Merry Omicron Christmas From Abroad

I still don't know how we managed to pull it off, but we had a decent Christmas celebration this year. It wasn't easy, though. The number of Covid cases, primarily as a result of Omicron, spiked tremendously in December.

• On Thursday, December 16, 2021,  there were 5,301 cases reported nationwide, 674 of which were in Cordoba province.
• On Wednesday, December 22, 2021, there were 11,121 cases reported nationwide, 2,875 of which were in Cordoba province.

The numbers did go down a bit during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day because there were fewer people getting tested on those days. But the numbers soared afterwards.

• On Tuesday, December 28, 2021, there were 33,902 cases reported nationwide, 8,520 of which were in Cordoba province.

Of course, as expected, the increase rate of infections did not scare the general population into doing any of the things that would help keep everyone safe like:

• Wearing masks
• Covering their mouths when they cough
• Respecting social distancing rules. 

Regardless, our Christmas was awesome for a number of reasons. For starters, we had our first guest over since the pandemic. And I don't think the hubs and I realized just how much we missed having people over.

Our friend, the hubs, and I playing games on our phones

The only thing better than the company, was the food. We had originally planned on making a baked ham like we had in previous holidays, but the Argentine summer (which is in December) was too intense. So turning the oven on was not a viable option. So instead, we ordered food from some of our favorite places like Xiongmao, which offers some of the best Chinese food in Cordoba City (in our opinion). We also ordered 8 slices of pepperoni and 8 slices of cheese pizza from Pibi Guemes. But this almost didn't happen.

You see, we reached out to all the places we wanted to order food from a few days earlier to see if they would be open on the 24th or even the 23rd. But Pibi Guemes was the only restaurant that hadn't gotten back to us. 

So, after bugging them over and over again on Instagram and WhatsApp, they finally told me that they were closed due to a possible Covid outbreak among their ranks. Luckily, they informed us the next day that they had tested negative, and we were able to order the pizza in time for Christmas Eve.

Chicken and steak fried rice from Xiongmao

Pepperoni and cheese pizza from Pibi Guemes

Arabian Empanadas

Most of you may not know this, but I have an Armenian heritage from my mother's side, and she was kind enough to make the dish below and some Arabian empanadas. The first dish was made with pureed peas, chives, black olives and red peppers. But don't ask me to spell out or even pronounce the name of the dish because even I have a hard time with it. All I can say is that it was cool, refreshing and went great with the Arabian empanadas.

For dessert, we went the lazy route once again and ordered ourselves a couple of Gingerbread men from Backerhaus, as well as a Lemon cake. As far as the taste was concerned, neither of these items were as sweet as we expected them to be. But I guess they were aesthetically pleasing.

We also ordered 12 mini-cinnamon rolls from Canerolls, which the hubs and I arranged in the form of a tree, and they were delicious. Not that I'm surprised because Canerolls has always managed to pull through for us and we love them for that.  

But with so much sugar, I was so glad that our friend brought over a bunch of salty snacks for us to munch on while we played games and talked the night away.

Then around midnight, we officially welcomed Christmas with a couple of alcoholic strawberry smoothies.

Eventually, the night came to an end and we had to say goodbye to our friend. But we got to enjoy a couple of Canepops on Christmas morning, courtesy of Canerolls. I know what you're thinking. What the **** are Canepops? They are for all intents and purposes, Pop Tarts. 

We were so happy when Canerolls added these to their menu because you won't find Pop Tarts anywhere in Argentina. This means that the hubs and I haven't eaten one in almost ten years. So as you can imagine, our eyes were flooded with tears when we bit into our Canepops. 

All in all, our Omicron Christmas wasn't too bad. In fact, we had been getting into the spirit of things early on in the month by decorating our tree and by playing Frosty on the Shelfy. Think of it as Elf on the Shelf. Since we didn't have an elf, we compromised with Frosty. 

We also watched a holiday themed movie every day. Some of the films were holiday favorites from the past like "Home Alone." But there were some surprising new favorites too like:

•  Santa's Slay (Not new, new, but new to us)
•  A Clusterfunke Christmas
• Love Hard
• Single All the Way
• The Bitch Who Stole Christmas

 Also, there was the 5-episode holiday series "With Love," which we highly recommend. 

Now that Christmas 2021 is in the rear view mirror, it's time for us to start figuring out the menu for New Year's Eve. Spoiler alert! We won't be cooking on this final holiday of 2021 either.

So Here's How Argentina is Doing During the Pandemic As 2021 Nears Its End

With Omicron slowly making its way around the world, I've had a few people ask me on Instagram how Argentina's dealing with the pandemic so far.

As far as I can tell, it's business as usual. Most people are opting not to wear their masks because it is no longer a requirement to wear them outdoors or indoors in most Argentine provinces unless you're in an enclosed space like a movie theater, a pharmacy or a supermarket. But from what I've observed, a lot of Argentines haven't followed protocols since early 2021. The reason for this is that they're under the erroneous impression that:

1. The pandemic is over
2. The virus, the quarantine, and restrictions are a government plot to subjugate its citizens

They're tired of wearing masks and applying alcohol on their hands after they've touched a doorknob or shaken someone's hand. To be blunt, they have no regards for their own lives or the lives of others.

Luckily, there has only been one reported case of Omicron in Argentina as of December 9, 2021, but the reported number of infections from regular Covid has started rising again.

• On Tuesday, November 23, 2021, there were 1,644 cases reported nationwide, 109 of which were in Cordoba province. 
• On Wednesday, November 24, 2021, there were 2,234 cases reported nationwide, 226 of which were in Cordoba province.
• On Thursday, November 25, 2021, there were 2,260 cases reported nationwide, 212 of which were in Cordoba province.
• On Tuesday, November 30, 2021, there were 2,332 cases reported nationwide, 137 of which were in Cordoba province.
• On Thursday, December 2, 2021, there were 2,681 cases reported nationwide, 138 of which were in Cordoba province.
• On Friday, December 3, 2021, there were 2,382 cases reported nationwide, 122 of which were in Cordoba province.

On December 10, 2021, La Voz Del Interior, which is an online Argentine news site, reported that the number of Covid cases had risen by 188 percent. This isn't really surprising given how much people are congregating in the same areas instead of maintaining a respectable distance. Don't believe me? Check out some of the photos the hubs took below while he was in downtown Cordoba City.

• On Tuesday, December 7, 2021, there were 3,089 cases reported nationwide, 148 of which were in Cordoba province.
• On Thursday, December 9, 2021, there were 2,744 cases reported nationwide, 157 of which were in Cordoba province.
• On Friday, December 10, 2021, there were 3,573 cases reported nationwide, 164 of which were in Cordoba province.
• On Tuesday, December 14, 2021, there were 4,555 cases reported nationwide, 447 of which were in Cordoba province.
• On Wednesday, December 15, 2021, there were 4,819 cases reported nationwide, 520 of which were in Cordoba province.
• On Thursday, December 16, 2021,  there were 5,301 cases reported nationwide, 674 of which were in Cordoba province.
• On Wednesday, December 22, 2021, there were 11,121 cases reported nationwide, 2,875 of which were in Cordoba province.

Fortunately, the death rate has been low and the number of daily infections have fluctuated, but they're a lot higher than they were back in September of 2021.

For instance:

• On September 18, 2021, there were 1,451 cases reported nationwide, 136 of which were in Cordoba province.
• On September 19, 2021, there were 622 cases reported nationwide, 76 of which were in Cordoba province.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the numbers will drop, but with the holidays only two weeks away, I fear the rate of infection will grow. But there's nothing the hubs or I can do about it except to protect ourselves and hope the country doesn't end up in a phase 1 quarantine in 2022.

Thanksgiving 2021 With a Side of Termination

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, but like the previous year, it was just the two of us again and that's okay. As I've said in my other Thanksgiving posts, this is one holiday that only Americans can appreciate. For any Argentine guests we invite over, it's just a friendly get-together with lots of food. So, we didn't mind celebrating Thanksgiving by ourselves.

One of the things I love the most about this holiday is cooking with the hubs. Now I'll admit that I'm not the greatest cook in the world, but he is. And I'm just glad to help out cutting the potatoes and prepping the bread for the stuffing, but it's never easy during this time of year because it's scorching hot in Argentina. Oh, what I wouldn't give for a freak cold front down here during the months of October, November, and December! Regardless, the hubs and I started prepping a small Thanksgiving meal for two that we could enjoy.

We opted once again to not buy a turkey because most of it would have ended up in the fridge and we would have had to throw it out a few days later. We felt that it wasn't worth wasting money on, especially given what happened a few days before turkey day.

Out of the blue, I received a message from one of my "bosses" who handed me freelance assignments over the last seven years. She told me that we had been cut loose by her boss, though I suspect she only wanted to cut me loose, and I won't lie, it stung a little. But don't worry. I was only getting paid $30,000 Argentine pesos, which is the equivalent of $297.23 USD a month. Although $30,000 Argentine pesos isn't considered trump change in Argentina, it's certainly not enough to break a sweat over. Essentially, I was doing more and getting paid less, but getting taking advantage of is a risk when you do freelancing. I think the reason I'm so calm over this is that I've been doing other freelance work on the side for other people. This includes teaching English via Zoom. Plus, the hubs works on a lot of projects that pay fairly decent (by Argentine standards, at least).

So back to our Thanksgiving feast. In lieu of a turkey, we opted for seasoned chicken along with side dishes like potato salad, mashed potatoes, corn, and my favorite--stuffing. No, we didn't do a green bean casserole because frankly, we find it disgusting. Besides, we had plenty to eat like bread loaves, apple pastries, and pretzels from a German-inspired restaurant called Backerhaus. 

And yes, we had leftovers that lasted through the weekend. We planned on making a pie, which is traditional during Thanksgiving, but we were so tired of cooking all day and the heat in the kitchen was so intense, that we said, "screw it." So, we just had vanilla pudding and alcoholic smoothies to cool off while we watched a recording of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Then, we gasped when we realized that Thanksgiving this year fell on the same day as our 20-year anniversary. Although we celebrated 20 years of being together in March during our 9 year wedding anniversary, November 25 is the day that we officially became a couple. But when you've been with someone as long as the hubs and I have, you learn to celebrate your anniversary every day.

Another thing you might have noticed from the photo above is that I gained some weight. Surprise! I'm pregnant! Ha! No. This is Argentina. Not "American Horror Story" season 10. The truth is that I ate a lot between Halloween and Thanksgiving, so I'm trying to get back in shape because I know I'm going to pig out on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. I still can't believe there's only a month left before 2022 arrives. Now, if you'll excuse me. I need to start setting up the Christmas decorations.

Here's Why Pollos Prey's Fried Chicken Was an Epic Disappointment

As of 2021, Kentucky Fried Chicken hasn't expanded its empire to Cordoba City or any other Argentine province, except Buenos Aires. But over the last nine years, places have tried and failed to meet the delicious high standards of KFC. However, there have been a few places that have come close to imitating them like American Chicken and Chilling Brothers, which went out of business years ago, and Crocce, which is temporarily closed. But others, like Crocken, were total hits and misses.

Then came Pollos Prey, a fried chicken eatery that started out in Villa Dolores and expanded to Nueva Cordoba in late 2021. So naturally, the hubs and I got really excited about this place. After all, they claimed to offer fried chicken wings, fried chicken breasts and fries. No fried chicken legs? That's okay. I was sure the chicken breasts would be just fine, but I was wrong.

For starters, when we received our delivery, we discovered that the buffalo chicken wing sauce had spilled into the bag and the box. But I place the blame on the Pedidosya delivery person, who definitely did not get a positive review for this. Sadly, this was a bad omen of things to come. 

There was evidence of the sauce lid being taped, so Pollos Prey did take measures to ensure this wouldn't happen. That means that the delivery person mishandled the package and that's why the sauce spilled. Regardless, we had plenty of hot sauce and barbecue sauces in the pantry. So, this in itself wasn't such a big deal. What really ticked us off was the size of their chicken breast.

We ordered 8 chicken breasts and 8 chicken wings. At first, I asked myself where the chicken breasts were and then I spotted them, but wish I hadn't.

Seriously?!?! That's what they call a chicken breast? It looks more like a chicken nugget! What is it with Argentines and their small bite sized fried chicken pieces? I just don't get it. Below are photos of what a chicken breast looks like at KFC. As you can see, the difference is huge... literally! But that's not all.

KFC uses lots of herbs and spice in their batter to ensure that when customers bite into their fried chicken, it actually tastes delicious. That was not our experience with Pollos Prey, whose chicken was bland AF. I actually thought I had Covid because I couldn't taste a thing. Unfortunately, I found that this is a common theme in Argentine foods, which are generally bland. This is likely due to the fact that Argentines tend to stir clear of anything that tastes spicy, so KFC style seasonings will likely never be in the cards for them.

Also, Pollos Prey failed to realize that while the batter should be crunchy, it shouldn't be hard like a rock. I almost chipped a tooth trying to bite into the shell. It would have been easier biting through a lobster shell.

In conclusion, Pollos Prey's fried chicken was an epic disappointment and I couldn't unfollow their Instagram page fast enough. So, if you're an expat living anywhere in Argentina and are craving fried chicken, I suggest you grab a plane, take a train or a bus, and head to the KFC locations in Buenos Aires.

International Food Distributors and Restaurants in Cordoba City

When the hubs and I first arrived in Argentina, we assumed we’d find all the same food products from the States on store shelves. We were sorely mistaken.

Argentine supermarkets carry maybe 15% of the products you’d find in the U.S. Most people here haven’t even heard of Dr. Pepper, A&W Root Beer, Ruffles, Twix, Lucky Charms, or salt and vinegar chips—so don’t expect to see them on any shelves anytime soon. But over time, we’ve found ways to get our hands on a few familiar goodies through international food distributors and restaurants here in Córdoba City.

Mercado del Mundo - Permanently Closed

Mercado del Mundo has been our saving grace. Not only do they stock some of our favorite candies—like Coca-Cola gummies and Airheads—but they also sell real Belgian waffles. And by real, I mean not the eggy, plastic-tasting imitations that pass for waffles in many Argentine cafés.

Their stock includes sweet relish for hot dogs, Old El Paso Tex-Mex products, pretzels, digestive biscuits, TGI Fridays sauces, and much more. Plus, it’s not just American products—German and British expats will find goodies they recognize too.

The owner, Fede Moyano, who also delivers the products, is pretty cute, I won’t lie.

Minor complaint: Not everything listed in their catalog is always in stock. I’ve asked for Old El Paso hard taco shells more than once with no luck. Fortunately, I can still order some crispy tacos from Miami Tacos when I’m craving them.

Check out Mercado Mundo's catalog here and place an order today.

Almacen de Mario

Almacen de Mario was the first store we found that specialized in international products. Back then, we were able to buy Tex-Mex items, egg rolls, and Kraft Mac & Cheese. Sadly, I haven’t seen Kraft products there in years, and many of the items we used to go for haven’t returned since the pandemic.

That said, it’s still worth a visit. They carry a variety of international products that might appeal to other expats. Last time I went, they had tons of fish items ideal for making sushi—just not my thing, but it could be yours.

26 Twenty Six Importadora

Looking for sauerkraut, pickled onions, dill pickles, or other German and Polish products from Rosnik? This is your spot. They also sell Altmeister liquor and a small selection of Lebanese products from the brand Zeeny.

Boro Casa Gourmet

Need Asian products like Lee Kum Kee sauces? Try Boro Casa Gourmet. They carry powdered wasabi, rice noodles, Kikkoman sauces, and more.

Beer lover? They’ve got international brands from Denmark, Belgium, Germany, Peru, Italy, and France. And if you're a snack fan, they even stock Bouquet Chips' salt and vinegar flavor—impossible to find in most Argentine supermarkets.

Downside: A lot of their website items are marked “destacado” or out of stock.

Explore their online store here.

Guateques

Guateques offers lots of Venezuelan goodies like frozen tequeños (breaded cheese sticks), hallacas, pork rinds, Malta, plantain chips, Fig Newtons, and Lipton Iced Tea.

Restaurants That Hit the Spot

Not in the mood to cook? Here are some restaurants in Córdoba that offer food you’d expect to find in the U.S. and beyond:

Manolita and Co Pasteleria

Manolita and Co Pasteleria serves a legit bacon, egg & cheese sandwich—something McDonald’s in Argentina doesn’t even offer. And you can order it any time of day!

They also have:

• Red velvet cake

• New York cheesecake

• Apple crumble

• Lemon pie

• Cinnamon rolls
  ...and so much more.

You can check out their menu and prices here.

Backerhaus

This German-inspired bakery offers breads, pastries, apple pies, and pretzels. Their Instagram is food porn—view at your own risk (of drooling).

Miami Tacos  - Permanently Closed

Craving Taco Bell-style tacos? Miami Tacos has crunchy and soft tacos, burritos, and quesadillas that will satisfy your Tex-Mex cravings.

Canerolls  - Permanently Closed

If cinnamon rolls are your weakness, Canerolls delivers. Try toppings like:

• Cream cheese

• Oreo

• Nutella

• Dulce de leche

• Or just go classic.

They also offer milkshakes (Oreo and dulce de leche), perfect for summer.

Check out their website.

Pibi Guemes

If you're sick and tired of those Argentine pizzas that are too small, look sloppy, taste bland, and have cheese toppings that smell like feet, I feel you. Luckily, you can order NY style pizza slices or a whole pizza with toppings like blue cheese, real pepperoni, and more from Pibi Guemes. Check out their Instagram here.

Chicago American Bar  - Permanently Closed

Craving deep-dish? Chicago American Bar offers Chicago-style pizza. The pepperoni isn’t quite as good as Pibi’s, but it’s still great. They also serve burgers and sides that feel very TGI Fridays—like onion rings and loaded fries.

Xiongmao  - Permanently Closed

Xiongmao delivers a range of Chinese dishes. I love their chicken and steak fried rice. Their sweet and sour chicken is good too (though the breading isn’t as crispy as you'd find in the U.S.).

They’re also open to feedback—I asked about General Tso’s Chicken, and they said they’re looking into it.

Tucson Steak House & Bar

Want ribs? Tucson Steak House & Bar's got you covered. My favorites:

• Spinach dip

• Chicken rolls

• Arizona baby back ribs

• Monterey burger

• Baked potatoes

• Brownie with ice cream

• Apple crumble with ice cream

They have plenty of options for both meat and fish lovers.

Check out their menu here.

D'Lucas Gourmet

Venezuelan food lovers, rejoice. D'Lucas Gourmet serves burgers, tequeños, cachapas, and arepas. Plus, they’ve teamed up with Anana Postres to offer amazing desserts like red velvet, tiramisu, and chocolate cake.

American Donuts  - Permanently Closed

American Donuts may not have a huge variety of donut flavors like Dunkin Donuts, but given that there are no Dunkin Donuts in Argentina, this is the next best thing.

Go Donuts

Similar to American Donuts, but with one key win: Boston cream donuts. I’ve been begging American Donuts to offer this, but Go Donuts actually delivers.

VerGotas Waffles

VerGotas Waffles adds a cheeky twist to your dessert. Instead of traditional waffle shapes, theirs are... penis-shaped. Yep, you read that right.

And yes, we bought some.

The shape was impressive, though I almost dislocated my jaw trying to eat one. As for flavor? A bit bland—par for the course with a lot of Argentine desserts. Still, if you're planning a bachelorette party, or just single and craving something big in your mouth, VerGotas has you covered.

Fun fact: Verga is a vulgar Spanish word for penis, and VerGotas translates to “huge penises.” So... now you know.

These are just a few of the food distributors and restaurants offering international products in Córdoba City. I'm sure there are more out there, but the pandemic made exploring a bit tricky. Here’s hoping 2022 is better, and the hubs and I can share even more finds with you all.

Until then, take care and stay safe.

Miami Tacos in Cordoba City are Seriously Delicious

(Update: October 2023 - Miami Tacos went out of business.)

We've spent the last nine years searching for seriously delicious tacos in Córdoba City. Sadly, the best we could find were the ones we made at home. So whenever we stumbled upon those hard taco shells from Old El Paso—whether at Walmart, Falabella (which no longer exists in Córdoba), or international shops like Almacen de Mario and Mercado Del Mundo—we stocked up and got cooking.

And before you ask—no, there’s no Taco Bell or Chipotle in Córdoba City. In fact, there isn’t a single location anywhere in Argentina, at least as of 2021.

Thankfully, we can now get our taco fix from Miami Tacos, a delivery-only spot with a menu that leans more American than Mexican. It’s classic Tex-Mex: soft and hard shell tacos, burritos, and quesadillas. They also list refried beans and chicken wings, though those two are currently unavailable.

You can look at their menu items and prices here.

 

They offer ground beef and chicken tacos

They also sell churros

Nachos with cheddar cheese

Honestly, they had me at the name Miami Tacos—Miami, Florida, is my hometown, after all. Still, I was a bit hesitant to order. I've been burned before by Argentine restaurants promising "authentic" tacos, only to be let down by food that tasted overwhelmingly Argentine.

But the moment I took my first bite from Miami Tacos, the crunch of the shell transported me straight back to the 1980s and early '90s.

Even though Miami has a large Cuban population, Taco Bells were everywhere. Sure, Taco Bell is technically American fast food, but no one really cared about that distinction back in the States—and it certainly didn’t matter to me growing up.

One of my most treasured childhood memories is sitting with my mom at Taco Bell, sharing tacos and heart-to-heart conversations. Those days are long gone, but the flavors from Miami Tacos brought me right back to those moments—memories I’ll always carry in my heart.

I’ve ordered from Miami Tacos twice now, and I’m 100% sure I’ll be ordering again soon. That’s not to say there aren’t one or two other Mexican spots in Córdoba City (at least that I know of), but in my humble opinion, Miami Tacos truly takes the prize.

PIBI New York Style Pizza vs Chicago American Bar's Pizza in Cordoba

Move over Chicago American Bar! There's a new pizza place in Cordoba City called PIBI and they're offering New York style pizzas! But is there a difference between the two restaurants? I was wondering about that myself. After all, we've ordered from quite a few places in Cordoba City that claimed to offer American food only to find ourselves disappointed with some poorly imitated Argentine equivalent. But we had to try and this is what we learned.

The difference between Chicago American Bar and PIBI is in the fact that Chicago American Bar's pizza slices are larger and offer a variety of other menu items like burgers, chicken wings and sides slightly comparable to those found at T.G.I.F. restaurants.

Chicago American Bar Pizza Slice

Chicago American Bar Pizza Cheese and Pepperoni Slices

PIBI Pizza Box

PIBI Pizza Mixed Slices of Pepperoni, Cheese and Mushroom

PIBI's pizza slices are about 30 percent smaller than Chicago American Bar's slice, but they're still a lot bigger than Argentine pizzas.

Large Argentine Pizza

A large Argentine pizza is generally about the size of a small pizza at Domino's or Pizza Hut. Also, the cheese they use generally taste like dirty feet, and they prefer adding ham toppings over pepperoni. In fact, most pizza places in Cordoba City have no idea what pepperoni is or they try to pass off salami slices as pepperoni.

Luckily, PIBI offers a variety of pizza toppings like regular cheese, mushroom, blue cheese, veggie, and thankfully, pepperoni. Best of all, they actually use real pepperoni, not slices of Spanish sausages like Chicago American Bar. Spanish sausage has the same color as pepperoni and a slightly similar taste, but there's something quite not the same about it.

The videos below are two large pizza orders from PIBI

Another advantage that PIBI has over Chicago American Bar is that they deliver anywhere in Cordoba City. Chicago American Bar's delivery is limited by the range of the delivery service they use. A lot of the times, they'll only deliver near Nueva Cordoba, forcing customers to physically go and pick up their orders or sit at the restaurant.  

If I have one complaint to make about PIBI it's that they're very slow when it comes to responding on Whatsapp, which is their preferred method for placing orders for delivery. In once instance, I placed an order at 6 p.m., which is the time they open, but they didn't get back to me until 7:30 p.m. There was also a lot of going back and forth before the order was placed, and the pizza was delivered at around 9:12 p.m. But honestly, we've found this type of delay to be typical in Argentina. Around here, it's not about providing good customer service in a timely manner. It's more of a "you'll get it when we're damn good and ready" philosophy. And if you complain, they treat you like you're the crazy one.

As far as whether we'll order again from PIBI, the answer is yes! Their pizzas are definitely worth the delay and if you're an American expat or a local looking to try some New York style pizza, I strongly recommend giving PIBI a try.