If you like fine dining and classic Argentinian cuisine, Folklore is the place to visit at 2100 W. Division St., Chicago. It offers some of the most salivating-worthy food in the state.

One specialty dish is called Mar y Tierra, which is a grilled 8-ounce filet mignon and two jumbo freshwater shrimp sautéed with capers in a tomato-basil sauce and accompanied by mashed potatoes.

Another dish to try is the Costeleta, which includes all-natural, hormone-free bone-in rib-eye from Nebraska grilled and served with sautéed onions and mashed potatoes.

But a favorite is the Costilla de Cordero, which contains a rack of lamb seasoned with fine herbs and white wine and is accompanied with mashed sweet potatoes.

Not only are these meat specialties delicious, but there vegetarian options worth trying as well. One such dish is the Ensalada Paisana of homemade mozzarella sautéed with spinach, roasted red peppers, garlic and olive oil. Another is the Ensalada Folklore, which is mixed greens, tomatoes and onions, while the Tomate Con Huevo includes wedged tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, onions, olives, oregano, olive oil and vinegar. Finally, the Ensalada de Tomate contains sliced tomatoes served with onions, olives, oregano and olive oil.

Now all this delicious-sounding food comes with a price and is slightly unforgiving to your pockets. Appetizers are around $10-11 as are the salads. Pasta dishes range from $16-19 while chicken-based dishes are priced around $20. The red meat dishes range from $20-40 with the specialties averaging $30.

Although these prices might seem a bit steep, the taste of the food is worth every dollar. Everything I ate there tingled my taste buds, the aroma of the delicious cuisine put me in a trance, and the textures were so divine and tender.

Not only was the food superb, but the dining experience was congenial. The service was very quick, prompt and polite, and the food was served hot and under 35 minutes.

Given the price of the food, the restaurant-goers were cultured, diverse and trendy with most of the patrons being in their mid-20s.

The decor offered a South American feel with popcorn paint covering the walls. The lights were dimmed and set to promote a relaxing atmosphere, and the background music was soothing, too.

All in all, my dining experience was wonderful, and I would continue to eat at this fine restaurant until the day I die. I would give this restaurant a 5 out of 5, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves South American cuisine and decor with a modern flair.