Porteno

Porteno Restaurant Review:

On a barren strip of Chelsea's west side lies this little South American gem. A plate of empanadas (there are beef, spinach and corn varieties) should be ordered while you peruse the menu. Reflecting the large Italian population of Buenos Aires, the pastas, such as spinach gnocchi and rigatoni with Argentinean sausage, are surprisingly good. As expected, the grill is used to fine effect on a chicken entrée and also the salmon, both served simply with grilled vegetables. The wine list is appropriately heavy on Argentinean wines, so go with a Malbec or a Chardonnay from Mendoza. For dessert, they've sweetened up bitter yerba mate and made it into an ice cream: sweet and herbaceous, the best of both worlds.