Orquesta Fernández Fierro; photo courtesy of Pan y Arte.

The event, started in 2010 by Liliana Moreno, an actress and owner of local restaurant, Pan y Arte, is an artsy celebration of Argentina’s wine harvest. What originally started as a relatively small event held inside one restaurant has now grown out to become a sophisticated, open-air street party. This year, a stretch of Avenida Boedo has been shut down and an outdoor stage has been erected to welcome performers such as dynamic tango group Orquesta Típica Fernández Fierro. The event – which is running now through this Sunday – also sees street parades and wine tastings by leading bodegas.

Here’s a little taste of it, in the words of a persuasive local TV presenter:

The inspiration is the giant Vendimia festival held every year in Mendoza. “Our family is from Mendoza and we wanted to celebrate its wine culture here in Buenos Aires but with a strong artistic flavour,” says Liliana’s son Lucas Marín, who is one of the festival’s directors. He says the event has really tapped into the area’s community spirit. “Although it was my mother’s idea, the people have made it their own. An event like this – which is free and features top-level performers – is not very common here. It’s generating a real cultural movement.”

Pisada de la uva; photo courtesy of Pan y Arte.

Boedo’s “Barrio” Spirit

Boedo itself is a slow burner on the tourist scene. It’s been tipped as up-and-coming for a while now, but there’s been no break-through. And that’s the charm. “Other neighbourhoods may be more set-up for tourism, but people come here looking for authenticity,” says Lucas. “They notice the difference and the barrio spirit. It’s contemporary, but there is an awareness of history too. It’s a great mix.”

Wandering down Avenida Boedo, you’d be forgiven for dismissing it as just another commercial throughway. Scratch away at the surface, however, and you find signs of its artistic heritage. Back in the 1920s, this was one of the city’s leading cultural hubs. A magnet for tango musicians and poets, it had its own literary movement and produced alternative magazines.

A little taste of those days can still be found in wood-panelled heritage cafe, Bar Margot, which is every bit as appealing as the San Telmo bars that appear in every guidebook. I would try to romanticise it some more, but someone’s already done a far better job. Have you ever heard anyone do ‘nostalgia’ better than the sultry porteña narrating the following clip?

The years since Boedo’s cultural heyday certainly haven’t been easy. The final nail in its coffin seemed to be when the local football team – San Lorenzo – had its ground sold in 1979 to make way for a Carrefour supermarket. Supporters have recently upped the campaigns to have it restored, but opposition teams still delight in teasing them. A paraphrased Racing chant goes, “I went to your ground and found a supermarket, painted red and blue… Racing has a stadium, you have a grocery!”

But football aside, Boedo could be making a comeback, especially with events like Vendimia and an influx of younger residents, attracted by low rent. “You can definitely see it is becoming more interesting to tourists,” says Andrea Palmisciano, who works at Lola House, one of the most appealing hotels in the area. “Some choose the trendier Palermo, but the prices, style and atmosphere are drawing others to our neighborhood. Our guests tell us they love the small restaurants and cantinas.”

Liliana Moreno opens the festival; photo courtesy of Pan y Arte.

Pan y Arte makes an interesting trip, even when Vendimia isn’t on. It hosts constant art exhibitions and has its own theatre, plus it’s one of few places in the city specialising in Mendocino cuisine. Try its regional empanadas or the pastel de papa, an unusual sweet-and-savory combination of meat, mashed potato, sugar, cinnamon and raisins. It’s best washed down with Mendocino wine, of course, but failing that, you can always make an exception for an artisanal beer down the road at Cossab.

Vendimia 2012 runs until Sunday 29 April. The program of events can be found at www.panyarte.com.ar.

While Mar del Plata is a world-class, A grade festival, and Pantalla Pinamar is a smaller, more intimate gathering, one of the most important Buenos Aires festivals that gives movie buffs itchy feet and square eyes is Bafici.

The biggest indie film festival in Latin America, Bafici, now in its 14th year, stands for “Buenos Aires Independent and International Film Festival” and gives first-time as well as more established directors achance to shine in front of a keen and knowledgeable audience.

Bafici 2011; photo courtesy of Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires.

Although most directors don’t have a tenth of the budget of El Secreto de Sus Ojos, the most recent Argentinian flick by Juan José Campanella which won an Oscar in 2010 for Best Foreign Movie and cost an alleged 1.5m euros to make, Bafici is very much a feeding ground for unearthing talent. With more than 300 movies, short and feature-length, to check out over the course of 12 days, you have until 22 April to get watching.

Check here for the full schedule in English and Spanish. Many films are shown at the central hub of the Hoyts cinemas at Abasto shopping mall (subway Carlos Gardel) although screenings take place at 11 other venues around the city.

Check out a movie at the Planetarium; photo courtesy of Bafici.

The Lowdown

Sergio Wolf, the festival’s artistic director, says of Bafici: “It’s the city’s biggest film festival, and with respect to independent filmmakers, it’s the most important in the region, in my opinion. Other regional festivals have started up off the back of Bafici, and some have even changed their profile to incorporate more independent films.”

With 300 films and documentaries spanning 14 days there is something on offer for everyone, and even if you usually scoff at indie works, bear in mind that programmers from Sundance, London Film Festival (LFF) and Rotterdam, as well as producers, come knocking on Bafici’s door looking for their next vehicle. Previous stars of the silver screen which have seen remarkable success include Los Labios (2010) which, despite being made on a US$3,000-shoestring, competed at Cannes; and El Ambulante (2010) which took LFF by storm and has picked up awards in double figures.

Besides Baficito for the kids, there are also movies showing at the Planetarium including Pink Floyd – The Wall, U2 and Jeepers-Creepers and outdoor screenings which are free. This sold-out section on the Bafici website may be of help if you’re finding the catalogue baffling.

Scene from Masterplan; photo courtesy of Bafici.

Argentina Films

Divided into competition categories just like any other film festival, this year’s Argentina section is rammed full with first-time directors. Although the Bafici board often selects oldies but goodies such as Raúl Perrone, a film-maker who casts and shoots in his home town Ituzaingó in Buenos Aires province, this year’s competition features 14 Argentinian films, of which seven are debut works. Have a gander at fledgling ideas which were given boosts by the festival’s development programme Buenos Aires Lab, such as Salsipuedes, written and directed by Mariano Luque, or Cassandra by Inés de Oliveira de Cézar; Masterplan, the second work by the Levy brothers; or Juanma Brignole’s debut Mis Sucios 3 Tonos. Check out the trailer for Salsipuedes here:

And don’t forget that Bafici isn’t just about Argentine films: this year’s International competition features works from France, the Philippines, Israel, Serbia and the US.

Lost Alamo

One documentary which may tantalise taste buds for various reasons is Lost Alamo (2012), directed by Francisco Forbes. Los Alamos, a local seven-piece folk band, is the focus of this movie, which was filmed in Spanish and English with a small helping of French. Although vocalist Peter López moved to Marseilles, the documentary focuses on the group’s reunion, their European tour and the musical offshoots formed by members, such as mandolin player Jonah Schwartz’s duo SpringLizard. Taking four years from start to screen on a miniscule US$10,000 budget, Forbes says: “I wanted to make a series of rockumentaries about Latin American artists – I’ve filmed three so far – and on the independent Buenos Aires circuit, Los Alamos was the band that attracted me the most, for their style and their powerful live sound.” Check out the trailer here and see how Los Alamos inspired Francisco Forbes:

If you can’t be in Buenos Aires for all the popcorn and indie movies, fear not, because London is hosting its very own Argentine Film Festival, from 19-22 April. Check out the schedule for your dose of Ricardo Darín here.

I hate using the word ‘ubiquitous’ as much as the word ‘unique’ (and writers who try to get around clichés by starting sentence: “I hate using the word…”), but Quilmes ‘Crystal’ is ubiquitous in Argentina. Its blue and white angled logo appears on every kiosk, billboard and ashtray. Heck, they even sponsor the ‘Fiesta de la cerveza artesanal’. In a great many places there is a choice of two beers: Quilmes and Isenbeck, the latter we didn’t even have to tell anyone not to bring to parties. No one did.

Cervezas de Quilmes, photo courtesy of Jack Zalium.

Now, I’m not down on Quilmes; it’s cold, fizzy, and not the alcoholic equivalent of Kenny G (think Elbow). And it only came in 1-litre bottles. Wah-hey. The Argentines shared. Pah, not us Brits. And when you’re feeling flush, there is Warsteiner, by far the best of the commonly available bottled beers.

A New Dawn for Craft Beer in Argentina

Then around the turn of the century Antares opened. It is a bar bar: wood tables, copper pots, decent food and it served ‘artisanal’ beer made in Mar del Plata. We’ll forgive the tiny tasting glasses (only wine should come in ‘flights’) because they also served beer in pints and some of it was even good. Like predictable ex-pats, we packed the place, moaning about tea bags with string and why the Guardian doesn’t publish the quick crossword online over pints of Scotch Ale and Porter, although my favourite was actually the lager-like Kolsch. With the exception of the latter, we’d almost forgive the freezing temperature they served it at.

Degustación de Antares, photo courtesy of Christian Van Der Henst S.

Everyone loved it. And I’d say it kick started the current wave of artisanal beers in Buenos Aires. Pedants will point out that Buller Pub, a true brew pub, in Recoleta existed long before, and some of its beer is very good. But no one goes drinking in Recoleta.

The Best Brew-Pubs in Buenos Aires

As the novelty of cheap, good red wine began to wane and the thought of yet another night on Quilmes beckoned, I began to make more of an effort in finding quality beers. And to do this I needed to search the bars. Antares sells Antares, and while it’s a nice bar, I can’t haul my beer belly to Palermo every time I want a pint. Thanks then to Otro Mundo that set up in 2004 in Santa Fe and immediately started brewing complex and flavourful beers. I found them on a wayward night in Las Cañitas (no one goes drinking here either – unless you are the type that turns up your collar on a polo shirt). But if you do end up around here, it’s to Van Koning Dutch Pub you go. Fazio, the owner, made beer, real beer. Their hoppy Golden Ale was superb. The Red a little sweet for British palates – but it is an enduring success: I saw it in Spain once.

Cerveza Artesanal Antares, photo courtesy of polmuadi.

Fazio pointed out another little bar in Boedo called Cossab in an odd little nook in a galería. I walked in to the incongruous sound of Yes and hunted down the landlady. “My husband and I love prog rock,” she told me. “And all things British, especially the beer, so we made our own.” Today she presides over the pub with the true elan of a London boozer. As she plied me with beer, the soundtrack barely wavering from Genesis (the early stuff) and Blind Faith (original gatefold sleeve on the wall), the stout (Cossab Negra) was a highlight as was their IPA. It was a revelation. It was the nearest I’d seen to a proper boozer (along with Bangalore, which serves Antares along with other brews, and Gibraltar). I was a Cossab Rubia and a Cossab Scotch down, when I finally got up to the bar. Oh my. There were more than 100 beers from microbreweries all over Argentina and beyond. Quite simply, if there’s one place in Buenos Aires to find beer it’s Cossab – as the little Viking logo attests, it’s beer Valhalla.

Argentina’s Artisanal Beer Boom Continues

Since then, beer has spread beyond the preserve of homesick Brits and become a significant industry, with a reputed 800 beers on sale across Argentina, made in Argentina.

The artesanal beers that you’ll find most often in Buenos Aires are Barba Roja (go for the ‘Strong Red Ale’), the experimental El Bolsón from Patagonia, and Zeppelin which makes English-style golden and pale ales as well as a ‘Robust Porter’.

It’s not all good of course – Argentinian beers tend towards sweetness and malt – and hops seem as elusive as a non-leaking air con unit, but somewhere along the learning curve the beer has reached excellence.

The image has been promoted abroad through the traditional Argentine steakhouse – a place of rustic charm where vegetarians fear to tread. And it may have been reinforced by the recent ‘Malbec – made for meat’ campaign to boost sales of the country’s best-known wine. The chef Fernando Trocca, who runs Sucre in Buenos Aires and is also executive chef at the Gaucho Group of Restaurants, says “Argentine Malbec is a great wine, but we also have many other types of grapes offering great quality. It’s a similar analogy to how we also have other great varieties of food outside our parrillas and asados.”

Ceviche at La Flor de la Canela, photo courtesy of LWY.

Argentina’s Rich Culinary Heritage

Put simply there is far more to Argentine cuisine than empanadas and steak. Which is obvious when you think of the ingredients that make up this country – Hispanic, pre-colonial and endless waves of immigrants, all mixed together in a rich stew. The Italian influence is everywhere and not just in the variety of pastas, pizzas, polentas and risottos you can find in a city like Buenos Aires. “The Argentines have the benefit of such great raw produce,” says Martin Williams of the Gaucho Group. “They don’t have to tart it up too much. So it’s always been a fairly unfussy food based on very good quality ingredients in the same way Italy is.” Even the simplest tomato salad for example can be packed with flavours you will never find in one made from those tasteless Dutch tomatoes sold in northern Europe.

Scratch a little deeper and you will uncover all kinds of other influences. The country’s modern chefs have drawn on regional dishes beyond the Pampas and its famous grass-fed beef cattle. Hernán Gipponi, chef at the Fierro Hotel in BA, mentions the following home-grown produce worth getting to know. “The fish from the Mar Argentino, prawns from Puerto Madryn, spider crabs from Tierra del Fuego, baby goat from Malargue, and quinoa and carob from Tucuman.” Trocca adds other dishes such as locro – a hearty Andean caserole of pork, white beans and sweetcorn, as well as humitas – sweetcorn patties, and tamales – cornmeal tortillas filled with meat or vegetables.

Tamale, photo courtesy of fabulousfabs.

Inspiration from Around Argentina and the World

Others have been inspired by the river Paraná. At his Buenos Aires restaurant, Jangada, Ricardo Annichini, offers tararira, boga, and surubí – freshwater fish named by the Guaraní tribes that once fished the river’s upper reaches. So does Fernando Rivarola at El Baqueano, where you can indulge in a seven-course tasting menu that includes llama carpaccio, chinchilla wraps and caiman kebab. And if that doesn’t convince you that not all Porteños live solely on beef, check out La Vineria de Gualterio Boliva next time you are in BA. Here Alejandro Diglio, who once worked at El Bulli in Spain, will give you a molecular gastronomic treat you’ll never forget.

La Vineria de Gualterio Boliva, photo courtesy of scaredy_kat.

One of the country’s best-known restaurateurs, Francis Mallmann, opened Patagonia Sur in BA’s La Boca as a homage to the deep south. Having spent years cooking nothing but fancy French dishes he decided he was “through with the pretentiousness of haute cuisine. From that moment on,” he explained to the American food writer, Peter Kaminsky, “I wanted to cook with Argentine ingredients and wood fires, the way I had seen gauchos and Indians cook when I was growing up in Patagonia.” As well as its wonderfully succulent lamb, the region is rich in seafood like spider crabs, scallops, tiger prawns and merluza negra (Patagonian toothfish).

Sushi in Buenos Aires, photo courtesy of fabulousfabs.

Inspiration has also come from beyond Argentina. The cult of ceviche – the citrus marinated raw fish that is considered part of Peru’s national heritage, has spread south to be adapted and reinvented by creative cooks in Buenos Aires. In many ways the popularity of the dish in all its various forms has simply followed the wave of sushi and sashimi which first introduced the West to the idea of eating raw fish. As a starter it represents a deliciously feminine counterpoint to a main course of rare steak. It also subverts Argentina’s hoary old image of red meat and machismo.

Discover some of our favourite places to eat Argentina’s new wave cuisine around Buenos Aires here. And leave a comment below to tell us what restaurants you think are pushing the boundaries of traditional Argentine food.