Thanks to the advice of a friend of a friend, one evening activity we made sure to do in Buenos Aires was a “closed-door” dining and wine tasting experience. Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures from that night, but I have to write about it because it was unlike anything I’ve ever done before. Casa Coupage is literally in a home in which you get a “private dining experience.” It involves a multi-course tasting menu, paired with wine tastings to compliment each specific course. A reservation is required, and they are only taken beginning at 8:30pm Tuesday through Sunday (a bit of a reflection of South American culture). We ended up going with a couple of couples (who have each become amazing friends to both Tom and myself) after a show in our second week in Buenos Aires.
When the taxi driver stopped at the correct address, we were slightly concerned. It looked as though we were dropped off at an old apartment building. There were no signs, no open windows or doors, and no telling where we actually were. All we could do was ring the buzzer, and hope we weren’t lead astray to a random city home. Thankfully we were let in and asked to confirm our reservation. It was a home, and the front sitting room, living room, and dining room were all full of family kitchen-style tables decked with beautiful cutlery. Phew. We’re in the right place! We had a personal server, and chose the chef’s tasting menu (with probably one or three too many wine tastings J).
The entire evening was just amazing. In addition to delectable local food and drink, we were given scent tests, where we got to guess a specific scent that can either be drawn out of a specific wine, or is used in their gourmet cooking. I’ll just say we never guessed correctly. Some new foods I tried included duck meatballs, braised rabbit, and combinations of small dishes like fennel, salmon, and corn puree.
At a point we realized the time to be 1:30am. Our reservation began at 9:30pm. Everything was so relaxed and enjoyable; we had no idea that much time had passed. The culture here does not promote fast food or rushed lines to get in and out of a restaurant. It promotes the enjoyment of time together, often over a meal or good wine. It does not matter how fast the food comes, or how fast the check comes when finished. Restaurants will never rush a table of people out, and people here are not worried about their “to-do” list for the next day. Conversations last, and people enjoy simply being together in good company. I won’t say I never got frustrated with much slower service than we are used to in the States, but I do think there is richness and wisdom behind the values and priorities of this culture. The enjoyment of our night at Casa Coupage is a perfect example of that.
When the taxi driver stopped at the correct address, we were slightly concerned. It looked as though we were dropped off at an old apartment building. There were no signs, no open windows or doors, and no telling where we actually were. All we could do was ring the buzzer, and hope we weren’t lead astray to a random city home. Thankfully we were let in and asked to confirm our reservation. It was a home, and the front sitting room, living room, and dining room were all full of family kitchen-style tables decked with beautiful cutlery. Phew. We’re in the right place! We had a personal server, and chose the chef’s tasting menu (with probably one or three too many wine tastings J).
The entire evening was just amazing. In addition to delectable local food and drink, we were given scent tests, where we got to guess a specific scent that can either be drawn out of a specific wine, or is used in their gourmet cooking. I’ll just say we never guessed correctly. Some new foods I tried included duck meatballs, braised rabbit, and combinations of small dishes like fennel, salmon, and corn puree.
At a point we realized the time to be 1:30am. Our reservation began at 9:30pm. Everything was so relaxed and enjoyable; we had no idea that much time had passed. The culture here does not promote fast food or rushed lines to get in and out of a restaurant. It promotes the enjoyment of time together, often over a meal or good wine. It does not matter how fast the food comes, or how fast the check comes when finished. Restaurants will never rush a table of people out, and people here are not worried about their “to-do” list for the next day. Conversations last, and people enjoy simply being together in good company. I won’t say I never got frustrated with much slower service than we are used to in the States, but I do think there is richness and wisdom behind the values and priorities of this culture. The enjoyment of our night at Casa Coupage is a perfect example of that.
