HUNGRY GERALD

HG and BSK spent two delightful weeks in Buenos Aires last year. The November visit coincided with BA’s early, warm summer. Nice, bi-level rental apartment in a chic building (across the street from the beautiful Museum of Modern Art) with a big, heated swimming pool. HG and BSK had a daily morning and pre-dinner swim.

BA is just beautiful. Majestic boulevards, Lush jacaranda and other foliage everywhere. Charming old neighborhoods that haven’t been gentrified out of character. An abundance of bistros, boutiques, outdoor cafes. Some very interesting galleries and art museums. There are weekend street markets with some bargains and an abundance of street bands. Music and song of much vitality and personality. BA is world HQ for Tango…to dance or to watch. Tango dancers come in all ages and all sizes and all look sexy.

The exchange rate favors the US dollar so everything is amazingly cheap. Example: Fabulous steak dinner with a bottle of Malbec is $10-15. BA is carnivore heaven. Argentine grass fed beef is tasty and tender with real beefy goodness. And, everyone in Buenos Aires, man, woman, and child, devours tons of it. There is lots of imported Spanish ham in the food shops so HG and BSK sampled the best at ludicrously low prices. Besides red meat, BA folks feast on ice cream. Ice cream (as well as cake, bread, pastry, etc.) is often smothered in dolce de leche, the addictive caramel topping. One would think that a population that exists on red, meat, ice cream and dolce de leche (also pizza, which is another BA obsession) would be a fat population. Not so. Best looking folks HG and BSK ever people-watched. There’s a secret, but nobody’s telling. How sweet it is!

Morning sunshine. Very brief. Disappeared by 11 ayem. Usual gray. HG and BSK off on long walk through the very diverse 9th arrondissement. Many boutiques. Appetizing food vendors. Notre Dame de Lorette, St. Georges, Trinite –three interesting churches. The Grande Synagogue of Paris also known as “La Victoire Synagogue” is one of largest synagogues in Europe. An imposing chandelier donated by the Rothschilds. Guards and barricades. A grim reminder that it is always dangerous to be a Jew in Europe.

Stopped at Au Petit Riche, an elegant old restaurant for lunch. Fines de Claire oysters. Lentil salad with some thick slices of bacon. Quenelles with sauce nantua. Sea bass in butter sauce with fresh spinach. Muscadet. Ile Fottante (what else?) shared for dessert. Lovely meal and lovely room. Then to consumerist heaven — Galeries Lafayette. The store is centered around a five story (?) rotunda of dramatic proportions. Some of the world’s most elegant women rummage around hundreds (thousands?) of beautiful shoes, bags, dresses, coats, etc. It is a delightful sight though totally politically and morally incorrect. Fun to watch.

HG and BSK focused on the food department. With full tummies, HG and BSK had to ignore the oyster bar and the Spanish ham bar (both recommended by the well informed journalist/author Peter Hellman). But, HG and BSK managed to garner some excellent Italian charcuterie, Bufala mozzarella and fresh pasta for dinner tonight at Chez HG and BSK. They lived up to their promise. Viva Italia!!

Can it be? Oui!! Mon Dieu!! (end of extremely limited French). Sunshine. A Parisian rarity. A sunny February day. Lunch scheduled at Chez Grenouille (so good… had to go back…a report later). Shall HG and BSK stroll in the Luxembourg Gardens and admire the Zadkine sculptures? Or Place des Vosges? Or Canal St. Martin? Wine authority and journalist/author par excellence Peter Hellman suggests visit to food court at Galeries Lafayette department store for Spanish ham and other outstanding items. His word is HG’s command so a visit is scheduled for Saturday. Tonight is movie night: True Grit. Coen brothers are HG and BSK faves. Delights abound.