Gaucho Grill Argentine Steakhouse, Downey

Gaucho Grill only singles out a few dishes on its menu for special recommendation, but it's easy to see why one in particular made the cut. That would be the parrillada, a parade of steak, chorizo, and chicken served on a table grill and meant to feed two to three people. This feast is perhaps the truest distillation of the Argentine steakhouse experience, though other house specialties—the Argentine pizzas, the homemade gnocchi with beef bolognese sauce, the plump swordfish loin in a white wine reduction—prove how diverse the country's culinary offerings really are.

Another highlight is the wine: as the fifth largest wine producer in the world, Argentina is home to wines that cannot be found anywhere else, even with some kind of wine-finding smartphone app. Diners enjoy pairing these vintages with their dinners in a brick-and-wood dining room complete with electric candelabras and sumptuous leather booths.