# Ordering steak in Palermo

**Language:** Spanish  
**CEFR Level:** A1  

> Listen in as Andrés and Antonella talk about how to order the perfect steak in a busy neighborhood restaurant in real, everyday Spanish. By the end of this course their conversation will feel easy to follow, and you'll be ready to join in.

**Setting:** The lively dining room of a popular parrilla in Palermo, Buenos Aires, where Antonella is hosting a dining experience and Andrés is the attentive server managing her table. Over the course of the evening, they converse about the menu, steak cuts, and local dining customs as each dish is served.

## Lessons

### 1. Asking for food recommendations

Andrés asks Antonella if she knows what she wants to eat, prompting her to ask him for a menu recommendation.

### 2. Describing hunger and portion sizes

Antonella asks about the size of the steak because she is only slightly hungry, but she explains that she cannot share it.

### 3. Inquiring about prices and sizes

Andrés suggests a smaller steak option, and Antonella asks him to confirm its size and price.

### 4. Asking about side dishes

Andrés tells Antonella the price of the steak, and she asks if it comes with a side of fries.

### 5. Specifying how meat is cooked

Antonella confirms she wants french fries, and Andrés asks how she likes her meat cooked. Antonella decides on medium-rare.

### 6. Discussing local food preferences

Andrés praises Antonella's choice of meat doneness as the local standard, surprising Antonella, who assumed people preferred it well done.

### 7. Sharing local eating habits

Andrés explains that almost everyone locally prefers their meat juicy, and Antonella enjoys learning about this cultural difference.

### 8. Declining offers and ordering drinks

Andrés offers Antonella a salad, which she declines, and then he suggests red wine for their drinks.

### 9. Asking about someone's hometown

Antonella expresses her love for red wine from Mendoza, prompting Andrés to ask if she is originally from that region.

### 10. Sharing where you are from

Antonella confirms she is from Mendoza and mentions her family, while Andrés shares that he is from Buenos Aires.

### 11. Asking if someone likes their job

Antonella asks Andrés if he enjoys working at the restaurant, and he explains why he likes the busy environment.

### 12. Describing how busy a place is

Antonella comments on how crowded the restaurant is tonight, and Andrés explains that weekends are always busy.

### 13. Ordering a main dish

Antonella decides on her order and asks for a juicy ribeye steak, while Andrés promises to bring it to her shortly.

### 14. Expressing how hungry you are

Antonella admits that she is very hungry, and Andrés reassures her that the kitchen prepares the meat quickly.