Chefs on Location: Timothy Charles
Timothy Charles
Fogo Island Inn
Fogo Island, NewfoundLand
WHAT APPEALS TO YOU ABOUT BUENOS AIRES?
I love its dreamy beauty. It’s like stepping into a world of magical realism, with trees I’m accustomed to seeing in office-plant sizes lining streets with European-style buildings. The hospitality feels joyful and natural.
WHERE DID YOU STAY?
I stayed in Palermo — close to the ocean and an ecological reserve with a peaceful wooded area and trails. In such a densely populated city, it was amazing to have this greenspace for a run or a reflective moment. The hotel was cheap and cheerful.
WHAT MEAL IMPRESSED YOU MOST?
I had one of the most memorable dining experiences of my life at Florería Atlántico. You enter off a side street into this florist-and-wine store, and when you open the door, you’re hit with the perfume of flowers. You go downstairs and through what looks like a refrigerator door, only to find yourself in a speakeasy. The cocktails are extraordinary, many of them made with a local gin distilled with botanicals like eucalyptus, pomelo, and yerba maté. They have a menu of small plates, too. I’d go back just for the braised octopus with crunchy potatoes.
WHERE DO YOU TAKE VISITORS FOR THEIR FIRST DINNER?
Chila. They do a market-driven, vegetable-forward menu. Chef Pedro Bargero believes you need to be anchored in your environment to present ingredients at their peak. The presentation of dishes there is elegant and unadorned.
AND THEIR FIRST LUNCH?
We’d go to Bis, the bistro led by chef Gonzalo Arramburu, who does progressive cuisine and is also the chef of Aramburu restaurant in Recoleta, one of the more upscale districts in Buenos Aires. The dishes at Bis have the same cleverness in flavour combinations as their sister restaurant, but this spot is more casual and accessible.
WHERE DO YOU GO OUT FOR MORNING COFFEE?
They have a European-style café culture that’s more pronounced than anywhere else I’ve experienced in the Americas. I recommend experiencing one of the older, more traditional spots — such as Las Violetas, which has been open since the 19th centuary and is an impressive space with colonnades and huge stained-glass windows. One of the most beautiful pasts of the service is the offernig of a chilled siphon on the side, so you have sparkling water with your coffee.
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