#28 ARGENTINA

Growing up, I had many teachers from Argentina, so even as an adult now, the country has a special place in my heart.

My first time in Argentina was in 2009 when I spent a fun-filled week in Buenos Aires with my friend, Mindy. The city had an incredible vibe, and we quickly fell into a routine of eating luscious dinners of steaks and red wine late at night. During the day, we explored the city's trendiest neighborhoods, markets, and cafes, but a city this cool needs more than one visit!

I returned in December 2019, this time to travel way south to the city of Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego. This was our launching pad for a small cruise aboard the Stella Australis, which would take us all the way to Cape Horn, the southernmost tip of South America, located in neighboring Chile. My father was traveling with us, so we were moving slower than usual, but we still made time to eat as much centolla (king crab) as possible! After our cruise dropped us off in Punta Arenas, Chile, we traveled overland to El Calafate to explore the stunning glaciers and natural beauty of this remote part of the world. And, of course, to continue chowing down on lots and lots of centolla - salads, soups, empanadas, you name it!

We ended this trip with a week in Buenos Aires. My birthday was coming up, and I'd made reservations for us at Don Julio, ranked as Latin America's #1 steakhouse and the pinnacle of Argentine meat and culture. The steak here was incredible, and we spent our afternoon drinking wine as plate after plate of delicious grilled meats and veggies was served to us. It was a good birthday :)

I'd be remiss, however, in recounting this trip's highlights without mentioning the dry-aged T-bone at Elena, the house restaurant at the Four Seasons in Buenos Aires. This steak is nearly a kilogram in weight, making it ideal for sharing, especially if you want to save space for their incredible milhojas de papa (scalloped potato gratin). Seriously, though, these potatoes are so good they threaten to upstage the perfect steak!