Alright, folks, my trip to Buenos Aires is nearly complete, and I have to say, I think I’ve found the three best things in the city, foodwise.

Yesterday I told you about a place in Puerto Madero that served outstanding raviolis. Tonight I just had the best dessert and the best wine. Let me tell you about them.

Okay, here’s your night out…

Start in Puerto Madero, walking along the water, checking out the people in sidewalk seating as they check you out. Head to Bahia Madero and have the spinach ravioli in parmasean sauce. Another option is the ricotta and walnut ravioli in spinach sauce. Enjoy the ambiance of al fresca dining, and watch the couples stroll by in their (undoubtably uncomfortable) stylish shoes.

Then make your way to San Telmo, to a little organic restaurant called Origen. It’s a small corner eatery with a lot of vegetarian options, but since you’ve just had the best ravioli in the world, you headed straight for the postres y dulce (or dessert). Go with the helado de frutas rojas.

You’ve just order the best vanilla icecream with raspberry sauce (with frest raspberries) you’ve had in your life. It’s a healthy portion, too, so after you get your check, you’ll walk for a couple blocks up Av. Peru to a place called La Cava.

This is an out of the way wine bar with excellent staff, and a number of very good wines served by the cup.

And to be honest, in this city, it can be hard finding wine by the cup.

I had the Tempranillo (pronounced Tempranisho) and it was delightful. I may have found the one red wine that will not give me headaches. A heavy pour and a plate of smoked swiss cheese and bread will set you back only 15 pesos, or about $4.33.

When I left the wine bar, it was raining, and the street I wasn’t frequented by taxis all that often. Now, the staff will certainly be more than happy to call one for you, as they did for one of their regular patrons just before I left.

But I like the rain, and it was only a couple blocks before I hit the major street, Av. de Mayo, where the tango festival was last Saturday.

I stopped for a brief moment under an overhang in a quiet plaza with an old clock tower at the end and watched the storm roll in with some spectacular lightening displays.

It was the perfect end to a wonderful evening.

With my belly full, and my head not aching (yet), I’m calling it a night. I sincerely hope you’re enjoying your evening as well.

I’m kind of a laid-back person. I like to get dressed up to go out somewhere fancy every once in a while, but for the most part, I like comfort.

And since much of this trip was to be spent outside the fashion-conscious cities of Santiago and Buenos Aires, I opted for hiking shoes and my stinky flip-flops that have travelled with me from Casablanca to Vietnam.

So when I got to Buenos Aires, and was slammed by 90-degree heat, and surrounded by chic portenos in their little sandals and Bermuda shorts, I felt more than a bit underdressed.

Good thing there are clothing stores everwhere, and shoe stores by the dozen.

I opted for something simple, black sandal thongs to replace the stinky flip-flops that were wearing thin anyway. I slid them on and instantly felt more chic. In the basura went the old pair, and I sauntered down Florida Avenue.

I’d forgotten that fashion and vanity comes with a price: blisters.

Throwing away those old stinky flops was a big mistake… Lesson learned.

Well, it’s Tuesday, and it’s back to business as usual in the streets of Buenos Aires.

Yesterday, the city celebrated its Dia de la Virgen, a national holiday that closed many businesses, including the stock exchange. After the break, the exchange is opening higher today.

The one immediate way you can tell BA is back in business is by listening to the traffic.

My hotel is on a busy street, Sarmiento that runs east to west, parallel to major corridors, like Av. Cordoba and Av. Corrientes. As people make their way down to Puerto Madero, or out to the Palacio del Congresso (where I spent some time this morning), many of them pass right under my “balcony.”

(It’s actually more of the size of a step, but it’s pretty.)

The sidewalks are packed with people on their way to somewhere… It reminds me a bit of New York. I even saw one gentleman get nudged by a car trying to pull into an alley. There was the inevitable fist slamming on the hood, and curses in Spanish, and the flow of people around the problem never stopping.

As far as I can tell, people will only stop to watch a fight at a futbol match…

I popped into a restaurant/cafe for some empanadas de jamon y queso (ham and cheese) on the way back to the hotel. They were scrumptious. It’s fast food, but I stood with the locals at the high tables, and ate with a knife and fork.

It’s a bit overcast today, and muggy. I was sure we were going to get a storm last night. We did see some lightening and a quick shower, but the humidity is sticking around, it would seem.

That means I’ll be sweating through my T-shirt as I make my way to the Palermo neighborhood.

Enjoy your Tuesday, and I’ll chat with you again this evening.

Okay, the best ravioli, hands down, anywhere in the world that I’ve ever been had got to be found in a little place in Puerto Madero called Bahia Madero.

I had an amazing meal there. I ordered the spinach ravioli in a parmasean sauce and a glass of champaigne (since I don’t drink red wine anymore, on account of the headaches). The raviolis were absolutely the best I’ve ever had… no question about it.

The sause was incredibly flavorful without being heavy or overpowering, and you could tell the pasta was hand-made, and fresh.

If you ever find yourself in Buenos Aires, head down to the Puerto Madero and enjoy a meal at Bahia Madero. Ask for Jorge, who was so pleasant I gave him a 20% tip, even though a 10% tip is customary. He’ll treat you well.

And before I sign off, making this an early night for me, I have to tell you, my “al fresca” dining, right on the river was surrounded by dozens of restaurants. Across the water there were numerous business offices for telecom companies… LG, Nextel, they were all there.

An interesting mix of scenery and great food.

Incidentally, I think telecom companies in Latin America are probably one of the best industries right now, even in Argentina, and that’s saying a lot…

Until tomorrow, enjoy this evening.