The asado is slow, dinner is late, and mate is shared

An Argentine asado takes hours over a wood fire; the sausages and sweetbreads come first, then the cuts, with chimichurri. Dinner starts at 9 or 10 p.m., and restaurants are empty before then. Mate, the bitter herb tea sipped through a metal straw, is passed around a circle; drink it all, hand it back, and don't say thank you until you've had enough. Malbec from Mendoza is cheap and excellent; empanadas vary by province. Tipping is 10%, in cash.