Puerta cerrada opening

Through our friends A & P, we met Diego Felix just as he was landing back in his tierra natal of Argentina (from the San Fran-bay area) & just as Ian was finishing his article on hidden restaurants / private dining clubs. (A twist of bad timing for Diego, perhaps.) Last week, Diego invited us to his soon-to-be-opened, puerta cerrada for a pescatarian, 8-course meal fit for a health-conscious king. On his website, he boasts a 5-course meal, but I'm counting each concoction from the welcome trago -- blended, iced watermelon, tomato & pisco -- to the dessert -- an avocado, lime pie. As you can see, Diego is not afraid to mix fruits and vegetables, with much better results than I tasted at Mott, for example. My favorite was the halibut ceviche (the one non-veggie offering that night), with apple toning down the onion-y bite. My second favorite was the Paraguayan chipa guazú (corn cake). Diego told me he'd recently been exploring Paraguay, checking out Asunción over to the Brazilian border. Our mutual friend A. -- herself a pescatarian foodie -- said she tasted D.'s first take on the dish, which was good, but that this pre-opening party showed how much cooking could be like writing -- improved with each edit.

So, I've met three professional chefs in Buenos Aires so far, but D. is the first to ask our whole family over for a wow-inspiring meal. (OK: Henry's always a cheap date for everyone but me.) D. is also the first one I've plugged on this blog. Were my loyalties bought? Just in case, I'm letting you in on my potential conflict of interest. Casa Felix, the Palermo Hollywood hidden dining spot, opens officially this Friday, Feb. 24.