Gourmet Odyssey

Seated in a secluded space at the restaurant’s rear, where plate-glass windows overlook the docks, guests were treated to a succession of creative plates: wild Patagonian oysters, presented on towers of leek, celery, and black beans; a confit of suckling pig with passionfruit and mashed potatoes; sizzling ribeye steak with Szechuan peppercorns and teriyaki. As waiters served each dish, the two chefs emerged briefly to describe their cooking technique before dashing back to the kitchen to finesse the next.

The brainchild of Alberto Inza, an Argentine-born food lover now a US resident, Argentina444 signs up well-known foreign chefs who accompany paying guests on 10-day culinary tours of Argentina.

Starting in the capital’s steakhouses and Italian-influenced trattoria, the groups journey to the wine-producing province of Mendoza - a region known for its roasted kid and organically produced olive oils, herbs, and cheeses - and on to Patagonia, where monster-sized trout, crab, and hunted game rank among South America’s best. Some tours include an option to visit Salta, a photogenic Andean province known for its high-altitude vineyards and spicy cuisine.

Guests fly first class or by private charter, staying in the toniest hotels in each region, from Park Hyatt’s Palacio Duhau, a restored Belle Époque mansion in Buenos Aires, to Bariloche’s Estancia Peuma Hue, a luxury Patagonian ranch set on 500 acres of granite peaks and glacial valleys, including a mile-long stretch of lakefront.

In each region, the visiting chef prepares a collaborative dinner with a noted local cook, steering guests to farmers’ markets, butchers, and vineyards along the way. A concierge is also on hand to set up off-the-cuff excursions, ranging from tango nights in out-of-the-way dance halls to forays on horseback through Patagonian forests.