Emily Codik

Coral Gables isn't nicknamed the "City Beautiful" for nothing. With its gorgeous Mediterranean architecture, tony boutiques, and tree-lined streets, it's the perfect place to live or simply visit for the day. Its dining scene once catered to law-firm types; now the Gables heralds a cool era of dining. There are cocktails, funky foods, and young chefs. What follows are the top ten restaurants in the area, a mix of the old and new.

Romanesco is a funny-looking vegetable. It's pale green like Gak and covered in tiny spikes. It looks like broccoli's edgy cousin and tastes like a grassier version of cauliflower. It is stunning. Have you tried it before? Because if you haven't, now's a good time. The locally-grown brassica is available...

Few things are more enjoyable than eating a whole fish. Cooked on the bone, its flesh stays flavorful and succulent -- a far cry from most dry, overcooked fillets. All a whole fish needs is a bit of lemon. All you need alongside it is a cold beer. Sure, not...

The singer sways his hips and croons an indistinguishable tune. In almost all circumstances, he'd be considered unusual: a thin man with a floppy fishing hat, blue shirt, and pleated khakis pulled too high on his waist. He looks like Gilligan in a cruise ship's karaoke bar. Gyrating in the...

It looks too good to be healthful. The "mental lentil" collard wrap ($16) at Choices Café is crammed with black beans, lentils, onion, pico de gallo, bell pepper, avocado, plantain, and vegan cheese. Collard greens replace the wheat tortilla. The wrap is vibrant, its colorful filling stacked like sand art...