We took a cab in the afternoon to Las Condes where we went wine tasting at two places chock full o’ local vinos. Since we were only in Santiago for a day, we didn’t have time to go to all their amazing wineries (another trip), yet we got to sample a good handful there, and purchase some for our trip. The Flory’s are way more knowledgeable about wines than we are, and we had a fun experience talking with people at the stores (La Vinoteca y Mundo del Vino). Chile is known for it’s Carmenere and Argentina is known for it’s Malbec, among other things; we are excited to eat and drink our way through South America.
So why not begin with the best? I mean, you only live once, right? After wandering around the city all day, Joel discovered that the acclaimed “best restaurant in South America” Astrid y Gaston (which began in Lima, but is in 6 S. American capitals) happened to be close by in Providencia. We were exhausted and grimy, but gave it a shot. Luckily, South Americans don’t even START showing up at restaurants until 8 and aren’t in full swing until 10, so when the four of us rolled in at 7:30, they mercifully let us in (though upstairs, next to the bathroom, hidden from the main dining floor). Hey, we’ll take it.
Thus, we dined lavishly our first eve, the guys on sumptuous pesto-encrusted Patagonian Lamb Shanks (a regional specialty), and the gals on Lomo Saltado, an amazing cut of beef. South America is known for both, Argentina boasting the best (all free-range/chemical free) beef on earth. The entrees were coupled with great wine and we enjoyed a complimentary hors d’oeuvre of Peruvian corn on thinly sliced ahi. We look forward to experiencing two weeks of our dollar stretching far here for great meals!!
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