Santiagourmet.

Café Concepto: the best brownin in town?

2009-06-28T15:10:00.000-07:00

Of course I haven't tried them all...yet! But I have to admit that the brownie I had yesterday at Café Concepto was one of the best I've had in my life. Served warmed, without cream or ice cream, to enjoy the simple luxury of rich chocolate... Did enjoy it to the very last crumb!! Actually I could have taken my time and enjoy it a bit longer, but I guess I was craving chocolate more than I thought and it disappeared down my throat and into my grateful stomach in a Santiago minute!
And then I took my time sipping my English tea...A "Whittard of Chelsea" green tea...Finest tea since 1886 claims the tea box...I sure have no problem believing it.

And the place...you gotta love that little place! the colours, the warm atmosphere, the design of the furniture (I would probably try to take home one or two of those chairs if I had a purse big enough...or actually bigger than the one i'm using right now), and the music, the smell of freshly brewed coffee and yummy pastries... You can also have pita sandwichs, croissants...and they are equally as good as the brownies! Seems like you can't go wrong ordering anything here...

Cafe Concepto

Calle Jose Miguel De La Barra, 456

Santiago

Chile

Bistro De La Barra: a downtowner's all-times favorite

2009-06-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

Located in the historical part of Santiago, the cultural barrio Lastarria is a little paradise for cafes lovers. I am planning on trying them all, but I have to start with my actual favorite: Cafe Bistro de la Barra.

Whether it is to meet up with friends over coffee and homemade muffins, grab a bite to eat with workmates or have a sunday lunch reading the Mercurio or checking email, Bistro de la Barra has it all.
A very nice kind of "Parisian - le marais" atmosphere that I tend to miss a lot. That would maybe explain why I chose to move around the corner to some of the best cafes in Santiago. And although the choice is large, my steps always seem to bring me back to this warm little place, enjoyed by locals and backpackers who tend to spread the word.

The coffee is excellent, teapots are generous, and the quality of the food is flawless. I would definitely recommand the blueberry muffins that come in a little transparent wrapping paper, like a gift for your hungry stomach. Crumbled eggs are also a must-have if you're really feeling hungry.

Cafe Bistro de la Barra

Jose Miguel de la Barra, 451

Santiago Centro

"La Once", a Chilean food tradition.

2009-06-11T06:39:00.000-07:00

It took me a few days to figure out what "la once*" (pronounced "on-say") was, when I arrived in Chile, a year ago. I would wait for a "supper time" that'd never come...
Hosted by a middle-class Santiago family, I've had the best opportunities to find out about food and traditions. And this one is my favourite! Instead of eating supper at night, people get together around the table, between 6pm and 8pm to have something of an "improved tea time". Tea or coffee in big cups, little freshly baked breads or toasts, butter, jam are the regular elements we find on every Chilean table for "la once". But most likely, you would also see cheese, ham, scrambled eggs, little cookies, mashed avocados, fruit salad etc. And it's very common to share this meal with visiting friends or neighbours ...which gives this great tradition the cosy atmosphere of a night brunch.

* But why "once" ("eleven" in Spanish)?
Tradition has it that long ago men that wanted to drink their liquor, or "aguardiente" in Spanish, during the time of day that is now "Once" invented a code to hide the fact that they were drinking at 5:00 in the afternoon. This code was the number of letters in "aguardiente" which is eleven or "once" in Spanish. With the passage of time, tea time became known as "Once."
(credit: www.joeskitchen.com)