The other day, we were having lunch at Oui Oui, a cute little French-style cafe located near our posh Palermo apartment. It was pretty bustling, but the bright orange patio chairs and tables, along with the plethora of mouth watering baked goods laying on the counter, took my attention away from the crowd. 
It was 2 in the afternoon, but candles were lit ever-so-much adding to the already quaint ambiance of the place. The wifey and I were sharing a plate of homemade waffles, but instead of maple syrup, there laid a dollop of dulce de leche on the side... and it was hella good. That's when we realized what the Argentines have known for years: dulce de leche on anything is hella good.
Here, dulce de leche is practically it's own food group. It's that creamy goodness made of boiled milk and sugar that you might know better as caramel. They put it on everything here. It's used as a syrup, a sauce, in ice cream, on pancakes... I wouldn't be suprised if they bathed in it. There's even a whole section devoted to it at the supermercado [supermarket]. It's a national obsession... and for good reason, as I noticed the wifey licking the plate clean. It actually tastes a little different than the caramel we get at home... creamier, less rich, and more flavorful, a testament to the purity of ingredients here. Among various pastries and sweets, we've also encountered this heavenly stuff filled in crepes, flavored in helados [Argentine gelato], sandwiched in a Ding Dong-like snack called alfajores, mixed into tea, and even spit out from a soft serve machine at Burger King. Mmm... it's dulce de-lish-che.
And Now, A Word From the Wifey...
Because we were cash poor, we stumbled into this little cafe which takes credit cards called "La Salamandra". They serve 2 things: buffalo mozzarella and dulce de leche. Um, why didn't they just call this place "Sandy, Eat Here" because I LOVE both.
Dulce de Leche has always been my favorite Haagen Dazs flavor, but I had no idea what the real thing was. Oh my...it's good. We ordered a crossiant (also very good) and a serving of dulce de leche. It's pure heaven. I don't know if I'll be able to go back to that stuff they call "caramel" in the States.Random Stuff:
- No real plans today, so we just go where ever the wind takes us... and it takes us on a stroll down Avenida Santa Fe, a main thoroughfare with interesting shops and architecture.
On that street is El Ateneo, a huge bookstore in an old converted theater. It's as if a Borders moved into a grand opera house. What was once the stage is now a cafe, the opera box seats are now reading areas, and the upper story curved walls are lined floor to ceiling with books. This place is amazing.
While crossing Avenida 9 de Julio, a huge motorcade of soccer fans/players zoom by with packed buses, kids hanging off the sides, and armed police and helicopter escorts. They take their Fútbol seriously here.- Thin crust caprese pizza at Morelia for dinner. Mmm, mmm good.
El Ateneo Bookstore
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