The Red Restaurant

I spotted the red restaurant from across the blue square on our first day in Mendoza. The teeny eclectic hole-in-the-wall eatery was coated in crimson and stood out like a sore and throbbing thumb. I had my heart set on visiting it from the very moment I saw it. It was love at first sight and I was hoping it would also be, love at first bite. The sign read Mediterranean Tapas, Bar and lounge.

Even though it lingered in my mind I didn’t have the opportunity to feast on its culinary fruits until days even a week later, and when the evening finally came I knew it would be a meal to remember. It was around 9:30 ish and we were starved. We pushed open the rickety and ornate wooden doors that stretched almost to the ceiling to find a warm half full room filled with locals.

A somewhat flustered server greeted and sat us at a tiny table in the back section of the restaurant. The same woman turned out to be the only server in the place and although slow to get us very pleasant. The other diners didn’t seem to mind the wait; it was almost part of the experience. It was the kind of place that wouldn’t have the same charm if stripped of it ultra casual vibe. We were given menus and quickly left to our own devices.

After decoding the menu we came to the conclusion that all the “Mediterranean” references were what I would call a Spanish style tapas menu and concept. The menus was chalked full of all sorts of tasty sounding seafood and crustations designed for sharing. It took us some time to arrange a game plan to tackle the overwhelmingly tasty looking menu. One thing was certain to the both of us we were going to start with “oysters on the half shell”, and after a good 20-25 minutes of deliberating we had our menu planned.
.
My first wine instinct was to choose the briny mineral goodness of a sauvignon Blanc to compliment our prized oysters; fortunately, they were out. We ordered a Chardonnay instead, a nice neutral white that would compliment most seafood dishes, and when oak aged or sur lie can also stand up to pork, chicken and creamier dishes. It was a simple bottle of wine that we quickly gulped down before our meal was even half over.

The next bottle was the only other white they had to choose from. Torrents, which I have to say I am not usually terribly fond of, but to my surprise, turned out to be the gem of the evening. A tall Alsacean inspired dark brown bottle with a Germanic name, seemed oddly fitting, because immediately after sniffing and tasting the wine I associated the flavors and aromas with a good quality German Riesling.

Golden delicious apples and ripe pear with a citrus peel bite hit me with its initial flavor powerhouse. A subtle wet stone minerality, mouthwatering acidity and a hint of clove or baking spice ran through the core of the medium bodied elixir. This tasty bottle of baked apples was a treasure I was elated to find, like I hit a secret jackpot uncovering a hidden wine treasure.

The meal was like a rollercoaster of savory treats. The oysters on the half shell turned out to be scallops done rocker-fella style. Cream and gooey cheese bubbling around the delicate scallop meat, we were sad we didn’t order more lapping up as much as possible with bits of bread. Next was a squid dish, we weren’t entirely sure of; other than, we knew it came on some sort of bread, and included bacon. It was deep fried squid strings wrapped in bacon, served open faced on a tostada with fresh greens that was as yummy as it sounds.

Next we were brought, to my mind, the best dish of the evening. Prawns wrapped in salty bacon fried all crispy like atop a bed of deep fried spinach. The combination of flavors was perfect, a culinary masterpiece. We also shared the “cauldron of mussels”. A molten pool of heavy cream and cheeses with hidden mussel delights swimming beneath the golden surface. We dipped with bread until there was no more.

Although filled to the brim we had to try a dessert. Something light, so we ordered the peaches in Malbec. The simple peach compote was stewed in sweetened Malbec, severed chilled just like that. It was a refreshing palate cleanser that complimented our heavy, creamy, salty meal.

If you are ever in Mendoza I urge you to look for the red restaurant across from the blue square. If your experience is half as good as ours you will surely make this restaurant a destination for years to come.