flashback Fierro Sunday

Last Sunday Ticol and I treated ourselves to a fancy brunch at the Fierro Hotel. It was also the perfect excuse to grab my new camera and practice some food photos in the natural light.

It all happened very last minute on Easter Sunday.

We woke in the early afternoon with big appetites and no desire to jump straight in the kitchen as we had service that night at NOLA for 18 guests. (Days of service means 5 hours of prep 3 hour dinner 1 hour cleanup. It’s a lot of kitchen time and I try to stay clear of the cocina beforehand.)

We called Fierro and they told us they were booked however if anything opened up they’d give us a buzz.

And then they did and we threw ourselves together and jumped in a cab.

It was exactly how I remembered it….

I think Fierro makes my favorite medialunas in Buenos Aires. (Medialunas = half moon, the ‘croissant of Argentina’)

Seriously though! They’re warm, flaky, sweet, buttery. I could have had 10, easily. Do they bake them to order? They must. I would gladly pay the 220 pesos for brunch and trade in a course or two for more medialunas.

Fresh beet juice, orange juice and fruit arrived to the table along with dulce de leche, homemade jam and butter.

The colors were great against the black tables and white and black lined walls.

I very much like the set up of Hernan Gipponi’s restaurant in the Fierro.

Especially all the photos along the main wall, mostly in black and white with some colored ones thrown in the mix. Who took those photos?! Joss, was it you?

And the back garden. So lovely and covered in green with just a couple of tables.

But here’s my bone to pick! Why can’t we dine there?! It was a GORGEOUS Fall day, there were 2 -3 empty tables outside, surely they are there for a reason, to feed the diners, no?! You have this beautiful garden, why can’t we enjoy it?! And the light and backdrop is so good for the photos!!

Bueno. Basta, Liza.

Our perfectly cooked 63 degree egg arrived. It laid on a soft bed of mashed potatoes with a touch of seaweed powder and thin crispy potatoes. My favorite course. This and the medialunas.

Sunday lovers.

They brought us a few cocktails, Cynar based, refreshing and bitter.

How did they know about our Cynar obsession?

Score for Fierro.

Empanadas, shrimp, sandwiches, salmon and ossobuco risotto made their way from the kitchen to our table.

We reviewed our massive to-do list for the upcoming week and reminisced about our trip to Europe last year. How there was a moment in Puglia, Italy when we discussed how we love our work, and we love to travel, but we need to figure out a way to have both with more travel, of course.

‘Maybe one day we open up something in Buenos Aires. A place where we actually have a staff, a team that can maintain the business without us having to do EVERYTHING.’ Because after all, our puerta cerrada can’t continue if we’re not there. ‘We need to set something up so we can travel AND make money.’

And now it’s happening! Well, slowly but we’re getting there.

We shared a dessert and Ticol sipped his cortado.

I confessed to him that I was very hesitant to sell my old camera. I love my Lumix! It’s been on so many journeys with me over the last year. But most of all it has a touch screen! Which may not sound like a big deal but it’s everything when it comes to auto focus.

His response was very fatherly and I twiddled my thumbs with a bit of a sour face knowing he was right.

So I did it. I sold the camera!!

I hope I don’t regret it.

What do you think of the Fierro photos? Was it all worth it?

I did come across an old memory card while fishing out all the equipment for the camera sale. And looking through the photos totally put things into perspective.

Here’s one of my favorite shots. It was taken by a Brit a month after I first met Ticol in Central America. We spent 7 nights in the San Blas Islands of Panama. Probably the most magical place I’ve ever been to. No electricity, no plumbing. No possessions. Just each other, our stories and nature. That’s what matters, Liza. Less spending, less accumulation. It’s about the journey.

After a little camera education and practice hopefully it will be….

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