars and restaurants that make Buenos Aires the best city on the planet™️. 50 Best recently announced some new additions to its coveted “discovery” category, an uber-curated insider’s guide to the world’s coolest venues.

Picarón

Claiming Picarón as one of your all-time favorites is no longer a sign that you’re ahead of the curve, but firmly rooted in the latest wave of BA’s fantastic culinary moment. A welcome change from the most reserved flavors that characterize the local palate, this Chacarita gem consistently surprises with exciting and innovative dishes and combinations.

Picarón — Av. Dorrego 866

Piedra Pasillo

Don’t sleep on Nuñéz, folks. I love the sultry, low-lit, and spare-yet-sexy vibe of Piedra Pasillo. The food is always forward-thinking without being overly complicated, and I’ve had many an unforgettable bite while seated and sipping around its tables. Bonus for its tucked-away Al Fondo bar located upstairs beyond the main dining room.

Piedra Pasillo — Campos Salles 2145

OhNoLulú

There aren’t enough tiki bars in Buenos Aires (or the world, actually?). OhNoLulú, the newest jewel in the crown of the Danzón/Basa empire and run by the terminally dapper Ludovico de Biaggi, knocks it out of the park. It’s the perfect balance of thematically kitsch and aesthetic, and the cocktail menu will have you wishing you drank coconut rum on a more regular basis. Don’t sleep on the food, either; the whole experience is a colorful and campy way to switch up your regular (and tired) vino y platitos routine.

OhNoLulú — Aráoz 1019

What else is on the horizon for the coming days and weeks? I’m definitely going to head over to my old barrio to check out Cora, a new café located on the ground floor of the iconic Kavanagh building. I’ll admit I have mixed feelings about the whole thing, but I’ll reserve a fully-formed opinion for after a visit or two.

I’ll also make my way down to San Telmo to visit one of my favorite museums in the city, el Moderno. If I play my cards right (aka, have enough coffee earlier in the day) I’ll attempt a triple-header and bop by the Colección Fortabat and CCK (sorry, I refuse to call it the “Palacio Libertad” because I’m not a fascist) to check out their current exhibits which prove promising.

Listen, the world is a hell scape right now and the fact that the people in charge are actual, literal, losers makes it all worse. BUT! We cannot throw the towel in just yet.

There is so much beauty, art, and magic happening around us. From the turtles that live next door, to Faustino the porter that is Pocho’s newest best friend, to the artists creating spaces for us into which we can escape… find your morsel and nurture it, OK?

Until next time,

Paige

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