Truly one of the best things about Chile was the food. Not
for the calorie counter, Chileans consume on a regular basis empanadas, steak,
potatoes, some kind of corn mush, bread, salsa, and various types of seafood.
On top of that factor in the growing number of tapas, French, and German restaurants
and there is always a good meal to be had in Santiago. Here are a few of the
places I visited and enjoyed immensely.
Liguria
Located one block from the Le Reve Hotel in the Providencia neighborhood Liguria is a wonderful restaurant that serves good traditional Chilean food. So good I went twice!
The fabulous bar where the bartenders shake, shake, shake it as they mix up Pisco Sours -
the National drink of Chile.
Don't eat raw seafood the travel nurse in the US told me! What did I do? Ordered seafood.
It was not raw (thank goodness because I didn't really know what I was ordering) and
quite tasty!
Chicken Pil Pil - so good! I want to try and make this at home. Tender chunks of chicken
in a spicy broth. Wow, I can taste it now. I wish I had some now. Perfect on a chilly day!
This is the lunch portion!?!?
Restobar Pimienta
Actually the food here wasn't anything special, but what made this place memorable was the view. Tucked into a quiet and winding street in the London Paris neighborhood of Santiago it was the perfect hideout from all the crowds consuming El Centro.
De la Ostia
Literally next door to the Le Reve Hotel this was a standard tapas restaurant. What really made it unique was the waiter. He didn't hesitate to speak English - and I rather enjoyed our conversation. A great insight into the Chilean people.
The menu is on the table. Which is handy (literally)! Just point at the pretty picture!
El Huerto
Okay so this restaurant was across the street from the Le Reve. Wow - what a great location huh!? If you happen to have an El Huerto in your neighborhood chances are it's some hot, fast, greasy Tex Mex. This on the other hand is good clean vegetarian fare and it was so nice!
How about some music while you nosh on the patio?
Rayuela Wine & Grill
Hello!
Best. Meal. Of. The. Trip.
Absolutely fabulous. Good food. Good wine. Amazing scenery.
This was the stopping point for lunch during the Colchagua Valley Wine Tour. Perfect.
This is the sweet corn mush. The one thing I didn't care for it's not bad just too sweet for me.
Los Dominicos - Handicraft Village
The guide from the wine tour suggested we do some shopping here. We also took lunch at one of the two cute outdoor cafes.
Nice warm bread and a fantastic salsa and the 'spicy' mashed potatoes below were good.
The empanada - the staple of the Chilean diet. I saw a lot of stall owners munching on these with a glass of wine. Not a bad idea!
Somebody call Adam Richman - this should be on Man vs Food. A fried egg on top of steak and sausage on top of fries. Wow!
Grocery Store Picnic
When ever I visit another country I love to hang out in the grocery store (which is odd because I hate going to the store when I am home!). I love to see what products are out there and snoop in other people's baskets to get a feel for what the public in general are buying. Here are a few pictures of the items I bought for a grocery store picnic.
Complete with a world map of your cheeses!
The red wine was amazing and cheap. This bottle was about $4.00 US.
Chilean Beer
Mmmm....beer. Just like the wine Chilean beer was delicious. There is a history of Germans settling in Chile over the years and they obviously passed on their beer making skills.
