restaurant review: a taste of argentina in los angeles at carlitos gardel restaurant

(Los Angeles).  I recently tried to dine at Hart and Hunter but they were closed for a private party ... (sigh)  It is the season of holiday parties so I shouldn't complain but I was really really craving their biscuits.  Luckily we were able to cross the street and try Carlitos Gardel Restaurant.  Although I've seen the restaurant for many many years, I never really gave it much thought.  Upon entering, I was surprised at how cozy and classy it looked from the inside.  We were given a lovely seat right next to the window (overlooking Melrose which is not picturesque but makes for fun people-watching).

It had been a while since we had Argentinean cuisine.  On our trip to Buenos Aires (click here to read about it), we really enjoyed the steak, wine and empanadas and we were happy to take a stroll down memory lane (or at least our stomachs' memory lane).

We ordered a few empanadas, a large steak and a pasta dish.  For wine we were happy to see that they had Colome Torrontes - which was the wine we adored in Buenos Aires - and so we had to get a bottle (and I'm happy to report it's as tasty as I remembered).

The empanadas were quite good - especially the chicken.  The steak was juicy and flavorful.  However, the pasta was just ok - nothing special about it.  

All in all we enjoyed our evening here but I think a large portion of our enjoyment was heightened by pure nostalgia.  I think it's worth a visit if you want to try Argentinean food or if you really miss Argentinean food.  Otherwise, I'm not sure it's worth it since
it was not a particular cheap meal  - I think with 2 entrees, an appetizer, a dessert and a bottle of wine, we paid about $160.