Local Chori Spot

Choripan: learn about itThere’s countless parrillas here in Buenos Aires. A parrilla is basically a grill/restaurant. However, in parrillas they are literally barbecuing the meat in front of you. As in, there is a man, tending coals, cooking meat over an open fire, in a restaurant. Obviously each parrilla is different, and there is definitely a range of the not so great cheap to the over-priced, gourmet, but in between there are many wonderful parrillas around this city. There’s a parrilla about a half block away from my place called “Parrilla Di Carlo.” I had walked by it many times when I first arrived and the sign always caught my attention. After I finally decided to walk in and try it, my stay here in Buenos Aires was instantly changed for the better.

Upon walking into Parrilla Di Carlo, one is instantly struck with two lovely sensations: the smell and sight meat over hot coals. There the “asador” (grill master) wields his saber (to call it a knife simply would not do justice to that beast) and tends both flame and meat. There’s a narrow area leading into the restaurant, with the grill and asador on one side, and a bar to sit at on the other. Next to the grill sits the dueño (owner): Carlo. A wise, turtleneck wearing, pipe smoking, older fellow, Carlo watches over his parrilla from his stool, perched like a falcon. Slow moving and deep-voiced, he calmly takes your order. While there is a whole restaurant extending further back with tables and waiters, a place where one can sit and eat leisurely, for me, I prefer sitting at the bar. After ordering, I hop on one of the bar stools and wait, drooling with the others as we watch the master at work. When it’s crowded during the lunch rush, the asador is like an artist: cutting, slicing, carving, and flipping the meat, while he’s keeping track of the orders AND tending the coals and making sure that he’s got the perfect amount of heat. The combination Carlo’s stoic leadership and the asador’s quick and meticulous work make for a fantastic parrilla experience. They create a wonderful atmosphere that is almost as great as their meat.