1810 Argentinean Restaurant

You'll seldom encounter a restaurant review here because I rarely eat out. When I do, I tear apart the menu, ordering completely uninspired items, plain and flavorless so as to not aggravate my allergies. As a creative person, I really respect chefs and their choices about how to prepare a meal, so I would rather cook myself than order and criticize a dish because I was not able to enjoy it how it was intended to be eaten.

This weekend, my in-laws were insistent upon taking us out for a "nice birthday meal," the four of us each having celebrated our birthdays in the past few weeks. My nerves started to build, not wanting to offend them by turning down dinner or pre-eating and shoving food around my plate at a restaurant. Then I remembered a new place the man and I passed by in Pasadena last week, 1810.

In the space formerly occupied by Gaucho Grill, 1810 opened in January and introduced an inspired and quaint eatery to the series of chain restaurants that line Colorado Boulevard. Greeted by a friendly hostess, we entered the brick walled and candlelit dining room, finding it to be sparse but cozy. My husband and I immediately began to reminisce about our Argentinean adventure. The waitress overheard and told us the owners are originally from Buenos Aires, so we poured over the menu, anticipating an authentic experience.

And the meal did not disappoint. Against my better judgment, I ordered the "wine special" from the limited menu, a Malbec and empanada for $7 and was pleasantly surprised. The empanada (from a selection of four--ham and cheese, chicken, beef, or spinach and cheese) was flaky and flavorful and the wine warm and fruity, perking me up and easing my eating-out phobias.

The main course selections were simple and highlighted quality ingredients. What caught our attention immediately was the Parrillada Mixta, or mixed grill. Would it compare to our experience in Buenos Aires? Much to our excitement, the meats were brought to the table on a little grill. The quantity was not overwhelming, but the quality of the meats was impressive. A good value, the mixed grill easily fed 2-3 guests with a crispy half chicken, beef, blood sausage, and a few mystery meats that were a welcome surprise. If you're looking for a good steak, ordering from the grill menu is the way to go. The 10-ounce Churrasco was perfectly seasoned and cooked to order, served with side dishes of garlicky mashed potatoes, rice, salad, or vegetables. The menu is rounded out with several "kitchen" dishes, chicken and fish with sauces and pastas, but being the carnivores we are, we didn't bother with those.

1810's cuisine is refreshing for both seekers of a special experience and simple food lovers like myself. And save room for dessert, or at least a bite or two of flan con dulce de leche to share with your table.

1810 Argentinean Restaurant
121 W Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91105-1924
(626) 795-5658

things i love thursdays!

I am currently inspired to do a fun little weekly selection of meat-related things I like. It will probably most often serve as a reminder to myself of exciting dishes to try or products to buy, but who knows? Maybe you will be inspired (or perhaps amused) as well.

First up-- Candied Salted Bacon

(source: the kitchn)

Now I know it has been done, but I just thought this recipe looked particularly tasty. Perhaps because of the nice story about making it in your kitchen at 2am with or without pants on or maybe because of the lack of "process" pictures these recipes usually include (the bacon caked with brown sugar makes me feel too guilty about even thinking of trying this!), but regardless, it looks super tasty and satisfying in a not too sweet or salty kind of way.

Next up, Juice Box-Sized Stock.

I like to make my own stock whenever possible, but sometimes time just doesn't allow for it. The best option for store-bought stock is Pacific Organic Free-Range Chicken Stock (also available in low-sodium). It is organic, doesn't have any crap that I won't eat in it, and comes in the cutest 8 ounce packages. What more could you want?

...How about a Grill Pan?

I know, this is a poor excuse for an actual grill, but we live in a loft and our HOA sends mean letters for creative things like open flames on narrow windowsills...Our bulky cast iron grill pan does the trick most of the time. Currently, we have a Martha Stewart model from a few years ago (I know!! But it was 1/2 off, okay??), but I'm certain it would be ashamed to show its face around this pretty (and pricey) Le Creuset.

And lastly, Butchery as Theater!



Anyone want to sponsor a lady's trip to SF for this?

In a rare U.S. appearance, Dario Cecchini, Italy's master butcher made famous in Bill Buford's Heat and portrayed in Douglas Gayeton’s new book Slow: Life in a Tuscan Town, will give a demonstration on artisan butchery. You are invited to experience Dario up close breaking down a steer and a pig with mastery and flair at the Cowell Theater. Following his 250-year-old family tradition, Dario will share his exceptional skills with chefs, butchers of all levels, and other sustainable food industry professionals who wish to find a deeper understanding of and relationship with meat.

-meatpaper

staying cool with the kitchn!

Looking for tips to stay cool while cooking this summer? Apartment Therapy's site The Kitchn has some great tips, including some insight from a Lady Butcher...
Check it out here!
Thanks guys, for the post and link! It is sure to brighten my slightly dreary summer day.

open flames and pulley systems

This fun New York Times article on wood-fire grilling introduced me to an amazing new book--

From what I can gather (the book is not actually available yet, I believe the street date June 2), this may really be everything I'm looking for in a summer grilling cookbook. The New York Times article points out the fun bits, like recipes that call for a 1400-pound cow, but the chapters seem to also be filled with great recipes for the home cook, perhaps even a home cook without access to open wood fires.

Wouldn't that be great if someone could donate a copy of it to me? I promise to cook all of the recipes that I can, especially if a cow, pulley system, and field suitable for medium-sized fires are also provided.

a circus of meats

I just had to expand on this experience--

I would equate the experience to Bourdain's Uruguay extravaganza. So unexpected! We spotted a small restaurant called Circus near Florida street (a very touristy area of Buenos Aires) while trekking with our backpacks from the bus station to our hostel. I noticed that it seemed to be filled with locals grabbing lunch-- tasty looking sausage in crusty rolls with fresh chimichurri sauce. The next night, we happened upon it again while on our nightly dinner hunt and decided to check it out.

What happened next was the most fun I've had eating in quite some time. The grillmaster dudes cooked everything up on a main grill and then brought a mini grill to our table for us to graze on. We had seen the mini grills at other restaurants and were wary of them... We thought that good meat could not come from this, that the meat would inevitably be overcooked and dry, and I suppose that would be the case if we were being served a high-end steak-- but quantity won out over quality here! Granted, the cuts of meat weren't great and we were wary of the chicken, but the crispy, greasy bits of pork, beef, and lamb (maybe?) were so satisfying it was like a buffet of meat junk food. My stomach paid for it the next day, but it was totally worth it (and that's saying a lot for me, I am usually overly cautious to avoid stomachaches).