Dinner at the El Escocés



Outside the El Escoces

Dinner was most definitely going to be a parrilla.  Or "barbecue" as they call it for us Americanos.  Even though what's on the grill is steak and not cheap cuts of meat cooking low and slow

The grill ready for the meats

I was seated right next to the fire in the small dining area.  The restaurant looked great.  Lots of dark wood and the aroma of grilled beef.  And the steak?

Steak and potatoes.  The staple of the Uruguayan diet.

The steak looked great.  The steak smelled great.  So I bit into the juicy mouthwatering hunk of beef and chewed into it.  And ... I kept on chewing on it until I spit it out.  OK.  So the first bite had some gristle.  I took a second bite.  And ... it was like chewing on a handful of rubberbands.  Flavorful rubber bands.  But rubber bands nonetheless.  About a third to half the steak was nasty.  The other half was like butter.  The baked potato was great.  And you might be wondering why you see a steak, a potato and no glass of red wine to accompany this carnivore feast.

Well, the wine never came.  It was on my bill.  And they were apologetic about it when removing it from my bill.  Or at least they seemed apologetic I couldn't really tell with the "un poquito" Spanish I speak.

And then it hit me.  Between no taxi at the airport.  No tour guide at the Plaza Independencia.  No tannat to go with my steak.  And, worst of all, a steak that had the texture of chewing on a bunch of garden hoses held together by duct tape (albeit with a much better flavor) ... I'm not feeling the "vacation magic" on this trip.

"Vacation magic" is that euphoric feeling that all is perfect with your trip.  It's that serendipitous feeling you feel when things don't go according to plan, but something even better and more wonderful than the plan happens.  And I definitely felt that feeling of "vacation magic" in Panama.  But not yet in Montevideo.  Oh well.  There's still most of the trip to go.

Mercado Del Puerto

Entre Mercado del Puerto

This is Montevideo!

Mercado Del Puerto is about one thing:  beef.  Great big slabs of beef steak grilling over an open fire.  Pictures do not do this place justice.  You have to smell the aroma of grilling steaks.  Dozens of steaks at a time.  In over a dozen restaurants.  Feeding masses of people.  This is truly carnivore heaven.

Steaks on the grill!

I don't know if there are any variations among the restaurants.  Some are eat-at-the-counter only.  Some are sitdown.  Some are a mix of both.  But every restaurant is a parrilla (pronounced "paRR-EE-zha" with the Uruguayan accent).

An Uruguayan parrilla is a steakhouse.  It is not a churrascaria.  Steakhouse rules apply.  You order your steak.  And that's all you get.  Side dishes are separate.  But, judging from aroma and reputation, oh what steaks!

Steaks, sausages and birds cooking on the girll

Unfortunately/stupidly, I had eaten a big breakfast before coming here.  I didn't realize this place would be so awsome.  It's recommended in all the tourist books.  And it does get tourists.  So I was expecting something touristy.

Another restaurant, counter service only

I was not expecting carnivore heaven.


Before the carnivore hordes arrive

It was too early in the day.  And the place is only open for lunch business.  It's also in a part of town that is perfectly safe when the sun is up, but is not a good place to be at the South American supper hour (which is about 9:00PM in Montevideo) (not quite as late as Buenos Aires).  So it will be my lunch destination Monday.

I will eat a light breakfast.