The former manager of Miami Beach's La Gloutonnerie, Palm Beach's Paradiso and Novecento in New York City has opened BA Argentinean Bistro in the space formerly held by Bouillabaisse, a French restaurant by Fritz & Franz Bierhaus owner Harald Neuweg.
Neuweg subleased the Commercial Boulevard space to Tomas Trabucco, an Argentine who has long sought to open his own place. To run the kitchen he recruited Jose Luis Aguilar, formerly of the Hostal de Lago in Buenos Aires.
The menu is a mix of the meat-centric dishes for which Argentina is famous as well as some Italian-inspired plates and bistro fare for lunch.
"I didn't want to do a straight steakhouse," Trabucco said. "I wanted to do a bistro, which is a very Argentine way of cooking, and instead of spending $50 to $60 bucks at Capital Grille or Ruth's Chris you can come here for a lower price."
The lunch menu includes a Choripan ($8) with Argentinean sausage, chimichurri sauce on a baguette. There's also the Spanish-inspired shrimp in a garlic and olive oil sauce called Gambas al Ajillo ($10) and a pair of empanadas filled with beef or chicken for $8.
Dinner options include a ribeye ($29) or short ribs ($22) with chimichurri, a filet mignon in Malbec sauce ($34) and a variety of stuffed pastas. Grilled salmon ($19) makes an appearance along with an Asian-inspired sesame-encrusted tuna ($24) and sautéed snapper ($24).
Meanwhile Fritz & Franz owner Neuweg said subleasing the space to Trabucco was "a logical step" after Bouillabaisse "never got to the stage where [it] made money."
Neuweg also has a lease on the space above both Fritz & Franz and BA Bistro, where he's looking to soon open another concept, though he gave no details.
BA Argentinean Bistro is located at 2881 E Commercial Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. Call 954-533-2013, or find them on Facebook.
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