One of our Favorite Food Finds

Well, well, well... As you may already know, we like food; better yet, we love food; said best, we LOVE food! Shopping for, picking, smelling, touching, tasting, cooking, and eating food are activities that give us great pleasure so it's nice to be able to share one of our local finds with you: Mc Café.

¿Really? ¿Do you think that being half-a-world away would send us searching for any, and I mean any, sense of familiarity? ¿That we would even consider stepping into a Micky D´s because it´s American? Come on now. I must admit, sometimes it does smell good, and they do have the best soft-serve vanilla "ice cream" cones that can be found on any block, but seriously, there is much more to explore in Montevideo. Welcome to Tres Tías!



Tres Tías is a local tea house that was founded by three young women three years ago to bring something new to the Uruguayan merienda (aftenoon tea) scene. When I think of tea houses, doilies, older women, and fine china come to mind. My first afternoon tea experience happened the Friday before coming to Uruguay with la GG, and E & C in Pasadena. It was a lot of fun, mostly because of the caliber of the company... but there was a sense, for me at least, that it was something slightly outside of the male gendersphere. Mariana and Elisa, the two owners of Tres Tías, thought so as well. They opened their tea house to attract a younger, hipper crowd with tasteful decor and more to offer than tea and crumpets. All the furniture is made of wood with a dark varnish and mate laquer finish. Each table has a white leather runner while the walls are off-white with artistic wooden lamp shades (look closely in the picture above and you can see one on the far left). The plates are your typical rose, flower, or decorative porcelain theme, but it works. The musical selection ranges from blues and jazz to French café and European lounge.

The food is amazing. We have had Hungarian lentils with pork ribs, panqueques (a.k.a pancakes) con dulce de leche, and other goodies in the past. We'd really like to try out some of the various cheese fondues. This time we opted for a Té completo (a complete tea serving). The tea service included our hot beverage of choice, orange juice shooters, homemade mini ginger cookies, grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, scones--that looked like bite-size English muffins--sparkling water shooters, and pastry slices for dessert. We both chose hot chocolate drinks. I had a traditional hot chocolate that was super hot, and decadently rich. La GG had a submarino, a glass of hot milk frothed cappuccino-style with a bar of pure chocolate dropped in to give it flavor. The most impressive part of the meal were the tarts. Apple, cinnamon, and raisin vs. chocolate and marmelada de damascos (I think damascos are a type of date, but I am not sure). Can you say delicious? It was.

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The police take the bus for free, but not I...

Actually, I usually walk everywhere. But I thought I would comment on the transportation here in Uruguay in case you all are wondering how we get around without a car! Thankfully, Montevideo is nothing like L.A. One literally can walk to most places in Montevideo, as long as he or she has good shoes. El Torero has taken to walking to El Centro, where he studies, and this takes about a half hour. I too, love walking everywhere and am the proud new owner of some very comfortable and stylish Merrell shoes. I know they are not made here, but I feel much less like a tourist when I leave my white Asics tennis shoes at home. (Or "championes" as they are called here.)
But once in while we do take the bus. Police do ride for free, and I imagine other civil workers do as well. For us it is just under a buck one way. For me, riding the bus downtown is definitely a taste of Uruguay. There is a specific sense of culture that goes along with the bus ride. This is in reference to the performers. Each time I have caught a bus downtown, a singer or guitarist has hopped on at some point. They introduce themselves and proceed to perform. What I found very congenial was that after the song, everyone on the bus claps. (Don't worry...not the bus driver.) Then the performer goes around the bus, and most people give some money.
I was talking with Omar, the Portero downstairs, and he told me that this is a practice that people enjoy. The bus driver will even turn down the radio if it is on. To me, it is another example of the friendly, comfortable, and relaxed attitude of the Uruguayan people. I am curious about the lives of these performers. Do they earn a living this way? Do they have "gigs" at night? Locals from Uruguay who may read this blog: I would love your insight!
As for me I am happy to walk and take the occasional bus ride. Driving here seems slightly chaotic. I get the impression traffic laws (if there are any) are mere suggestions. The only advantage is I know I will not receive a ticket if I "J-walk."

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Coming to a theatre near you...

El Torero and I went to the movies last weekend to see a Spanish film called VOLVER. I really enjoyed it. The well-known director is none other than Pedro Almodovar, an amazing and innovative creator of films. He directed one of my favourites "Hable con Ella" (Talk to Her) which premiered in the U.S. a few years ago. If you like foreign flicks, or if you are a fan of Almodovar, I highly recommend this film. You might recognize the main cast from various other Spanish and Argentine films. Check out the review, the trailer, and fantastic voice of Estrella Morente, a flamenca singer who performs the song "Volver". Morente has an amazing voice. When I return to the states, I will be happy to lend a CD to anyone interested.
Oh...and I think my Spanish is starting to get better. I only had to nudge El Torero about five times during the movie to ask what was going on. I think that is pretty good!

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Casa Linda!

At long last, here are some pictures of our new home. We are very happy here and we are settling nicely into our cozy apartment. It does have its "quirks" which we discover little by little. For example, our shower. Sometimes we get a long hot shower and other times a (quick) cold one. But the apartment is a nice temperature, our two balconies provide us with fresh air, and the kitchen is bigger than our kitchen in Goleta. (I know...for those of you who saw our tiny kitchen that doesn't say much.) I have begun to experiment with cooking once again, which I adore. The kitchen came equipped with all the necessities. However, I did buy a cookie sheet the first week we were here in order to make chocolate chip cookies. With some experimentation with the oven, (actually, A LOT of experimentation) I had two dozen delicious cookies to share with our new friends. I am happy to report I believe they are even better friends now. My sweetie was a happy man as well. He was gifted with all the not-so-pretty-but-tasty cookies. I have cooked simply in the house thus far; using the fresh vegetables and fruits from the markets. The produce here is awesome. Tonight we had penne pasta with roasted garlic, eggplant, zucchini, orange bell pepper topped with fresh oregano and the Uruguayan version of Parmesan (which tastes like provolone. More on that later). I also made a great pasta with tomatoes and arugula inspired from the wonderful blog of a great friend/chef & fellow foodie. The Uruguayans are also big fans of fresh pasta, specifically ravioli. It is delicious. If you all haven't tried fresh pasta go out and find some. Am I making everyone hungry?!
Unfortunately, our neighbors seem to be insomniacs. Their TV is located right on the other side of the our bedroom wall. They like to turn it on about 11:00 pm and leave it on till 1:00ish. Furthermore, they are also early risers. Or they try to be. I think the room with the TV is also the kids room. Around 7:30 every morning our alarm sounds like this...(El Padre) "Vamos! Vamos! Escuela! (Los Ninos) .....No, no quiero. No quiero!!!" Next week is spring vacation in Uruguay. We are hoping they take a trip somewhere.
We have a laundry machine on our terrace located in the backside of the apartment. We are really grateful for this. We hang all our clothes to dry on the terrace which is enclosed, but has large sliding glass windows to let air in. Again we are grateful. Most people hang their laundry outside their window. I just know I would drop everything eight floors down.
There is a doorman/security guard 24 hours a day. Omar is our favourite, and we have become good friends with him. He was one of the lucky receivers of the chocolate chip cookies.
We have met a few of the people in the building. Since it is an apartment complex, I don't imagine we will interact with them much. However, our neighbors on the first floor were the lucky receivers of a lone black sock that was unfortunately stuck to a towel we were shaking out of the window. We made inquiries, but alas, not a sole was found. (Ok, ok bad joke.)
We are in a great location. A few blocks away from the beach, two blocks away from the store, a few steps away from the bus stop, and surrounded by tons of smaller shops, cafes, and outdoor markets. The street traffic is noisy at times, but I think we are getting used to it.
Well, that is it for now. Until next time...we love you and await your responses!

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My favorite food

Since my sweetie posted his most recent blog about his favorite food, I thought it would be an appropriate time talk about mine. Some of you know ( but most of you may not) that my most beloved food is yogurt. I know, call me strange, but it is . I even have my own yogurt maker. Crazy huh? But, if I had to live off one food...it would definitely be yogurt. Now, I am not talking about that horrible flavored stuff with additives, artificial flavorings, or the worst offender...aspartame. Forgive me if I am offending any aficionados or users. Needless to say, when I make my first trip to the grocery store in a new country, I go in search of the best yogurt. After a few taste tests I have found my winner. Conaprole "Integral Yogur con Azucar" What does that mean....creamy, whole milk yogurt sweetened with just the right amount of sugar. (Real sugar, imagine that.) Its very yummy and is excellent any time of the day. Breakfast, snack, dessert....mmm...I am a happy Gaucha. Conaprole is the biggest manufacture of diary products in Latin America. They are environmentally and socially conscious, now to find out if they are organic....
For those of you at home inspired by my Ode to Yogur, there are quite a few great brands in the U.S. The creamiest and best tasting are the plain, whole fat yogurts. Maybe not figure friendly, but boy are they good. Straus and Mountain High make the best whole plain yogurts. (Both have recipes on their websites) For a real indulgence, check out Total Yogurt, a Greek import that can be found at Trader Joes and Whole Foods. On the slimmer side, Mountain High does the best low fat plain, and Alta Dena does the best non-fat. I like to flavor with real maple syrup, fresh fruit, or honey. If you really do not like the plain stuff, and you would prefer to eat low fat, Trader Joe's has a Organic Vanilla Low Fat which I think is quite good. It is thinner, but creamy. You could practically drink it like a smoothie. Depending on my mood, I choose from one of the above. Sometimes non-fat, sometimes vanilla low fat, and when I am throwing calories to the wind, I go for a big bowl of whole yogurt drizzled with the best quality honey I can find.

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The wait is over!!!

Yes, you guessed it! I don't have to wait a year to have Mexican food! Granted, Uruguayan staples such as meats (all cuts and various sausages) grilled on the parrilla (in Uruguay and Buenos Aires, the "ll" and "y" are pronounced with a "sh" sound, like the French "J", I believe, so parrilla is pronounced pa-ree-sha; of which more later when we actually remember to take a picture of our favorite restaurant and the food we consume with such unabashed pleasure,) bizcochos, and dulce de leche are delicious, there is nothing that reminds me of home like fajitas.

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In all honesty, the only thing Mexican is the fact that they are cut and cooked like fajitas. They have a tinge of soy sauce as a marinade base. They come with red and green bell peppers, and onions, and are served with flour tortillas; no such thing as corn tortillas to be found... yet. The salsa and jalapeños are not hot (spicy) at all; I would have to eat a whole jar of them to make my nose start running.

We found the restaurant in Punta Carretas Shopping, a former prison converted into a luxurious shopping mall. The menu is very basic, nachos, quesadillas, and beef, chicken or vegetable tacos. Disappointingly, there are no beans or rice involved in the equation which makes it more Uruguayan than Mexican, but at least they are trying. It seems quite popular with the locals from what I can tell. I've been twice in the 2 1/2 weeks we have been here only because we were in a pinch for time and food court options were limited (would you choose Micky D's over fajitas??? I didn't think so).

It certainly wouldn't be the place we would take any friends or guests, but it is nice to know that in a country 19 hours away from home (by plane), there are restaurants--I have been told there are at least three different establishments in the greater Montevideo area--where a Mexican food lover can satisfy a craving.

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Waiting for Internet Service...

We have to come to cyber cafés to fill you in on our adventures while Internet service gets set up at the apartment. We have contracted the service from Anteldata which is an autonomous enterprise run by the state. The connection and service, we hear, is the best; it only takes some time to set it up. The first person we spoke to said it would take approximately 7 days to set up. The person who attended us at their offices the second time we went said it would be 15 or so. Yikes!

Things, otherwise, are going well. We have some new friends; the apartment is great (except for the various electricity switches that will turn off the refrigerator even though it is plugged in); and food is still as delicious as ever (more on that fine topic later).

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The Hunt is Over

What a whirlwind experience! I too have a new appreciation for foreigners looking for an apartment in another country.

The apartment hunt. As you may have read in our last update, we saw a few apartments on the first day with different rental agents culminating with #5 (Don't waste my time) showing us the apartment that we had seen at 11 a.m. with agents #2 & 3 (Ana and "Everything's Pretty"). We had seen sooooo many apartments and worked with different agents that we started naming them. A abbreviated list follows:

Microonda (microwave): This apartment was basically a one room studio with a microwave and sink for a kitchen, a full size bed, and a closet for a bathroom. There was a laundry room in the basement, and a pool somewhere in the building; I think they said it was on the top floor. It was reasonably priced, or so we thought, but obviously too small for two people and the fact that the only method of cooking was a microwave was a "no go" for either of us.

Microhorno (mini-oven) with the Portero Mafioso: We had an appointment to see this apartment at 3 p.m. on day two of the search but the agent never showed up. As it was within walking distance, I went to find a phone while La Gaucha Guapa (note the new name for the person formerly known as "-me") stayed talking to Fernando, the portero (doorman). He was a nice and friendly fellow, but had the raspiest voice and would lean in, with his hands in his pockets, to speak. The two of them chatted for about 20 minutes or so; I later found out that clear, mutual understanding proved elusive. I returned telling Fernando that the agency was confused as to our intentions because we were looking for something right away and the apartment wasn't going to be available until 21 September. Fernando began telling us about the lady renting the apartment, La Española, that was really "una Uruguya" as she emphatically made known. He was endearing and sweet in speech about this lady. The way he spoke of her we thought she was in her early twenties. He knew she was in and thought that she would have no problem showing us the apartment and proceeded to take us to it. All we can say is we were thrown off guard. La Española, excuse me, "la Uruguaya" answered standing in the doorway, hands on her hips, looking at us questioningly, and wondering why we were disturbing her, and most importantly, why the rental agency hadn't advised her about showing the apartment. She was a woman, about la gaucha's height, a little huskier, and blond...I'm guessing 60ish. She eventually gave us a tour of the apartment and began asking us questions, her demeanor easing, yet still a little defensive. She proved nice enough and was checking to make sure that the agency wasn't going to try to exploit us because of our nationality. The apartment was slightly larger than the microonda in the sense that it had a more pronouced division between the cooking and sleeping quarters. It also had a range which would have enabled gastronomic endeavors, but it was quite worn. And it wasn't going to be available for three weeks which would have meant a longer stay at the hotel.

Van Gogh: What can I say? The Van Gogh was something else. The window frames were painted crayon green. The building, we were told, was owned by an architect. We named it the Van Gogh because it had prints of his paintings on the wall. There was even some art in the bathroom sink: You know the scum that collects at the bottom of a goldfish bowl when you have neglected to clean it for about six months... Imagine something like that. I wish I could tell you it cleared when La Gaucha turned on the faucet. We were assured that it would be cleaned before move in, but as you can well imagine, we didn't even suggest we would consider living there.

"Workable": A two-bedroom apartment located in what should be a nicer part of Montevideo. We caught a taxi to make the appointment on time as I under-estimated the distance from the hotel and over-estimated our walking speed. We arrived just on time and met with agent #8, el Blanco (the name of a political party here in Uruguay). Even though many agencies share the same listings, we did find that there are a good number of apartments that are represented by a single agency out of friendly (or clientelistic) relations. We were excited by the advertizement offering a furnished two bedroom apartment within our price range. Upon arriving at the the top of two flights of stairs, we were concerned by the 5 locks the agent had to fuss with to get us in. Meanwhile, between locks two and four, we heard a woman groaning (or moaning?), like a gitana would in flamenco song, without the music... In any case, it sounded painful. We asked the agent about our potential neighbors, but our question fell on deaf ears.
Entering the apartment we were underwhelmed. What could one expect for a two-bedroom place at the price of a nicer one bedroom? The furniture was old, the bed mattress was missing, the kitchen was in okay shape, but looked better than others we had seen (even with the microwave that was supported off the wall with two plastic bars you would use to hang plants off a balcony). But with the sonorous neighbor and the five locks, we declined.

Needless to say, our search was trying at times... but as of this afternoon, it should be over. We made a deposit to take a dream of an apartment off the market and are set to sign a contract between 2 and 4 p.m., moving in the same day, at the equivalent cost of many of the other ones we had been looking at.

The details of our new residence (has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?):

Casa Linda: 8th floor apartment with distinguished living/dining room, kitchen, and bedroom, with a terrace and a balcony. The appliances, a washing machine, range, and dishwasher are "a estrenar," literally "just released," meaning that they are new and haven't yet been used. La GG is thrilled about the new appliances and the breakfast bar that divides the kitchen from the living/dining room. They are enclosing the terrace, where the washing machine is, with glass windows to make it a little more private. They are also replacing some chairs with a sleeper sofa and bench. It is located on a beautiful residential street in Pocitos, a neighborhood in Montevideo, near an old church and close to a bus stop that will make commuting around the city easy. The beach is about 10 blocks away and visible a few steps away from our building at the end of a major street. It is immaculate and precisely what we were looking for. We're thrilled!

We know that this opportunity came to us because of the loving thoughts and prayers of our family and friends.

Thank you!!!!

If you are looking for an apartment in Montevideo, I would suggest the following inmobiliaria:

Inmobiliaria Brindis
Florida 1240 -007
Montevideo, Uruguay
Tele: 903 2525
brindis@adinet.com.uy

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Our first challenge: Apartment Hunting

I now have great sympathy for anyone "househunting". Especially those in a foreign country other than their own. We have been looking since we arrived, but have not found quite what we are looking for, but there are two we are considering. What we learned (the hard way) was that all the real estate agents here share the lists of available apartments. What does that mean? At 7:00 last night with agent #5 we were seeing the same apartment we saw at 11:00am with agent #2. Well we didn't like the first time, and needless to say we didn't bother to see it the second time.
Our only consolation yesterday was discovering that 3 liters of good beer was 4 bucks.

More soon,
me

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First day in Uruguay!

After a long flight from LAX, then to Washington, next to Buenos Aires...we are finally here in Montevideo, Uruguay. It is 11:00pm our time, and though we had to fight sleeping, we are trying to immediately integrate into our new time difference. For our loved ones back home, we are four hours ahead of you.
We could not have asked for a better first day. The flights really were not bad, and I managed to read a whole novel on the plane. As for customs...no problems. When we departed the airport we met what I will call our first "Uruguayan Angel". As we looked around aimlessly wondering how to tell which cabbies were legit, and which ones were not... a nice man whom had been on the plane with us assured us we could hop in any cab available. It was great to have some local guidance right away.
We went straight to our hotel and checked into our small, but very adequate room. The conceirge remembered ET, which again, was very comforting. They brought all our bags up for us, and made sure we were happy with our little room, that has a great view of the plaza below us and the River Plate. I have to admit the River is slightly different than I imagined. It is a muggy brown color due to the winter season, rather than a sparkling blue. "Pero, no importa."
I have to say the day just continued to get better. We refrained from crashing on our beds after we got in, and instead went to a local restaurant for some lunch. No worries with the veggie choices! They had half a dozen delicious salads to choose from. I had the "Acapulco" salad, ( I have no idea why it was named that) which was a delicious plate of tomato, lettuce, bright purple beets, pineapple, and hard boiled egg. Yum yum. After a week of sandwiches and rich dinners in LA, this was a refreshing meal. The staff was really nice, and openly chatted with us.
We left the spot and then proceeded to walk around Montevideo...my sweetie patiently conversing with me in my broken Spanish. We have already started practicing together, and (right now) I love it. We walked around for an hour or so stopped in to a market to buy some fruit and then headed to our hotel.

Around 73oish we were debating dinner. Should we go, or should we just crash early? Not wanting to wake up at 3:00am starving and bored, I voted for going out again. Besides, its our first night here! (Did I mention, I can not believe we are actaully HERE.) So my sweetie loves meat, and good for him, this is what Uruguay is known for. On his last visit he found a spot that called "La Otra" which is a typical "Parilla" which means basically a BBQ. Not like an American BBQ where you come out smelling like smoke, (some how they avoid that) but a selection of any kind of cut of meat you can imagine, sausages, chicken, and even grilled Provolone. Now, I am not a meat person...but I have to say I am trying! But to my pleasure, another entree on this menu was a delicious selection of grilled veggies - eggplant, onion, zucchini, butternut squash, red bell pepper, etc. Eating that with a little of ET's meat choice on the side...I was in veggie and protein heaven. But the best part of the night was the fact that practically the whole staff remembered ET. I felt like we were walking into a family gathering! We wisely chose to sit at the bar, and spent two hours chatting with the owner, the staff, and a friend they introduced us to. All in Spanish of course...and again, I am trying my best and keeping up pretty well.
We had such a great night. Great food, great wine, really nice people. So far the whole atmosphere here feels really friendly, welcoming, safe, and happy. Love that!

Well its nearly 11:15pm. Probably time to crash. Though if we were true Uruguayans we would just be finishing ( or maybe even starting!) dinner.

I do warn the reader, that my updates may often be as lengthly as this one. And I do love food, so you will hear me talk about it a lot. Just SKIM if you get bored. =) We love you all,
-me

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