Loreen and Josue dance the tango every Friday and Saturday at The Argentine Restaurant. The restaurant - and the dance - are steeped in the culture of South America. Photo by Phil Houseal
Details:
The Argentine Restaurant, 803 S. Adams, is open Thursday and Friday from 5 pm to 10 pm, Saturday from 11 am to 10 pm, Sunday from 11 am to 8 pm, and Monday from 5 pm to 9 pm. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Call 830-997-0407.
Loreen and Josue dance the tango Friday and Saturday evenings beginning at 6:30 pm. They give free lessons at the restaurant on Saturdays from 5 to 6 pm, followed by live music. Call 210-827-2792 for information, or visit www.purotangoargentino.com.
Daniel Monserrat and his son, Franco, perform live Latin and international music on Saturdays from 7 to 10 p.m. Call 210-584-0905. No cover charge.
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The secret of tango
by Phil Houseal
May 13, 2009
My adult tap dance class had just run through our final dress rehearsal, and something wasn’t working on the tango number. Driving away from the high school auditorium, I passed by the Argentine Restaurant and on a whim decided to stop in for dinner. Not only did I enjoy a great meal, I discovered the secret of the tango.
Business partners and native Argentines Carlos Gago and George Woschnagg welcomed us. Gago explained that the menu is typico de argentina.
“The food is prepared exactly as we do it in Argentina,” he said. “We don’t use any sauce, only salt. We use only mesquite and oak: mesquite for the embers; oak for the flame. And we cook the animal on a pit where all the fat is falling down so it enters the meat.”
The food is served in a typical style as well - especially the popular parillada.
As in South America, you can order a grill of various meats that is brought to the table, still sizzling. In deference to American palates, Gago has left off the more exotic parts of the animal - intestines, testicles, and udders - but local diners will still enjoy the chicken, goat, lamb, pork, short ribs, beef, and sausage, perfectly complemented with Argentine beer or wine.
The fare is not just for “meatatarians.” They also offer pasta, seafood, salads, hearty empanadas, and the most toothsome flan north of South America.
Whatever you order, it is guaranteed to matambre, or mata hambre - “to kill your hunger.”
But if you stop at the food, you miss the best parts of the Argentine experience. The owners take pride in sharing their South American culture. The atmosphere is formal, yet friendly. They have no booths, to encourage diners to share their experience with those at neighboring tables.
“We want a friendly ambience,” Gago said. “We love the kids. We love people who laugh. You can come at 5 o’ clock and stay until 10 - no one will tell you it is time to leave.”
When the tango dancers begin, you will not want to leave.
Every Friday and Saturday, Loreen and Josue demonstrate - and teach - the tango. The striking couple are quick to note that this not - ¡Dios mio! - ballroom tango.
“We dance the Argentine tango - there is a difference,” Loreen said. “It is a ‘feeling’ dance - that is the difference.”
Josue agreed. “The tango is something that grows in you,” he said. “I have been doing this dance 20 years, and it is a culture in itself. It takes at least five years to be called intermediate. It takes longer to learn the tango than it does to earn a college degree.”
The couple demonstrates with a tango waltz - a sultry, delicious turn to the haunting folk music of Argentina. Diners pause to watch. Like waves breaking on a secluded beach, their tango is in turn turbulent, then perfectly still, then smooth retreat, always expressive.
That is tango, according to Loreen. “Tango goes up; tango goes down,” she said. “The pretty part of tango is when you stop.” She grinned. “The pause is probably the best part of tango.”
I had my answer. The secret of tango is not the steps - it is the space between the steps. I will take this insight back to my adult tappers, along with memories of a delicious meal, the taste of cold Argentine beer, and an appreciation for this oasis of South American culture in the Texas Hill Country.