When Sunday rolls around, how do you choose where to brunch? There are so many choices. Two words: bottomless mimosas. Three more words: sweaty drag queens. At the Palace, the 20-year-old beachside gay institution, "Brunchic" comes with all the usual makings of a lazy Sunday brunch. For $30, you get unlimited mimosas and a menu that might include rib eye steak or ocean tilapia. But the meal is also served with a couple of Amazonian drag queens performing under the sweltering sun. During 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. seatings, they interact with the crowd, hit on customers, and even stop traffic. There's Tiffany Fantasia doing a gospel song under the palm trees, and Noel Leon in a crimson body-hugging gown alarming passing tourists. After a couple of those mimosas, a tired "I Will Survive" will sound uproarious. And by your third drink, gender lines blur. It's not for nothing the motto of this outdoor Birdcage is "Every Queen Needs a Palace."

We were going to get all New York Times-y and talk about how a younger, suddenly cash-strapped crowd is discovering the early-bird special, and discounted eats before the traditional dinner rush is no longer just for the blue-haired, Bingo-playing set. We were going to add that more restaurant owners are catering to this demographic by adopting and expanding their early-bird menus. Then we were going to conclude by saying that even though the economy is in recovery, once diners pay half-price for the same plate of food, they'll most likely stay hooked on the experience. Yep, we were gonna say all of that stuff — but then we decided to simply write the following eight words: Capri's filet mignon costs $14.95 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

There is more to Miami Lakes, which is squeezed between Hialeah and Miramar, than residential neighborhoods, golf, and a shrine to sports legend Don Shula. Residents have been hiding a shopping-center tapas gem for almost four years. Complete with a Spanish flag, cork-covered tables, and two terra cotta walls decorated with wine bottles for the picking, the quaint locale whisks patrons off to Spain even though it's located just a few feet from a convenience store. Three employees run the 12-table restaurant most nights; they recommend just the right wine to accompany more than 60 tapas including croquetas de bacalao ($5.95), tortilla española ($5.95), and garbanzo frito ($7.95), in that exact order. For those looking for a fuller meal, the suburban hush-hush also serves larger dishes such as paella valenciana ($26.95). Owner, part-time chef, and Spaniard Mylo Gonzalez remembers every face and makes sure visitors return to his little piece of Andalusia. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday; closed Sunday.

Before you even smell the chicken roasting or the souvlaki on the rotisserie, you'll see Tara Reid's face. There she is, mugging it up in a red velour tracksuit. And there she is again, next to Mickey Rourke. They're just two of the celebrities gracing Sultan's picture wall. This does not bode well — just another couple of emaciated stars' favorite hangout. But then you taste Sultan's falafel wrap ($7.75). The reaction can best be summed up in a series of slow-motion shots: Customer grabs fat spliff of a pita, bites crisp falafel inside, slathers tzatziki sauce all over face, head explodes. Cut to customer saying, "Tara Reid was right." Years of midnight falafel runs in college probably warped a lot of people's idea of what a good falafel is. That was dry, chewy, sustenance food. But blazed late at night (this place is open till 5 a.m.) or sober during the day, you will still get a head trip from Sultan's falafel. Tear into it with gusto. It's worth the mess.

All right, so this place isn't a Latin American musical mecca in the heart of Havana. Hell, it's not even in Little Havana. Nor is it a social club. And no, you won't find Juan de Marcos González shaking maracas while downing a pastrami on rye here either. In fact, if you can find a knish, a Dr. Brown's soda, or a black-and-white cookie being consumed anywhere inside of this cheery, French-influenced delicatessen, we'll rewrite the Torah and say that you, not Moses, parted the Red Sea. That's because you won't find any New York-style staples in the Buena Vista Deli — from its yellow-umbrellaed porch to its clean, white interior that includes blackboard cabinets scribbled with colorful chalk. But what you will discover is fresh, fragrant slices of goat cheese and mushroom quiche ($4.95), rich duck pâté spread on a French baguette ($6.50), grilled chicken panini overflowing with pesto and sautéed portobello mushrooms ($7.50), and a Niçoise salad packed with ample amounts of hard-boiled eggs, tuna, anchovies, and green beans ($7 for a large). Can't decide? BVD has great combo options such as any sandwich/panini with any salad or soup du jour for only $10.50 or any quiche and salad for $7.50. Or if you feel like indulging your sweet tooth, tame it with a delicate but piled-high cream puff ($3.50), a chocolate eclair ($3.50), or any of the baked-daily goods displayed by the cash register in a pastel array reminiscent of Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette. Plus everything available for purchase at this place, other than the bread, is homemade, which is enough to make any Cuban utter, "Oy vey!"

It's a two-way tie between Norman Van Aken's Coral Gables return (with son Justin) via Norman's 180, and in downtown Miami's Marriott Marquis Met Two tower, Daniel Boulud's DB Bistro Moderne (DB Bistro copped this category last year all by itself and let's hope will not be cited again next year). How often is it that two chefs of this caliber open shop in the same town during the same year? If the name of that town is Miami, never. Just more signs of our rapid ascent as a gastronomic destination and our increasing good fortune.

In France, somehow, there are fresh-baked baguette sandwiches — made with care — at almost every major train station. That such a delicacy is sold alongside pooping pigeons and napping backpackers seems like it should be illegal. At La Provence, you get the authentic European treat without having to, say, step over a hobo or pay a euro to use la toilette. Located a couple of blocks from the Miracle Mile shopping district, this bright and tidy café-style shop sets itself apart by attention to detail. There are not a million options, simply six or seven really great ones. Choose from prosciutto with Brie, chicken with avocado, or mozzarella with ripe tomatoes and basil. They are available at half- or full-size, on paninis or whole-wheat bread, ranging from about $5 to $10. Hours are Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Come for the bread, not the pigeons.

Don't let the old cafeteria look of this eatery dissuade you from walking in for an arepa. After all, you just made the trip to this nondescript strip mall in the heart of Doral. The Venezuelan hangout, where émigrés congregate to play dominoes or discuss big news back home, makes tasty arepas with a slightly golden crust and a steaming-hot, soft interior. The best part is that you can fill your arepa with just about anything you crave. Choose from fresh Venezuelan cheeses — try the guayanés — and meats such as carne mechada (shredded beef) and chorizo. It's the closest you'll get to eating at a Caracas-style arepa bar in Miami.

It's all over you, that great stink of South Beach called pretentiousness. Your only hope is to step into the down-home oasis that is the 11th Street Diner. The tackiness of Ocean Drive hasn't seeped into this retreat where comfort food with retro flair has been served since 1992. The Airstream-style aluminum façade suggests authenticity, and the diner delivers. Frequent coffee fillups, shiny red booths, all the quintessential diner-ness is in place. What makes the 11th Street Diner exceptional, however, is a menu that retains the unfussiness of the best diners but doesn't resort to artery-destroying, greasy-spoon tactics. The "farmer's scrambled" ($9.25) is cheesy, veggie-filled, and satisfying, and even the bacon and sausage staples don't send you into a food coma. Dig into the "3 pair" ($9.95), which includes two eggs, two pieces of bacon or sausage, and two pancakes or French toast. It's the Noah's Ark of breakfast food.

"Cool! You mean we can eat pizza and ice-cream-type stuff and drink chocolate milk and then slide and tumble and climb and watch a puppet show and dress up like a ballerina or a cowboy? Yay! But what are you gonna do while we play, Mom? Dad? Hey, you're just gonna leave us inside here? You aren't gonna watch us? You mean, there's a baby-sitter here? Yay! We'll go play with her. We like her better than you anyway." Does that sound better than an average day in your life? The kids are being fed for only $4.95 per plate, plus they are being looked after and are so distracted with games and toys that they don't even want to be near you for a couple of hours. All the while, you sip Segafredo coffee; munch on fresh empanadas ($2.68 each), sandwiches, and salads; and enjoy some adult conversation without the sounds of Elmo and Big Bird in the background. Bless the folks behind Café Bambini; they made a place that works for hungry kids as well as adults.