Taste For Tango

I'm getting addicted to these curbside patios that mushroomed during the pandemic re-opening. Thursday night, I walked along a lively (even with social distancing) College St. between Dovercourt and Shaw. This stretch was usually more staid in normal times with people gathered inside since the patio-friendly spots were further East in Little Italy. Bar Isabel had a small wait list for its fancy tapas, the various regular and gastro-bars had set up seating, and even old-school, valet-parking Chiado had tables outside.

I sat down at Vos Restaurante Argentina. I was surprised when my bill stated that they have been around 24 years. When Vos landed here a couple of years back, they always seemed to struggle with a mostly empty dining room when I walked by. Even tonight, their set-up wasn't as busy. But since the closing of Porta Nova, I thought to give a different steak-house a try.

Their meat came from Argentina so I chose a Entrana de Ternera ($26), a side of Pure de Papas ($8.00) and a glass of Malbec La Linda ($15). The complimentary thick bread, lightly toasted, was accompanied by a pureed eggplant spread. The veal skirt came out as a spiral that I unrolled. It was soft and juicy and was nicely complimented by Chimichurri, an Argentinian parsley dip, and Criolla, a Salsa-esque mix of bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes. My side was creamy mashed potatoes mixed with roasted garlic and parmesan cheese.

As I was enjoying the combination of flavour, I remembered an old co-worker from years ago. They never liked any of the lunch buffet we went to. As an "Argentinian with access to fresh food", they insisted that salt and pepper was all that was required, "Spices were originally needed to disguise spoiled meat". This was a patently false myth. It's ok that some people never develop a taste for food different from that of their upbringing. But I'm glad that I acquired an enjoyment for all kinds of cuisine in my adulthood.