Photo taken using Canon PowerShot SD850 IS
La Brigada is another parrilla located in San Telmo. When first arriving to this restaurant I swear, I recall them telling me that they didn’t have any tables available or maybe it was my lack of understanding of Spanish but that initially gave me a bad impression of this place. However, things got better as the service was outstanding and this place probably had one of the largest menu selections out of all the parrillas we’ve eaten at.
To stray from the typical order of bife de lomo, I saw on the menu buffalo; on the menu listed as either bife de chorizo bufalo or bife de lomo bufalo. This sounded interesting so both Moe and I went for the different cuts, ordreing both jugoso (juicy, medium-rare). I was literally shocked to see the cut of meat for my bife de chorizo bufalo. The thing was huge and actually it was very red and tough to cut through. Never having ordered buffalo I really didn’t know what to expect. However, it’s not to say that the meat was bad but a bit too much on the rare side for me. Needless to say, I did not finish my steak. Of course I wasn’t about to send it back to get a little less rare but we all know the cardinal rule of never sending food back, never. Actually it wasn’t so bad but there were parts towards the center where I felt as though I was eating raw meat which is not my preference.
Another dish we ordered that we’d not seen on other menus were the cow testicles. Hold on though, no, I didn’t eat any cow balls, okay. Actually, we got our two friends to eat them without telling them exactly what it was. Now, I know it’s a delicacy and there are people that have a taste for them but sorry I’m just not into it. Anyways, I guess the point of that snippet was to inform you that La Brigada has cow testicles on the menu too.
La Brigada also introduced to us the “spoon test”. Granted a bife de lomo (tenderloin cut) is soft to begin with, for some reason, Moe and I were amazed when the waiter took out his spoon to cut in half the order of bife de lomo for our friends. Maybe it was a really sharp edged spoon? I have no idea but nonetheless, if I talk about the spoon test, La Brigada is the origin.
I’d recommend going to this place and would personally like to go there again. After trying the buffalo and leaving a bit disappointed but nonetheless satisfied with the service, I’d be interested in trying something else there; probably my standard bife de lomo or asado de tira. It’s not like El Desnivel a few blocks away where it’s loaded with tourists and I’m perfectly fine with that.
