I'm not much of a solo diner (although I have learned to suck it up for lunch every once in a while), so while J was here I made sure to hit a variety of recommended restaurants in Buenos Aires.

Hidden away in one of the less popular of the central neighborhoods, Villa Crespo, Almacén Secreto is a "closed-door" restaurant that offers traditional food from all over Argentina. With tamales, humitas and other dishes that might surprise those who think Argentine food is all about the cow, this restaurant/art gallery seriously delivered. I particularly loved the bowl of potatoes of surprisingly different sizes and flavors. Everything was tasty (especially my tamal) and Saturday night music really made the taxi ride worthwhile.

Cabaña Las Lilas, in the modern riverside neighborhood of Puerto Madero, took us forever to find and probably cost the most, but it was worth the effort and the extra pesos. The steak here was amazing and the portion was insane -- basically two filet mignons. The terraza overlooking the water was cute and the service, not always a strength in Buenos Aires restaurants, was very good. Props to J for getting us out of the slightly shady couvert situation -- read the menu before you dig into the bread etc., folks.

Bonus birthday dinner at Francis in Montevideo, Uruguay: This was all J (part of my birthday present was that I didn't want to have anything to do w/ Montevideo -- Buenos Aires was taking up enough of my planning/prep time) and he chose well. The restaurant, in Punta Carretas, was cute, the (cheap) wine selection was expansive and the (inevitable) steak I had was delicious. And, bonus, like most places in the two cities we visited, this restaurant was more than happy to call a cab for us.

Some of my favorite foods were at very nondescript joints. For example, probably my favorite pizza moment of the trip (and there have been many, best believe) came right around the corner at Pizza y Espuma. My personal-sized mozzarella pizza was super good with the perfect mix of mozz and parmesan for me. J's "ñoquis" also were fantastic. And the cheap wine! Probably my favorite of the trip, and about 4 bucks?

Also noteworthy are the many delivery options Buenos Aires has to offer. My faves: Pollo Trak, Almacen de Pizzas, Empanadas Gourmet and El Club de la Milanesa. Let's not forget that you can get ice cream delivered, too. Freddo FTW! (Dulce de leche granizado + chocolate amargo = heaven.)

Peru Beach
Originally uploaded by tjdee

So, I spend more than an hour retracing my steps because of a train mix-up (which came after major ticket-purchasing confusion), finally get myself to this stretch of riverfront in the BA suburb of San Isidro, relax with my delicious choripan and licuado de frutilla, only to be stung by a bee for the first time since I was, like, 6. Very nice, Argentina.

Tigre Riverwalk
Originally uploaded by tjdee

I made my way to Tigre on the commuter train to check out what the Buenos Aires suburbs have to offer. Tigre is a popular day trip because it's reachable quickly (about 50 minutes on the direct train) and cheaply (about 35 cents for my one-way ticket) and because it's a jumping-off point to explore the river delta by boat. The town itself also offers a nice riverwalk area, a small theme park and a casino. At the casino, where I stopped before taking the pricier but cuter Tren de la Costa back toward Buenos Aires, I had a truly awkward conversation while ordering a coffee and pastry.

When I sat down and realized I had forced the woman to give me more change than I deserved because I didn't understand one word she had said right away (she asked if she could give me 3 "fichitas" because she didn't have "monedas"), I felt like a real tool. But then I chilled because, as I am getting better at remembering, language learning is all about making mistakes. If you're not screwing up every day, you're not doing it right.

And also, really Argentina, make more effing monedas so I don't have to have retarded conversations with service workers anymore. THANKS.

La Boca
Originally uploaded by tjdee

Going to La Boca is one of those things you have to do when in Buenos Aires. But it's not super convenient via public transportation. Fortunately, Boca along with a couple of other areas (Puerto Madero's Ecological Reserve, for example) is reachable via the Buenos Aires Bus, similar to the Mexico City Turibus I enjoyed last year. Yes, it's touristy and kinda cheesy. And no, it's not cute when porteños on the street point and giggle. But these buses provide a quick and affordable way for people who are here for only a short time to take the must-take photos and see the must-see sights -- and for those here for longer periods to revisit some of the areas they didn't get enough of. Even in your home city it would probably be fun to hop on one of these bad boys and take a spin.

Back to La Boca, it's definitely cute but it's also definitely not worth more than a relatively quick walk-through. I did, however, greatly enjoy going back to Puerto Madero. I don't care how different it is from the rest of the center of the city. Just like I love SF's South Beach, I love the modernity of Puerto Madero. And, really, for a city on the water you have so few opportunities to actually see any of it. For that alone, PM delivers.

Nerd
Originally uploaded by tjdee

There are some things you have to do while traveling, no matter how much you don't want to look like a typical tourist (aside: I saw a great saying here that read "no seas un turista, sino un viajero" or "don't be a tourist but rather a traveler"). But when you're in Buenos Aires you have to go to Recoleta Cemetery to see Evita's tomb. That said, you don't have to pose in front of it giving a thumb's up like a tool. I'm betting he was German. Just a guess.

Also, after this I went to the nearby Alvear Hotel for their afternoon tea service. It was off the chains. J and I spent about $20 each for champagne, tea, the traditional finger sandwiches, the three trays of tasty treats and a shared desert that we have wrapped to go so we could enjoy it on emptier stomachs. Don't even get me started on how fancy everything and everyone was! If you come here, go there. For reals.

Show at La Peña del Colorado
Originally uploaded by tjdee

We were not sure whether to hit up this peña, which required an entrada fee plus dinner, but both the food and the show wound up being quite good. And it's just a quick walk from the apartment. I'll definitely be back, hopefully after midnight, when people just hang out playing guitar and drinking mate. Viva la Argentina.

Hola
Originally uploaded by tjdee

Working from Urban Station for the second time this afternoon. It's nice to get out of the b&b and get work done in a rad space with a killer view of all the chic folks walking around the Palermo Soho neighborhood.

This concept, a hybrid between the traditional internet cafe (locutorio) and the longer-term co-working spaces (check out areatres, also in this hood), is fantastic. You get consistent wifi, a secure location and even a coffee break! But you don't have to commit to a multi-month contract

In other Argentine news, I've been getting my fill of empanadas, pizza and gelato (oh, and a choripan). But once J gets here tomorrow, it's steak and wine time. Yes, bitches, it's on.