Brotes del Alma: Good Food From the Soul

**BROTES DEL ALMA IS NOW CLOSED**

Located in a Belgrano house, converted into a restaurant, Brotes del Alma serves up creative, sophisticated dishes, at very economic prices, where the food shines as the main attraction.  There is not an overall theme to the type of food served – using my own personal classification system, I would categorize it as “Modern Argentine with a Worldly Twist” (BOOM!). 

I’m always a fan of those free little treats at the beginning of the meal.. no matter if it’s good or not, you can bet I’ll probably eat it. This happened to be good – some sort of dip smothered on warm bread.. yeah, look at that bomb woven basket in the background.  True bread basket love.

The starters included a few cold appetizers (mostly salads) and about 3 warm options.  After the first bite of the Rica Riquísima salad (AR$25) I transported myself to the Cheesecake Factory, piling through an enormous Chinese chicken salad. Lettuce, cabbage, greens and carrots in a sweet tangy lime, honey peanut sauce sauce, lots of crunch, and a healthy portion of chopped cold chunks of chicken.

The entrees include about a dozen options, something that will appeal to everyone hitting each protein: chicken, fish, beef, seafood, pork and pasta vegetarian.  While the menu does change frequently, some of the more popular options are long time fixtures. House favorites include the Bondiola Laqueada (AR$41), pork shoulder smothered with a honey, soy ginger sauce and served with creamed spinach.  Or the Lomo Envuelto en Panceta (AR$44, show above). Yeah, you read right.. panceta wrapped around two tenderloin medallions cooked in a malbec wine sauce and served with the most flavorful double stuffed cheese baked potato. The ultimate dish.

Unfortunately I didn’t order the ULTIMATE lomo dish… the curse of the bad ordering strikes again – DAMN YOU FOOD, ENVY.  I’m not a big fan of the wild ‘shroom persuasion, yet in the attempt to be different, act spontaneously (yes, for me spontaneity means ordering something out of my menu comfort zone) I chose the agnolottis stuffed with butternut squash and ricotta, in a hongo cream sauce, with lots of different shroomers in the mix. Perhaps it could be lovely for those who crave crazy fungi, but for me the flavors didn’t mesh well. Similar to my detest for cilantro.

The wine connoisseur that I am (not) chose an ORGANIC Malbec: Jean Bousquet Premium, because organic is ALWAYS better, right?  All the wines are at very accessible prices, with options as little as AR$28 and up.  If beer is more your thaaang, bottles of Stella and Corona are only AR$10 and AR$11. CHEAP.  While on the topic of drink prices, coffee and tea are only AR$5 each.

Unlike many other restaurants in this city, where the idea of changing a menu consists of whiting out the price, and penciling in a 50% increase,  Brotes del Alma seasonally changes the menu, always adding interesting dishes to the mix. With mostly an entire local crowd, this is the place to go for a relaxed low key meal that you know will taste great.  Next time I’ll be sure NOT to order the pasta vegetarian option.

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