Jueves a la Mesa: A Thursday Treat

I know the word ‘vegetarian’ can be a little bit scary or off-putting to some, especially in meat-loving Argentina, but stick with me. Jueves a la Mesa, a closed door restaurant run by yoga-teacher-turned-chef Meghan Lewis, aims to give you a great, home-cooked, vegetarian meal. And it delivers on all counts.

At the heart of Lewis’s cooking is flavour, variety and adventure. You won’t find tofu dressed up as a burger or a weird fake mince substitute¬—this is about finding the full potential of vegetables and pulses, not how to live without meat.

With dulce de leche hiding round every corner and empanadas seeming like the only fast, easily available food, many of us complain that it is hard to eat well in Buenos Aires. At Jueves a la Mesa, Lewis really tries to show off the ‘non-naughty’ side to this city’s cuisine.

She really does have a point: with vegetable shops on every street and good basic produce available in every supermarket there really is no excuse. With the help of her Costa Rican friend, Sofia Madriz, who Lewis describes as “good with flavour”, the dishes are exciting and delicious, good enough to satisfy even the hardiest of carnivores. As Lewis sends you off with the recipes for all the dishes from the dinner, it also means you can attempt to re-create the magic at home.

The story of these dinners began when Lewis started cooking dinners for her students from her ‘Buena Onda Yoga’ classes. As a lot of her students are concerned about well-being and aware of the benefits of certain foods, the whole concept of the dinners is really founded on health and nutrition.

Lewis also sheepishly adds that the dinners are an excuse for her to cook “all the things she misses” from her home country, the United States of America.

Certainly, Lewis’ past has a big influence on the weekly dinner. She studied natural health and holistic medicine at university, and with farmers as grandparents she has always been aware of where food comes from and ultimately the importance of “giving food time”. It is also evident in the little touches. The water was flavoured with cardamom and cinnamon, and she served homemade ginger tea at the end: “to aid with digestion”.

So the founding ideology of the dinner is great, but how was the food? Honestly, it was delicious.

The two chefs managed to find that great mix of gourmet food with an unmistakable home-cooked feel. The first course of Sopa Negro with corn, honey and cheese muffins was a delightful fusion of Costa Rican and North American cuisine.

The second course was a colourful, delectable collection of salads, rice, potatoes and homemade sour cream and guacamole. Even for a chronic overeater like me, there was plenty to go round and despite the second, third, and yes even fourth, helpings I still avoided that gluttonous feeling that comes with fried or fatty meals.

Desert was, fittingly, a fruit salad. I usually find these rather disappointing, full of slightly brown bananas and soggy oranges. But this was a completely different story: combining star fruit, mango, kumquat, and almonds it was both exotic and delicious. Then there was Lewis’ amazing home-made chocolate love hearts—impressively made without sugar.

So the food confirmed my love for vegetarian food, and the guests? Of course, the 14 of us had a fun and interesting time, all sat round one big table. The dinner is a great opportunity to get your foodie-schmooze on. We not only exchanged numbers and business cards at the end, but also knowledge; great restaurants, places to buy real, smelly cheese, even how to get the new Holy Grail in the organic movement—un-pasteurised milk.

And this is really is what Jueves a la Mesa is about, a group of strangers coming together, sharing a great meal, and exchanging ideas about food. I really can’t recommend it enough.