Carlitos Gardel

Carlitos Gardel Restaurant Review:

Family-owned and -operated since 1996, Carlitos Gardel offers the robust beef- and garlic-centric cuisine of Buenos Aires. An air of romance is created by low lighting and a live keyboardist playing Tango music on weekends. For a light beginning, share the refreshing ensalada de la casa, a platter heaped with diced cucumber, hearts of palm, raw onion, tomato, egg and organic greens, all tossed in a Parmesan-herb dressing. There's also a slew of traditional plates like empanadas, hongos and chorizo, as well as pastas. One dish truly captures the spirit of Argentine dining: la parrillada, a mixed grill of skirt steak, beef ribs, chorizo, blood sausage and veal sweetbreads, best accompanied by skinny fries and copious amounts of chimichurri sauce. (Gardel's Fine Foods Chimichurri, a jarred version of the restaurant's recipe, can be found on Amazon as well as at Whole Foods, Gelson's and Bristol Farms.) The signature dessert is a multi-layered white cake topped with peaches, meringue and dulce de leche. What helps set this place apart is a wine list that not only includes a notable selection of Argentine wines, but also boasts an impressive array of French and Italian bottles.