Dickhead
05-13-06, 04:21
Ate here tonight and it was my second visit. As is well known, I don't favor expensive places. However, I do recognize the relationship of value = quality / price. If you throw price out of the equation, this may be the best place I have eaten in BA. If you leave price in, it still rates very highly. And thank you very much to both of my monger friends who picked up the tabs so that I could step outside of my middle class box for a change.
Sinclair is on the street of the same name just east of Dorrego off Del Libertador. I hopped off the train at Lisandro de la Torre, sauntered past the Hipodromo, and would estimate it to be about a mile from Lisandro. I think you could also walk it from Retiro and the distance would be similar.
I was met at the door by a very attractive 30ish (read 36 or 37ish) slender piece of work that immediately made me bone hard. Rebar. She informed me that my friend and benefactor was already there and showed us to a table upstairs. Let me say that I am not necessarily a fan of intimate dining and in Sinclair, there is a good amount of space around your table. Not like say Los Chilenos which I also like. We were on the balcony looking down on the main dining room. Immediately I noticed an advantage to this in that I could look directly into the cleavage of a nicely endowed yet unsuspecting diner below me. This led to a seque from rebar to outright pup tent.
The bread basket was warm but not hard or stale. Very good. Some variety too. Looked like maybe some date or banana bread but I didn't try that. We were offered English menus which might be construed as a plus, and was done with a fair amout of elan as in "just a suggestion." We don't need them so fine. A small amount of excellent pate was served along with the menus and wine list.
The menu has a nice variety: red meat, seafood, a few chicken dishes. My companion has a known fondness for rabbit. I like rabbit too but I am weird in that I will not order the same entree anyone else orders. I often try to maneuver myself into position to order last for that reason. However, that was not necessary in this case as we know each other well enough to discuss the situation frankly. If he wants the salmon, I will order the rabbit, and if he wants the rabbit, I will order the salmon. Unless I get a hair up my ass and order the half chicken with steamed vegetables, because steamed vegetables are hard to come by.
As a precaution, we inquire as to the fish of the day but are not really overwhelmed. We share an appetizer of crab stuffed mushrooms. They are excellent and not too pricey but I would have preferred them to be served a bit warmer. They were just above body temperature. The sauce involved saffron. My friend declares his intention to go for rabbit again as it will be hard to find back in SP and I reject my thoughts of chicken and decide on the salmon.
A minor disappointment ensues when Rutini Sauvignon Blanc is not available. Eschewing Rutini Chardonnay, we sally bravely forth into some other Sauvignon Blanc. As stated numerous times, my wine knowledge would fit in a thimble. It has alcohol in it and I therefore drink it reflexively, appreciatively, and without hesitation. I do prefer red to white, such as in Pagan Pink Ripple vs. Apple Ripple but I always defer to my companions in matters of wine. My companion tested the proferred Sauvingon Blanc with a minimum of pretense and we proceeded to enjoy its crisp and delicate bouquet. Or some shit. It was a good wine and I enjoyed it. Beyond that I cannot comment.
My salmon entree was perfectly cooked. Could not have done better myself. It had a nice sauce and the three plump shrimp that accompanied it were marvelous. The accompanying baked and quartered potatoes were underdone as is, alas, frequently the case in Argentina. When the waiter arrived with the entrees, he asked if we wanted pepper. My friend declined and I said, yes, a little on the potatoes but not on the fish. He took a bit too long to arrive with said pepper and then did a bit of a sloppy job, getting some on the fish and too much on the potatoes. But not terribly so. Like a B minus in that department.
Ambience: 9.5. Really nice. Soft, well selected music. Plenty of space between tables. Handsome decor. Nice bathrooms.
Food: 8.75. Entree was a 9 and app was an 8 so weighting the entree more heavily I think this is a fair mark.
Service: 8.25. I wish I could go a bit higher. A few too many different folks. Someone has to take the blame for not knowing they were out of the wine we originally ordered. Also right after we sat down we were presented with bottles of water, gasificada or not. Maybe this is normal but it seemed just a tad fast and aggressive to me. Otherwise excellent, unobtrusive (very important) and well-timed. The waiter did a great job of explaining the fish of the day and exactly how it was prepared. Minor subtraction for not offering coffee after we declined dessert.
This is a very fine restaurant!
Sinclair is on the street of the same name just east of Dorrego off Del Libertador. I hopped off the train at Lisandro de la Torre, sauntered past the Hipodromo, and would estimate it to be about a mile from Lisandro. I think you could also walk it from Retiro and the distance would be similar.
I was met at the door by a very attractive 30ish (read 36 or 37ish) slender piece of work that immediately made me bone hard. Rebar. She informed me that my friend and benefactor was already there and showed us to a table upstairs. Let me say that I am not necessarily a fan of intimate dining and in Sinclair, there is a good amount of space around your table. Not like say Los Chilenos which I also like. We were on the balcony looking down on the main dining room. Immediately I noticed an advantage to this in that I could look directly into the cleavage of a nicely endowed yet unsuspecting diner below me. This led to a seque from rebar to outright pup tent.
The bread basket was warm but not hard or stale. Very good. Some variety too. Looked like maybe some date or banana bread but I didn't try that. We were offered English menus which might be construed as a plus, and was done with a fair amout of elan as in "just a suggestion." We don't need them so fine. A small amount of excellent pate was served along with the menus and wine list.
The menu has a nice variety: red meat, seafood, a few chicken dishes. My companion has a known fondness for rabbit. I like rabbit too but I am weird in that I will not order the same entree anyone else orders. I often try to maneuver myself into position to order last for that reason. However, that was not necessary in this case as we know each other well enough to discuss the situation frankly. If he wants the salmon, I will order the rabbit, and if he wants the rabbit, I will order the salmon. Unless I get a hair up my ass and order the half chicken with steamed vegetables, because steamed vegetables are hard to come by.
As a precaution, we inquire as to the fish of the day but are not really overwhelmed. We share an appetizer of crab stuffed mushrooms. They are excellent and not too pricey but I would have preferred them to be served a bit warmer. They were just above body temperature. The sauce involved saffron. My friend declares his intention to go for rabbit again as it will be hard to find back in SP and I reject my thoughts of chicken and decide on the salmon.
A minor disappointment ensues when Rutini Sauvignon Blanc is not available. Eschewing Rutini Chardonnay, we sally bravely forth into some other Sauvignon Blanc. As stated numerous times, my wine knowledge would fit in a thimble. It has alcohol in it and I therefore drink it reflexively, appreciatively, and without hesitation. I do prefer red to white, such as in Pagan Pink Ripple vs. Apple Ripple but I always defer to my companions in matters of wine. My companion tested the proferred Sauvingon Blanc with a minimum of pretense and we proceeded to enjoy its crisp and delicate bouquet. Or some shit. It was a good wine and I enjoyed it. Beyond that I cannot comment.
My salmon entree was perfectly cooked. Could not have done better myself. It had a nice sauce and the three plump shrimp that accompanied it were marvelous. The accompanying baked and quartered potatoes were underdone as is, alas, frequently the case in Argentina. When the waiter arrived with the entrees, he asked if we wanted pepper. My friend declined and I said, yes, a little on the potatoes but not on the fish. He took a bit too long to arrive with said pepper and then did a bit of a sloppy job, getting some on the fish and too much on the potatoes. But not terribly so. Like a B minus in that department.
Ambience: 9.5. Really nice. Soft, well selected music. Plenty of space between tables. Handsome decor. Nice bathrooms.
Food: 8.75. Entree was a 9 and app was an 8 so weighting the entree more heavily I think this is a fair mark.
Service: 8.25. I wish I could go a bit higher. A few too many different folks. Someone has to take the blame for not knowing they were out of the wine we originally ordered. Also right after we sat down we were presented with bottles of water, gasificada or not. Maybe this is normal but it seemed just a tad fast and aggressive to me. Otherwise excellent, unobtrusive (very important) and well-timed. The waiter did a great job of explaining the fish of the day and exactly how it was prepared. Minor subtraction for not offering coffee after we declined dessert.
This is a very fine restaurant!