Disappointment at Santa Maria del Sur

I’d eaten at Santa Maria Del Sur before, but it was a very long time ago, actually not long after it opened after the split from Buen Ayre on Broadway Market.

Ahh the good old days, when Argentinean steak houses were few and far between, when I was buying meat direct off a guy in Uxbridge, kilo’s of Argie Rib Eye at similar prices than in Buenos Aires.

When no one was making good empanadas apart from the wife, who has actually stopped making them for me now, cos she hates making the pastry.

Now steak houses are a dime a dozen, empanadas, some good, some really bad are being sold at every weekend market. Yes you know who you are, shame on you for even selling those worthless bits of meat filled turnovers as you called them. Shame.

This isn’t so much as a bitch about the place and its meat, as the food actually tasted very good.

It’s the cooking that sucked. Big time.

I don’t know if the visa laws have changed since David and Christina have started their spats at each other, but there seems to be lacking good artists working the parrilla at Santa Maria Del Sur.

Thankfully they never totally ruined the meat, it was seasoned very well, but it was just badly grilled.

The chorizo was so over cooked that I had to ask for a diamond tipped cutter to cut it. The meat was medium rare on one side and almost well done on another. I didn’t think that was possible, but apparently it is at Santa Maria del Sur.

The morcilla and the provolone cheese were both good, at least they never fucked them up. Well the cheese was on the verge, but they caught it just in time.

The chips were fine, although you can’t really fuck up chips, oh wait you can. I did once at Café Boheme, that’s what happens when you fall asleep on the toilet at 2am after someone puts an order on. Thankfully the waiters never realised the order took 30 minutes to complete.

Everyone around us was loving it, but none of them have been to Argentina, none of them have sampled the wonders of a real asado, never seen a real artist at work, never bitten into a perfectly cooked piece of bife chorizo in all its divine goodness.

I have and what Santa Maria Del Sur served was pretty piss poor. 

I did have a good night with old work colleagues who I hadn’t seen for many years, and probably wouldn’t see for many more.

I left with a regret. Regret that I had shelled out so much money for that. It still brings a tear to my eye. Never again will Santa Maria Del Sur see the inside of my wallet again.