January 17, 2008 at 04:00pm by Doug
When you see a restaurant owner ordering from the menu of his own establishment, it’s always a good sign. And the other night, after my friend Dave and I got a craving for something really south of the border and swung by Rancho Argentino (1415 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, FL, 305-538-7205) we were pleasantly surprised to find the proprietor, Gabe, savoring a plate of some really meaty spare ribs.
GABE, LEFT, BEING GREETED BY A SATISFIED CUSTOMER
We took a table near the window, where we could watch the comings-and-goings on Washington Avenue, and prepared for our feast. The service was prompt and friendly. I started things off with the beef carpaccio appetizer, which was melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
THE BEEF CARPACCIO APPETIZER
Dave, for his part, opted for the Corona beer appetizer, and to my dismay announced he had decided to become a vegetarian this week. But all hope was not lost: in addition to the various cuts of steak, ranging from skirt to porterhouse, there were also ample selections of fish, chicken, salads and pasta to choose from. Dave set his sights on the gnocchi with tomato sauce for his entree, while I, feeling much more carniverous, went for the house recommendation: The New York strip steak, medium rare, with a mixed-green salad on the side. I selected a glass of Malbec, a popular Argentine red wine, to go with it.
WINE AND CATTLE: AS ARGENTINE AS THE TANGO
When the steak arrived, it was Flinstones huge. Had it been served to me in the window of my Tercel, it probably would have tipped the car over. And once I bit into it, I was in love. Not only was it tender, and flavorfully garnished with the chimichurri sauce (a garlic and spice concoction typically served with Argentine steak), there was something indescribably delicious about the flavor.
YABBA DABBA DELICIOUS!
Gabe, who’d been dutifully making the rounds to the tables of hoardes of doting regulars, joined us at our table long enough to fill me in on their secret: Rancho Argentino, unlike many other steak restaurants, both South American and non, uses a charcoal grill—most steakhouses use gas grills, which don’t provide the same quality of flavor. And not only are the steaks cooked on the charcoal grill at Rancho Argentino, the briquets themselves are pre-cooked in a special charcoal oven—which makes the meat even more flavorful.
CHARCOAL COOKING: THE ANCIENT ARGENTINE SECRET
Gabe is an interesting fellow; an amiable, earthy ex-New Yorker with the accent to prove it, he moved to Buenos Aires at a young age to discover his roots and ended up living there for 25 years, during which time he got to know the intricacies of the local cooking. Sometime after that, he wound up in the Miami area, where he opened a few restaurants around town; Rancho Argentino has been around for about two years.
Meanwhile, Dave was very pleased with his gnocchi, proving that steakhouses can even be enjoyable for non-meat-eating friends. He commented that the sauce tasted homemade, while the pasta was perfectly cooked and filling.
DAVE IN GNOCCHI HEAVEN
My two glasses of Malbec were also exceptional, and made the perfect compliment to the steak. Fortunately for me, next to steak, the culinary Argentine’s second greatest passion is wine, and this one lived up to its reputation—and what’s more, the glasses were over-sized, ensuring a generous supply of liquid inspiration.
THE MIXED GREEN SALAD—A MEAL IN ITSELF!
Perhaps what I liked best about this establishment was that, despite its presence on the most touristy strip in South Beach aside from Ocean Drive, it had more of a down-home, neighborhood quality than the other places around it—that meant less pretension, lots of repeat customers, and reasonable prices. Lunch specials are available, in fact, for just $14.95 per meal! With deals like this, this place could easily become a habit!
The price tag for our night on the town (service not included) came to about $75, quite comparable with other area eateries with menus decidedly less mouth-watering.
Our dinner at Rancho Argentino included:
26.95 NY Strip w/house salad
11.95 Gnocchi
9.95 Beef Carpaccio
$5 glass of Malbec
$5 Corona beer
OWNER GABE TAKES A HANDS-ON APPROACH
 | Douglas Eames is a freelance writer, homespun philosopher and budget bon vivant who divides his time between Southern California and South Beach. Doug’s column appears Fridays at Miami Beach 411. See more articles by Doug > |
