A beef with an Argentine, review.

I think it is common knowledge that the Argentinians know how to cook meat, and kill it for that matter....

When you front up to an Argentinian restaurant your expectations are high, right? Their reputation precedes them and they wear it like a badge. A char grilled badge!

Sosta Argentinian Kitchen by it own decree is "one of Adelaides premier dining locations". It was our destination for a birthday dinner, 13 heads seated snugly at the rear of the ground floor. So close to the kitchen you could see the chefs changing their minds!

I instantly latched onto a wine list when it finally hit the table after several requests - scouring through the list for that middle priced bottle that will suit our coming fare. Perfect! A Glaetzer 'Wallace' Grenache. $48 Sorry Sir - all out!

Next option was a '06 Mitolo 'Jester' Cab. Sauv. $46 Excellent, on inspection of the label it has lost a year but not the dollars that you would assume accumulates with age. Oh well I 'spose...

Let me step back and re paint the scene for you...

When a restaurant opens in Adelaide the word travels fast, and the word was 'good' for Sosta. Riding on the respected coat tails of Gaucho's and little brother Noberto's it might have been a little to late to make any lasting impression. Word did spread, but not in the manner people would associate with critical review... The lack of real food review in Adelaide is so pronounced restaurateur's know that all they require is to entice a select group of AFL footballers or the odd McLeod's D(sl)aughter to a restaurant and the sheep follow.
People talked and I listened and things looked good for our impending arrival.

Those who know me understand that I like to try their meal for the purposes of being a pain in the arse, and to get the full spectrum of a menu.

I was lucky enough to try five main courses and two entree. My entree was a marinated octopus salad with a strange cabbage side. If you did want to write home about it I would have assumed the postage stamp would resemble the Greek Islands. The table ordered some bread with a rich tomato sauce, which did taste better than it looked. The main coarse options were varied, I wanted to see their treatment of a not so standard dish as the steaks were Sosta's bread and butter. Mine was the braised goat with promise of Cognac in the mix, served with the bulk roast veg. bowl on the side. I tried to appreciate it as I had chosen the same as our party host, for fear it might have reflected on their choice of venue for the gathering. I think we both knew it was a bit of a let down. I trusted the chef that it was goat and I trusted the chef that there was cognac in it. But the pool of oil and fat that remained on my plate after I had picked through my 'chop' was testing that trust.

Goat aside, and other mains tested for their single fork end quality I was left to wonder what defines one cut of beef from another? If the texture and flavour is totally dominated by the char grilled blankness that fills your nostrils and hangs on your throat what then is the difference. To the kitchens credit every steak was delivered cooked to our liking, but where do you draw the line on choice of steak if they all taste the same? Am I alone in thinking that a cut of beef should have its own distinct flavour? I have known Fillet to be sweet with a fine texture. Rump, earthy and almost pungent with its interlocked texture. Sirloin, consistent fibers with savoury bread qualities. Goat, goaty and whatever!?
Am I wrong to want all this in a steak? Char grill is great - especially to assist in the swilling of reasonable tasting red. Can a steak have both its own inherent quality and the burning wood flavour many arson's long for. Gee's this is starting to sound like 'Steak in the City'.

Sosta did leave an impression in many aspects, they served a capacity restaurant (maybe 300-350) in the evening with only the female wait staff doing the majority of the work. The meals were consistent and good value with respect to our bill. It was OK. All of this criticism may have been avoided if they had just turned the crap music down - don't make the hulk angry!!! AHHH!!

Tell me I'm wrong.... make a comment.

Giles