Buenos Aires hotel restaurants take cuisine cues from around the globe

In this month's issue of Today's Chicago Woman, I invited readers to meet me in Argentina, where I not only sipped wine and slept at bodegas, or wineries, in the renowned province of Mendoza, but also dined fabulously at restaurants housed in Buenos Aires hotels.

Just as you'll find in many of the world's top cities, some of BA's most interesting dining spots are located in these. A bustling capital city of about three million residents, Buenos Aires features not only traditional Argentine eateries, but restaurants that borrow influences from around the continent--and across the globe.

In case you haven't picked up a copy of TCW (and what are you waiting for?), here's a look at hotel eateries that offer guests, visiting tourists and Buenos Aires residents, or porteños as they're called, imaginative but still approachable cuisine.

Resto-Bar/Home Hotel: This understatedly cool boutique hotel in BA's Palermo Hollywood barrio features an inside/outside 14-table resto-bar with a tapas and sandwich menu reflecting its relaxed vibe. Its leisurely Weekend Brunch includes incredible quiches and omelettes served with Home's own queso crema and butter with herbs so scrumptious you'll be tempted to eat it alone.

But check this place out on a weekend evening and you might catch owner Tom Rixton, a British DJ and record producer, spinning tunes in the "resto-bar," as he and fellow owner/wife Patricia O'Shea call "the social heart of Home Hotel." And what a lovely one it is. With signature cocktails ("Sweet and Spicy Scotch" or "Scarlet the Tart," anyone?) served up at the bar and cuisine featuring always-seasonal, locally grown products, you'll never want to leave.

bobo Restaurant/bobo Hotel: A Palermo Soho gem, this gorgeously hip 15-room property kicked off the 'hood's boutique hotel craze. And you'll feel like a secret rock star here--albeit one who doesn't want or need over-the-top glitz and glamour. Housed on a regular street in trendy Palermo Soho, the young staff at both the bobo Hotel and Restaurant make you feel right at home, with just the right mix of thoughtful attention and do-your-own-thing freedom. In fact, the laid-back hotel finds itself in great company amidst the Condé Nast Traveler "Gold List 2011," and first made the magazine's "Hot List" in 2005.

But onto the food. Inside the restaurant, Chef Adrian Sarkissian gives guests and porteños alike a delicious destination for Mediterranean/Argentine cuisine with a dash of Asian influences sprinkled about. During my lunchtime visit in November, I sampled a melt-in-your-mouth carmelized onion tart as a starter and an incredible ojo de bife (rib-eye steak), but as all great restaurants do, bobo rotates its menu depending on what's freshest and in season. (The rib-eye currently on the menu served with a crispy pastry filled with corn, red pepper and cheese and accompanied by fresh chicory and Argentina's ubiquitous chimichurri sauce.) Still, you can't go wrong putting your tastebuds in this chef's capable and creative hands.

Rëd Resto & Lounge/Hotel Madero: Executive Chef Steven Jung is one of BA's most promising young talents--and it's evident in his creative gourmet cuisine that puts an international spin on local flavors. From the tempting and eye-catching breads that first appear on your table to the gorgeously presented main courses (including a crispy-skinned salmon that I can taste even now!) to its good-to-the-last-drop desserts, Jung and his team don't miss a beat.

In addition to Rëd Resto's stunning outdoor dining terrace--one that'll make you forget you're in a bustling capital city--Rëd features a 600-bottle cellar from top Argentine producers--both popular with the hotel's business-traveler clientele and chic locals. And while you're sampling the savories and cocktails in these handsome surroundings, you'll likely notice Hotel Madero's head-turning staff. Seems good looks--whether you're talking doormen or plated entrees--are always on the menu here.

Piano Nobile Salones/Palacio Duhau - Park Hyatt Buenos Aires: One of several dining locales inside this restored belle époque palace in tony Recoleta, this indoor-outdoor salon serves up an elegant Afternoon Tea accompanied by live harpists or guitarists and some of the most refined and polished service you'll find. And with views onto the Palacio's jaw-dropping formal garden, it's the perfect setting for meals and elegant snacks from Executive Chef (and globe-trotting Italian native) Fabio Brambilla. Beyond Piano Nobile Salones, the BA Park Hyatt offers other luxurious dining settings.

There's Gioia, a lovely and expansive restaurant that pays homage to contemporary Italian cuisine (especially appropriate since so many Argentines are of Italian descent), and Duhau, the hotel's signature spot that features modern cuisine inside an elegant dining room and a garden terrace. And I can guarantee my return visit to the Palacio will include a stop at Duhau's adjoining Vinoteca, from which guests can sample wines from among thousands of vintages AND enjoy them along with regional tastes from its artisanal cheese cave. Ahhhhh... one step and sniff inside, and fromage lovers like me are ready to weep!

The entire hotel is a veritable visual feast--don't miss the rotating art installations that line Paseo de las Artes, the underground walkway connecting the property's two main buildings. Everything's about engaging the senses at the Palacio Duhau--and that's a delicious thing.

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Maureen Jenkins s a food/travel writer and communications professional who's visited more than 30 countries and territories, lived in Florence, Italy -- and is spending the year in Samois-sur-Seine, a charming village near Paris, France. The self-proclaimed “urban travel girl” talks travel, food and wine – abroad and in Chicago – in “TCW Travel Connection.” Read more of her thoughts on living globally at UrbanTravelGirl.com.