"The best meal I've ever had"

That was Jordo's reaction after we had dinner at Cava de Cano restaurant outside of Mendoza. And let me tell you: It was fabulous. If you're on Facebook, check out Jordo's photos to get an idea why.

We had a private room all to ourselves. We walked in to find a table covered -- literally every corner of it -- with a variety of appetizers. There were meats and cheeses and pickled vegetables and wine-cooked rice and five different kinds of beans and quinoa and roasted vegetables and bread and an unending flow of wine. That was the starting course, one they left on the table throughout the meal so you could pick as wanted. I can't even tell you how disappointed I am in us for not making nearly enough progress with the starters. You would have thought we were amateurs.

Then came four small courses set by the restaurant. The first was a beef stew with carrots, onions and potatos that had us soaking up the juices with bread. Then a pasta bolognese course, which was just meh, followed by a squash soup that was so delicious we cleaned our bowls. Dessert was ice cream with dolce de leche sauce served with a glass of Champagne.

Oh my God, it was awesome. We were there for more than 2 1/2 hours and we could have lingered even longer. Total cost: Something like $70.

Other Mendoza news: We went on what was billed as a winery tour but was actually a pretty lame excuse for one. We saw one bottling plant and one small winery. (Plus an olive oil factory and a candy/liqueur making place as bonuses.) The one thing that made things bearable while also making them unbearable? The woman from Atlanta who had to ask questions about EVERYTHING. Her questions were so random and out there that we'd just wait for the guide to stop talking so she could interject. We also started making up our own stupid questions for her: If zombies invaded your winery, do you think they'd go for the Malbec first or go straight for brains? How do you feel Obama's health care initiative has impacted Argentine wine sales?