Category: Argentine
1201 East 6th Street
Austin, TX 78702
Neighborhood: East Austin
(512) 382-1189
Buenos Aires is to TASTING as Derek Zoolander is to LOOKING. Ridiculously GOOD.
I have always heard really great things about the food- even before they opened the Este location. But I just never managed to make it down the S 1st location during operating hours. Do they have some weird ones or was it just me? But since this is not a review of the Sur locale, let's get back on topic.
Nearby street parking was easy to come by. Upon entering, we were immediately addressed by a server with her hands full. I appreciated the gesture. She was obviously unable to seat us herself at the moment, but it was important enough to her that we felt welcome that she did not allow her armload of dirty plates to prevent her from saying hello and letting us know someone would be right with us.
We got a table right by the big plate glass windows in the front. I liked that. But the menu I liked even better. It was hard to decide, actually. It all sounded really good.
Our server was a good guy. He was very pleasant and took a genuine interest in our enjoyment of the food. We decided to split an app a salad and an entrée.
In order, we selected the spicy beef empanada, baby spinach salad [with feta, apples, candied pecans and sweet balsamic dressing] and the Gnocchi Quartet. The salad was conveniently split into two portions for us. The entree was the same, but carried a $3 surcharge. Not awesome, but the presentation and portion was really nice on each so I'll let it slide.
The food? Ay dios mio, mis amigos! SO GOOD! The empanada was so very tasty, in fact, that I ordered a second one when the entrée came. We really savored every bite of each dish. And the atmosphere was a compliment not a distraction. That's a nice change of pace compared to a lot of my favorite spots.
Since we split the dishes, it was easier to accept a recommendation to browse the dessert menu. Quatro Leches stood out to me. The server endorsed my hunch. I could write a page about that cake, but I'll just sum it up by saying that we literally had a spoon duel over the last bite. Not just a little tapping on the plate, but a full on crossing of swords in mid-air with a dastardly abduction in the end. I jokingly requested a straw to finish the sauce when our waiter came to get the plate. I know, I know... I'm simply hilarious.
If you couldn't tell, this is one of the best meals I've had out in quite a while. I will rush back again soon. And I will add it to the must-eat places on my list for out of towners or newbies.
I feel compelled to include a description of each dish I enjoyed. Here you go:
Spinach
A refreshing blend of organic baby spinach, feta cheese, organic Fuji apples and spicy roasted pecans tossed in our homemade sweet and tangy vinaigrette.
Carne picante
Spicy ground beef, green onions, raisins, green olives, herbs and spices.
Gnocchi Quartet
Our homemade pumpkin-cinnamon, sweet potato-chipotle, cilantro-jalapeno, and potato-herb gnocchi tossed with roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, and haricots verts and olive oil, finished
with specialty sauces and fresh parmesan.
Quatro Leches
Traditional Latin-American sponge cake with four distinct Argentine sauces.
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