New York City: Don't Cry for Meat, Argentina

The meal I was most looking forward to on the NYC jaunt was our first because it was to be spent with friends including Preston, George and Michael (above; Michael runs Bergdorf Goodman's restaurants), as well as the great Jamie & Michael and Colleen (below; I'd just met Colleen for the first time and she and I share an obsession with our Blackberrys...girl, put that down!).

We gathered at Industria Argentina, on Jamie's suggestion. The restaurant features furniture, décor, wine, a chef...all from Argentina. And, of course, the cuisine reflects the flavors and styles of that culture.

My knowledge of Argentine cooking is very shallow...I was aware that there was a heavy Italian influence on it, and that it was very meat-focused. Based on that, I ordered the mollejas (pan-seared sweetbreads, over potatoes, scallions and bacon crumbles) and suggested to a friend that we share the Parrillada Completa (grilled meat selection for two including: skirt steak; sweet breads; lamb chops; sausage; blood sausage and short ribs served with mesclun and frites).

The meal was just fine. It was not a revelation of the meat cook's art (that would come later, back in Seattle and will be reported here soon!) but it was tasty. Some of the meat on the platter for two was a little overdone...like they'd tried to cook everything at once and you know that never works out. The blood sausage was by far the best offering on the plate: rich, heavy, gorgeous chew and mouthfeel. The skirt steak was a bit charred, almost dry. The fries were a little limp.

But the food could have been much worse and the evening would still have been a success. Lots of laughing, lots of catching up, lots of tales told and just a little bit of gossip related. How can you go wrong -- this is exactly what a table filled with food should inspire and nurture! Viva!

Have you ever eaten in Argentina or had Argentine food elsewhere? What's your favorite aspect of the cuisine?