After the three day weekend, I went back to school and language classes. But most important, I went back to my regular lunch place! Phillip and I found the Cafe/Bar La Nuevo Martone at the end of week one, after trying several other places and having so-so lunches. We fell in love with this place from the moment we walked in and sat down at the counter. The prices looked good, the food turned out to be very, very good, and the waiters very helpful, friendly, and hospitable. We were at home. Even though we struggled with the language, and for the first two days had to basically point at some other patron's plate or a sandwich or quiche-like tart in a display case to indicate what we wanted to eat it was okay. The first few days they smiled at us benignly, the patrons sitting at the counter around us worked hard to hide their smiles, but it was all very warm and cozy feeling. We went back there every day during the week after class the second week, and even took other students with us: Eve one day, and Rhys the last two days. Each day we went we were growing more able to order in Spanish, growing more capable of understanding what was on the menu, ordering with more confidence we knew what would be brought to us by the wait staff. Today, I went back alone and both waiters came up and greeted me: "Hola! Que tal! Como estas? Muy bien!" I ordered from the menu in Spanish, even asking for a half bottle of red wine (un vino tinto media) and knew what was coming and sure enough what came was what I was expecting: ravioli with meat sauce (but the meat is chunks of beef!, not ground up hamburger or sausage.) The pictures above are of the two waiters. The one behind the counter is our usual waiter, named Marcello. I have wondered whether I should go and try some other places for lunch to get more variety and a wider taste of the cooking, but I have decided that for the rest of this week what I need is a place that is comfortable, where I know I am going to get a good meal at a good price. I have been trying other places on the weekends, and I am going to Cordoba and Bariloche for the next three weeks and when I return to Buenos Aires I will be living in Palermo, which is too far to go to La Nuevo Martone each day for lunch. So, I have decided this will continue to be my place for this week, and then on Friday I will say ciao! Adios! and be on my way. (Although I know I will return probably at least once when I get back, and definitely will need to take Dianne to visit the "gang" and enjoy lunch there one day when she arrives.)
2 comments:
I know exactly what you mean about having a "usual place." In Italia there was a pizza shop around the corner from our apartment, and we went one night because it was close and seemed reasonably priced. After that first visit it was also our meal of choice for late nights or a need to feel something familiar, and the staff always greeted us with smiles! I'm glad you found a place like that of your own in Argentina!
Everyone needs a place to feel comfortable in a foreign country. When Jon and I were in NY, we had a little diner around the corner that was home. Our friend, Barry, has a restaurant in Budapest that he goes to every time he is there where they treat him like family. Glad you are feeling more comfortable.
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