What a fabulous vacation my husband Dave and I enjoyed over Thanksgiving! We were grateful for one another and the time we spent together traveling in Argentina. We spent the majority of our trip in northern Patagonia, Bariloche Argentina. This picturesque town reminds you of a European mountain town littered with chalets and delicious food. Northern Patagonia is also known as the lakes district. A beautiful area with the Andes Mountains for your backdrop and numerous lakes in the foreground. We enjoyed all the outdoor activities while we were visiting. Hiking, white water rafting, and trekking were some of our adventurous highlights!
Not only did we enjoy all the outdoor activities, but we also enjoyed the indoor activity of dining! This was truly a treat for us, as we generally eat paleo back in the United States. While in Argentina we enjoyed all the things, gluten, dairy, you name it! I have heard from folks over the years that eating flour in Europe is not inflammatory like here in the states, the same goes for Argentina. We ate whatever we desired for the week in Bariloche and had zero issues. Typically, if I were to enjoy more than one meal that included gluten or dairy, I would not feel well and my skin and joints would be telling me that food choice should have been a no.
It was truly a treat to be able to sample all the beautiful cuisines that were served in Bariloche. Grilled meats and vegetables are their staples, typically served at restaurants called parrillas, these are the types of foods we generally eat on a paleo diet already, but the many different types of meat along with them being grilled over a fire really sets their food apart. Chimichurri is a delicious condiment used on steaks and whatever else you would like, similar to a pesto and it consists of herbs and olive oil. We were able to purchase a bag of herbs from the local spice market and we plan to make our own chimichurri in the states. Two of my favorite items that we indulged in, that I would not have if we were in the United States were their empanadas and provoleta de vaca (grilled cheese in a cast iron pan). Our favorite restaurant from our trip was Alto el Fuego, 5 stars, zero complaints and if you find yourself in Bariloche, you MUST visit this restaurant!
Bariloche is also known at the chocolate capitol of South America, and they were not exaggerating! Our favorite chocolate was from a shop called Rapanui, highly recommend! Folks tend to eat quite late in Argentina, 10/11 pm for dinner, so it makes sense that there are not a lot of restaurants that offer your typical breakfast. We did find this beautiful, delicious spot called Bruncherie. They made everything in house, and had dairy alternative milks along with sourdough breads, yum!
We highly recommend checking out Argentina for your next international adventure! You can eat your way through the country, and work it off with all the outdoor activities available. Reach out to me directly if you would like more recommendations on what to do and where to eat in Argentina!
