With the hot South American sun beating down as we tramped around the Sunday afternoon markets in San Telmo, our stomachs grumbled almost on cue after we considered a return visit to Manolo for lunch. This old-school restaurant on the corner of Bolivar and Brazil was the site for one of our first (outstanding) meals in Buenos Aires. So, since we were in neighborhood anyway, it seemed almost blasphemous not to make one last pilgrimage to this popular locals hangout.

We both nearly blushed as Manolo himself greeted and ushered us to a small table near the front door. If it’s a truly authentic dining experience you’re after, this is the place to be. Large fans hang from the ceilings, helping keep the large, dining hall-style space cool and comfortable despite near 90-degree temperatures outside. Futbol newspaper clippings and prints are interspersed on the walls with vintage photographs of the restaurant and its watchful owner, Manolo, as well as other interesting odds and ends. Of course, the line of futbol jerseys that nearly wraps around the whole restaurant is the focal point, providing a welcome splash of color, as well as an interesting look at the evolution of the "jersey look."

During both of our visits to Manolo, most of the long tables were occupied with a mixed crowd of families, groups of friends, and single men reading the paper and downing a liter of Quilmes. The attentive staff, as seems to be custom in the old-world, traditional restaurants of Buenos Aires, is dressed in black-and-white dress pants, button-up shirts, and bowties. Our waiter quickly arrived at our table with a smile and basket of freshly baked chunks of white bread. As we ripped into the bread and drank liters of water sin gas, we tried to pick just one dish from Manolo’s extensive menu that includes pastas, salads, empanadas, and, of course, steaks. Trixie scored prime-cut beef on both of our visits, while I ordered the gorgonzola gnocchi in cream sauce the first time around, then the four-cheese gnocchi the second. I know—both equally healthy dishes.

Listen, the food is just fantastic and incredibly affordable to boot. The service is unbeatable. And perhaps just as important, the atmosphere is truly authentic; between our two visits, we only spotted one other table of tourists. One other thing: the flan con dulce de leche y crema is heavenly--one of the best desserts we ate in Buenos Aires. Indeed, our original plan of sharing it turned into a strategic battle of "two bites for me, one for you."