Howard Kells hears music wherever he goes...

It swirls in the air and swells in the Atrium at Doña Emilia’s; throughout the restaurant, the intoxicating rhythms of South America are subtly but undeniably present, flavoring the air like an exotic spice. Traditional styles like tango and flamenco seem as much a part of the restaurant’s architecture as its bamboo floors and brightly painted walls. Like a twist of lime or a splash of chimichurri, the music accents everything it touches.

A music industry veteran, Kells once spent his days as a production manager and lighting designer for artists including Willie Nelson and Carole King. In 2001, though, he started moving to the beat of a different drum. One of the first customers at Doña Emilia’s original location (a 1,500 square foot spot on East 7th), Kells quickly fell in love with the authenticity, charm and potential of the restaurant.

Partnering with co-owners and founders Emilia Hurtado and her son Ruben Cuero, Kells began to outline a new vision for the restaurant, housing its traditional flavors and culture within a high-tech, eco-aware, and inarguably classy new space. The present location - downtown, at the corner of Cesar Chavez and San Jacinto - is an expansive 6,300 square foot, two-level affair that effortlessly blends Old World style with cutting-edge convenience. Certainly, logging onto a wi-fi network under the watchful gaze of decorative wooden toucans isn’t an experience one can enjoy just anywhere.

“If I had all the money in the world,” Kells says matter-of-factly, “I wouldn’t have built anywhere else.” The location, he explains, ensures a healthy mix of nearby businesspeople, adventurous Austinites eager to try something new, and South American transplants seeking nostalgic food that reminds them of home. Kells and his partners have worked tirelessly to ensure that all of these patrons find something to love about Doña Emilia’s.

For the business crowd, the restaurant has crafted a lunch menu filled with familiar items, each given a South American twist. “Most businesspeople are looking to get in and out in 45 minutes,” Kells reasons. “We have a complicated menu, but by offering uncomplicated choices for lunch, we can make it easy on them.” Amongst the sandwiches and chicken dishes, he points to the Chimichurri Burger, perhaps the most popular lunch item. Marinated in Doña Emilia’s signature chimichurri sauce and served open-faced with kiwi pico de gallo, mozzarella, and fried onion strings, the half-pound Angus burger brings a thrilling New Latin flavor to an old American standby.

For those with adventurous palates, the menu serves as a roadmap of exciting culinary avenues to explore. Dishes are categorized as Traditional (authentic home-style South American favorites) or New Latin (American items with a Latin spin). Into the former category fall such delights as Tamal Mixto - cornmeal masa with chicken, tender pork, vegetables and potatoes, served in banana leaves - and Ropa Vieja - shredded beef with olives and capers, sautéed in a sweet tomato sauce and served with rice and maduros.

The Traditional meal of Arroz con Pollo - South American comfort food if ever there was - announces its presence with a warm saffron scent before it even reaches the table. The rice is fluffy, the chicken fairly melts in your mouth, and the tangy red sauce complements without overpowering; in short, it’s exactly what you’ve hoped for every time you’ve ever ordered the dish.

The New Latin menu boasts numerous seafood choices, from grilled Chilean Sea Bass to pan-seared sea scallops in a passion fruit reduction. The Vegetarian offerings, as well, certainly have their appeal, but those poor souls will never know the dark, rich intensity of the Coffee-Crusted Tenderloin. Originally created as a New Year’s special, the meal - a sizeable, pan-seared beef tenderloin dusted in Colombian coffee grounds and served in a sherry reduction, alongside garlic mashed potatoes and grilled fresh vegetables - proved so overwhelmingly popular that it quickly found its way into regular rotation. Any hesitation over the seemingly odd combination of elements will disappear with the first bite; this is an experience not to be missed.

To bookend their signature entrees, Doña Emilia’s offers both an array of appetizers and an intriguing dessert selection. Begin the meal with a plate of Empanadas - turnovers filled with beef and potatoes, chicken, or a tasty seafood mix - or a dish of Picada - a sampler of grilled beef, chicken, chorizo and pork, with Andean potatoes, plantain chips and dipping sauces. And save space afterwards for the spicy sweetness of the Chocolate Chipotle Torte, every bit as puzzlingly perfect as the name suggests.

Renowned for its mint-tinged Mojitos (and perhaps the only place to find them in flavors such as mango, raspberry and orange) and Caipirinhas (a Brazilian concoction of sugarcane liqueur and muddled limes), Doña Emilia’s offers two bars - handsomely crafted from recycled glass, in another nod to eco-friendliness - fully stocked with more than thirty kinds of tequila, and a large selection of other liquors. An upstairs wine room offers more than 70 New Latin varieties, assuring that every dish has a perfect complement. Even those practicing temperance can forgo more humdrum beverages in favor of tropical juices - lulo, guava, passion fruit and more - made from fruits exported from South America.

In the end, it’s all but impossible to spotlight a favorite facet of the restaurant experience. All of its elements - the refreshing drinks, the unique dishes, the traditional design, the high-tech fixtures, the environmental awareness - come together under one roof, moving in an expertly choreographed dance… all set to the music that is the heart of Doña Emilia’s.