Profile

Cradled between Brazil to its north and Argentina to its west, Uruguay takes its gastronomic cues from its meat-centric neighbors, and El Chivito D’Oro holds true to form. The restaurant feels like an immaculate, upscale diner, with laminated rattan tables, pink and black marble floors, blond-wood paneling. Light-green walls are illuminated by recessed green neon lighting, and antique black-and-white photographs of Uruguayan street scenes add historical gravitas. Locals know to come for the grill. The parrillada para 1, or mixed grill, is a hit parade of rich skirt steak, meaty short ribs, mild chorizo, tender veal steak, and, for the more adventurous, chewy sweetbreads and a puddinglike blood sausage. Everything is simply salted and expertly charred. Like Argentina, Uruguay attracted many Italian immigrants, whose cuisine is reflected in the dozen or so pasta dishes on hand. For an exotic fillip, consider the tasty Euro-Uruguayan canelones de choclo, delicate crêpes filled with corn, bacon, and red peppers; the crêpes are smothered in cream sauce and garnished with a thin slab of pot roast. — Michael Anstendig

Beef empanada, $1.50; canelones de choclo, $14; parrillada para 1, $23