Perla's before swine...

What started as an "oh, let's try this place" turned into an "oh my goodness!" last night.

Hubby blissed out on a half dozen mixed raw oysters from the Cold Bar, I licked the plate of the Crab Louie & Cornmeal Fried Green Tomatoes with Russian Dressing that I was talked into by our waiter (thanks Matt!), we both enjoyed our salads (Iceberg Wedge with Texas Lump Crab and Roasted Fennel Waldorf, respectively) and we just about wet our pants over Hubby's Steamed Alaskan Halibut and my Pan Roasted Grouper with English Peas, Baby Carrots, House Cured Bacon and Parsley Butter. Start and end that with a great cocktail, add wine in the middle and you have yourself a very special night. I may have just found my new favorite fancy food place.

"Give not that which is pan roasted unto the dogs, neither cast ye your peas before swine, lest they trample them under parsley butter, and turn again and house cure you."

Perla's Seafood & Oyster Bar

1400 S. Congress Ave.

Austin, Texas 78704

512.291.7300

http://perlasaustin.com/

Buenos Aires? Buenos Dias!

I just ate my words.

I had just told a friend of mine, "Oh... yeah... I really try to not eat red meat unless it's really special... ya know, like a really good steak or a special occasion...". Well, apparently lunch on a Wednesday is now a special occasion.

My book group buddy S.E. gave me several choices for lunch that were written up in Austin Monthly's Food Issue and I gotta tell ya... the lunch menu for Buenos Aires Cafe almost made me speechless. It was hands down my favorite looking menu. The variety and creativity of the sandwiches made my mouth water. Then throw in some empanadas, some salads, plate lunches and housemade desserts... O Dios Mio!, I'm hungry just thinking about it.

We started with a couple of emapanadas, which are made with a sort of puff pastry - interesting choice, very good, and I would get them again. Then we each had salads, they were good, not great, I'd have to try it again though to tell you what I did or didn't like. But hold on to your panqueques (they have those too!), because the Lomito Beef sandwich, voted best sandwich by The Onion, was sublime! How do you say sublime in Spanish?!

Certified Black Angus tenderloin with your choice of chimichurri sauce or Dijon mustard, served on a toasted French baguette ("Marie! The baguettes!" Name that movie!) with cheese or tomatoes (I did the chimichurri and tomatoes). It melted, literally melted, in my mouth. And if that wasn't enough, and by golly don't you think it ought to be?, I had the other half for dinner, cold out of the fridge, while driving (forget I said that) and I think it may have been even better!

I can't wait to go back and try more things. I hope everything else is as good as that dang sandwich.

If it's not, I'll eat my words.

Buenos Aires Cafe

2414 South 1st St.

Austin, Texas 78704

512.441.9000

(another location on East 6th too!)

http://www.buenosairescafe.com/