Estancia La Bamba

A friend who knows San Antonio de Areco better than I do put Estancia La Bamba at the top of a list of three. He was right, as he often is.

The room is exactly what you want it to be: horse paddocks, gauchos, dust on the boots. We were seated near the back, given menus we hardly needed, and brought a small bowl of olives without being asked.

We started with a wedge of iceberg with blue cheese, which set the tone — generous, unfussy, and confident enough not to crowd what was coming. With it we ordered Rioja gran reserva, decanted at the table, and were glad of both.

Then the main event: asado criollo, the dish that puts Estancia La Bamba on every short list. Was it the very best steak I have ever eaten? No. Was it among the dozen I think about most? Yes. The signature touch — open-fire asado in the pampas afternoon — is not a gimmick; it is the reason to come.

For sides we asked for broiled tomato with a breadcrumb cap and asparagus with hollandaise. Both arrived hot, both arrived early, both were exactly large enough to overdo it. We overdid it.

Dessert was a slab of New York cheesecake, mostly because the waiter raised an eyebrow when we hesitated. He was right to.

It is not cheap. It is, in this case, worth it.