Most restaurants in Argentina don't seem to open until after we are in bed!! So far, we have seemed to be taking the late lunch as a dinner approach! (or cooking in). If we ate the regular time as most locals here (10 or 11pm! - at the weekend people even go to eat as late as 1am!!!) I would not stand a chance of getting Charlotte up for any home school before having to head to Spanish lessons.
However, to celebrate a birthday, we decided to venture out, well after Charlotte's bedtime. We took a recommendation from a neighbour (American couple in same apartment block who have a 2 year old daughter, also named Charlotte).
We arrived at the restaurant after 9pm - a massive place with about 30 tables laid, lots of waiters around, but it was empty (the economy...??). However, by the time we left, we had trouble getting out with all the people coming in!! With 4 days of Spanish lessons under my belt, i was able to have some sort of conversation with the waiter - I managed to ask if they had a menu in English!! They actually did, and it was quite amusing seeing the literal translations "half a small mushroom rabbit" "loin of the mushrooms" etc (not complaining as better than nothing!). He continued to keep speaking to me, oblivious of the fact I could not understand a word he was saying!!
Despite the 4 days of classes, (and the English translation menu!) I still ended up getting fish when I thought I had ordered steak! (there was no translation of the type of fish, which I thought was a cut of meat....) Meat is definitely the food of the day, month, year here. Jimmy's fillet minion (he thought he had ordered sirlion..) looked like the joint of beef we used to have for a family sunday dinner! - he had a big smile on his face by the end. My fish was enough to feed 2 and the left overs from Charlotte's half portion of pasta will provide many more meals for her!
When the bill came, unlike the tourist restaurants, the tip was not automatically added. A relatively modest cash tip had the waiter falling at our knees with "Graciases". A further tip from Charlotte (amounting to less than $3) on the way out, had the waiter running over to us showering us with kisses!! - I guess they don't tip like the US Americans here! (remember they are all called americans here.. north and south alike).
We now have enough food in the doggy bags for another couple of days!