Ivy Aventura

Shoes are important for a night on the town, as both style and comfort are crucial (if generally mutually exclusive) considerations. Heres a tip for northsiders: When venturing to Ivy Aventura (19004 NE 29th Ave, Aventura; 305-932-1416, www.ivyaventura.com) on a weekend night, opt for comfort, as youll most likely be standing or dancing. On a recent Saturday evening, seats were hard to come by, and chair thievery was rampant.

At the indoor bar area, every stool was taken, and every open space was filled by someone waiting to buy a drink. Couples crowded the floor as they danced to salsa and kicked unwary passersby while performing exaggerated dips. The rowdy bunch ranged from well-coiffed twenty- and thirty-somethings to pentagenarians preserved by plastic surgery.

The outside patio was the chill area, where those lucky enough to nab a seat could relax among the candles and cosmos. Trite conversations filled the air like bubbles in a flute of champagne. A group of guys talked about their exploits in Europe and hooted at every cleavage sighting. Nearby two female friends discussed fashion until one womans significant other called, immediately ending the girls night out.

A somber-looking man, who identified himself only as Judgmental Justin said, There is no one interesting here; its like everyone is putting up a front. You arent going to see anyone puke in the bathroom or piss in the bushes. A few feet away a woman in a silk paisley dress flaunted her stuff, unknowingly dragging a piece of toilet paper on her stiletto.