Incredible meal at La Tupina Bistro in Mendoza

Bistro La Tupiña en Gualtallary
La Vencedora sin número Gualtallary
Tupungato, Mendoza, Argentina

One of the best meals we ever had was in the middle of a vineyard that is surrounded by the snowy peaks of the Andes. We were taken there on our own so that chef Lucas Bustos could cook for us. He prepares superb and simple Argentine dishes made with ingredients from his farm. Meals begin standing at a bar by an open hearth where Bustos uses the Tupina (a cast iron kettle) to prepare starters that he served with wines from the vineyard. On a memorable wintry day in June we were served incredibly flaky empanadas from the family recipe of Lucas’ sous chef, Manuela Quiroga. Other starters in our epic meal included a rich polenta topped with chunks of homemade sausage and slathered in tomato sauce, a minced beef pie under a blanket of mashed sweet potato and sprinkled with cinnamon, caramelized onions and cheese served with a chewy pan casero and succulent Spunta potato wedges that had been cooked to a crisp in a skillet and then sprinkled with sea salt. Main courses can be eaten at the marble tables which are outdoors next to the vines or in the rustic dining room. Popular choices include baby goat in a lemon and mint sauce and the amazing beef you expect to get in Argentina. When it’s available, the best possible desert is Mrs Quiroga’s dulce de leche which she takes hours to prepare and which Luca pairs with banana bread in yet another tip of his Chef’s toque to traditional Argentine cooking. It’s a 90 minute drive from Mendoza to get to this small restaurant in the Uco valley and a world away from the large, commercialized vineyards right near Mendoza City.

A 13 course menu costs less than $40.00 US. For reservations call: +54 9 261 660 1608
Visits to the Altus vineyard and tastings can also be arranged