Rome, Via Buenos Aires

Authenticity is nice, but it’s overrated. Case in point: Italian food is immensely popular in Argentina. So when Raul Bonetto – the man behind Pampa on the Upper West Side – recently opened his latest Argentinean restaurant, Cambalache, he included a bunch of classic Italian dishes on the menu.Culturally authentic? You bet. But who’s going to go to an Argentinean restaurant for veal parmigiana, or spaghetti in meat sauce, or cheese ravioli? And will they really want to finish off their Argentinean meal with a dessert of tartufo or tiramisu?The good news is that the grilled meats – which are the only things anyone really wants at an Argentinean joint – are as good at Cambalache as they are at Pampa, although they’re all about $3 to $5 more expensive. Those who prize tenderness over flavor will love the filet mignon ($27), a particularly sumptuous and earthy rendition of this often-bland cut. At the other end of the spectrum is the skirt steak ($22),an Argentinean specialty, its characteristically grainy texture offset by its intensely beefy flavor. And holding down the middle ground are the excellent shell steak ($24) and grilled short ribs ($22), gorgeously charred outside and juicy inside. All pair up nicely with Cambalache’s excellent chimichurri, the garlic and herb condiment that’s as common in Argentina as ketchup is in America.Cambalache’s menu is a bit more limited than Pampa’s – no blood sausages, no mixed grill, no grilled sweetbreads. But there’s one spectacular addition that Pampa doesn’t offer: an herb-crusted rack of lamb ($28). Rich and flavorful without being gamy, and cooked to a perfect medium-rare, it’s as fine a piece of lamb as you’ll find in the city.The big surprise is that one of the restaurant’s best grilled items is on the dessert menu: a pair of crepes stuffed with dulce de leche ($7), lightly toasted via a quick toss onto the grill. The combination of the sweet, toasted-caramel flavor of the dulce de leche and the slightly bitter edge provided by the crepes’ charred grill marks is unbeatable – there’s even a slight char-grilled aroma that hits your nose just as you lift a forkful to your mouth. Compared to this multi-sensory delight, the tiramisu and tartufo don’t stand a chance.Still, one of the restaurant’s Italian based offerings is worthwhile: On the 29th of each month, Cambalache serves homemade gnocchi ($16). This reflects the Argentinean custom of eating gnocchi on the 29th – an inexpensive, hearty meal on the day before payday, when funds were traditionally low. This ritual has become so entrenched in Argentinean culture that the word noqui not only refers to the pasta, but has also become slang for a lazy government employee who just shows up at the end of the month to pick up a paycheck.Happily, Cambalache’s gnocchi does this heritage proud: The pasta is hearty and substantial without being leaden, and is topped with a tangy tomato sauce. It still might not be the first thing you think of when heading out for Argentinean food, but it’s excellent for a once-a-month change of pace, and is all the Italian-based authenticity this restaurant needs.Cambalache, 406 E. 64th St., between First and York avenues, 212-223-2229.

Rome, Via Buenos Aires

Rome, Via Buenos Aires

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