Buenos Aires trip report, April 2008
Apr 26th, 2008 | 05:17 PM
#1
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Joined: Mar 2003
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Buenos Aires trip report, April 2008
Buenos Aires trip report, April 2008
My wife and I returned from a two week trip to B.A., where we had a wonderful time. We first stayed at the Home Hotel, which was excellent. Our standard room was nice, with a very comfortable bed, high quality sheets, and a very nice bathroom. It’s quite modern, with lots of poured concrete. Upon arrival, we each had a half hour herbal bath soak and then an hour massage. This was an awesome way to get rid of travel tension and fatigue, and the masseur (Claudio, I think was his name) was excellent. It was a Thai style massage, with lots of rotations and stretches besides deep tissue un-knotting. Best start of any vacation I can think of!
The staff at Home have a good reputation, and they lived up to it. We received excellent restaurant recommendations and friendly service in the restaurant/bar. The included breakfast was light, but very imaginative, including refreshing fruit juice combos. The bar cocktails were well done, with my favorite being a mandarin orange vodka drink with a ginger syrup. Great for sipping by the pool. The hotel is in Palermo Hollywood, which is a little less packed with restaurants & bars than Palermo Soho. It was quiet compared to some other parts of the city, with much fewer high rise buildings. There were some nice places within a couple blocks, but we often walked the eight blocks or so over to the heart of Palermo Soho. It always seemed safe to us.
Weather during our trip was good, for the most part. Our first few days (starting on April 11) it seemed cool, but not cold. Later it warmed up and I didn't need a jacket in the evenings (my wife would wear a light jacket). We were in Buenos Aires when the farmers started burning their fields, so there was a lot of smoke. Fortunately, we left for our estancia and Colonia for the worst of the smoke days, and in those places it wasn't so bad. I think we lucked out with that. Our ferry to Colonia was almost canceled as most of the port was shut down due to lack of visibility.
Over our first few days we walked miles and miles of the city. We often took the subway’s green (D) line, sometimes down to the Plaza de Mayo. We purchased a 10 ticket card (9 pesos) and later used another 5 trip card each. From the main Plaza we explored the microcenter and walked through San Telmo. It was pretty quiet the first day we were there, but super-crowded and hopping when we returned on a Sunday. We took a cab from the Plaza to La Boca, where we wandered around the few main blocks and ate helado. La Boca was colorful, but didn’t hold our interest for long. We took a local bus back to the Plaza that day. When we did take taxis, our fares were usually around 12-15 pesos. One negative experience is that we had a couple spray us with some "gunk" while walking near the back of the Casa Rosado. They of course offered to help clean us up, but we'd seen this scam in Italy and recognized the pickpocket attempt right away. We didn't let them get near us and we left with yucky clothes but all of our possessions intact.
I was really looking forward to eating out in Buenos Aires, and I wasn’t disappointed. Our first night we just grabbed something small, but the second night in town we went to Casa Saltshaker for a “closed door” dining experience. Dan and Henry were great hosts (Henry doesn't speak much English, but served most of the meal). We had an excellent 5 course dinner, with dishes based on Thai and Cambodian recipes. We met a lot of other people and I think all had a wonderful time (I know we did). The price (75 pesos per person, + wine) was more than most of our meals in B.A., but then again we didn’t usually have a gourmet 5 course meal at other restaurants. Someone wrote on an earlier thread of mine that they left hungry, but that wasn’t our experience. We were very happy we went and thought that it was worth every peso.
Our first parrilla was La Cabrerra, which was within our walking range from the Home hotel. We were given a deuce right by the entry door where there was lots of hustle & bustle, but the manager had no interest in our desire for a different table. Another couple was about to be seated at the other 2-top in this crowded area, so my ever-sharp wife asked if they wanted to dine with us as a foursome. The manager agreed to seat us at a four-top table that was out of the traffic path, and from then on the dinner was great. The lomo tasted excellent, and they cooked it just as we wanted (rosado, pero no rojo). The many side dishes that come with the steak were super. They are the primary reason why this was one of our favorite dining experiences. The atmosphere is also very nice, and wine prices were good. Our meal came to $155 pesos and we left very full and very happy.
It’s my first day back, so I’m going to rest up before posting about other restaurants, tango music experiences, our estancia visit, Colonia, and our great stay at Casa Palmeritano when we returned to B.A.
My wife and I returned from a two week trip to B.A., where we had a wonderful time. We first stayed at the Home Hotel, which was excellent. Our standard room was nice, with a very comfortable bed, high quality sheets, and a very nice bathroom. It’s quite modern, with lots of poured concrete. Upon arrival, we each had a half hour herbal bath soak and then an hour massage. This was an awesome way to get rid of travel tension and fatigue, and the masseur (Claudio, I think was his name) was excellent. It was a Thai style massage, with lots of rotations and stretches besides deep tissue un-knotting. Best start of any vacation I can think of!
The staff at Home have a good reputation, and they lived up to it. We received excellent restaurant recommendations and friendly service in the restaurant/bar. The included breakfast was light, but very imaginative, including refreshing fruit juice combos. The bar cocktails were well done, with my favorite being a mandarin orange vodka drink with a ginger syrup. Great for sipping by the pool. The hotel is in Palermo Hollywood, which is a little less packed with restaurants & bars than Palermo Soho. It was quiet compared to some other parts of the city, with much fewer high rise buildings. There were some nice places within a couple blocks, but we often walked the eight blocks or so over to the heart of Palermo Soho. It always seemed safe to us.
Weather during our trip was good, for the most part. Our first few days (starting on April 11) it seemed cool, but not cold. Later it warmed up and I didn't need a jacket in the evenings (my wife would wear a light jacket). We were in Buenos Aires when the farmers started burning their fields, so there was a lot of smoke. Fortunately, we left for our estancia and Colonia for the worst of the smoke days, and in those places it wasn't so bad. I think we lucked out with that. Our ferry to Colonia was almost canceled as most of the port was shut down due to lack of visibility.
Over our first few days we walked miles and miles of the city. We often took the subway’s green (D) line, sometimes down to the Plaza de Mayo. We purchased a 10 ticket card (9 pesos) and later used another 5 trip card each. From the main Plaza we explored the microcenter and walked through San Telmo. It was pretty quiet the first day we were there, but super-crowded and hopping when we returned on a Sunday. We took a cab from the Plaza to La Boca, where we wandered around the few main blocks and ate helado. La Boca was colorful, but didn’t hold our interest for long. We took a local bus back to the Plaza that day. When we did take taxis, our fares were usually around 12-15 pesos. One negative experience is that we had a couple spray us with some "gunk" while walking near the back of the Casa Rosado. They of course offered to help clean us up, but we'd seen this scam in Italy and recognized the pickpocket attempt right away. We didn't let them get near us and we left with yucky clothes but all of our possessions intact.
I was really looking forward to eating out in Buenos Aires, and I wasn’t disappointed. Our first night we just grabbed something small, but the second night in town we went to Casa Saltshaker for a “closed door” dining experience. Dan and Henry were great hosts (Henry doesn't speak much English, but served most of the meal). We had an excellent 5 course dinner, with dishes based on Thai and Cambodian recipes. We met a lot of other people and I think all had a wonderful time (I know we did). The price (75 pesos per person, + wine) was more than most of our meals in B.A., but then again we didn’t usually have a gourmet 5 course meal at other restaurants. Someone wrote on an earlier thread of mine that they left hungry, but that wasn’t our experience. We were very happy we went and thought that it was worth every peso.
Our first parrilla was La Cabrerra, which was within our walking range from the Home hotel. We were given a deuce right by the entry door where there was lots of hustle & bustle, but the manager had no interest in our desire for a different table. Another couple was about to be seated at the other 2-top in this crowded area, so my ever-sharp wife asked if they wanted to dine with us as a foursome. The manager agreed to seat us at a four-top table that was out of the traffic path, and from then on the dinner was great. The lomo tasted excellent, and they cooked it just as we wanted (rosado, pero no rojo). The many side dishes that come with the steak were super. They are the primary reason why this was one of our favorite dining experiences. The atmosphere is also very nice, and wine prices were good. Our meal came to $155 pesos and we left very full and very happy.
It’s my first day back, so I’m going to rest up before posting about other restaurants, tango music experiences, our estancia visit, Colonia, and our great stay at Casa Palmeritano when we returned to B.A.
Apr 27th, 2008 | 05:32 AM
#5
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,245
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I imagine the check at La Cabrera must have been 155 pesos for two people, probably including a bottle of wine.
The "gunk" thing is rather well-known, world wide.
Somehow or other, you feel something other people have called some kind of mustard or paint drop (is dropped, really) on your clothes.
At that time, two or more very "helpful" persons crowd around you to help you clean the stains.
They are really pickpockets and the stain is intended to put you off guard, so you allow them to get near you.
So, if this happens, don't let anyone get near you, just as alan64 and his wife did. Good for them! Yell, if you have to!
The "gunk" thing is rather well-known, world wide.
Somehow or other, you feel something other people have called some kind of mustard or paint drop (is dropped, really) on your clothes.
At that time, two or more very "helpful" persons crowd around you to help you clean the stains.
They are really pickpockets and the stain is intended to put you off guard, so you allow them to get near you.
So, if this happens, don't let anyone get near you, just as alan64 and his wife did. Good for them! Yell, if you have to!
Apr 27th, 2008 | 05:40 AM
#6
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 34,738
Likes: 0
Hi Alan,
Happy to read your report here !
I have to try the orange/ginger drink at Home ...
I think that person who made that remark about the amount of food at Saltshaker is the only person to ever say something like that! Glad you enjoyed it, they get sooo many good reviews!
I look forward to reading more reports ..
oh, the smoke seems to be gone, when will you be back?
Happy to read your report here !
I have to try the orange/ginger drink at Home ...
I think that person who made that remark about the amount of food at Saltshaker is the only person to ever say something like that! Glad you enjoyed it, they get sooo many good reviews!
I look forward to reading more reports ..
oh, the smoke seems to be gone, when will you be back?
Apr 27th, 2008 | 07:08 AM
#7
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Joined: Mar 2003
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The A$155 at La Cabrerra was for two of us. Every portion was quite large, so we split a salad, lomo entree (with included sides), bottle of water, a bottle of wine (around A$45), a dessert and two cafe cortados. Most of our nicer dinners were in this price range, although some were closer to A$100 and La Mirasol was A$190. These prices are higher than my friend who suggested we go paid 3 years ago, but still much less than we pay for similar quality dinners in San Francisco. The biggest price difference was the wine. In B.A. we paid around A$45 (U$15) vs U$50-U$75 in the U.S.
The pickpockets used some kind of a squirt bottle, judging from the spray of paint(?) that went from our pants up to our shirts, jackets, etc. We brought the clothes to a lavanderia where they washed and dried a load of laundry for A$8. It all came out fine.
Back to our trip details... We did typical tourist sites like the Evita museum, but found the Carlos Gardel museum closed until further notice (fumigation????). We really enjoyed the Xul Solar museum even though we weren't familiar with his work before our visit.
Recoletta cemetery was very interesting, although I always feel strange treating a cemetery as a tourist site. We tried to be respectful of the dead and their families. We walked through the street market by the cemetery, and also enjoyed the underground home design center next door (we're remodeling our own house, so it's fun to see what's available in other countries).
Regarding restaurants, we had a very good pizza one afternoon at Filo, a hip joint in the microcenter. My wife hates the thick and cheesy California style pizzas, so she was happy to find the more traditional, thin crisp crust she enjoys. We had very good fish for lunch at Burzako in San Telmo. Despite being just a block or so from the main action, it didn't have a tourist feel at all. My wife and I honeymooned in Spain, so this was a great reminder of that country's cuisine. I posted another thread about our lunch at Guido's, an Italian joint near the Evita museum. The food was nice, the service friendly and the atmosphere fun. However, the price was two to four times what we paid for other lunches and we felt that the cost was out of line. We found ourselves near La Biela cafe one afternoon, so we went to this historic site for lunch. The food was OK, but nothing special. We did enjoy people-watching there.
We had dinner at El Trapiche, but instead of ordering beef we went with the pork matambrito. Although we initially asked for the regular version, our waiter suggested the matambrito mojado. I thought it was awesome, with the rich gravy sauce containing tons of flavor. My wife wished they removed some of the meat fat from the gravy as she does at home, but we disagreed on that point. Hey, it's vacation after all! This was one of the best value dinners, where the meal with wine came to only A$100. Perhaps a beef dinner would have cost more. We both liked the fact that El Trapiche's atmosphere was basic, and the staff were very friendly.
A contrast to El Trapiche was El Mirasol in Recova. This had the vibe of a high-end steak house in the U.S. We sat upstairs and shared the El Mirasol salad (hearts of palm, avocados, etc. in a 'thousand island' style dressing). Tasty! We split the 400 gram tenderloin tip, but I can't remember what it was called in Spanish. It was lomo-somthing. This steak had the most grill/fire flavor that I had on the trip, which I really enjoy. It wasn't as tender as the filet mignon cut we had at La Cabrerra but that's normal for a tenderloin tip. I thought it was awesome, and the 2003 malbec we had with it was also excellent (Calvino winery?). Although the food here was hard to beat, the rich tourist/rich businessman atmosphere made us feel like we could have been anywhere in the U.S. rather than in B.A., so it wasn't our favorite dinner. It was very good, though.
More to come!
The pickpockets used some kind of a squirt bottle, judging from the spray of paint(?) that went from our pants up to our shirts, jackets, etc. We brought the clothes to a lavanderia where they washed and dried a load of laundry for A$8. It all came out fine.
Back to our trip details... We did typical tourist sites like the Evita museum, but found the Carlos Gardel museum closed until further notice (fumigation????). We really enjoyed the Xul Solar museum even though we weren't familiar with his work before our visit.
Recoletta cemetery was very interesting, although I always feel strange treating a cemetery as a tourist site. We tried to be respectful of the dead and their families. We walked through the street market by the cemetery, and also enjoyed the underground home design center next door (we're remodeling our own house, so it's fun to see what's available in other countries).
Regarding restaurants, we had a very good pizza one afternoon at Filo, a hip joint in the microcenter. My wife hates the thick and cheesy California style pizzas, so she was happy to find the more traditional, thin crisp crust she enjoys. We had very good fish for lunch at Burzako in San Telmo. Despite being just a block or so from the main action, it didn't have a tourist feel at all. My wife and I honeymooned in Spain, so this was a great reminder of that country's cuisine. I posted another thread about our lunch at Guido's, an Italian joint near the Evita museum. The food was nice, the service friendly and the atmosphere fun. However, the price was two to four times what we paid for other lunches and we felt that the cost was out of line. We found ourselves near La Biela cafe one afternoon, so we went to this historic site for lunch. The food was OK, but nothing special. We did enjoy people-watching there.
We had dinner at El Trapiche, but instead of ordering beef we went with the pork matambrito. Although we initially asked for the regular version, our waiter suggested the matambrito mojado. I thought it was awesome, with the rich gravy sauce containing tons of flavor. My wife wished they removed some of the meat fat from the gravy as she does at home, but we disagreed on that point. Hey, it's vacation after all! This was one of the best value dinners, where the meal with wine came to only A$100. Perhaps a beef dinner would have cost more. We both liked the fact that El Trapiche's atmosphere was basic, and the staff were very friendly.
A contrast to El Trapiche was El Mirasol in Recova. This had the vibe of a high-end steak house in the U.S. We sat upstairs and shared the El Mirasol salad (hearts of palm, avocados, etc. in a 'thousand island' style dressing). Tasty! We split the 400 gram tenderloin tip, but I can't remember what it was called in Spanish. It was lomo-somthing. This steak had the most grill/fire flavor that I had on the trip, which I really enjoy. It wasn't as tender as the filet mignon cut we had at La Cabrerra but that's normal for a tenderloin tip. I thought it was awesome, and the 2003 malbec we had with it was also excellent (Calvino winery?). Although the food here was hard to beat, the rich tourist/rich businessman atmosphere made us feel like we could have been anywhere in the U.S. rather than in B.A., so it wasn't our favorite dinner. It was very good, though.
More to come!
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Apr 27th, 2008 | 10:27 AM
#10
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Joined: Mar 2003
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We wanted to hit one of the main tango shows while in B.A., and we decided on the Esquina Carlos Gardel performance. We just made reservations for the show, so we had an early dinner beforehand at Bar Uriarte. The pork rib dinner was one of my wife's favorites. I thought it was too salty, but otherwise enjoyed the restaurant. Their happy hour malbec by the glass was quite nice (A$20 for two large glasses).
The Gardel show is in a beautiful theater and it certainly is theatrical. A mid-size tango band is on an elevated platform above the dancers. They were good, and both the male and female singers were good too. The crowd loved the sing-along to one of Gardel's big hits. The dancing was very well done, if a bit flashy. It was a fun night out, but far different from the feel of a milonga.
Perhaps our favorite experience was a dinner at
Clásica & Moderna where we saw the band Demoliendo Tangos perform. The two main performers, Mizrahi (piano) and Longhi (bandelon) were joined by a wonderful American violin player and a cellist. The dinner was very, very good and the music even better. The small nightclub feel made it very intimate. For those in B.A. right now, I recommend their next performance on Wednesday of this week.
The Gardel show is in a beautiful theater and it certainly is theatrical. A mid-size tango band is on an elevated platform above the dancers. They were good, and both the male and female singers were good too. The crowd loved the sing-along to one of Gardel's big hits. The dancing was very well done, if a bit flashy. It was a fun night out, but far different from the feel of a milonga.
Perhaps our favorite experience was a dinner at
Clásica & Moderna where we saw the band Demoliendo Tangos perform. The two main performers, Mizrahi (piano) and Longhi (bandelon) were joined by a wonderful American violin player and a cellist. The dinner was very, very good and the music even better. The small nightclub feel made it very intimate. For those in B.A. right now, I recommend their next performance on Wednesday of this week.
Apr 27th, 2008 | 03:26 PM
#12
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 851
Likes: 0
ALAN I am very happy to hear your time in Argentina was great, except for the scam you were almost victims... frotunatelly everything was ok, I expect this were nt your last time in our country and maybe you can include the NW in the next. You would be amazed by the prices and the meals here... Not mentioning the wines we have in this area of Argentina...
Warm regards,
Flintstones-
Warm regards,
Flintstones-
Apr 28th, 2008 | 09:36 AM
#13
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 797
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This was certainly just the first of our trips to Argentina. We're looking forward to seeing Salta and the Northwest, as well as Patagonia on our next trips.
A few more details from our trip...
One day we walked from the our hotel to the Plaza Italia, then strolled down Santa Fe looking at all the shops. Our destination was the El Ateneo bookstore. The converted theater was a great sight, and we enjoyed our time there browsing through books and music CD's.
They were playing a cool CD in the store that I just had to buy. It was Bajofondo's "Mar Dulce", a cool mix of tango with electronica and hip hop. The song with 'Mala' Rodríguez and others became the soundtrack for our trip, as we played the CD many times in our hotel.
Although we had fun in Buenos Aires proper, we also enjoyed some trips out of town. We spent one day and night at Estancia los Dos Hermanos and we had a wonderful time there. We were the only guests they had that day, so my wife and I went riding with Bonnie as our personal guide. Bonnie's pretty new to Dos Hermanos, but not to horses. She's spent years riding and training polo ponies, and she was a great teacher and guide. After a few hours of riding, we sat down with Bonnie and ranch co-owner Pancho for a delcious steak lunch. We took an afternoon siesta in hammocks under a shade tree and then later on I went out riding again with Bonnie. We spent the night at the ranch, where we enjoyed an delicious dinner with great wine. Not only do I highly recommend a riding visit to this estancia, but I suggest doing it with an overnight stay.
We also took the ferry over to Colonia for a two night stay at the hotel Plaza Mayor. Some people told me that they got bored with three hours in Colonia, but we really enjoyed our longer stay there. We almost didn't get to go at all, since the port was closed for a while due to the heavy smoke.
We made it though, and Colonia was much less smokey. We got there late in the afternoon and enjoyed the sunset over the water, and had a fancy meal at the romantic El Florida. The next night we ate dinner at Lobo. The food there was excellent and we enjoyed live folk music performed by a guitarist and percussionist.
A few more details from our trip...
One day we walked from the our hotel to the Plaza Italia, then strolled down Santa Fe looking at all the shops. Our destination was the El Ateneo bookstore. The converted theater was a great sight, and we enjoyed our time there browsing through books and music CD's.
They were playing a cool CD in the store that I just had to buy. It was Bajofondo's "Mar Dulce", a cool mix of tango with electronica and hip hop. The song with 'Mala' Rodríguez and others became the soundtrack for our trip, as we played the CD many times in our hotel.
Although we had fun in Buenos Aires proper, we also enjoyed some trips out of town. We spent one day and night at Estancia los Dos Hermanos and we had a wonderful time there. We were the only guests they had that day, so my wife and I went riding with Bonnie as our personal guide. Bonnie's pretty new to Dos Hermanos, but not to horses. She's spent years riding and training polo ponies, and she was a great teacher and guide. After a few hours of riding, we sat down with Bonnie and ranch co-owner Pancho for a delcious steak lunch. We took an afternoon siesta in hammocks under a shade tree and then later on I went out riding again with Bonnie. We spent the night at the ranch, where we enjoyed an delicious dinner with great wine. Not only do I highly recommend a riding visit to this estancia, but I suggest doing it with an overnight stay.
We also took the ferry over to Colonia for a two night stay at the hotel Plaza Mayor. Some people told me that they got bored with three hours in Colonia, but we really enjoyed our longer stay there. We almost didn't get to go at all, since the port was closed for a while due to the heavy smoke.
We made it though, and Colonia was much less smokey. We got there late in the afternoon and enjoyed the sunset over the water, and had a fancy meal at the romantic El Florida. The next night we ate dinner at Lobo. The food there was excellent and we enjoyed live folk music performed by a guitarist and percussionist.
Apr 28th, 2008 | 04:38 PM
#15
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 34,738
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http://www.bajofondo.net/
I like it !!
lol, I have such a collection now of Neo Tango music..Otros Aires, Tanghetto..NarcoTango too!
When shopping for music in Buenos Aires, I like to go to Notorius- in Palermo..
I like it !!
lol, I have such a collection now of Neo Tango music..Otros Aires, Tanghetto..NarcoTango too!
When shopping for music in Buenos Aires, I like to go to Notorius- in Palermo..
Apr 28th, 2008 | 04:59 PM
#16
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Joined: Mar 2003
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kbgood, I posted a reply to your question but it doesn't seem to be showing up, so I'll re-post it...
We were going to Colonia on our 8th day in Argentina, so a couple days after we arrived in B.A. we went to the Burquebus ticket office in Puerto Madero and bought the tickets there (be sure to have your passport or a copy of it when you buy the ticket and the real one when you actually travel).
We didn't want to wait for the day of to buy our tickets, as we heard from others here that they can sell out. However, I didn't know how I'd pick up tickets if I ordered them online, which is why we did it in person.
We were going to Colonia on our 8th day in Argentina, so a couple days after we arrived in B.A. we went to the Burquebus ticket office in Puerto Madero and bought the tickets there (be sure to have your passport or a copy of it when you buy the ticket and the real one when you actually travel).
We didn't want to wait for the day of to buy our tickets, as we heard from others here that they can sell out. However, I didn't know how I'd pick up tickets if I ordered them online, which is why we did it in person.
Apr 28th, 2008 | 06:01 PM
#17
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,245
Likes: 0
Buquebus has an office in the Recoleta:
http://www.buquebus.com/cache/PuntosDeVentaARG.html
Great report, alan64!
When should we expect you back?
http://www.buquebus.com/cache/PuntosDeVentaARG.html
Great report, alan64!
When should we expect you back?
Apr 28th, 2008 | 07:48 PM
#18
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,649
Likes: 0
great trip report Alan
Scarlett: u might listen to Gotan Project: great nuevo tangotronica: one of the first.'
I was at a dance concert 2 weeks ago here in Victoria (Rubberband Dance Co from Montreal and there second piece was choreographed w/ a piece from my Gotan Project cd!
cheers AndrewDavid
Scarlett: u might listen to Gotan Project: great nuevo tangotronica: one of the first.'
I was at a dance concert 2 weeks ago here in Victoria (Rubberband Dance Co from Montreal and there second piece was choreographed w/ a piece from my Gotan Project cd!
cheers AndrewDavid
Apr 29th, 2008 | 05:56 AM
#19
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 797
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"When should we expect you back?"
It won't be soon enough! Next year's trip will be back to Northern England to visit my British wife's family, so perhaps 2010. That's so far away I get sad thinking about it, so for now I'll just have to remember all the fun we had this month.
A few more details about the tail end of our trip...
After returning to B.A. from Colonia, we stayed for 5 nights at Casa Palermitano B&B. It's on the border of Palermo and Abasto. The area doesn't seem as quaint as Palermo Hollywood, nor is it has hip as Palermo Soho. However, it felt like a really family area and we enjoyed exploring around there. The B&B is made up of a second story flat in a late-1800's building with perhaps 5 guest rooms. It's been remodeled very well and it was very comfortable. It wasn't hip like the Home hotel, but we found it very much to our liking.
The price of U$60 (inc tax) was less than half of our standard room at Home, which helped pay for some of our nicer meals out. It was mentioned by someone on another thread that one should check whether a B&B is licenced, which we didn't think to do.
A few blocks from our apartment is another closed door restaurant, Tipa Casa. Where as Dan at Casa Saltshaker's events are more like a dinner party (set menu and the room served at the same time), Casa Tipa is run like a very small restaurant. We were given a short hand-written menu of dishes to choose from. The pork with grapes was one of the best main courses we had on our trip, and the spinich raviolli in beet juice sauce with sesame seeds was tasty and very unique. We had a very nice time there.
Other places we ate at include Bar 6 in Palermo Soho (you can probably tell that we liked that area). Once again, we had an excellent meal. A shrimp starter course was cooked and seasoned perfectly, with a yummy dipping sauce. We had a pork chop dish here too, and it was as good as (but different than) the pork at Casa Tipa. We were a bit too full for dessert, so we just ordered cafes. They came with little chocolates, candied nuts and orange rinds that were delicious and were all the dessert we needed.
During the afternoons, we took some breaks for coffee, cervesa or light snacks. The Pharmacie near our B&B was very nice, and we spent an hour or so each day at an outside table at Veronese off the Plaza Ganes.
I want to thank everyone here at Fodors as well as those who helped provide info at Trip Advisor. My wife is always amazed at how many insider tips we have when we go to a new holiday destination. I tell her that I have many well-traveled friends!!! Ciao!!!
It won't be soon enough! Next year's trip will be back to Northern England to visit my British wife's family, so perhaps 2010. That's so far away I get sad thinking about it, so for now I'll just have to remember all the fun we had this month.
A few more details about the tail end of our trip...
After returning to B.A. from Colonia, we stayed for 5 nights at Casa Palermitano B&B. It's on the border of Palermo and Abasto. The area doesn't seem as quaint as Palermo Hollywood, nor is it has hip as Palermo Soho. However, it felt like a really family area and we enjoyed exploring around there. The B&B is made up of a second story flat in a late-1800's building with perhaps 5 guest rooms. It's been remodeled very well and it was very comfortable. It wasn't hip like the Home hotel, but we found it very much to our liking.
The price of U$60 (inc tax) was less than half of our standard room at Home, which helped pay for some of our nicer meals out. It was mentioned by someone on another thread that one should check whether a B&B is licenced, which we didn't think to do.
A few blocks from our apartment is another closed door restaurant, Tipa Casa. Where as Dan at Casa Saltshaker's events are more like a dinner party (set menu and the room served at the same time), Casa Tipa is run like a very small restaurant. We were given a short hand-written menu of dishes to choose from. The pork with grapes was one of the best main courses we had on our trip, and the spinich raviolli in beet juice sauce with sesame seeds was tasty and very unique. We had a very nice time there.
Other places we ate at include Bar 6 in Palermo Soho (you can probably tell that we liked that area). Once again, we had an excellent meal. A shrimp starter course was cooked and seasoned perfectly, with a yummy dipping sauce. We had a pork chop dish here too, and it was as good as (but different than) the pork at Casa Tipa. We were a bit too full for dessert, so we just ordered cafes. They came with little chocolates, candied nuts and orange rinds that were delicious and were all the dessert we needed.
During the afternoons, we took some breaks for coffee, cervesa or light snacks. The Pharmacie near our B&B was very nice, and we spent an hour or so each day at an outside table at Veronese off the Plaza Ganes.
I want to thank everyone here at Fodors as well as those who helped provide info at Trip Advisor. My wife is always amazed at how many insider tips we have when we go to a new holiday destination. I tell her that I have many well-traveled friends!!! Ciao!!!
