When the menu is a surprise

Secret dining in Argentina

The entrance to the white colonial apartment building in the Villa Crespo area of Buenos Aires is fairly typical of four-story apartment buildings in the affluent neighborhood: marble-rich entranceway‚ elevator‚ winding staircase‚ the reverential hush that accompanies centuries-old palazzos. The building is‚ by any measure‚ an apartment building - that is‚ except for the second floor. That’s where a friend and I found Paladar‚ a dining room ablaze in flattering lighting. And‚ at the very Argentine dining hour of 11 p.m.‚ it was packed. Half a dozen tables were full of chattering couples eating salads‚ sipping wine and apparently totally oblivious to the only two Americans in the place.

Paladar (paladarbuenosaires.com.ar) is one of a few dozen restaurants in the Argentine capital that are known as puertas cerradas‚ or “closed door” restaurants. Several years ago‚ some local chefs started opening small dining rooms in their homes (Pablo Abramovsky‚ the chef at Paladar‚ lives upstairs with his wife and baby) as an additional form of revenue‚ and soon enough‚ these dining spots were popping up all over the city.

Typically‚ they’re open only from Thursday through Saturday‚ and though their menus change every few days‚ they don’t offer options - everyone gets the same five to seven courses that the kitchen prepares that evening. If you have dietary restrictions‚ alert them in advance - some chefs are happy to accommodate; others less so. Prices vary‚ but good deals are more likely than not. (We paid 500-700 Argentine pesos for dinner for two‚ $60-$85 at 8.25 pesos to the dollar.)

Reservations are as necessary as they are difficult to obtain. Typically‚ you send an email first. Then you might have to email a second time. Usually they email back‚ but no promises. Then you call. (If you call them first‚ they’ll usually tell you to email.) And then‚ and only then‚ will they give you the address. (All of the restaurants I visited requested that we not publish their address.)

“When you host someone in your home‚ the difference is the scale of the dinner‚” Abramovsky said when we spoke later. “I can use the best ingredients‚ and I can be a bit more creative than if I was working in a big restaurant. And keeping our location a secret is a way of keeping our restaurant intimate.”

On one of our last nights in Buenos Aires‚ we went to Ocho Once (es-la.facebook.com/ochooncemaison)‚ one of the most popular of the city’s secret gastronomic speakeasies. The spot’s best table is perched in a loft and feels so much like sitting in a chic friend’s living room you may be surprised when the food arrives. We showed up at the uncool hour of 9 p.m. During the time we spent feasting on small plates of gooey fried cheese‚ quinoa burgers and mushroom pâté‚ only two other people arrived.

The crowds will come around midnight‚“ the waiter said. ”Everyone loves a good secret‚ no?"

© 2014 New York Times News Service

10-09-2014

Danielle Pergament