BEST RESTAURANT FOR A PARTY

Enmeshed in legal disputes, bankruptcy, and buckets of bad blood, Billboardlive, the lavish space on Ocean Drive devoted to presenting live music and keeping folks drinking and dancing, seemed for some time to be as good as dead. That is until Barton G, Miami's high lama of happenings, came to the rescue in late 2003, transforming the ailing club into a many-roomed party palace for the serious social set. Redecorated in a sleek modern style and christened FifteenOOne Barton G, the three-level, more-than-25,000-square-foot venue offers seven separate areas that allow up to 1800 guests to celebrate just about anything, as long as it's something that's in style. The million-dollar, state-of-the-art lighting, sound, and audiovisual systems have been utilized for concerts and shows. So far celebs such as Cyndi Lauper, Eartha Kitt, and Joan Rivers have graced the main room, occasionally transformed into a sophisticated cabaret/ dinner theater complete with catering by none other than ... yep, Barton G. To feel like a star yourself, throw a bash at this sumptuous full-service locale.