villadelfin - 11-15-2006 at 11:51 PM
Been in the La Paz area for a year now and finally found Bar Madero. It is *ahem* on Fco Madero, number 93, one door down from Muebles Colibri. They
are only open from 6 to 11.
The interior space is a bar with a pool table, and if you go out to the patio, dinner is served. The food is Italian. Skipping the chance to test
their claim of the 'best martinis in La Paz' we opted for mojitos frappe. They were well balanced and unlike other mojitos I have had, were not over
sweetened. The fresh mint was herby rather than pepperminty. Bill had Jack Daniels on the rocks and was pleased and surprised that there were two
large ice cubes rather than rodillos or chips of ice. He said wow, they really know how to do their c-cktails. He was not joking.
Not on the menu but tonight they had mussels with white wine, garlic and tomato concasse. We ordered two plates full for the four of us to share. It
was so good, we even fought over the slice of french bread lining the platter!
The pastas sounded wonderful but having to choose between pastas and the platos fuertes, we opted to skip the pastas and go for entrees.
IFwe had selected the pastas, we would have done the bleu cheese and mushroom and the shrimp in cream sauce or maybe the puttanesca.
(There were also some salads and a couple of soups that sounded good too, but we knew we were going to have dessert as well and knew we would not
survive if we ordered everything). I had the tuna steak with fine herbs. It was accompanied with rice and small salad. Diane had the shrimp skewer and
Bill went with the filet skewer Argentine style. Bill's meal came with a baked potato, Diane's had the rice like me, and Phyllis had the tuna as well.
Yes the rice was overdone and the salad was a bit boring, but the salad was a blend of iceberg and baby romaine which was a refreshing treat from the
usual La Paz salad. Too, the dressing was a vinagrette and not Clementine Jacques 1000 island or ranch. Everything was soo good! Each
protein was cooked exactly to temperature and delicately seasoned.
We asked about a wine list and our server brought over four bottles-a merlot, a cab, an argentine red and a sauvignon blanc. The argentinian wine
looked the most interesting, so we chose it. The label claimed it was unfiltered and unoaked. Notably the wine glasses were logo stemware from various
wineries instead of the more common Libbey glass.
We had flan for dessert and since it was my birthday, a slice of almond cake. They were out of tiramisu. The cake was moist and I swear was homemade.
Best of all, the flan was a cut above, flavored with Conroy and they had used half and half instead of evaporated milk, so it was very creamy, rich
and not at all rubbery. They even served a generous dollop of real whipped cream.
For the four of us: Two platters of mussels, 5 c-cktails, a bottle of wine, four entrees, four desserts, a bottle of water and a coffee. $1386 pesos.
Honestly the nicest meal I have had since leaving the US.
Paula - 11-16-2006 at 01:30 PM
That restaurant caught my eye when we walked by it a few weeks ago. I'm happy to hear that it was so good.
We ate instead that night at the Bar-b-q place on the other side of the plaza. It sounds like Bar Madero may be the better restaurant, but the other
had some things going for it too. The grilled scallop appetizer with soy, chile and ginger was excellent and so was the Oaxacan cheese with tomatillo
salsa. The house salad was huge, with very fresh mixed greens surrounded with pickled beets, sprouts, cucumbers, etc, and very good (not bottled)
italian dressing. Steak and fries were good too, and prices reasonable.
It's always fun to go out to dinner in La Paz, especially in the restaurants off the beaten path.
bajajudy - 11-16-2006 at 01:38 PM
We were in La Paz for opening night of Bar Madero. I believe that was two years ago. At that time, they didnt have food. I believe that they are
connected, if only as friends, with the people who own Milano, which is a favorite of ours.
Paula, what kind of barbeque place...the buffalo place?
I, too, am always looking for new and GOOD places in La Paz.
Paula - 11-16-2006 at 04:24 PM
Judy, you got it-- the Buffalo Bar-b-q. I couldn't remember the name this morning. Have you eaten there? I didn't feel like having meat that night,
so I had the two appetizers because I couldn't decide between them, and the salad because I was craving veggies. The waiter was amused by my dinner
as he put the three large plates before me.
Is Milano the one next to the Bistro Francais?