Bogota 3.4 and AGAVE AZUL!

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Fresh guacamole, langostinos, and amazing shredded guajillo beef.  Life tastes better when you share a meal at Agave Azul Bogota, where every dish invites connection.

 

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I have been trying to figure out how to get here this trip.  The usual person I go with is, ironically, in the States.  *sigh*  Great.  Now what.  I don’t think I should go by myself.  It’s not the BEST section of town, even though if I did go, I’d have a driver.  But, to me that’s a waste of resources.

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FINALLY!  I convinced J to NOT go to the Argentina restaurant and instead come to Agave Azul with me.  I met him for lunch today….that’s another story.

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We walk to Crepes and Waffles to have some lunch and there’s this noise.  It sounds like fireworks but you can’t see anything.  You hear the boom and see nothing.  So, he explains to me that farmers are protesting the government for not supporting them.  The free trade is hurting their livelihood and the government should subsidize the local farmers to help them.  Apparently, in February, the coffee farmers held some sort of strike because their subsidy was lessened and in some instances terminated, I think?

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This has all just escalated.

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Anyway, so we have some noise with our lunch, which is fine.  Some are louder than others.  He explains that the protests are not far from the embassy.  This isn’t the first time.  In April, we had to come a completely different route to the embassy one morning due a peaceful protest march down the main street.  Hey.  I get it.  We have protests all the time.  Ours don’t usually turn like this one did.

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Mom.  Don’t freak out.  I’m fine!

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After lunch, we go to meet some friends of J’s and have coffee.  We walk out on the patio and  *sniff sniff* what IS that smell!  “Oh, that’s tear gas.  We should go inside.”  Then there’s an announcement on the PA about the protests turning violent and the policia are having to use teargas.

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We’re sitting there talking and we’re all scratching our noses.  It’s breezy out.  We’re close to the protests.  The breeze carried quite a bit of that gas our direction.  We decide to go inside and I hit the spreadsheets again.

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That was my afternoon. 

BUT in all this chaos, I convinced J to take his friends to MY favorite restaurant where THE MOST AMAZING food and margaritas are in Bogota.

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While I wait for J to pick me up, I wandered the other way from the hotel and found a shop with arts and crafts from Colombia.  I bought a few things that I can’t show, but did take this cool picture!

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And this one:

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Hand made straw hats.  Aren’t they cool looking?  Anyway….

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If you haven’t read my previous posts you can find here and here.

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Agave Azul Dinner

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I can’t brag enough about this place.  You sit down and get a beverage menu.  Order an Agave Azul.  It’s the best on the menu.  Or the Classico is good, too.  Then they’ll ask you some questions about your likes and dislikes.  After that, just sit back, chat, and have a good time.  I definitely did last night!  I hadn’t laughed so hard like that in a while.  The only person I knew brought two friends and one of their kids (young teenage boy).  The five of us had a GREAT time.  They ALL agreed that the ritas were the best and the food was muy delicioso!

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We start with guacamole.  I watched them making it in the molcajete.

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It has creamy chunks of haas avocado, tangy ripe tomatoes and tiny explosions of sea salt.  YUM!

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Next…OMG I see her making them!  DUMPLINGS!  I mean, who doesn’t love cheese and fried dough??

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That’s a fresh jalapeno salsa that they serve with it.  It’s excellent!

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Langostino con chipotle and some sort of slaw type thing.  I’ve had this before but this time it was spicier.  SO delicious!

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Yes.  It’s the infamous beef!  OMG it’s melt in your mouth fabulous!  I love this dish.  I will try again to recreate it when I get home.  It was spicier this time due to the guajillo peppers.  It has a rich sauce and just tender tasty beef.  She’s shredding it in the picture.

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Finally, this is a shredded pork tostada.  Yummy, sweet pork with a kick topped with lettuce e pico de gallo e avocado.  This is new to me.  It was right in line with all over dishes.  YUM

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So, in case you forgot it’s:

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If you’re here you MUST go.  Please make sure you call and make reservations as they can get pretty busy.  There were a few other people there this time.  We had been going early enough in the week so as to avoid most crowds, but from what I understand, later in the week and later at night, it can get pretty packed.

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Their new location is not far from their old one and the space is open and inviting.  You can watch them make the food for you, which if course I did.  LOL

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And now, I must get ready for the today! Hasta luego!