Eat & Drink

Miami Beach

305-673-1115 It's nearly impossible to get a bad café Cubano anywhere around here. The sugary jolt in a cup and its cousin the cortadito are essential to human life, thus generally prepared with care. The only thing that can make a café Cubano better is more café Cubano, so Puerto Sagua is the place to go, because once the folks at the counter get to know you, they'll give you refills. A Miami Beach landmark, Puerto Sagua opened in 1962. There's a counter by the front door and a dining room with a colorful 3-D painting of Old Havana by the famous Skull Sisters decorating the back wall, so it looks about the same as it did more than 40 years ago. Spanish is spoken first here, and attempts by learners are rewarded with authentic food as well as the titular café Cubano.

Readers´ Choice: Versailles

Those guys must be from someplace really landlocked and far away, because Cuba is everywhere at Puerto Sagua -- in the grouper soup, in the flan, in the butter-soaked bread served with limes, and especially in the café con leche. Here the steamed milk is served without sugar and with the espresso in a tiny stainless steel urn on the side. Regular -- and fortunate -- patrons come under the care of Leticia, who reads the urgent need for caffeine on their faces and occasionally rewards her customers with an extra dollop of froth and mouthful of sweet, strong coffee. She and longtime nightshift co-workers Javier and Maria prefer to work quietly, eschewing idle chatter in Spanish and English, but they did have a little to say from their posts at one of Miami Beach's most unchanging landmarks.

Best seasonal or special event in Miami Beach: The South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Even after a day of eating and drinking, people still come over for dinner. It's strange, but maybe people want something simple after all the gourmet dishes.

Best reason to live in Miami: The weather. And the people, even though times have changed.

What do you see in the future for Miami Beach? More building, more traffic, but good things too. Places grow and change. We will still be here!

The sassy, handsome Woods says his culinary inspiration stems from summers spent with relatives in the Southern U.S. and from South American, Caribbean, and African recipes.

Best month in Miami: For me it runs from the end of January to, like, May. Blue skies, no humidity? You can't get better weather. The reason I live in Miami is because of the weather. When we're at the peak of our season here, there's no better place to be.

Best reason to live in Miami: Besides the weather, I like the fact that it's close to the Caribbean and it's still on the East Coast. It's close enough that I can jump on a plane and be anyplace I'd like to be in just a couple of hours.

Best cheap thrill: Is there one? [laughs] Paninoteca on Lincoln Road [809 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach]. It's a European-style sandwicherie, and they do a really good job at what they do. I love sandwiches, they're kind of like my weakness. They're not that expensive; you can get a really good sandwich on the healthy side and be quite happy.

Best not-so-cheap thrill: China Grill [404 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach]. They do a great job, but they're a little bit expensive.

Best barbecue: It doesn't exist. I love barbecue. Last year I went to the annual barbecue festival in Memphis, and I saw how it's really done. It's the Super Bowl of barbecue. There are three days of this event, and 63 categories of barbecue, okay? I will give a prop to a place in Fort Lauderdale, Tom Jenkins Barbecue [1236 S. Federal Highway]. They do a decent job.

Best Caribbean restaurant: Ortanique on the Mile [278 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables]. They just do a really good job. Whenever I walk in the door, I'll get the special or whatever, and I'm never disappointed.

What culinary trends do you predict for the year 2020? I definitely think you're going to see more food inspired and influenced by Africa. That's what I do rigiht now. If you were to call up and ask what kind of food I do, we tell everyone New American. The reason we say that is because it's really easy, and a lot of other chefs are also using that term. What it allows you to do is work under this huge umbrella. But when you say American, what is our country made up of today? There are all kinds of different backgrounds. At my restaurant we have lobster, we have crabcakes, filet mignon, lamb -- all those things you'd get at an upscale gourmet restaurant. But when you see how it's prepared, the flavors are Caribbean and Southern and South American and African. I define all of that as food of the African diaspora. But there's no way I can put that out there right now, because I wouldn't get anyone in the restaurant. But I think as people travel and experience more, it's going to hit. Because you can only do Asian so many ways. Give me a freaking break now.

The sassy, handsome Woods says his culinary inspiration stems from summers spent with relatives in the Southern U.S. and from South American, Caribbean, and African recipes.

Best month in Miami: For me it runs from the end of January to, like, May. Blue skies, no humidity? You can't get better weather. The reason I live in Miami is because of the weather. When we're at the peak of our season here, there's no better place to be.

Best reason to live in Miami: Besides the weather, I like the fact that it's close to the Caribbean and it's still on the East Coast. It's close enough that I can jump on a plane and be anyplace I'd like to be in just a couple of hours.

Best cheap thrill: Is there one? [laughs] Paninoteca on Lincoln Road [809 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach]. It's a European-style sandwicherie, and they do a really good job at what they do. I love sandwiches, they're kind of like my weakness. They're not that expensive; you can get a really good sandwich on the healthy side and be quite happy.

Best not-so-cheap thrill: China Grill [404 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach]. They do a great job, but they're a little bit expensive.

Best barbecue: It doesn't exist. I love barbecue. Last year I went to the annual barbecue festival in Memphis, and I saw how it's really done. It's the Super Bowl of barbecue. There are three days of this event, and 63 categories of barbecue, okay? I will give a prop to a place in Fort Lauderdale, Tom Jenkins Barbecue [1236 S. Federal Highway]. They do a decent job.

Best Caribbean restaurant: Ortanique on the Mile [278 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables]. They just do a really good job. Whenever I walk in the door, I'll get the special or whatever, and I'm never disappointed.

What culinary trends do you predict for the year 2020? I definitely think you're going to see more food inspired and influenced by Africa. That's what I do rigiht now. If you were to call up and ask what kind of food I do, we tell everyone New American. The reason we say that is because it's really easy, and a lot of other chefs are also using that term. What it allows you to do is work under this huge umbrella. But when you say American, what is our country made up of today? There are all kinds of different backgrounds. At my restaurant we have lobster, we have crabcakes, filet mignon, lamb -- all those things you'd get at an upscale gourmet restaurant. But when you see how it's prepared, the flavors are Caribbean and Southern and South American and African. I define all of that as food of the African diaspora. But there's no way I can put that out there right now, because I wouldn't get anyone in the restaurant. But I think as people travel and experience more, it's going to hit. Because you can only do Asian so many ways. Give me a freaking break now.

Those guys must be from someplace really landlocked and far away, because Cuba is everywhere at Puerto Sagua -- in the grouper soup, in the flan, in the butter-soaked bread served with limes, and especially in the café con leche. Here the steamed milk is served without sugar and with the espresso in a tiny stainless steel urn on the side. Regular -- and fortunate -- patrons come under the care of Leticia, who reads the urgent need for caffeine on their faces and occasionally rewards her customers with an extra dollop of froth and mouthful of sweet, strong coffee. She and longtime nightshift co-workers Javier and Maria prefer to work quietly, eschewing idle chatter in Spanish and English, but they did have a little to say from their posts at one of Miami Beach's most unchanging landmarks.

Best seasonal or special event in Miami Beach: The South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Even after a day of eating and drinking, people still come over for dinner. It's strange, but maybe people want something simple after all the gourmet dishes.

Best reason to live in Miami: The weather. And the people, even though times have changed.

What do you see in the future for Miami Beach? More building, more traffic, but good things too. Places grow and change. We will still be here!

Readers´ Choice: Cold Stone Creamery

Readers´ Choice: Cold Stone Creamery

700 Biltmore Way

Coral Gables

305-913-1944 Miami's better ethnic dining establishments present solid renditions of fan favorites, whether egg rolls, thin-crust pizza, Middle Eastern combos, or arroz con pollo. Rarely, however, do these places think outside the box. Carmen Gonzalez takes her native Puerto Rican cuisine out of its box, disassembles it, adds New American and Nuevo Latino ideas, puts everything back together, and then gives it a shake. Boom! Out comes an original menu of fresh, brash, expertly prepared food peppered with Puerto Rican ingredients and pride. Lobster/avocado terrine teams with crisp plantain fritters; adobo-rubbed pork plumps up mini-designer sandwiches; and whole grilled pompano marries a modernized mojito. Mofongo looks like the old mofongo's better-looking kid sister. Chocolate soufflé -- well, not very island-oriented, but it's a dandy nonetheless. The real link between chef Gonzalez's cooking and that found in a typical Puerto Rican household is this: Everything at Carmen's is made from scratch, even the ketchup and pickles. It's safe to say you won't find finer cuisine, better service, a more elegant dining room, or a savvier wine list at any Puerto Rican restaurant this side of San Juan.

700 Biltmore Way

Coral Gables

305-913-1944 Miami's better ethnic dining establishments present solid renditions of fan favorites, whether egg rolls, thin-crust pizza, Middle Eastern combos, or arroz con pollo. Rarely, however, do these places think outside the box. Carmen Gonzalez takes her native Puerto Rican cuisine out of its box, disassembles it, adds New American and Nuevo Latino ideas, puts everything back together, and then gives it a shake. Boom! Out comes an original menu of fresh, brash, expertly prepared food peppered with Puerto Rican ingredients and pride. Lobster/avocado terrine teams with crisp plantain fritters; adobo-rubbed pork plumps up mini-designer sandwiches; and whole grilled pompano marries a modernized mojito. Mofongo looks like the old mofongo's better-looking kid sister. Chocolate soufflé -- well, not very island-oriented, but it's a dandy nonetheless. The real link between chef Gonzalez's cooking and that found in a typical Puerto Rican household is this: Everything at Carmen's is made from scratch, even the ketchup and pickles. It's safe to say you won't find finer cuisine, better service, a more elegant dining room, or a savvier wine list at any Puerto Rican restaurant this side of San Juan.

Readers´ Choice: Epicure Market

Readers´ Choice: Epicure Market

Coconut Grove

305-448-6060 This relaxed bistro has been around since only 1994 but nevertheless stands as one of the last vestiges-in-spirit to the bohemian Grove of the Seventies. The Parisian street-corner ambiance, with open floor-to-ceiling French doors, encourages patrons to casually sip glasses of Beaujolais or Burgundy at the bar and stare at soccer matches on TV screens, or sit at tables with bottles of red or white and gaze at the goldenrod walls covered with Pastis posters, license plates, soccer jerseys, flags, and all manner of Gallic wall garnish. Managers, owners, and personable chef/partner Georges Eric Farge mingle freely with the diners, while waiters lean on chairs and recite daily specials, some speaking in a hybrid French-English dialect that is nearly indecipherable -- sort of what a very stoned Grove café waiter 30 years ago must have sounded like. The cuisine dates back further than that, the menu reflecting traditional French bistro fare, starting, where else, with a gratinée lyonnaise thickly crusted with Gruyre (which you know as onion soup). Pâté de campagne on freshly sliced baguette, and a humongous heap of steamed mussels are other great beginnings, but save room for knockout main courses like duck confit, chicken fricassee, and roasted rack of lamb imbued with "herbs de Provence" -- and more room still for tarte Tatin pooled in cream, raspberry tart, and pear mille-feuilles. Le Bouchon du Grove is a warm anachronism in cold CocoWalk land, and we profoundly thank them for being so.

Readers´ Choice: Caf´ Tu Tu Tango and Greenstreet Caf´ (tie)

Coconut Grove

305-448-6060 This relaxed bistro has been around since only 1994 but nevertheless stands as one of the last vestiges-in-spirit to the bohemian Grove of the Seventies. The Parisian street-corner ambiance, with open floor-to-ceiling French doors, encourages patrons to casually sip glasses of Beaujolais or Burgundy at the bar and stare at soccer matches on TV screens, or sit at tables with bottles of red or white and gaze at the goldenrod walls covered with Pastis posters, license plates, soccer jerseys, flags, and all manner of Gallic wall garnish. Managers, owners, and personable chef/partner Georges Eric Farge mingle freely with the diners, while waiters lean on chairs and recite daily specials, some speaking in a hybrid French-English dialect that is nearly indecipherable -- sort of what a very stoned Grove café waiter 30 years ago must have sounded like. The cuisine dates back further than that, the menu reflecting traditional French bistro fare, starting, where else, with a gratinée lyonnaise thickly crusted with Gruyre (which you know as onion soup). Pâté de campagne on freshly sliced baguette, and a humongous heap of steamed mussels are other great beginnings, but save room for knockout main courses like duck confit, chicken fricassee, and roasted rack of lamb imbued with "herbs de Provence" -- and more room still for tarte Tatin pooled in cream, raspberry tart, and pear mille-feuilles. Le Bouchon du Grove is a warm anachronism in cold CocoWalk land, and we profoundly thank them for being so.

Readers´ Choice: Caf´ Tu Tu Tango and Greenstreet Caf´ (tie)

Miami

305-541-8171 You won't find statues or paintings honoring Anastasio Somoza or Augusto Sandino at El Chalesito, but you will encounter Nicaraguan folklore to full effect. Miami's many transplanted Nicaraguans find refuge in this storefront cantina in the heart of Little Havana. Dressed in their best ranchero regalia, beer-guzzling, rum-swigging Nicas fill dining tables fronting a karaoke stage, where a house singer leads patrons through Nicaragua's most popular tunes. Waitresses are a blur as they deliver piping-hot plates of antojitos -- churrasco, green and sweet plantains, tacos, blood sausage, cheese-filled tortillas, frijoles con crema. El Chalecito also offers Miami's freshest pescado a la tipitapa -- whole grouper baked in salsa, cornmeal, and rice.

Miami

305-541-8171 You won't find statues or paintings honoring Anastasio Somoza or Augusto Sandino at El Chalesito, but you will encounter Nicaraguan folklore to full effect. Miami's many transplanted Nicaraguans find refuge in this storefront cantina in the heart of Little Havana. Dressed in their best ranchero regalia, beer-guzzling, rum-swigging Nicas fill dining tables fronting a karaoke stage, where a house singer leads patrons through Nicaragua's most popular tunes. Waitresses are a blur as they deliver piping-hot plates of antojitos -- churrasco, green and sweet plantains, tacos, blood sausage, cheese-filled tortillas, frijoles con crema. El Chalecito also offers Miami's freshest pescado a la tipitapa -- whole grouper baked in salsa, cornmeal, and rice.

Miami

305-530-1915

www.therivermiami.com The oyster selections at this urban-chic downtown seafood house vary seasonally, but their descriptions consistently read as though lifted from Wine Spectator. "Coromandel," from New Zealand, is "mildly salty from mineral-rich cold waters, smooth and sweet melon finish." "Deer Creek," from Puget Sound in Washington, is "a perfect little oyster with briny and crisp flavor." The Kitsap Peninsula's "Snow Creek" oysters are "farmed in cold, clear waters which open wide to the Straits of Juan De Fuca; firm meats with a mildly salty flavor." (All oysters are nineteen dollars per dozen, ten dollars for half.) Chilled littleneck clams, Florida stone crabs, jumbo shrimp cocktail, and a lively variety of ceviches are also dished at the raw bar. Wine selections, interestingly enough, read like an oyster menu -- well, no, we're kidding, but there are plenty of Chardonnays, sparkling wines, and other bivalve-friendly whites listed under the heading of "Lean ... Racy ... Zingy." The River's chef/partner David Bracha takes his oysters and wines very seriously, making this raw bar "crisp and refreshing, exhibiting strong notes of briny succulence and an unparalleled nose for satisfying shellfish aficionados."

Miami

305-530-1915

www.therivermiami.com The oyster selections at this urban-chic downtown seafood house vary seasonally, but their descriptions consistently read as though lifted from Wine Spectator. "Coromandel," from New Zealand, is "mildly salty from mineral-rich cold waters, smooth and sweet melon finish." "Deer Creek," from Puget Sound in Washington, is "a perfect little oyster with briny and crisp flavor." The Kitsap Peninsula's "Snow Creek" oysters are "farmed in cold, clear waters which open wide to the Straits of Juan De Fuca; firm meats with a mildly salty flavor." (All oysters are nineteen dollars per dozen, ten dollars for half.) Chilled littleneck clams, Florida stone crabs, jumbo shrimp cocktail, and a lively variety of ceviches are also dished at the raw bar. Wine selections, interestingly enough, read like an oyster menu -- well, no, we're kidding, but there are plenty of Chardonnays, sparkling wines, and other bivalve-friendly whites listed under the heading of "Lean ... Racy ... Zingy." The River's chef/partner David Bracha takes his oysters and wines very seriously, making this raw bar "crisp and refreshing, exhibiting strong notes of briny succulence and an unparalleled nose for satisfying shellfish aficionados."

South Miami

305-669-1311

www.krispykreme.com Krispy Kreme has won this title a few times over the years, but when you are stoned at 3:00 a.m., is that mom-and-pop joint going to bake you fresh and HOT doughnuts to satisfy your munchies? The South Miami shop is the newest one to open in the Miami-Dade area (check www.krispykreme.com for additional locations), and it has 24-hour drive-through service, great coffee, a viewing area for you to gaze at the glazing process, and a clean, well-lighted place to savor Homer Simpson's favorite snack. Yeah, Krispy Kreme is being investigated by the SEC and the U.S. Attorney's Office for matters regarding its franchises, and the company's being sued by stock-owning employees who claim they didn't know that stocks are a risky investment, but we're just talking doughnuts here. Tasty, hot doughnuts. And Krispy Kreme is still doing that right.

South Miami

305-669-1311

www.krispykreme.com Krispy Kreme has won this title a few times over the years, but when you are stoned at 3:00 a.m., is that mom-and-pop joint going to bake you fresh and HOT doughnuts to satisfy your munchies? The South Miami shop is the newest one to open in the Miami-Dade area (check www.krispykreme.com for additional locations), and it has 24-hour drive-through service, great coffee, a viewing area for you to gaze at the glazing process, and a clean, well-lighted place to savor Homer Simpson's favorite snack. Yeah, Krispy Kreme is being investigated by the SEC and the U.S. Attorney's Office for matters regarding its franchises, and the company's being sued by stock-owning employees who claim they didn't know that stocks are a risky investment, but we're just talking doughnuts here. Tasty, hot doughnuts. And Krispy Kreme is still doing that right.

Miami Beach

305-672-0778

www.talulaonline.com Okay, we admit it: The mom-and-pop thing is just a cute way of recognizing Talula -- because how could we not acknowledge one of our very best restaurants? The matrimonial proprietor/chef team of Andrea Curto-Randazzo and Frank Randazzo (formerly and respectively of Wish and Gaucho Room) have received plenty of press mileage on their parenting both child and highly successful South Beach dining establishment, but once customers take a seat in Talula (or the lushly landscaped garden patio in back), the smartly innovative, contemporary American cuisine is all they'll care about. Grilled Sonoma Valley foie gras with blue corn cakes, caramelized pears, candied walnuts, and a drizzle of chili syrup exemplifies the solid concepts and exquisitely delicious cooking that comes from the kitchen. So does the cascabel chili-crusted barbecued quail with heavenly puffs of sweet-potato agnolotti pasta. Ditto the lavender-crusted lamb loin with truffled goat-cheese potato croquette and cold smoked grape vinaigrette. The whole menu sings with brash, fresh flavors; the wine list hums along; and Talula is an unqualified hit. Mommy and Daddy, take your bows. Then, if you can, take a nap.

Miami Beach

305-672-0778

www.talulaonline.com Okay, we admit it: The mom-and-pop thing is just a cute way of recognizing Talula -- because how could we not acknowledge one of our very best restaurants? The matrimonial proprietor/chef team of Andrea Curto-Randazzo and Frank Randazzo (formerly and respectively of Wish and Gaucho Room) have received plenty of press mileage on their parenting both child and highly successful South Beach dining establishment, but once customers take a seat in Talula (or the lushly landscaped garden patio in back), the smartly innovative, contemporary American cuisine is all they'll care about. Grilled Sonoma Valley foie gras with blue corn cakes, caramelized pears, candied walnuts, and a drizzle of chili syrup exemplifies the solid concepts and exquisitely delicious cooking that comes from the kitchen. So does the cascabel chili-crusted barbecued quail with heavenly puffs of sweet-potato agnolotti pasta. Ditto the lavender-crusted lamb loin with truffled goat-cheese potato croquette and cold smoked grape vinaigrette. The whole menu sings with brash, fresh flavors; the wine list hums along; and Talula is an unqualified hit. Mommy and Daddy, take your bows. Then, if you can, take a nap.

Miami Beach

305-673-1115 It's nearly impossible to get a bad café Cubano anywhere around here. The sugary jolt in a cup and its cousin the cortadito are essential to human life, thus generally prepared with care. The only thing that can make a café Cubano better is more café Cubano, so Puerto Sagua is the place to go, because once the folks at the counter get to know you, they'll give you refills. A Miami Beach landmark, Puerto Sagua opened in 1962. There's a counter by the front door and a dining room with a colorful 3-D painting of Old Havana by the famous Skull Sisters decorating the back wall, so it looks about the same as it did more than 40 years ago. Spanish is spoken first here, and attempts by learners are rewarded with authentic food as well as the titular café Cubano.

Readers´ Choice: Versailles

Miami Beach

305-673-0047

www.segafredo.it Segafredo's charm lies in it being a European-style café, which is similar to what the pre-Starbucks American coffee shop used to be: It's not about the bean; it's about the scene. Partners Graziano Sbroggio (Tiramesu, Spris) and Mark Soyka (News Café, Van Dyke, Soyka) know plenty about scene. Nearly all the seating is outdoors on the west end of Lincoln Road, by the gorgeous mosaic fountain created by artist Carlos Alves. Grab a seat or sink into a comfy couch, order an eponymous espresso and a precious little pastry (or go the martini/panini route, which is something you can't do at most coffeehouses), and you'll swear you're in some classy overseas city -- with tropical weather to boot. Weekday afternoons and evenings are the best times to chill. Wear a beret, perhaps a silk scarf, utter phrases such as "ne plus ultra" or "Take it from me, catwalks aren't all they're cracked up to be," and you'll fit right in. Or come as you are and be entertained by listening to other people say things like that.

Readers´ Choice: Starbucks

Miami Beach

305-673-0047

www.segafredo.it Segafredo's charm lies in it being a European-style café, which is similar to what the pre-Starbucks American coffee shop used to be: It's not about the bean; it's about the scene. Partners Graziano Sbroggio (Tiramesu, Spris) and Mark Soyka (News Café, Van Dyke, Soyka) know plenty about scene. Nearly all the seating is outdoors on the west end of Lincoln Road, by the gorgeous mosaic fountain created by artist Carlos Alves. Grab a seat or sink into a comfy couch, order an eponymous espresso and a precious little pastry (or go the martini/panini route, which is something you can't do at most coffeehouses), and you'll swear you're in some classy overseas city -- with tropical weather to boot. Weekday afternoons and evenings are the best times to chill. Wear a beret, perhaps a silk scarf, utter phrases such as "ne plus ultra" or "Take it from me, catwalks aren't all they're cracked up to be," and you'll fit right in. Or come as you are and be entertained by listening to other people say things like that.

Readers´ Choice: Starbucks

North Miami Beach

305-947-0064 It's generally considered a prime sign of authentic excellence when an ethnic restaurant's clientele includes many people from the nation in question. That's true of Yakko-San, but even more impressive is what you'll find late at night: a lot of chefs. With no fanfare and no public-relations machine, this off-the-glam-track spot has become the late-night hangout where chefs from other Asian restaurants go to dine after their own places close. The draw is fare not to be found at the average Japanese restaurant -- virtually no sushi or yakitori this-and-that, but Japanese home cooking. Portions are sized like tapas, so diners can try a large variety of dishes. Some are admittedly strange (like "spicy konnyaku potato alimentary") but most, despite their unfamiliarity, are very accessible: kinpira gobu (burdock root bathed in intensely rich reduced sweet/salty soy sauce), maguro nuta (raw tuna strips and scallions painted with addictive honey-miso mustard sauce), or savory sautéed beef with garlic stems. The feast is on till 3:30 a.m. daily.

Readers´ Choice: Nobu

North Miami Beach

305-947-0064 It's generally considered a prime sign of authentic excellence when an ethnic restaurant's clientele includes many people from the nation in question. That's true of Yakko-San, but even more impressive is what you'll find late at night: a lot of chefs. With no fanfare and no public-relations machine, this off-the-glam-track spot has become the late-night hangout where chefs from other Asian restaurants go to dine after their own places close. The draw is fare not to be found at the average Japanese restaurant -- virtually no sushi or yakitori this-and-that, but Japanese home cooking. Portions are sized like tapas, so diners can try a large variety of dishes. Some are admittedly strange (like "spicy konnyaku potato alimentary") but most, despite their unfamiliarity, are very accessible: kinpira gobu (burdock root bathed in intensely rich reduced sweet/salty soy sauce), maguro nuta (raw tuna strips and scallions painted with addictive honey-miso mustard sauce), or savory sautéed beef with garlic stems. The feast is on till 3:30 a.m. daily.

Readers´ Choice: Nobu

www.robertos.us The year 1962 was very bad for tacos. That's when Glen Bell opened the first Taco Bell in Downey, California. A good year for tacos was 1964. That's when Roberto and Dolores Robledo and family introduced their original Mexican Taco Shop in San Diego. Their mission statement then was the same it is now for the far-flung Roberto's Taco Shop chain: "Fresh, authentic, quality ingredients; simple food at modest prices; and satisfying portions." Roberto's tacos encapsulate these qualities within their hard little U-shaped shells and soft tortilla wraps. The grilled chicken and beef tacos will satisfy any hunger, but grilled and marinated fish, juicy carne asada, and plump pork carnitas, in our preferred soft tortillas, will have you shaking your head at just how delicious a fast-food taco can be. Prices are more than modest: $1.95 to $2.25 for a generously sized shell, or three smaller tacos for $1.99 (a dollar more with guacamole or sour cream). A wide array of hot sauces too. Ay, Chihuahua!

www.robertos.us The year 1962 was very bad for tacos. That's when Glen Bell opened the first Taco Bell in Downey, California. A good year for tacos was 1964. That's when Roberto and Dolores Robledo and family introduced their original Mexican Taco Shop in San Diego. Their mission statement then was the same it is now for the far-flung Roberto's Taco Shop chain: "Fresh, authentic, quality ingredients; simple food at modest prices; and satisfying portions." Roberto's tacos encapsulate these qualities within their hard little U-shaped shells and soft tortilla wraps. The grilled chicken and beef tacos will satisfy any hunger, but grilled and marinated fish, juicy carne asada, and plump pork carnitas, in our preferred soft tortillas, will have you shaking your head at just how delicious a fast-food taco can be. Prices are more than modest: $1.95 to $2.25 for a generously sized shell, or three smaller tacos for $1.99 (a dollar more with guacamole or sour cream). A wide array of hot sauces too. Ay, Chihuahua!

West Miami-Dade

305-553-4644 If we dusted off our abacus and computed the percentage of South Florida's Chinese restaurants that are situated in strip malls, it would probably turn out to be a high figure. If we then pushed the beads around to determine those that served the sort of authentic cuisine rarely found outside of Beijing and big-city Chinatowns, the numbers would plummet to a scant few. One of these few would be Lung Gong. Those lacking a sense of gastronomic adventure can satisfy themselves here with inexpensive Cantonese standards such as egg rolls, chow mein, chop suey, sweet-and-sour dishes, and a pu pu platter. Those of us who profess to possess a more sophisticated palate can ponder tender strips of chicken breast tossed in peanut dressing with "green bean starch sheet" (flat noodles made from the vegetable) and sesame-seeded matchsticks of cucumber. Or thin, chewy wheat-dough noodles with black mushrooms and dried lily flower. Or beef flank stewed with malanga in coconut-laced brown sauce. Important: Do not bypass shockingly delectable fried duck perfumed with bay leaves. Really sophisticated diners can try "spicy pig intestine with pork blood and tofu in fire pot." Lung Gong's owners are from Beijing, the chef is from Szechuan, and the sometimes mellow, often fiery, always awesomely authentic foods are from all points in between.

West Miami-Dade

305-553-4644 If we dusted off our abacus and computed the percentage of South Florida's Chinese restaurants that are situated in strip malls, it would probably turn out to be a high figure. If we then pushed the beads around to determine those that served the sort of authentic cuisine rarely found outside of Beijing and big-city Chinatowns, the numbers would plummet to a scant few. One of these few would be Lung Gong. Those lacking a sense of gastronomic adventure can satisfy themselves here with inexpensive Cantonese standards such as egg rolls, chow mein, chop suey, sweet-and-sour dishes, and a pu pu platter. Those of us who profess to possess a more sophisticated palate can ponder tender strips of chicken breast tossed in peanut dressing with "green bean starch sheet" (flat noodles made from the vegetable) and sesame-seeded matchsticks of cucumber. Or thin, chewy wheat-dough noodles with black mushrooms and dried lily flower. Or beef flank stewed with malanga in coconut-laced brown sauce. Important: Do not bypass shockingly delectable fried duck perfumed with bay leaves. Really sophisticated diners can try "spicy pig intestine with pork blood and tofu in fire pot." Lung Gong's owners are from Beijing, the chef is from Szechuan, and the sometimes mellow, often fiery, always awesomely authentic foods are from all points in between.

www.pashas.com Fast food has always been about unhealthy choices. Still is for the most part, but nowadays McSalad chains such as Fresh Salads and Baja Fresh Mexican are yielding fresh profits from gullible dieters. Please pardon our skepticism over the notion of iceberg lettuce, white rice, and Snapple being salubrious. We don't kid ourselves into thinking Pasha's Mediterranean menu of fried falafels, meaty kebabs, or white flour-based, boat-shaped individual pizzas called pide will lead us to the road to wellville either, but they taste better than anything you'll get at the larger corporate franchises, and if you're selective, you can indeed dine on healthy hummus, zucchini pancakes, lentil soup, and bulghur salad, all under ten dollars. More to the point, unlike the fare at other fast-food emporiums, you can eat this stuff regularly and not end up looking like Shrek.

Readers´ Choice: Giardino´s Gourmet Salads

www.pashas.com Fast food has always been about unhealthy choices. Still is for the most part, but nowadays McSalad chains such as Fresh Salads and Baja Fresh Mexican are yielding fresh profits from gullible dieters. Please pardon our skepticism over the notion of iceberg lettuce, white rice, and Snapple being salubrious. We don't kid ourselves into thinking Pasha's Mediterranean menu of fried falafels, meaty kebabs, or white flour-based, boat-shaped individual pizzas called pide will lead us to the road to wellville either, but they taste better than anything you'll get at the larger corporate franchises, and if you're selective, you can indeed dine on healthy hummus, zucchini pancakes, lentil soup, and bulghur salad, all under ten dollars. More to the point, unlike the fare at other fast-food emporiums, you can eat this stuff regularly and not end up looking like Shrek.

Readers´ Choice: Giardino´s Gourmet Salads

South Miami

305-669-4485 The espresso machine starts steaming up at 7:00 a.m., as sleepy-eyed patrons straggle in for any number of luscious Spanish breakfast pastries. Some head to the bakery counter and take their meal on the run; others settle in at one of 65 seats in the café and slowly savor a dish of eggs scrambled with Serrano ham. As the morning moves on, many more people will partake of the gorgeous desserts that positively glitter in their glass display cases; or take cakes and boxed pastries home; or carry out loaves of ciabatta, baguette, or chewy Galician bread; or perhaps purchase some of the fresh fish flown in from Spain (they cook these fish up too, about as well as anyone but for a lower price). The seats will keep turning over as diners luxuriate over dreamy crema catalanas and flans, charlottes and mousses, and individual fruit-and-custard pastries that would make a French tart blush with envy (generally about $2.50 each). You may have to take a number and wait awhile on the weekends, because the space becomes electrified with the anticipatory energy of overflow crowds. For seven years (which is how long Ernesto Llerandi and Isabel Miranda have owned the shop,) the secret has been spreading until it's hardly news anymore: Delicias is one hell of a great bakery, fish market, restaurant, and café. And that's just the half of it: The other half, accessible from indoors, is an extensively stocked Spanish-import shop with chorizos, cheeses, and more than 200 wines, sherries, and ports. Now, honestly, doesn't all of this make the bakery that you frequent seem sort of inadequate?

South Miami

305-669-4485 The espresso machine starts steaming up at 7:00 a.m., as sleepy-eyed patrons straggle in for any number of luscious Spanish breakfast pastries. Some head to the bakery counter and take their meal on the run; others settle in at one of 65 seats in the café and slowly savor a dish of eggs scrambled with Serrano ham. As the morning moves on, many more people will partake of the gorgeous desserts that positively glitter in their glass display cases; or take cakes and boxed pastries home; or carry out loaves of ciabatta, baguette, or chewy Galician bread; or perhaps purchase some of the fresh fish flown in from Spain (they cook these fish up too, about as well as anyone but for a lower price). The seats will keep turning over as diners luxuriate over dreamy crema catalanas and flans, charlottes and mousses, and individual fruit-and-custard pastries that would make a French tart blush with envy (generally about $2.50 each). You may have to take a number and wait awhile on the weekends, because the space becomes electrified with the anticipatory energy of overflow crowds. For seven years (which is how long Ernesto Llerandi and Isabel Miranda have owned the shop,) the secret has been spreading until it's hardly news anymore: Delicias is one hell of a great bakery, fish market, restaurant, and café. And that's just the half of it: The other half, accessible from indoors, is an extensively stocked Spanish-import shop with chorizos, cheeses, and more than 200 wines, sherries, and ports. Now, honestly, doesn't all of this make the bakery that you frequent seem sort of inadequate?

Miami

305-371-4107 To get the freshest seafood, you've got to go to the source. No, not the local commercial fishing boats, they'll just shoo you away like the pelicans. We mean Casablanca Seafood Market, which is among the first stops for those boats. Once you're inside the store, grab a number, grab a plastic bus tub, and then walk up the line of fresh fish piled shiny upon glistening crushed ice: grouper, snapper, salmon, jumbo shrimp, live lobsters, soft-shell crabs -- all pristine and far less expensive than supermarket prices. Let's say you choose yellowtail snapper (recently at $4.99 a pound). You put the whole fish (gently) into your tub, and at the cash register they weigh, you pay, and one in a long lineup of fishmongers will fillet. Most days this is a quick process, but watch out on weekends -- the place gets mobbed and the wait is decidedly longer. That's all right; you can hang outside with all the others, purchase little plastic containers of conch ceviche or shrimp cocktail, and enjoy the fresh air along the river.

Miami

305-371-4107 To get the freshest seafood, you've got to go to the source. No, not the local commercial fishing boats, they'll just shoo you away like the pelicans. We mean Casablanca Seafood Market, which is among the first stops for those boats. Once you're inside the store, grab a number, grab a plastic bus tub, and then walk up the line of fresh fish piled shiny upon glistening crushed ice: grouper, snapper, salmon, jumbo shrimp, live lobsters, soft-shell crabs -- all pristine and far less expensive than supermarket prices. Let's say you choose yellowtail snapper (recently at $4.99 a pound). You put the whole fish (gently) into your tub, and at the cash register they weigh, you pay, and one in a long lineup of fishmongers will fillet. Most days this is a quick process, but watch out on weekends -- the place gets mobbed and the wait is decidedly longer. That's all right; you can hang outside with all the others, purchase little plastic containers of conch ceviche or shrimp cocktail, and enjoy the fresh air along the river.

Miami

305-371-3473

www.mosaicorestaurant.com Top ten reasons why Mosaico is better than your favorite Spanish restaurant: (10) Executive chef Jordi Vallés, from Barcelona, trained with three of Spain's Michelin-starred chefs, including a stint at the revolutionary El Bulli. (9) Maine lobster in golden tomato consommé, with avocado sorbet and a sprinkling of olive powder. (8) Lodged in the historic Firehouse Four building, erected in 1923, with arcaded porch and balconies, ornate quoins and cornice. (Does your favorite have ornate quoins and cornice?) (7) More challenging than other Spanish restaurants, more accessible than La Broche. (6) Roasted turbot with sea urchin cream; or seared yellowtail snapper with asparagus, creamy smoked Idiazabal rice, and baby squid imported from Spain. (5) Urban-tropical rooftop terrace. (4) Lamb shoulder braised with strawberry-rhubarb marmalade and dappled with potato foam. (3) Service as sharp as Manchego cheese, and well-priced, well-chosen wines from Spain. (2) Perky desserts such as fresh fruit with tea-mint granité and pineapple sorbet, followed by a complimentary tray of traditional pastries, homemade ice creams, and, um, more foams. (1) Mosaico is better than your favorite Spanish restaurant because we say so -- and aren't we the so-called experts?

Readers´ Choice: Casa Juancho

Miami

305-371-3473

www.mosaicorestaurant.com Top ten reasons why Mosaico is better than your favorite Spanish restaurant: (10) Executive chef Jordi Vallés, from Barcelona, trained with three of Spain's Michelin-starred chefs, including a stint at the revolutionary El Bulli. (9) Maine lobster in golden tomato consommé, with avocado sorbet and a sprinkling of olive powder. (8) Lodged in the historic Firehouse Four building, erected in 1923, with arcaded porch and balconies, ornate quoins and cornice. (Does your favorite have ornate quoins and cornice?) (7) More challenging than other Spanish restaurants, more accessible than La Broche. (6) Roasted turbot with sea urchin cream; or seared yellowtail snapper with asparagus, creamy smoked Idiazabal rice, and baby squid imported from Spain. (5) Urban-tropical rooftop terrace. (4) Lamb shoulder braised with strawberry-rhubarb marmalade and dappled with potato foam. (3) Service as sharp as Manchego cheese, and well-priced, well-chosen wines from Spain. (2) Perky desserts such as fresh fruit with tea-mint granité and pineapple sorbet, followed by a complimentary tray of traditional pastries, homemade ice creams, and, um, more foams. (1) Mosaico is better than your favorite Spanish restaurant because we say so -- and aren't we the so-called experts?

Readers´ Choice: Casa Juancho

North Miami Beach

305-947-3838 People began barbecuing large pieces of meat over open fires some 27,000 years ago, which strongly suggests that Americans didn't invent the practice. (Warning: Do not repeat this in the presence of any Texan who is bigger than you.) Tip o' the cowboy hat to the Pit, Peoples, Bar-B-Q Barn, and Shorty's, all of which serve satisfying portions of wood-smoked chicken and ribs, plates of steaming baked beans, and bowls of creamy coleslaw in their own inimitable ways. But Kyung Ju offers Korean-style barbecue called bulgogi, which won't wean you off your hunger for hickory but might just turn you on to a whole new concept of what can be done with a grill. In fact you'll become quite acquainted with the cooking process itself, as an order of, say, sweet-and-sesame marinated short ribs comes to the table accompanied by a small hibachi-style grill. It's a charming way to get you to prepare your own dinner, and if your sliced rib-eye beef or chicken thigh comes out overdone, you've no one to blame but yourself. It's fun, it's different, it's as inexpensive as regular barbecue, and it's delicious. Plus instead of beans on the side, you can try some spicy pickled kimchi, a scallion-studded egg pancake called pa jun, or any number of adeptly prepared Korean specialties.

North Miami Beach

305-947-3838 People began barbecuing large pieces of meat over open fires some 27,000 years ago, which strongly suggests that Americans didn't invent the practice. (Warning: Do not repeat this in the presence of any Texan who is bigger than you.) Tip o' the cowboy hat to the Pit, Peoples, Bar-B-Q Barn, and Shorty's, all of which serve satisfying portions of wood-smoked chicken and ribs, plates of steaming baked beans, and bowls of creamy coleslaw in their own inimitable ways. But Kyung Ju offers Korean-style barbecue called bulgogi, which won't wean you off your hunger for hickory but might just turn you on to a whole new concept of what can be done with a grill. In fact you'll become quite acquainted with the cooking process itself, as an order of, say, sweet-and-sesame marinated short ribs comes to the table accompanied by a small hibachi-style grill. It's a charming way to get you to prepare your own dinner, and if your sliced rib-eye beef or chicken thigh comes out overdone, you've no one to blame but yourself. It's fun, it's different, it's as inexpensive as regular barbecue, and it's delicious. Plus instead of beans on the side, you can try some spicy pickled kimchi, a scallion-studded egg pancake called pa jun, or any number of adeptly prepared Korean specialties.

Miami

305-649-0440

and

13695 SW 26th Street

West Miami-Dade

305-559-6666 The thing about croquetas is that every one is different. It's impossible to know exactly what you're biting into. They come in different colors, sizes, and stuffing. Some are crisp and others chewy. Admittedly we bit into some really nasty shit before we found a winner, but Islas Canarias's croquetas takes the prize because they are the plumpest and most delicate of all. They fall apart in your mouth, and they're so good you can't stop at just one. Unlike most, there's no need to worry about heartburn, because they are not overdone in a deep fryer, creating that crisp shell with the raw middle that leads to many a sleepless night. A dab of ketchup creates an interesting, zestful flavor.

Miami Beach

305-276-9475

www.gelateriaparmalat.net Once upon a time there was a traffic accident involving a Carvel truck, a Häagen-Dazs truck, and a Vinnie's Italian Ice truck. Moments later an unassuming man, who was fortuitously carrying an empty waffle cone in hand, passed by the messy scene and instinctively scooped up some of the melting debris. It became immediately apparent to him that he had stumbled upon a new taste sensation that was softer and fruitier than regular ice cream. After much experimentation, the ecstatic passerby gained a lot of weight, but more pertinently he came up with a recipe that duplicated the product, and called it "gelato" (which a prankster friend convinced him was Italian for "lucky occurrence"). The concoction became an immediate success, and the now obese billionaire -- um, well, perhaps we're getting off message. What we're trying to say is that we love rich, delicate gelato, especially when we get it at the bright, clean Gelateria Parmalat. You can find the choice of local, tropical fruit (guava, papaya) and traditional Italian flavors (cioccolato, crema, stracciatella, giandula) at other gelaterias, but the fruits here taste fruitier, the nuts nuttier, the creams creamier, all imbued with fresh and natural colors and tastes (the base ingredients of sugar, eggs, and milk come from Parmalat's own dairy). Try a flavor combo of white chocolate/hazelnut. Divine.

Miami Beach

305-276-9475

www.gelateriaparmalat.net Once upon a time there was a traffic accident involving a Carvel truck, a Häagen-Dazs truck, and a Vinnie's Italian Ice truck. Moments later an unassuming man, who was fortuitously carrying an empty waffle cone in hand, passed by the messy scene and instinctively scooped up some of the melting debris. It became immediately apparent to him that he had stumbled upon a new taste sensation that was softer and fruitier than regular ice cream. After much experimentation, the ecstatic passerby gained a lot of weight, but more pertinently he came up with a recipe that duplicated the product, and called it "gelato" (which a prankster friend convinced him was Italian for "lucky occurrence"). The concoction became an immediate success, and the now obese billionaire -- um, well, perhaps we're getting off message. What we're trying to say is that we love rich, delicate gelato, especially when we get it at the bright, clean Gelateria Parmalat. You can find the choice of local, tropical fruit (guava, papaya) and traditional Italian flavors (cioccolato, crema, stracciatella, giandula) at other gelaterias, but the fruits here taste fruitier, the nuts nuttier, the creams creamier, all imbued with fresh and natural colors and tastes (the base ingredients of sugar, eggs, and milk come from Parmalat's own dairy). Try a flavor combo of white chocolate/hazelnut. Divine.

Miami Beach

305-672-8881 When it comes to choosing restaurants for kids, many people think of places that are clean, inexpensive, relatively cheery, and, above all, fast. Which means burger chains, pizza parlors, theme eateries like Rainforest Café, and dining venues that provide distractions by way of video games, thumping music, and giant TV screens. In other words, these children are being taught that dining out is a choice between cheap, unhealthy food and mediocre mass-produced chow accompanied by flashing lights and jungle noises. We have a different strategy: Take the young ones to Barton G, which works like a great family film, the sort that kids relate to on one level, the adults on another entirely. You can relish the fresh ingredients and flawless preparations of contemporary American fare, and they can get their kicks via the fantasyland presentations. It's amazing how excited children become when a skewer of fish the size of a pirate sword comes to the table, or when their macaroni and cheese arrives in the guise of a giant mousetrap (and equally fascinating to see how such foods bring out the gleeful child within each adult). Watch eyes widen at a ficus-size nest of cotton candy, or a milkshake replete with blender and add-ins, or cupcakes with a decorating kit of candies and icings. The little people go home happy and at the same time get to experience a sophisticated dining experience -- well, as sophisticated as a place that serves duck in a duck decoy can be.

Miami Beach

305-672-8881 When it comes to choosing restaurants for kids, many people think of places that are clean, inexpensive, relatively cheery, and, above all, fast. Which means burger chains, pizza parlors, theme eateries like Rainforest Café, and dining venues that provide distractions by way of video games, thumping music, and giant TV screens. In other words, these children are being taught that dining out is a choice between cheap, unhealthy food and mediocre mass-produced chow accompanied by flashing lights and jungle noises. We have a different strategy: Take the young ones to Barton G, which works like a great family film, the sort that kids relate to on one level, the adults on another entirely. You can relish the fresh ingredients and flawless preparations of contemporary American fare, and they can get their kicks via the fantasyland presentations. It's amazing how excited children become when a skewer of fish the size of a pirate sword comes to the table, or when their macaroni and cheese arrives in the guise of a giant mousetrap (and equally fascinating to see how such foods bring out the gleeful child within each adult). Watch eyes widen at a ficus-size nest of cotton candy, or a milkshake replete with blender and add-ins, or cupcakes with a decorating kit of candies and icings. The little people go home happy and at the same time get to experience a sophisticated dining experience -- well, as sophisticated as a place that serves duck in a duck decoy can be.

Miami Beach

305-867-1013 In contrast to the snacky little Argentine and Cuban empanadas one tends to find around town, the Colombian variety is more of a meat-and-potatoes, meal-in-itself phenomenon. Loosely translated, empanada means "breaded thing," and in much of Latin America that something (chicken? beef? pork? cheese?) is stuffed inside a wheat-flour crust. But empanada chefs from the land of Bolivar use cornmeal, the result of which is a crunchier, more robust, and less processed Latin American turnover experience. Some Colombian restaurants in the county sell mass-produced empanadas, but Mi Colombia's cooks create their own, with a beef-and-potatoes recipe. You can grab a stool at the counter, which is really the only place to sit, pull over a big bowl of cilantro-chocked salsa, and dig in from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. seven days a week. At $1.20 (plus tax) per empanada, the big chalupa in your party may be tempted to order two, but be a wise enchilada and tell him to start with one.

Miami Beach

305-867-1013 In contrast to the snacky little Argentine and Cuban empanadas one tends to find around town, the Colombian variety is more of a meat-and-potatoes, meal-in-itself phenomenon. Loosely translated, empanada means "breaded thing," and in much of Latin America that something (chicken? beef? pork? cheese?) is stuffed inside a wheat-flour crust. But empanada chefs from the land of Bolivar use cornmeal, the result of which is a crunchier, more robust, and less processed Latin American turnover experience. Some Colombian restaurants in the county sell mass-produced empanadas, but Mi Colombia's cooks create their own, with a beef-and-potatoes recipe. You can grab a stool at the counter, which is really the only place to sit, pull over a big bowl of cilantro-chocked salsa, and dig in from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. seven days a week. At $1.20 (plus tax) per empanada, the big chalupa in your party may be tempted to order two, but be a wise enchilada and tell him to start with one.

1685 Collins Avenue

Miami Beach

305-674-6400

www.chinagrillmgt.com Most diners hardly notice that the back wall of the Blue Door's outdoor veranda is covered end to end with a collection of wooden tribal masks. How can you not notice such a thing? Easy. Everyone is busy looking outward at the meticulously appointed and eclectically designed garden with quaint tea tables, swinging hammock, Phillippe Starck life-size chessboard, and beyond that, the cool pool. The scene looks so lush and tranquil as to resemble the village in The Prisoner television show, except the people here have more money and appear to be a lot happier. And that's what makes this place so great: premium people-watching, meaning not just the occasional J.Lo or P. Diddy sighting, but all sorts of movers, shakers, and deep-pocketed tourists. Oh, and the food -- the French-tropical menu, composed by Claude Troisgros and orchestrated by chef Stephane Becht, is brashly innovative and smoothly refined, a perfect pairing for the panorama of hip South Beach grandeur.

1685 Collins Avenue

Miami Beach

305-674-6400

www.chinagrillmgt.com Most diners hardly notice that the back wall of the Blue Door's outdoor veranda is covered end to end with a collection of wooden tribal masks. How can you not notice such a thing? Easy. Everyone is busy looking outward at the meticulously appointed and eclectically designed garden with quaint tea tables, swinging hammock, Phillippe Starck life-size chessboard, and beyond that, the cool pool. The scene looks so lush and tranquil as to resemble the village in The Prisoner television show, except the people here have more money and appear to be a lot happier. And that's what makes this place so great: premium people-watching, meaning not just the occasional J.Lo or P. Diddy sighting, but all sorts of movers, shakers, and deep-pocketed tourists. Oh, and the food -- the French-tropical menu, composed by Claude Troisgros and orchestrated by chef Stephane Becht, is brashly innovative and smoothly refined, a perfect pairing for the panorama of hip South Beach grandeur.

Miami

305-757-1807

www.churchillspub.com It may be hard to believe, but one Wednesday evening recently we blindfolded Paris (Hilton) and Nicole (Ritchie), drove them to the other side of the tracks to this often gloomy, always gritty pub in Little Haiti, and they said, "This is definitely hot." That's because Wednesday nights are when chef Natasha Hunte concocts a variety of mind-blowing curries from recipes that pub manager Mike Toms has collected over the years. Toms is a curry freak who started experimenting with the stuff years ago near his native Yorkshire, England, while slumming in Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi restaurants in Bradford. His offering to Little Haiti slummers is a buffet table of "mucky curries" -- beef, lamb, chicken, and vegetable varieties (plus jasmine rice). Cost: five dollars per plate or ten dollars for all you can eat. Paris did not stay long after nibbling, because her eponymous new fragrance was being overtaken by the aroma Churchill's puts out. It's called beer.

Miami

305-757-1807

www.churchillspub.com It may be hard to believe, but one Wednesday evening recently we blindfolded Paris (Hilton) and Nicole (Ritchie), drove them to the other side of the tracks to this often gloomy, always gritty pub in Little Haiti, and they said, "This is definitely hot." That's because Wednesday nights are when chef Natasha Hunte concocts a variety of mind-blowing curries from recipes that pub manager Mike Toms has collected over the years. Toms is a curry freak who started experimenting with the stuff years ago near his native Yorkshire, England, while slumming in Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi restaurants in Bradford. His offering to Little Haiti slummers is a buffet table of "mucky curries" -- beef, lamb, chicken, and vegetable varieties (plus jasmine rice). Cost: five dollars per plate or ten dollars for all you can eat. Paris did not stay long after nibbling, because her eponymous new fragrance was being overtaken by the aroma Churchill's puts out. It's called beer.

Homestead

305-245-8182 People head toward South Miami-Dade County for all sorts of reasons -- some for a short visit on their way to the Keys, some to enjoy a day at Biscayne National Park or the produce-rich farm country, some to spend time in a detention center. We take the drive for the glory of authentic Mexican cooking, which is accessible in various restaurants and take-out joints that cluster along, or a short distance from, Krome Avenue. Our favorite is El Toro Taco, where the tortilla chips are crisp, the salsa hot, the beer cold -- or as cold as you can store it in your cooler, because it's a BYOB policy here. The jammed-to-capacity crowds who congregate on weekends gladly tote their own Coronas and gleefully partake of warm corn tortillas filled with grilled steak, cilantro, and onions (tacos de bistec). Or sumptuous chicken leg and thigh smothered in smooth mole sauce with sharp whispers of sleek, bittersweet chocolate (mole de pollo). Or burritos that burst with shredded chicken or beef (or bulging barbacoa beef tamales or flame-seared fajitas). Over the decades, the Hernandez family has turned its humble establishment into a Homestead institution the old-fashioned way -- by making everything, refried beans to the tastiest of tortillas, from scratch. Be forewarned: You might be subjected to a mariachi serenade.

Readers´ Choice: El Rancho Grande Restaurant

Homestead

305-245-8182 People head toward South Miami-Dade County for all sorts of reasons -- some for a short visit on their way to the Keys, some to enjoy a day at Biscayne National Park or the produce-rich farm country, some to spend time in a detention center. We take the drive for the glory of authentic Mexican cooking, which is accessible in various restaurants and take-out joints that cluster along, or a short distance from, Krome Avenue. Our favorite is El Toro Taco, where the tortilla chips are crisp, the salsa hot, the beer cold -- or as cold as you can store it in your cooler, because it's a BYOB policy here. The jammed-to-capacity crowds who congregate on weekends gladly tote their own Coronas and gleefully partake of warm corn tortillas filled with grilled steak, cilantro, and onions (tacos de bistec). Or sumptuous chicken leg and thigh smothered in smooth mole sauce with sharp whispers of sleek, bittersweet chocolate (mole de pollo). Or burritos that burst with shredded chicken or beef (or bulging barbacoa beef tamales or flame-seared fajitas). Over the decades, the Hernandez family has turned its humble establishment into a Homestead institution the old-fashioned way -- by making everything, refried beans to the tastiest of tortillas, from scratch. Be forewarned: You might be subjected to a mariachi serenade.

Readers´ Choice: El Rancho Grande Restaurant

North Miami

305-895-9962

www.mwoods.com Italy has its pollo fritto, Vietnam has its gá xaó, and Austrians cook up a mean wiener backbendl -- Southerners were not the first people to fry chicken, they just do it better than anyone else. There really aren't many authentic Southerners behind Miami's restaurant stoves, but luckily you need only one to turn out a great fried chicken, and we've got Marvin Woods. Mr. Woods, whom locals remember fondly from stints at his restaurant Savannah and the National Hotel, specializes in Low Country cuisine from the coastal plain between Charleston and Savannah. At his casually chic Restaurant MWoods, Marvin conjures a "crispy flash-fried yard bird" that exhibits the two simple characteristics one seeks but rarely receives in Southern fried chicken: greaseless, golden brown, crackling crust on the outside and moist, steamy meat within. The flavor is uncharacteristically delicious, owing to a 36-hour marinade in buttermilk, celery seeds, paprika, nutmeg, chili, and cayenne. In place of predictable corn-on-the-cob and coleslaw, Woods's birds soar with stone-ground grits and "circuit hash," an old-time bastardization of "succotash," this buttery version mixing corn, mamey, red peppers, rosemary, and thyme. The $21 price is more than you'll spend at a greasy spoon or fast-food franchise, but the real deal always costs more than the pretenders.

North Miami

305-895-9962

www.mwoods.com Italy has its pollo fritto, Vietnam has its gá xaó, and Austrians cook up a mean wiener backbendl -- Southerners were not the first people to fry chicken, they just do it better than anyone else. There really aren't many authentic Southerners behind Miami's restaurant stoves, but luckily you need only one to turn out a great fried chicken, and we've got Marvin Woods. Mr. Woods, whom locals remember fondly from stints at his restaurant Savannah and the National Hotel, specializes in Low Country cuisine from the coastal plain between Charleston and Savannah. At his casually chic Restaurant MWoods, Marvin conjures a "crispy flash-fried yard bird" that exhibits the two simple characteristics one seeks but rarely receives in Southern fried chicken: greaseless, golden brown, crackling crust on the outside and moist, steamy meat within. The flavor is uncharacteristically delicious, owing to a 36-hour marinade in buttermilk, celery seeds, paprika, nutmeg, chili, and cayenne. In place of predictable corn-on-the-cob and coleslaw, Woods's birds soar with stone-ground grits and "circuit hash," an old-time bastardization of "succotash," this buttery version mixing corn, mamey, red peppers, rosemary, and thyme. The $21 price is more than you'll spend at a greasy spoon or fast-food franchise, but the real deal always costs more than the pretenders.

Coral Gables

305-448-9599

www.booksandbooks.com You're not really alone when you're with a good book. At least that's what you can tell yourself when you're seated, alone, with a good book plucked from the shelves surrounding you at the Books & Books café. Honestly, words can provide incomparable companionship, and there are millions and millions of words available here to serve as erudite escorts for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The indoor portion of the café is located in a passageway between the two main retail rooms, a series of booths facing the cookbook section and a charming courtyard -- the preferred seating on most occasions (as well as one of the nicest spots for an informal Sunday brunch). The menu is a medley of sprightly soups, salads, sandwiches, and specials. The baked goods and steamy cappuccinos are especially apt for a sweet afternoon rendezvous with Rabelais. Maybe you'll meet someone else dining alone, with a good book, and you'll fall in love and live happily ever after. Or is that the book you're reading?

Readers´ Choice: Home

Coral Gables

305-448-9599

www.booksandbooks.com You're not really alone when you're with a good book. At least that's what you can tell yourself when you're seated, alone, with a good book plucked from the shelves surrounding you at the Books & Books café. Honestly, words can provide incomparable companionship, and there are millions and millions of words available here to serve as erudite escorts for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The indoor portion of the café is located in a passageway between the two main retail rooms, a series of booths facing the cookbook section and a charming courtyard -- the preferred seating on most occasions (as well as one of the nicest spots for an informal Sunday brunch). The menu is a medley of sprightly soups, salads, sandwiches, and specials. The baked goods and steamy cappuccinos are especially apt for a sweet afternoon rendezvous with Rabelais. Maybe you'll meet someone else dining alone, with a good book, and you'll fall in love and live happily ever after. Or is that the book you're reading?

Readers´ Choice: Home

Miami Beach

305-673-8266 When Sal Dicembrino took over Crystal Café from Klime Kovaceski this past year, he didn't do a whole lot of tinkering with the restaurant's successful formula. In fact the décor, menu, recipes, kitchen crew, and waitstaff have hardly changed a whit. That's good news for Crystal's long-time loyal clientele, who regularly pack the house for generous portions of contemporary Continental cuisine. Sal kept Klime's early-dinner special as well, which allows patrons who dine any night of the week (closed Mondays) between 5:00 and 6:30 p.m. to add a complimentary soup or salad, coffee, and dessert to their main course. So signature osso bucco, book-ended by house salad and warm chocolate bombe, goes for the osso-only price of $26.95. Crystal's incomparably crisp duck à l'orange with a cup of the day's soup and luscious strawberry shortcake becomes a full and filling dinner for $22.95. For the more common early-dinner price of $16.95 you can add the accompanying courses to pasta dishes, roast chicken, or sautéed calf's liver with applesauce, bacon, and grilled onions. But the high-end cuisine, extensive wine list, elegant design, and professional service isn't meant for those birds who chirp "cheap cheap cheap." It's for those who are looking to catch a deal.

Miami Beach

305-673-8266 When Sal Dicembrino took over Crystal Café from Klime Kovaceski this past year, he didn't do a whole lot of tinkering with the restaurant's successful formula. In fact the décor, menu, recipes, kitchen crew, and waitstaff have hardly changed a whit. That's good news for Crystal's long-time loyal clientele, who regularly pack the house for generous portions of contemporary Continental cuisine. Sal kept Klime's early-dinner special as well, which allows patrons who dine any night of the week (closed Mondays) between 5:00 and 6:30 p.m. to add a complimentary soup or salad, coffee, and dessert to their main course. So signature osso bucco, book-ended by house salad and warm chocolate bombe, goes for the osso-only price of $26.95. Crystal's incomparably crisp duck à l'orange with a cup of the day's soup and luscious strawberry shortcake becomes a full and filling dinner for $22.95. For the more common early-dinner price of $16.95 you can add the accompanying courses to pasta dishes, roast chicken, or sautéed calf's liver with applesauce, bacon, and grilled onions. But the high-end cuisine, extensive wine list, elegant design, and professional service isn't meant for those birds who chirp "cheap cheap cheap." It's for those who are looking to catch a deal.

www.tastidlite.com Calling it a culinary revolution may be a bit much, but for the Beach's waist-conscious, the arrival of the NYC-based Tasti D-Lite chain was earth-moving. Virtually fat-free yet creamier than any other yogurt on the market, it almost seems too, ahem, tasty and delightful to be truly low in calories. Indeed, one vintage episode of Seinfeld even revolved around that very fear, with the action centering on a thinly veiled stand-in for Tasti D-Lite and a pint of the suspect confection being surreptitiously spirited to a lab for fat testing. No doubt cynical locals are contemplating much the same trial for Tasti D-Lite's divine French Vanilla. In the meantime, mmmmm.

www.tastidlite.com Calling it a culinary revolution may be a bit much, but for the Beach's waist-conscious, the arrival of the NYC-based Tasti D-Lite chain was earth-moving. Virtually fat-free yet creamier than any other yogurt on the market, it almost seems too, ahem, tasty and delightful to be truly low in calories. Indeed, one vintage episode of Seinfeld even revolved around that very fear, with the action centering on a thinly veiled stand-in for Tasti D-Lite and a pint of the suspect confection being surreptitiously spirited to a lab for fat testing. No doubt cynical locals are contemplating much the same trial for Tasti D-Lite's divine French Vanilla. In the meantime, mmmmm.

Miami

305-751-1127 It's sweet that Jumbo's turned 50 this year, and noteworthy that it was one of the first Miami restaurants to integrate, but excuse us for being more impressed with the golden fried fish sandwich than any golden anniversary celebrations. This 24-hour Liberty City soul food diner fries up bountiful platters of chicken, shrimp, and all sorts of battered delights, and red-state sides like biscuits, gravy, black-eyed peas, and collard greens. All well and fine, but the crackly battered and fried whiting, a delicate, low-fat, white-fleshed relative of cod, is a revelation when plunked into a soft dinner roll -- and it's a complete lunch or dinner when sided with Jumbo's steamy-hot fries or signature homemade coleslaw. The fried fish sandwich is $4.74, and a dollar more for your choice of side. No extra charge for neon lights, yellowed menu signs, or the gloriously distinctive aroma of grease that only a true fry-joint can impart.

Miami

305-751-1127 It's sweet that Jumbo's turned 50 this year, and noteworthy that it was one of the first Miami restaurants to integrate, but excuse us for being more impressed with the golden fried fish sandwich than any golden anniversary celebrations. This 24-hour Liberty City soul food diner fries up bountiful platters of chicken, shrimp, and all sorts of battered delights, and red-state sides like biscuits, gravy, black-eyed peas, and collard greens. All well and fine, but the crackly battered and fried whiting, a delicate, low-fat, white-fleshed relative of cod, is a revelation when plunked into a soft dinner roll -- and it's a complete lunch or dinner when sided with Jumbo's steamy-hot fries or signature homemade coleslaw. The fried fish sandwich is $4.74, and a dollar more for your choice of side. No extra charge for neon lights, yellowed menu signs, or the gloriously distinctive aroma of grease that only a true fry-joint can impart.

Miami Beach

305-534-5979 They are white, they are off-white, they are pink; some may be described as a pearly shade of gray. They come by boat from close by and are flown in from afar. More often than not they appear draped in fashionable Pacific Rim dress. They are always fresh but never ostentatious. They are tender, chewy, briny, and sweet. More specifically they are Pacific blue mussels with Rocky Mountain sake and lime leaves; tempura-crisped, ginger-stuffed whole yellowtail snapper from our local waters; fresh steamed Atlantic halibut with crushed tomatoes, lemon grass, fresh coriander, and sea vegetables; pink shrimp netted in the Keys and abetted on the plate with green curry, green bananas, coconut juice, and jasmine rice. To be even more precise, they are the fish of brilliant chef Jonathan Eismann's Pacific Time (far and away the best restaurant on Lincoln Road), and you won't find as diverse or impressively prepared an assemblage anywhere.

Readers´ Choice: Joe´s Stone Crab

Miami Beach

305-534-5979 They are white, they are off-white, they are pink; some may be described as a pearly shade of gray. They come by boat from close by and are flown in from afar. More often than not they appear draped in fashionable Pacific Rim dress. They are always fresh but never ostentatious. They are tender, chewy, briny, and sweet. More specifically they are Pacific blue mussels with Rocky Mountain sake and lime leaves; tempura-crisped, ginger-stuffed whole yellowtail snapper from our local waters; fresh steamed Atlantic halibut with crushed tomatoes, lemon grass, fresh coriander, and sea vegetables; pink shrimp netted in the Keys and abetted on the plate with green curry, green bananas, coconut juice, and jasmine rice. To be even more precise, they are the fish of brilliant chef Jonathan Eismann's Pacific Time (far and away the best restaurant on Lincoln Road), and you won't find as diverse or impressively prepared an assemblage anywhere.

Readers´ Choice: Joe´s Stone Crab

North Miami Beach

305-956-5677 Kon Chau and Tropical Chinese Restaurant have dominated the dim sum awards for many a year, and rightly so. Both serve incontestably tasty and authentic dishes for almost minuscule amounts of money. Then again, so does Jumbo, and has done so since the Tang family, from Canton, opened the 95-seat spot in 1989. No trolley trolls the room. You just get a checklist of dim sum delicacies and mark the numbers down as if buying a lotto ticket. Here's a winning combo: steamed pork ribs; leek dumplings; rice pastry ravioli plumped with shrimp (har kow); turnip cakes stuffed with sausage, minced pork, and scallions. For dessert steamed sesame seed bun with lotus paste inside. Hard-core dim summers swear by Jumbo's chicken feet and beef tripe, but everyone gets knocked out by the pork-filled taro balls in crunchy yet airy crust. Nobody, not Tropical or Kon Chau, makes these better. Dim sum can be eaten any time of day, which is about when Jumbo serves it -- 11:00 a.m. (10:00 Sundays) until 9:30 p.m. (closed Wednesdays).

North Miami Beach

305-956-5677 Kon Chau and Tropical Chinese Restaurant have dominated the dim sum awards for many a year, and rightly so. Both serve incontestably tasty and authentic dishes for almost minuscule amounts of money. Then again, so does Jumbo, and has done so since the Tang family, from Canton, opened the 95-seat spot in 1989. No trolley trolls the room. You just get a checklist of dim sum delicacies and mark the numbers down as if buying a lotto ticket. Here's a winning combo: steamed pork ribs; leek dumplings; rice pastry ravioli plumped with shrimp (har kow); turnip cakes stuffed with sausage, minced pork, and scallions. For dessert steamed sesame seed bun with lotus paste inside. Hard-core dim summers swear by Jumbo's chicken feet and beef tripe, but everyone gets knocked out by the pork-filled taro balls in crunchy yet airy crust. Nobody, not Tropical or Kon Chau, makes these better. Dim sum can be eaten any time of day, which is about when Jumbo serves it -- 11:00 a.m. (10:00 Sundays) until 9:30 p.m. (closed Wednesdays).

Sunny Isles

305-792-6940 It's time to bring in the lawyers and file a class action suit against Atkins. The case is simple: Any diet that requires the relinquishing of pasta constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. Wait -- not a good idea. We could never assemble a jury with impartial views toward pasta because everybody loves the stuff -- but hardly anyone knows about Lucciano Pasta, which means almost everybody is missing out on the freshest, eggiest, tastiest homemade noodles this side of Bologna. The cozy wholesale/retail shop quietly opened two years ago in a Sunny Isles strip mall, since then supplying restaurants and grateful neighborhood residents with fresh fettuccine, spaghetti, pappardelle, gnocchi, and their signature filled pastas: ravioli, caseritos (big ravioli), and sorrentinos (round ravioli) sumptuously plumped with choice of spinach, ricotta, chicken, pumpkin, beef, or ham and cheese. Take 'em home and cook yourself up a beautiful budget dinner (a dozen sauces are for sale as well), though it might be even less expensive if you grab one of the 22 seats in the store's cafe and order from the menu ($6.50 to $11.50 for pasta entrees). Lucciano makes thin-crust pizzas too, and in a shrewd nod to the neighborhood's ethnic makeup, puts forth surprisingly delicious empanadas and pierogis. Well, a stuffed dough is a stuffed dough, and nobody's dough, stuffed or otherwise, is as good as Lucciano's. Now everybody knows.

Sunny Isles

305-792-6940 It's time to bring in the lawyers and file a class action suit against Atkins. The case is simple: Any diet that requires the relinquishing of pasta constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. Wait -- not a good idea. We could never assemble a jury with impartial views toward pasta because everybody loves the stuff -- but hardly anyone knows about Lucciano Pasta, which means almost everybody is missing out on the freshest, eggiest, tastiest homemade noodles this side of Bologna. The cozy wholesale/retail shop quietly opened two years ago in a Sunny Isles strip mall, since then supplying restaurants and grateful neighborhood residents with fresh fettuccine, spaghetti, pappardelle, gnocchi, and their signature filled pastas: ravioli, caseritos (big ravioli), and sorrentinos (round ravioli) sumptuously plumped with choice of spinach, ricotta, chicken, pumpkin, beef, or ham and cheese. Take 'em home and cook yourself up a beautiful budget dinner (a dozen sauces are for sale as well), though it might be even less expensive if you grab one of the 22 seats in the store's cafe and order from the menu ($6.50 to $11.50 for pasta entrees). Lucciano makes thin-crust pizzas too, and in a shrewd nod to the neighborhood's ethnic makeup, puts forth surprisingly delicious empanadas and pierogis. Well, a stuffed dough is a stuffed dough, and nobody's dough, stuffed or otherwise, is as good as Lucciano's. Now everybody knows.

Aventura

305-933-1543

www.wholefoodsmarket.com Whole Foods Market doesn't just talk the talk, it walks the walk. For twenty years this national chain has been advocating and supporting organic agriculture, working with ranchers and producers to raise hormone and antibiotic-free animals, promoting products in reduced or reusable packaging, and encouraging shoppers to cut down on waste through their nickel-per-bag rebate program. Heck, PETA handed Whole Foods its Best Animal-Friendly Retailer award in recognition of the supermarket's Animal Compassion Foundation -- and for offering a wide selection of vegetarian and vegan foods. Wide might be an understatement, for there are thousands upon thousands of items and dozens and dozens of departments -- about anything you can find at Publix, you can find here, usually in healthier form. The prepared foods department boasts more than a hundred items made with natural ingredients. There's an excellent cheese section (inclusive of cheeses made with soy, rice, and other nondairy products), eclectic wines (many organic grape choices), and a great bakery that crafts European-style loaves with floury crusts, as well as cookies, cakes, and gluten-free baked goods. React badly to wheat and gluten? Check out the aisle of homeopathic and holistic remedies. We've talked the talk -- now you walk the walk.

Aventura

305-933-1543

www.wholefoodsmarket.com Whole Foods Market doesn't just talk the talk, it walks the walk. For twenty years this national chain has been advocating and supporting organic agriculture, working with ranchers and producers to raise hormone and antibiotic-free animals, promoting products in reduced or reusable packaging, and encouraging shoppers to cut down on waste through their nickel-per-bag rebate program. Heck, PETA handed Whole Foods its Best Animal-Friendly Retailer award in recognition of the supermarket's Animal Compassion Foundation -- and for offering a wide selection of vegetarian and vegan foods. Wide might be an understatement, for there are thousands upon thousands of items and dozens and dozens of departments -- about anything you can find at Publix, you can find here, usually in healthier form. The prepared foods department boasts more than a hundred items made with natural ingredients. There's an excellent cheese section (inclusive of cheeses made with soy, rice, and other nondairy products), eclectic wines (many organic grape choices), and a great bakery that crafts European-style loaves with floury crusts, as well as cookies, cakes, and gluten-free baked goods. React badly to wheat and gluten? Check out the aisle of homeopathic and holistic remedies. We've talked the talk -- now you walk the walk.

Miami

305-375-0765 Grab a chair on the patio overlooking a particularly rickety stretch of the Miami River. We're talking about that old Miami River, scene of frequent drug busts during the Eighties and costar of the Miami Vice television series, the river that rolls by as you spread Garcia's complimentary dolphin dip onto your Saltines, and rolls by more as a peerless conch chowder is placed before you, and as a grilled snapper (or dolphin or grouper or mullet) fresh from the market up front arrives folded into a soft bun, and a side plate of fried plantains or regular fries or any of a number of choices gets plunked down on the wooden table. Yeah, that river keeps on rollin' as boats chug by and seagulls flock, as the sun glistens off the water and shoots sparkling rays that reflect coolly off your shades, and as you pour yourself an ice-cold beer. My, that key lime pie looks good. River rolls. Time flies. Lunch hour is over. Back to work.

Miami

305-375-0765 Grab a chair on the patio overlooking a particularly rickety stretch of the Miami River. We're talking about that old Miami River, scene of frequent drug busts during the Eighties and costar of the Miami Vice television series, the river that rolls by as you spread Garcia's complimentary dolphin dip onto your Saltines, and rolls by more as a peerless conch chowder is placed before you, and as a grilled snapper (or dolphin or grouper or mullet) fresh from the market up front arrives folded into a soft bun, and a side plate of fried plantains or regular fries or any of a number of choices gets plunked down on the wooden table. Yeah, that river keeps on rollin' as boats chug by and seagulls flock, as the sun glistens off the water and shoots sparkling rays that reflect coolly off your shades, and as you pour yourself an ice-cold beer. My, that key lime pie looks good. River rolls. Time flies. Lunch hour is over. Back to work.

Sunny Isles Beach

305-933-5900 The International Society of Epicures in Paris hailed caesar salad as "the greatest recipe to originate from the Americas in 50 years," but was it named after Caesar Cardini, the Italian immigrant who created it, or Caesar's Palace, the locale at which he first served it? Due to the singular nature of the moniker, we'd guess Mr. Cardini named it after himself. The man made a small mint on his packaged Cardini's Original Caesar dressing mix and to his dying day (in 1956) insisted that anchovies don't belong in the salad (he attributed the confusion to the inclusion of Worcestershire sauce in the recipe). But we have come to praise the caesar, not to bury it in too much garlic-laden, Parmesan-drenched, anchovy-heavy mayonnaise as so many restaurants are apt to do. Balance is the name of the caesar game, and at Costa Mar they wield the proper proportions right before your very eyes as a cart wheels up to the table with wooden bowl inset and small ramekins of the classic salad ingredients. First into the bowl goes garlic, followed by egg yolk, extra-virgin olive oil (a brisk whisking all the while), a shot of Worcestershire, lemon juice, mustard (which lends a light punch), and anchovies. Chopped crisp romaine leaves get swirled with the mildly creamy dressing, the caesar then divided into two white bowls (the $15 salad is for two to share) and crowned with crunchy croutons and a powdering of Parmesan. Costa's Juan Adames, formerly the personal chef to Venezuelan presidents Rafael Caldera and Carlos Andres Perez, can now lay claim to his own title: the eminent emperor of caesar salad.

Readers´ Choice: Christy´s

Sunny Isles Beach

305-933-5900 The International Society of Epicures in Paris hailed caesar salad as "the greatest recipe to originate from the Americas in 50 years," but was it named after Caesar Cardini, the Italian immigrant who created it, or Caesar's Palace, the locale at which he first served it? Due to the singular nature of the moniker, we'd guess Mr. Cardini named it after himself. The man made a small mint on his packaged Cardini's Original Caesar dressing mix and to his dying day (in 1956) insisted that anchovies don't belong in the salad (he attributed the confusion to the inclusion of Worcestershire sauce in the recipe). But we have come to praise the caesar, not to bury it in too much garlic-laden, Parmesan-drenched, anchovy-heavy mayonnaise as so many restaurants are apt to do. Balance is the name of the caesar game, and at Costa Mar they wield the proper proportions right before your very eyes as a cart wheels up to the table with wooden bowl inset and small ramekins of the classic salad ingredients. First into the bowl goes garlic, followed by egg yolk, extra-virgin olive oil (a brisk whisking all the while), a shot of Worcestershire, lemon juice, mustard (which lends a light punch), and anchovies. Chopped crisp romaine leaves get swirled with the mildly creamy dressing, the caesar then divided into two white bowls (the $15 salad is for two to share) and crowned with crunchy croutons and a powdering of Parmesan. Costa's Juan Adames, formerly the personal chef to Venezuelan presidents Rafael Caldera and Carlos Andres Perez, can now lay claim to his own title: the eminent emperor of caesar salad.

Readers´ Choice: Christy´s

Miami Beach

305-674-9450

www.escopazzo.com We love our spaghetti and meatballs as much as the next diner, and we delight in a deftly grilled chicken breast dressed in balsamic-drizzled greens, but we'll leave those dishes for the plethora of little neighborhood pasta joints to produce. When we want our concepts of Italian cuisine expanded, our senses jolted, and our expectations surpassed, we make reservations at Escopazzo. The 90-seat dining room and cozy indoor courtyard elicit rustically romantic flashbacks to some Tuscan trattoria you may have visited long ago. Chef/owners Pino and Giancarla Bodoni nudge guests toward such nostalgia by way of their hospitality, helped along by the waitstaff's doting service and a kitchen crew that excels in producing gutsy contemporary takes on traditional regional foods. The menu is without peer: carpaccio of Scottish salmon marinated in fennel and orange; salad of roasted beets in goat cheese and coriander sauce and topped with slices of black truffle; fresh ravioli plumped with tiny croutons, truffled sheep's milk cheese, porcini mushrooms, and oxtail jus; Bell & Evans chicken; grass-fed New Zealand beef; Neiman Ranch pork chop; Alaskan halibut with foie gras sauce -- cuisine here is defined by quirkiness, quality, and unqualified deliciousness. You simply can't get Italian food like this anywhere else, and the extensive wine cellar contains enough bottles to match every fantastic flavor.

Readers´ Choice: Caffé da Vinci

Miami Beach

305-674-9450

www.escopazzo.com We love our spaghetti and meatballs as much as the next diner, and we delight in a deftly grilled chicken breast dressed in balsamic-drizzled greens, but we'll leave those dishes for the plethora of little neighborhood pasta joints to produce. When we want our concepts of Italian cuisine expanded, our senses jolted, and our expectations surpassed, we make reservations at Escopazzo. The 90-seat dining room and cozy indoor courtyard elicit rustically romantic flashbacks to some Tuscan trattoria you may have visited long ago. Chef/owners Pino and Giancarla Bodoni nudge guests toward such nostalgia by way of their hospitality, helped along by the waitstaff's doting service and a kitchen crew that excels in producing gutsy contemporary takes on traditional regional foods. The menu is without peer: carpaccio of Scottish salmon marinated in fennel and orange; salad of roasted beets in goat cheese and coriander sauce and topped with slices of black truffle; fresh ravioli plumped with tiny croutons, truffled sheep's milk cheese, porcini mushrooms, and oxtail jus; Bell & Evans chicken; grass-fed New Zealand beef; Neiman Ranch pork chop; Alaskan halibut with foie gras sauce -- cuisine here is defined by quirkiness, quality, and unqualified deliciousness. You simply can't get Italian food like this anywhere else, and the extensive wine cellar contains enough bottles to match every fantastic flavor.

Readers´ Choice: Caffé da Vinci

Aventura

305-466-1786 Maybe it's not so much the candy itself but the way it's displayed -- in a beckoning rainbow of glass jars -- or that you'd never expect to see such an impressive candy section in a "health food" market; or the elaborate holiday displays stocked with specialty sweets the store creates at Christmastime, Valentine's Day, Easter, and Halloween. It's nearly impossible not to get positively giddy the first time you discover the candy section at The Fresh Market, even if you are a jaded adult. The colors and shapes will hypnotize you as you set about the difficult task of deciding what to scoop into your plastic bag: Swedish fish or gummy bears; orange slices or green apple juicy twists; sour babies or malted balls; pixie sticks or caramel clusters; gumballs or truffles; lemon drops or Jelly Bellies (in twenty flavors); peanut brittle or peppermint bark. Gee, not only is it the best candy, but it's also the best variety of candy.

Aventura

305-466-1786 Maybe it's not so much the candy itself but the way it's displayed -- in a beckoning rainbow of glass jars -- or that you'd never expect to see such an impressive candy section in a "health food" market; or the elaborate holiday displays stocked with specialty sweets the store creates at Christmastime, Valentine's Day, Easter, and Halloween. It's nearly impossible not to get positively giddy the first time you discover the candy section at The Fresh Market, even if you are a jaded adult. The colors and shapes will hypnotize you as you set about the difficult task of deciding what to scoop into your plastic bag: Swedish fish or gummy bears; orange slices or green apple juicy twists; sour babies or malted balls; pixie sticks or caramel clusters; gumballs or truffles; lemon drops or Jelly Bellies (in twenty flavors); peanut brittle or peppermint bark. Gee, not only is it the best candy, but it's also the best variety of candy.

Miami Beach

305-538-8533

www.theforge.com The crowning moment at the Forge is when tuxedo-clad waiters approach the table with silver-domed entrées, place them down in unison, and remove the lids with synchronized flair -- the way it would be done in a Busby Berkeley musical. If you remember Busby, you'll also recall the days when going out to eat in a fine-dining establishment meant the white-glove treatment by a team of pampering professionals. The whole idea of spending oodles of money was to be treated like someone special, even, maybe especially, for those who weren't special at all. The staff at the Forge harkens back to those times, and we're not just referring to the choreography and formal attire. Like veteran stage actors, the waiters here perform with an anonymous polish and panache; they hit their marks by rote. Sure, the somber demeanors of some might remind you of the stuffy butler Dudley Moore mimicked in Arthur, but their maturity is comforting, and it's quite refreshing to hear menu items described in a knowledgeable and articulate manner, to have wines properly handled by a suave sommelier, to have your chair held and napkins refolded, to barely notice the table cloth being silently swept of crumbs. It's nice to be served, and nicer still within the ornate stained-glass grandeur of the Forge. Makes you feel special, which in these parts, in this day and age, is something special indeed.

Miami Beach

305-538-8533

www.theforge.com The crowning moment at the Forge is when tuxedo-clad waiters approach the table with silver-domed entrées, place them down in unison, and remove the lids with synchronized flair -- the way it would be done in a Busby Berkeley musical. If you remember Busby, you'll also recall the days when going out to eat in a fine-dining establishment meant the white-glove treatment by a team of pampering professionals. The whole idea of spending oodles of money was to be treated like someone special, even, maybe especially, for those who weren't special at all. The staff at the Forge harkens back to those times, and we're not just referring to the choreography and formal attire. Like veteran stage actors, the waiters here perform with an anonymous polish and panache; they hit their marks by rote. Sure, the somber demeanors of some might remind you of the stuffy butler Dudley Moore mimicked in Arthur, but their maturity is comforting, and it's quite refreshing to hear menu items described in a knowledgeable and articulate manner, to have wines properly handled by a suave sommelier, to have your chair held and napkins refolded, to barely notice the table cloth being silently swept of crumbs. It's nice to be served, and nicer still within the ornate stained-glass grandeur of the Forge. Makes you feel special, which in these parts, in this day and age, is something special indeed.

Coral Gables

305-445-1001 In a town where good ceviche is seldom far enough away to require hopping in the car, and great ceviche is served in dozens of places (from humble neighborhood Latin joints to nationally known gourmet palaces like Ola), Cacao's creations nevertheless shine. Though young chef Edgar Leal is Venezuelan, his specialties in the restaurant's main dining area are inventive Nueva interpretations of dishes from all over Latin America, and the newer ceviche bar follows suit. To taste-test the difference between a Mexican ceviche (chunks of guachinango fish with poblano peppers) and a Peruvian tiradito (sliced tuna, salmon, and grouper with aji amarillo sauce, cilantro pesto, and diced fennel), this is the place to go. The roughly half-dozen daily offerings always include at least a couple of marinated fish dishes that have decidedly Floribbean tropical touches too, like tuna ceviche with key lime juice and mango, or guacamole-garnished grouper ceviche marinated half in lime and half in sweeter passion fruit juice. And the ceviche bar doubles as a full bar, so skip the cerveza. Cacao's Santa Teresa Rum Old Fashioned is a more appropriately elegant accompaniment to such new-fashioned snacks.

Coral Gables

305-445-1001 In a town where good ceviche is seldom far enough away to require hopping in the car, and great ceviche is served in dozens of places (from humble neighborhood Latin joints to nationally known gourmet palaces like Ola), Cacao's creations nevertheless shine. Though young chef Edgar Leal is Venezuelan, his specialties in the restaurant's main dining area are inventive Nueva interpretations of dishes from all over Latin America, and the newer ceviche bar follows suit. To taste-test the difference between a Mexican ceviche (chunks of guachinango fish with poblano peppers) and a Peruvian tiradito (sliced tuna, salmon, and grouper with aji amarillo sauce, cilantro pesto, and diced fennel), this is the place to go. The roughly half-dozen daily offerings always include at least a couple of marinated fish dishes that have decidedly Floribbean tropical touches too, like tuna ceviche with key lime juice and mango, or guacamole-garnished grouper ceviche marinated half in lime and half in sweeter passion fruit juice. And the ceviche bar doubles as a full bar, so skip the cerveza. Cacao's Santa Teresa Rum Old Fashioned is a more appropriately elegant accompaniment to such new-fashioned snacks.

Miami

305-374-4500

www.thecapitalgrille.com Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely, and absolutely corrupt power tearing up 5-pound lobsters and ravaging through 24-ounce slabs of porterhouse is downright frightening. Yet it occurs daily come lunchtime at The Capital Grille. Located at the Brickell Avenue apex of Miami's financial center, the Grille's mahogany walls and private booths provide the proper backdrop for corporate wheeling. An award-winning wine list and aptly dry martinis set the stage for daring dealing. And quiet, gracious service minimizes distraction. Giant cuts of meat dry-age on hooks in a glass locker visible to diners, perhaps a not-so-subtle metaphor for the worst-case scenario of a deal gone bad. Still there's always the considerable consolation derived from executive chef Innocent Utomi's powerful steak-and-seafood house cuisine. How important can money be when one is presented with a wedge of iceberg smothered in blue cheese and bacon; a thick, succulent Delmonico steak; a decadent chocolate espresso cake? Only important enough to pay the hefty bill. But don't worry, the company will pick it up, and besides, lunch here is well worth the price. Delicious food satisfies, and The Capital Grille's absolutely delicious food satisfies absolutely.

Miami

305-374-4500

www.thecapitalgrille.com Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely, and absolutely corrupt power tearing up 5-pound lobsters and ravaging through 24-ounce slabs of porterhouse is downright frightening. Yet it occurs daily come lunchtime at The Capital Grille. Located at the Brickell Avenue apex of Miami's financial center, the Grille's mahogany walls and private booths provide the proper backdrop for corporate wheeling. An award-winning wine list and aptly dry martinis set the stage for daring dealing. And quiet, gracious service minimizes distraction. Giant cuts of meat dry-age on hooks in a glass locker visible to diners, perhaps a not-so-subtle metaphor for the worst-case scenario of a deal gone bad. Still there's always the considerable consolation derived from executive chef Innocent Utomi's powerful steak-and-seafood house cuisine. How important can money be when one is presented with a wedge of iceberg smothered in blue cheese and bacon; a thick, succulent Delmonico steak; a decadent chocolate espresso cake? Only important enough to pay the hefty bill. But don't worry, the company will pick it up, and besides, lunch here is well worth the price. Delicious food satisfies, and The Capital Grille's absolutely delicious food satisfies absolutely.

Miami

305-759-3433 Hot dogs are eaten in 95 percent of American homes, consumption per person averaging out to 80 franks per year. Some like the boiled, porky type, and nobody makes the soft, pink pup better than Arbetter's Hot Dogs. Those who prefer Hebrew National 100 percent beef frankfurters, not boiled but assiduously browned on a flat-top griddle, and who desire a range of dressings beyond sauerkraut, pickled relish, and chili-cheese, tend to favor Dogma Grill. This two-and-a-half-year-old southern Californian-style stand wraps around the corner of Biscayne Boulevard and 71st Street as comfortably as dog in bun -- the buns here, incidentally, are fluffy-fresh and pot-shot with poppy seeds. You can choose from among seventeen types of wieners, including a pair of New York-style (mustard/sauerkraut or sautéed onions), Chicago-style (peppers, pickles, sauerkraut, and, well, a whole bunch of stuff), and a spicy "burrito dog," which is actually two dogs, each sliced in half lengthwise and tucked in a tortilla with chili, bacon, onions, and melted cheddar -- a hefty snack for $4.75. Other dogs average three dollars apiece, while the "classic," with any-or-all choice of mustard, ketchup, relish, and chopped onion, goes for $2.45. Fat Polish beef sausages and malignant little veggie dogs are also on hand. Dogma has recently spread its frank philosophy to the corner of Washington Avenue and Fifteenth Street in South Beach. This doubling of accessibility is timely, because if you haven't already consumed at least 40 frankfurters this year, it's going to take a lot of Dogma visits to reach your statistical per-capita intake.

Miami

305-759-3433 Hot dogs are eaten in 95 percent of American homes, consumption per person averaging out to 80 franks per year. Some like the boiled, porky type, and nobody makes the soft, pink pup better than Arbetter's Hot Dogs. Those who prefer Hebrew National 100 percent beef frankfurters, not boiled but assiduously browned on a flat-top griddle, and who desire a range of dressings beyond sauerkraut, pickled relish, and chili-cheese, tend to favor Dogma Grill. This two-and-a-half-year-old southern Californian-style stand wraps around the corner of Biscayne Boulevard and 71st Street as comfortably as dog in bun -- the buns here, incidentally, are fluffy-fresh and pot-shot with poppy seeds. You can choose from among seventeen types of wieners, including a pair of New York-style (mustard/sauerkraut or sautéed onions), Chicago-style (peppers, pickles, sauerkraut, and, well, a whole bunch of stuff), and a spicy "burrito dog," which is actually two dogs, each sliced in half lengthwise and tucked in a tortilla with chili, bacon, onions, and melted cheddar -- a hefty snack for $4.75. Other dogs average three dollars apiece, while the "classic," with any-or-all choice of mustard, ketchup, relish, and chopped onion, goes for $2.45. Fat Polish beef sausages and malignant little veggie dogs are also on hand. Dogma has recently spread its frank philosophy to the corner of Washington Avenue and Fifteenth Street in South Beach. This doubling of accessibility is timely, because if you haven't already consumed at least 40 frankfurters this year, it's going to take a lot of Dogma visits to reach your statistical per-capita intake.

1427 West Avenue

Miami Beach

305-672-8881 Barton G. Weiss made his name in catering grand events, and as such he understands that dining out is ultimately about more than great food and service, it's about having a great time -- which is just what people experience when they come to his eponymous South Beach restaurant. The outdoor garden and indoor room are absolutely lovely and arguably the only dining settings around where the cuisine is greeted with audible oohs, aahs, and whoops of delight; also the only place we know of where people pull out cameras to photograph their meals. That's because there's more creativity manifested on Barton G's menu and presentations than at other restaurants in town. Combined. Heck, they exhibit more creativity on their coffee menu alone (including a bean that gets soaked in animal enzymes for extra fullness). Macaroni and cheese is served in a giant mousetrap, with a wedge of cheddar as the "bait." Shrimp gets served in a giant glass vase with dry ice releasing a sweep of smoke across the table. Duck decoys, wooden chickens, miniature lounge chairs -- just about anything goes as garnish here (no need for karaoke nights when the entertainment is built into the food). There is so much fun per plate that it's easy to overlook just how fresh and delicious the contemporary American fare is; it would be among the best even if it didn't have a great sense of humor. Service is strong too, the wine list sophisticated, desserts so over the top they go through the roof -- almost literally in the case of the towering cotton candy treat. Dining at Barton G's is a trip -- and the best one you'll take in South Beach.

Readers´ Choice: China Grill

1427 West Avenue

Miami Beach

305-672-8881 Barton G. Weiss made his name in catering grand events, and as such he understands that dining out is ultimately about more than great food and service, it's about having a great time -- which is just what people experience when they come to his eponymous South Beach restaurant. The outdoor garden and indoor room are absolutely lovely and arguably the only dining settings around where the cuisine is greeted with audible oohs, aahs, and whoops of delight; also the only place we know of where people pull out cameras to photograph their meals. That's because there's more creativity manifested on Barton G's menu and presentations than at other restaurants in town. Combined. Heck, they exhibit more creativity on their coffee menu alone (including a bean that gets soaked in animal enzymes for extra fullness). Macaroni and cheese is served in a giant mousetrap, with a wedge of cheddar as the "bait." Shrimp gets served in a giant glass vase with dry ice releasing a sweep of smoke across the table. Duck decoys, wooden chickens, miniature lounge chairs -- just about anything goes as garnish here (no need for karaoke nights when the entertainment is built into the food). There is so much fun per plate that it's easy to overlook just how fresh and delicious the contemporary American fare is; it would be among the best even if it didn't have a great sense of humor. Service is strong too, the wine list sophisticated, desserts so over the top they go through the roof -- almost literally in the case of the towering cotton candy treat. Dining at Barton G's is a trip -- and the best one you'll take in South Beach.

Readers´ Choice: China Grill

Miami Beach

305-538-2406 Although he wouldn't reveal the exact recipe, the key to a good croissant, says La Provence owner David Thau, is the way the baker works with the dough, which should always be cold. Also, all the ingredients have to be fresh and the butter real. The result is a croissant that isn't too huge (bigger croissants tend to be airier and mushier) and boasts the perfect ratio of flaky crispness on the outside and warm, buttery softness on the inside. Right off Lincoln Road on Collins Avenue, pop in for one and a café au lait before heading to the Lincoln Road farmers' and antiques markets, which cover about ten blocks. Walk it twice -- only French women don't get fat.

Miami Beach

305-538-2406 Although he wouldn't reveal the exact recipe, the key to a good croissant, says La Provence owner David Thau, is the way the baker works with the dough, which should always be cold. Also, all the ingredients have to be fresh and the butter real. The result is a croissant that isn't too huge (bigger croissants tend to be airier and mushier) and boasts the perfect ratio of flaky crispness on the outside and warm, buttery softness on the inside. Right off Lincoln Road on Collins Avenue, pop in for one and a café au lait before heading to the Lincoln Road farmers' and antiques markets, which cover about ten blocks. Walk it twice -- only French women don't get fat.

North Miami

305-891-0505 La Paloma caters to an older crowd. That's their niche and they're sticking to it. It's evident in all the details. Early seating begins at 5:00 p.m. Complimentary valet service is offered from the (wheelchair accessible) main entrance. The décor harkens back to another era, a time before Modernism, Minimalism, Art Deco, and all the rest. Deep colors, rich fabrics, dark woods, and antique collectibles dominate the ornately appointed spaces. Huge chandeliers hang from the ceiling in the grand dining room, which, you can't help but notice, is filled with patrons of a certain age. Polite waiters dressed in black provide quiet, attentive service, delivering thoughtfully executed Swiss Continental fare to the tables. Classic cuisine served with Old World charm. This is the formula that has made La Paloma a success for 28 years. Your grandma and grandpa will be so impressed they'll be bragging about you at bridge club for weeks.

North Miami

305-891-0505 La Paloma caters to an older crowd. That's their niche and they're sticking to it. It's evident in all the details. Early seating begins at 5:00 p.m. Complimentary valet service is offered from the (wheelchair accessible) main entrance. The décor harkens back to another era, a time before Modernism, Minimalism, Art Deco, and all the rest. Deep colors, rich fabrics, dark woods, and antique collectibles dominate the ornately appointed spaces. Huge chandeliers hang from the ceiling in the grand dining room, which, you can't help but notice, is filled with patrons of a certain age. Polite waiters dressed in black provide quiet, attentive service, delivering thoughtfully executed Swiss Continental fare to the tables. Classic cuisine served with Old World charm. This is the formula that has made La Paloma a success for 28 years. Your grandma and grandpa will be so impressed they'll be bragging about you at bridge club for weeks.

Miami

305-573-4681 Abuelita is going to lay the smack down if she finds out about this guilty pleasure. It will most certainly break her frail heart to learn about the culinary adultery that will ensue once you bite into the orgasm-inducing pressed bread, ham, cheese, and pork this tiny shack serves up. They pile it on. A super-thick, hearty portion makes the sandwiches here almost two inches thick. What really makes it special is the juicy butter they dab on the bread that leads to a moist mouthful of heaven. Note: The fact that this place is located across the way from the New Times building may lead to speculation that we've been compromised. Bring abuelita and try one before casting any stones.

Miami

305-573-4681 Abuelita is going to lay the smack down if she finds out about this guilty pleasure. It will most certainly break her frail heart to learn about the culinary adultery that will ensue once you bite into the orgasm-inducing pressed bread, ham, cheese, and pork this tiny shack serves up. They pile it on. A super-thick, hearty portion makes the sandwiches here almost two inches thick. What really makes it special is the juicy butter they dab on the bread that leads to a moist mouthful of heaven. Note: The fact that this place is located across the way from the New Times building may lead to speculation that we've been compromised. Bring abuelita and try one before casting any stones.

North Miami Beach

305-945-8079 In a town where sushi is served everywhere, from normal Japanese restaurants to kosher tea rooms, it's hard to pick just one as the best. If it's fashionable elegance you're after, Bond Street and Nobu can't be beat. If you put your faith in native Japanese chefs, head for Matsuri or Sushi Deli at the Japanese Market in North Bay Village. And if you're looking for "white tuna," head anywhere but Siam River, where chef Kevin Cory, a sushi stickler, refuses to serve the unaccountably popular faux fish. (It's not tuna at all; most often it is escolar, a fish that causes an allergic reaction in many people.) What you will find at Cory's sushi bar (several years old but still something of an insider's secret owing to its location in an out-of-the-way Thai restaurant) is something hard-core sushi mavens most crave: our town's freshest seafood. Local catches of the day, straight from the docks at Haulover, were swimming just hours earlier; exotics are flown in fresh. What you'll never find here is frozen fish being passed off as fresh, an unethical practice all too common in Miami.

North Miami Beach

305-945-8079 In a town where sushi is served everywhere, from normal Japanese restaurants to kosher tea rooms, it's hard to pick just one as the best. If it's fashionable elegance you're after, Bond Street and Nobu can't be beat. If you put your faith in native Japanese chefs, head for Matsuri or Sushi Deli at the Japanese Market in North Bay Village. And if you're looking for "white tuna," head anywhere but Siam River, where chef Kevin Cory, a sushi stickler, refuses to serve the unaccountably popular faux fish. (It's not tuna at all; most often it is escolar, a fish that causes an allergic reaction in many people.) What you will find at Cory's sushi bar (several years old but still something of an insider's secret owing to its location in an out-of-the-way Thai restaurant) is something hard-core sushi mavens most crave: our town's freshest seafood. Local catches of the day, straight from the docks at Haulover, were swimming just hours earlier; exotics are flown in fresh. What you'll never find here is frozen fish being passed off as fresh, an unethical practice all too common in Miami.

Miami

305-573-4681 It's not just low prices that draw the morning crowd to Enriqueta's for breakfast each day, though $3.50 for fried or scrambled eggs, bacon or ham, Cuban toast, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and a kick-ass café con leche is pretty tempting by itself. Equally alluring is the cool, communal coffee-shop cachet, with a rainbow coalition of blue- and white-collar workers congregating at the window counter with their cafés cubano, or seated at the indoor counter, or comfortably plunked into tables and booths. No-frills breakfast fare is fulfilling, service is speedy, and if you need to sharpen your basic Spanish skills, ordering breakfast here is a great way to do so.

Miami

305-573-4681 It's not just low prices that draw the morning crowd to Enriqueta's for breakfast each day, though $3.50 for fried or scrambled eggs, bacon or ham, Cuban toast, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and a kick-ass café con leche is pretty tempting by itself. Equally alluring is the cool, communal coffee-shop cachet, with a rainbow coalition of blue- and white-collar workers congregating at the window counter with their cafés cubano, or seated at the indoor counter, or comfortably plunked into tables and booths. No-frills breakfast fare is fulfilling, service is speedy, and if you need to sharpen your basic Spanish skills, ordering breakfast here is a great way to do so.

Miami Beach

305-673-4611

www.joesstonecrab.com With lines perennially stretching outside of Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant, Joe's Take-Away next door has become known simply as "Joe's Without the Wait." Same impeccably fresh stone crab claws of all prices and sizes are sold here by the piece, and they come with the same famous mustard sauce -- as well as with a take-out bag of Joe's assorted rolls and breads. Accompaniments such as hash browns, coleslaw, and creamed spinach are on hand. Not feeling crabby? Tasty alternatives include an array of other warm entrées (fried chicken, lobster ravioli, crabcakes), numerous vegetable and pasta salads, and some of the best sandwiches around; we're partial to the oyster po'boy. A full coffee bar boosted with bodacious baked goods makes Joe's a neat place for cappuccino and signature key lime pie, which, like the food, can be packed up in minutes or enjoyed at counter seating by the front window. The location makes Joe's Take-Away convenient for the nautical set too, allowing them to stock the cabin with all manner of gastronomic necessities and luxuries.

Miami Beach

305-673-4611

www.joesstonecrab.com With lines perennially stretching outside of Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant, Joe's Take-Away next door has become known simply as "Joe's Without the Wait." Same impeccably fresh stone crab claws of all prices and sizes are sold here by the piece, and they come with the same famous mustard sauce -- as well as with a take-out bag of Joe's assorted rolls and breads. Accompaniments such as hash browns, coleslaw, and creamed spinach are on hand. Not feeling crabby? Tasty alternatives include an array of other warm entrées (fried chicken, lobster ravioli, crabcakes), numerous vegetable and pasta salads, and some of the best sandwiches around; we're partial to the oyster po'boy. A full coffee bar boosted with bodacious baked goods makes Joe's a neat place for cappuccino and signature key lime pie, which, like the food, can be packed up in minutes or enjoyed at counter seating by the front window. The location makes Joe's Take-Away convenient for the nautical set too, allowing them to stock the cabin with all manner of gastronomic necessities and luxuries.

North Miami-Dade

305-893-4211 It's the nailing-down of a simple formula that makes North 110 better than the other notable new restaurants in town: great food plus great service. Chef Dewey LoSasso's New American cuisine is a clean presentation of local seasonal ingredients heightened with inspired and invigorating twists. The food can be clever, as in a glazed brùlée of goat cheese atop ripe red beefsteak tomatoes splashed with lychees and black peppercorns. It can be brilliant, like duck with figs, gorgonzola, and orange-lavender sauce. The flavors, though, are never cluttered or fussy. Prices are lower than other eateries of this caliber: Most appetizers are under $10, most entrées under $30. Dewey's wife Dale runs the front of the house with equal acumen. Her waitstaff is personable, professional, and wine-savvy -- though perhaps not as knowledgeable as Dale herself, who is a seasoned connoisseur and who'll be happy to take you on a wine flight if you'd like. If not, simply dining at North 110 should be enough to keep you floating on air.

North Miami-Dade

305-893-4211 It's the nailing-down of a simple formula that makes North 110 better than the other notable new restaurants in town: great food plus great service. Chef Dewey LoSasso's New American cuisine is a clean presentation of local seasonal ingredients heightened with inspired and invigorating twists. The food can be clever, as in a glazed brùlée of goat cheese atop ripe red beefsteak tomatoes splashed with lychees and black peppercorns. It can be brilliant, like duck with figs, gorgonzola, and orange-lavender sauce. The flavors, though, are never cluttered or fussy. Prices are lower than other eateries of this caliber: Most appetizers are under $10, most entrées under $30. Dewey's wife Dale runs the front of the house with equal acumen. Her waitstaff is personable, professional, and wine-savvy -- though perhaps not as knowledgeable as Dale herself, who is a seasoned connoisseur and who'll be happy to take you on a wine flight if you'd like. If not, simply dining at North 110 should be enough to keep you floating on air.

Miami

305-371-3473

www.mosaicorestaurant.com Contrary to popular belief, the word tapa does not translate to "small snack" or "little bite," but rather it means "lid." The story starts in the mid-Nineteenth Century, when barkeepers in Andalusia and other warm regions of Spain would protect slender glasses of poured sherry against dust and insects by covering them with a piece of bread, cheese, sausage, or ham. Customers would satisfy their mid-afternoon hunger by eating the salty morsels on top of their glasses, which in turn made them want to drink more. It wasn't long before tapas became an attraction themselves, which they remain to this day in cafés and bars stretching from Seville to South Florida. A choice spot to enjoy them in the latter area would be Salero, the tapas-café-bar situated in the Firehouse Four building, right below its more formal sister from Spain, Mosaico. The setting is breezy, stylish, and relaxed (although crowded on weeknights, owing to its proximity to downtown). A fresh assortment of traditional hot and cold tapas is offered for between $2.50 and $5.00 per plate. Fried Camembert, tuna empanada, and a cazuelita of chorizo cooked in cider would be a nice warm trio to start with, contrasted by a chilled trilogy of white anchovies in vinegar, Serrano ham, and salted Spanish almonds. Most important, a fine selection of Spanish wines and a savvy menu of wine flights allow for pairing tapas with appropriate grapes -- which, remember, was the whole idea in the first place.

Miami

305-371-3473

www.mosaicorestaurant.com Contrary to popular belief, the word tapa does not translate to "small snack" or "little bite," but rather it means "lid." The story starts in the mid-Nineteenth Century, when barkeepers in Andalusia and other warm regions of Spain would protect slender glasses of poured sherry against dust and insects by covering them with a piece of bread, cheese, sausage, or ham. Customers would satisfy their mid-afternoon hunger by eating the salty morsels on top of their glasses, which in turn made them want to drink more. It wasn't long before tapas became an attraction themselves, which they remain to this day in cafés and bars stretching from Seville to South Florida. A choice spot to enjoy them in the latter area would be Salero, the tapas-café-bar situated in the Firehouse Four building, right below its more formal sister from Spain, Mosaico. The setting is breezy, stylish, and relaxed (although crowded on weeknights, owing to its proximity to downtown). A fresh assortment of traditional hot and cold tapas is offered for between $2.50 and $5.00 per plate. Fried Camembert, tuna empanada, and a cazuelita of chorizo cooked in cider would be a nice warm trio to start with, contrasted by a chilled trilogy of white anchovies in vinegar, Serrano ham, and salted Spanish almonds. Most important, a fine selection of Spanish wines and a savvy menu of wine flights allow for pairing tapas with appropriate grapes -- which, remember, was the whole idea in the first place.

Florida City

305-247-1542

www.the-capri.com Capri, opened by Richard Accursio and family in 1958, offers good, solid Italian-American fare, including various pastas, steak and prime rib, and a number of seafood dishes. Now run by son James, it's also a great listening post for the current affairs and intrigues of life in Florida City and Homestead. Crowds from the racetrack sit elbow to elbow with the farmers, bankers, real estate agents, and politicians who make up the regular clientele. For instance, the current mayor of Florida City, Otis Wallace, worked at Capri as a dishwasher when he was a boy, and he can still be found there hobnobbing with the locals. Lunch 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; dinner 4:00 p.m. till closing. Closed Sundays.

Florida City

305-247-1542

www.the-capri.com Capri, opened by Richard Accursio and family in 1958, offers good, solid Italian-American fare, including various pastas, steak and prime rib, and a number of seafood dishes. Now run by son James, it's also a great listening post for the current affairs and intrigues of life in Florida City and Homestead. Crowds from the racetrack sit elbow to elbow with the farmers, bankers, real estate agents, and politicians who make up the regular clientele. For instance, the current mayor of Florida City, Otis Wallace, worked at Capri as a dishwasher when he was a boy, and he can still be found there hobnobbing with the locals. Lunch 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; dinner 4:00 p.m. till closing. Closed Sundays.

South Miami-Dade

305-232-2823 Forty minutes southwest of Miami is the Redland, where secrets of the Tequesta and their Paleolithic forebears lie below massive layers of ancient oolitic rock, which itself is covered in red clay (thus the name). The diverse agricultural district was developed in anticipation of Henry Flagler's railroad, which never came, but that didn't stop the lush vegetation from continuing to sprout upward. Play farmer for a day at Grandma's Garden, a verdant 80-acre farm formerly associated with Norman Brothers but operated by Linda Whitley since 2000. Fill your baskets, depending on the season, with strawberries, tomatoes, peppers (including jalapeños), eggplants, collards, cabbage, corn, and other produce whose equivalents in Publix are but pallid impersonators. U-pick and U-pay but a pittance: Most vegetables run sixty cents to a dollar a pound, explosively juicy strawberries are two-fifty. Afterward head to the stand in front and knock back a milkshake made from those berries, or from pineapple, mango, papaya, mamey, and other exotic fruits grown in the neighborhood. Hours vary year round.

South Miami-Dade

305-232-2823 Forty minutes southwest of Miami is the Redland, where secrets of the Tequesta and their Paleolithic forebears lie below massive layers of ancient oolitic rock, which itself is covered in red clay (thus the name). The diverse agricultural district was developed in anticipation of Henry Flagler's railroad, which never came, but that didn't stop the lush vegetation from continuing to sprout upward. Play farmer for a day at Grandma's Garden, a verdant 80-acre farm formerly associated with Norman Brothers but operated by Linda Whitley since 2000. Fill your baskets, depending on the season, with strawberries, tomatoes, peppers (including jalapeños), eggplants, collards, cabbage, corn, and other produce whose equivalents in Publix are but pallid impersonators. U-pick and U-pay but a pittance: Most vegetables run sixty cents to a dollar a pound, explosively juicy strawberries are two-fifty. Afterward head to the stand in front and knock back a milkshake made from those berries, or from pineapple, mango, papaya, mamey, and other exotic fruits grown in the neighborhood. Hours vary year round.

Aventura

305-936-8555 If you're looking for authentic hand-rolled bagels New Yorkers are always raving about -- we're talking real bagels and not those dense, giant softball-like beasts other places sell -- then Mo's is the place to be. They've got fourteen golden-crusted and chewy varieties, with a nice mix of the salty and the sweet to serve up with your favorite smears. Mo's Bagels is open Monday 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Tuesday through Sunday 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Aventura

305-936-8555 If you're looking for authentic hand-rolled bagels New Yorkers are always raving about -- we're talking real bagels and not those dense, giant softball-like beasts other places sell -- then Mo's is the place to be. They've got fourteen golden-crusted and chewy varieties, with a nice mix of the salty and the sweet to serve up with your favorite smears. Mo's Bagels is open Monday 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Tuesday through Sunday 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Pinecrest

305-666-5979 For very old and very expensive Bordeaux, you can go to The Forge. For big names from Old World and New, visit Norman's or Mark's South Beach. For an eclectic and sophisticated inventory arranged by taste, try North One 10. In fact at any of South Florida's top restaurants you can expect to find a first-rate wine list, often with interesting geographic concentrations -- California, Europe, South America. But this year as last we must bestow our award on Bill "the Captain" Bowers, owner of Captain's Tavern. This 33-year-old fish shack is not the sort of place you'd expect to encounter a list offering more than 500 wines, much less at prices guaranteed to be lower than any other restaurant in the area. Simply put, Bowers loves wine, a passion he wants to share with his customers. Unlike nearly every other restaurant on the planet, the sale of wine at Captain's Tavern is not expected to be a principal revenue source. Historically Bowers has never charged more than twice wholesale price for any bottle, and the more expensive the wine, the less the markup. Plus he regularly features specials that are sometimes priced at or below his cost. Couple that with the freshest seafood in town and you have a winner. Again.

Readers´ Choice: The Forge

Pinecrest

305-666-5979 For very old and very expensive Bordeaux, you can go to The Forge. For big names from Old World and New, visit Norman's or Mark's South Beach. For an eclectic and sophisticated inventory arranged by taste, try North One 10. In fact at any of South Florida's top restaurants you can expect to find a first-rate wine list, often with interesting geographic concentrations -- California, Europe, South America. But this year as last we must bestow our award on Bill "the Captain" Bowers, owner of Captain's Tavern. This 33-year-old fish shack is not the sort of place you'd expect to encounter a list offering more than 500 wines, much less at prices guaranteed to be lower than any other restaurant in the area. Simply put, Bowers loves wine, a passion he wants to share with his customers. Unlike nearly every other restaurant on the planet, the sale of wine at Captain's Tavern is not expected to be a principal revenue source. Historically Bowers has never charged more than twice wholesale price for any bottle, and the more expensive the wine, the less the markup. Plus he regularly features specials that are sometimes priced at or below his cost. Couple that with the freshest seafood in town and you have a winner. Again.

Readers´ Choice: The Forge

Coral Gables

305-444-2348 The décor may need updating and the place may be a bit too dark, but the air is redolent of fragrant spices, and the overall ambiance is pleasant. At lunchtime the first thing that catches your eye is the buffet table. Grab a warm plate and start off with a desi salad, exploding with red onions and chili and tart with lemon juice. Add a delicious chicken or paneer (cheese) pakora, and spoon yourself some tamarind, mint, or tomato onion chutney for dipping. Save room for the heavy stuff. Vindaloo, curry, korma, tikka masala, rogan josh, tandoori -- so many of the varied cooking styles of India are represented here. The beautiful thing about a lunch buffet is that curious and exotic food skeptics can try small pieces of the things they haven't had before. A small spoon of curried eggplant, a piece of vindaloo lamb, a scoop of dal gosht, and some warm, fresh nan bread make for a plate worth tackling. As soon as the tandoori chicken runs out, an employee heads off to refresh the supply. Vegetarians rejoice! House of India offers a lengthy list of dishes that feature vegetables, ranging from cauliflower and okra to black lentils and chickpeas.

Readers´ Choice: Raja´s Indian Cuisine

Coral Gables

305-444-2348 The décor may need updating and the place may be a bit too dark, but the air is redolent of fragrant spices, and the overall ambiance is pleasant. At lunchtime the first thing that catches your eye is the buffet table. Grab a warm plate and start off with a desi salad, exploding with red onions and chili and tart with lemon juice. Add a delicious chicken or paneer (cheese) pakora, and spoon yourself some tamarind, mint, or tomato onion chutney for dipping. Save room for the heavy stuff. Vindaloo, curry, korma, tikka masala, rogan josh, tandoori -- so many of the varied cooking styles of India are represented here. The beautiful thing about a lunch buffet is that curious and exotic food skeptics can try small pieces of the things they haven't had before. A small spoon of curried eggplant, a piece of vindaloo lamb, a scoop of dal gosht, and some warm, fresh nan bread make for a plate worth tackling. As soon as the tandoori chicken runs out, an employee heads off to refresh the supply. Vegetarians rejoice! House of India offers a lengthy list of dishes that feature vegetables, ranging from cauliflower and okra to black lentils and chickpeas.

Readers´ Choice: Raja´s Indian Cuisine

North Miami

305-892-2812 Captain Jim's will leave your stomach and your wallet full. And what Jim's lacks in location (a homely strip of shops in North Miami) and décor (fish nets, rudders, shells, and other nautical accessories) it makes up for with the menu. Manager Ryan Harper says that he couldn't very well give away the secret recipe to their amazing smoked fish, or any of their award-winning seafood recipes for that matter, but he did offer a tease: "We put about 27 herbs and spices into a brine -- brown sugar, honey, A-1, parsley, to name a few -- and then slow-smoke the fish for eight to twelve hours." Grab a filet -- whatever the special of the day happens to be -- to take home from their fish market (the place used to be only a seafood wholesaler), or take a seat in the restaurant and put your package of plastic utensils to good use.

North Miami

305-892-2812 Captain Jim's will leave your stomach and your wallet full. And what Jim's lacks in location (a homely strip of shops in North Miami) and décor (fish nets, rudders, shells, and other nautical accessories) it makes up for with the menu. Manager Ryan Harper says that he couldn't very well give away the secret recipe to their amazing smoked fish, or any of their award-winning seafood recipes for that matter, but he did offer a tease: "We put about 27 herbs and spices into a brine -- brown sugar, honey, A-1, parsley, to name a few -- and then slow-smoke the fish for eight to twelve hours." Grab a filet -- whatever the special of the day happens to be -- to take home from their fish market (the place used to be only a seafood wholesaler), or take a seat in the restaurant and put your package of plastic utensils to good use.

North Miami

305-899-9902 Chinese take-out joints are like auto mechanics. It's one of the first things you look for when you move to a new town; you have to try a lot of duds before you find a good one; and once you find one you can trust, you're loyal for life. The residents of North Miami who have lived in the neighborhood long enough to be in the know make their Friday night Chinese take-out runs at Bamboo Garden II. On any weekend night, the tables may be sparsely occupied -- as with most Chinese restaurants, the décor is simple -- but the phones are ringing off the hook and there's a bench full of waiting patrons eager for brown paper bags full of steaming-hot food hustled out from the kitchen. What sets Bamboo Garden II apart from the countless other (mediocre) restaurants of its kind is the freshness of the ingredients. Whether it's pan-fried dumplings or vegetable rolls you seek; moo goo gai pan or beef chow fun you love; or moo shoo pork or any of a number of black-bean-and-pepper-sauce creations you choose (the latter highly recommended), the ingredients are fresh. The vegetables are crunchy, never overcooked; the meat is tender, not gristly; and the food is as light and nongreasy as Chinese take-out could ever possibly be.

North Miami

305-899-9902 Chinese take-out joints are like auto mechanics. It's one of the first things you look for when you move to a new town; you have to try a lot of duds before you find a good one; and once you find one you can trust, you're loyal for life. The residents of North Miami who have lived in the neighborhood long enough to be in the know make their Friday night Chinese take-out runs at Bamboo Garden II. On any weekend night, the tables may be sparsely occupied -- as with most Chinese restaurants, the décor is simple -- but the phones are ringing off the hook and there's a bench full of waiting patrons eager for brown paper bags full of steaming-hot food hustled out from the kitchen. What sets Bamboo Garden II apart from the countless other (mediocre) restaurants of its kind is the freshness of the ingredients. Whether it's pan-fried dumplings or vegetable rolls you seek; moo goo gai pan or beef chow fun you love; or moo shoo pork or any of a number of black-bean-and-pepper-sauce creations you choose (the latter highly recommended), the ingredients are fresh. The vegetables are crunchy, never overcooked; the meat is tender, not gristly; and the food is as light and nongreasy as Chinese take-out could ever possibly be.

Miami

305-358-5751 Before we know it, Biscayne Boulevard will cut a palm-tree-lined swath through a downtown canyon of tall, shiny buildings and chic outdoor cafés. At the moment, however, this area boasts more cranes than creditable lunch spots. Bali Café, with its fresh, beautiful, steamy-hot Indonesian cuisine, is an oasis seemingly far from the world of jackhammers. The 30-seat room resembles what one might imagine to be an informal eatery in Jakarta -- brass, carved wood, flashes of color, assorted trinkets here and about. The food outshines all, though. Presentations look as if they belong on the cover of an Indonesian gourmet food publication, and the flavors burst with sweet, sour, salty, and spicy notes -- often all on the same plate. Favorites such as satays, gado gado (with tofu, egg, and vegetables in peanut sauce), and nasi goreng (fried rice with spicy coconut-imbued chicken and beef) are consistently prepared with aplomb. But don't miss the dumplings, scrumptiously plumped with chicken in piquant peanut-and-sweet-soy sauce; or lontong cap go meh, an intoxicating blend of chicken and beef with steamed chayote and coconut broth. Desserts look like frappes assembled by Courtney Love, and prices are even cheaper than the image that conjures.

Miami

305-358-5751 Before we know it, Biscayne Boulevard will cut a palm-tree-lined swath through a downtown canyon of tall, shiny buildings and chic outdoor cafés. At the moment, however, this area boasts more cranes than creditable lunch spots. Bali Café, with its fresh, beautiful, steamy-hot Indonesian cuisine, is an oasis seemingly far from the world of jackhammers. The 30-seat room resembles what one might imagine to be an informal eatery in Jakarta -- brass, carved wood, flashes of color, assorted trinkets here and about. The food outshines all, though. Presentations look as if they belong on the cover of an Indonesian gourmet food publication, and the flavors burst with sweet, sour, salty, and spicy notes -- often all on the same plate. Favorites such as satays, gado gado (with tofu, egg, and vegetables in peanut sauce), and nasi goreng (fried rice with spicy coconut-imbued chicken and beef) are consistently prepared with aplomb. But don't miss the dumplings, scrumptiously plumped with chicken in piquant peanut-and-sweet-soy sauce; or lontong cap go meh, an intoxicating blend of chicken and beef with steamed chayote and coconut broth. Desserts look like frappes assembled by Courtney Love, and prices are even cheaper than the image that conjures.

20475 Biscayne Boulevard

Aventura

305-937-2777

www.pilarrestaurant.com A feel-good farewell. Sentiment or too many drinks has caused words to pour off the tongue like vodka from a bottle. Before you realize it, you've extended a generous dinner invitation to business associates, or distant cousins, or your wife's Pilates classmates. Later, in a more rational moment, you look over menus from the more respectable restaurants in town, tally the potential costs, and realize you really didn't want to vacation in Aruba this year anyway. Here's the solution: Take them to Pilar, where the cuisine, service, and ambiance are on par with dining establishments that charge far more. The 82-seat Aventura restaurant, which opened in July 2003, is named after Ernest Hemingway's fishing boat. To suggest chef/owner Scott Fredel has a way with fish is like saying Hemingway wasn't too bad with words, and prices are so reasonable the writer could've afforded to eat here before he ever sold a manuscript. House salad with lemon vinaigrette is four dollars. A starter of boniato gnocchetti in creamy walnut pesto is eight dollars; a pasta entrée of homemade pappardelle with fresh tomato, roasted garlic, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese goes for just one buck more. Entrées are kept below twenty, and that includes upscale pairings like yellowtail snapper with plump potato-leek croquette and warm tomato-herb vinaigrette; slow-roasted salmon with grainy mustard sauce and truffled red potato salad; and a succulent flatiron steak with mashed potatoes and truffle-roasted broccoli and shallots. Prices on the largely West Coast wine list are kept in line as well, and Pilar has recently reeled in a full liquor license. When you're fishing for a caviar dining experience on a fish-egg budget, Pilar should be the first place that comes to mind -- and it's invaluable as fail-safe insurance for those times you speak without thinking at all.

20475 Biscayne Boulevard

Aventura

305-937-2777

www.pilarrestaurant.com A feel-good farewell. Sentiment or too many drinks has caused words to pour off the tongue like vodka from a bottle. Before you realize it, you've extended a generous dinner invitation to business associates, or distant cousins, or your wife's Pilates classmates. Later, in a more rational moment, you look over menus from the more respectable restaurants in town, tally the potential costs, and realize you really didn't want to vacation in Aruba this year anyway. Here's the solution: Take them to Pilar, where the cuisine, service, and ambiance are on par with dining establishments that charge far more. The 82-seat Aventura restaurant, which opened in July 2003, is named after Ernest Hemingway's fishing boat. To suggest chef/owner Scott Fredel has a way with fish is like saying Hemingway wasn't too bad with words, and prices are so reasonable the writer could've afforded to eat here before he ever sold a manuscript. House salad with lemon vinaigrette is four dollars. A starter of boniato gnocchetti in creamy walnut pesto is eight dollars; a pasta entrée of homemade pappardelle with fresh tomato, roasted garlic, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese goes for just one buck more. Entrées are kept below twenty, and that includes upscale pairings like yellowtail snapper with plump potato-leek croquette and warm tomato-herb vinaigrette; slow-roasted salmon with grainy mustard sauce and truffled red potato salad; and a succulent flatiron steak with mashed potatoes and truffle-roasted broccoli and shallots. Prices on the largely West Coast wine list are kept in line as well, and Pilar has recently reeled in a full liquor license. When you're fishing for a caviar dining experience on a fish-egg budget, Pilar should be the first place that comes to mind -- and it's invaluable as fail-safe insurance for those times you speak without thinking at all.

Miami

305-266-5494

and

5859 SW 73rd Street

South Miami

305-662-5656 While its claim to celebrity fame may be that the Estefans used to frequent the place (and it's where Gloria's career was launched), the real draw at Casa Larios is the close-to-homemade Cuban staples that bring in everybody else. The classic dishes are actually better than many an abuelita's home cooking. (But don't tell her that!) The restaurant also boasts comfortable and attractive surroundings to chow down on the ample servings of fried pork, roast chicken, black beans and rice, and plantains.

Readers´ Choice: Versailles

Miami

305-266-5494

and

5859 SW 73rd Street

South Miami

305-662-5656 While its claim to celebrity fame may be that the Estefans used to frequent the place (and it's where Gloria's career was launched), the real draw at Casa Larios is the close-to-homemade Cuban staples that bring in everybody else. The classic dishes are actually better than many an abuelita's home cooking. (But don't tell her that!) The restaurant also boasts comfortable and attractive surroundings to chow down on the ample servings of fried pork, roast chicken, black beans and rice, and plantains.

Readers´ Choice: Versailles

Homestead

305-247-0668 Key lime pie inevitably involves a graham cracker crust, filling made of key lime juice and condensed milk, and topping of either whipped cream or meringue. So how can one be that much better than another? Cream cheese. That's right, the German Baptists at Homestead's half-century-old Knaus Berry Farm use cream cheese in their topping. The Baptists have long beards, but they are not Amish, as many think, nor are they ZZ Top, as some less-than-astute folks might believe. The key limes are fresh from the farm, the citrus custard not too sweet, the creamy-whipped cream cheese a distinctive icing on the cake. A small key lime pie that feeds five (perhaps fewer because most people demand seconds) costs $7.35, and that's really all you need to know, though we'd be remiss not to mention Knaus Berry Farm's freshly baked pecan rolls and legendary strawberry milkshakes. Don't run out for your key lime pie just yet, though: The stand is open only from mid-November through the last Saturday of April and is closed Sundays.

Readers´ Choice: Joe´s Stone Crab

Homestead

305-247-0668 Key lime pie inevitably involves a graham cracker crust, filling made of key lime juice and condensed milk, and topping of either whipped cream or meringue. So how can one be that much better than another? Cream cheese. That's right, the German Baptists at Homestead's half-century-old Knaus Berry Farm use cream cheese in their topping. The Baptists have long beards, but they are not Amish, as many think, nor are they ZZ Top, as some less-than-astute folks might believe. The key limes are fresh from the farm, the citrus custard not too sweet, the creamy-whipped cream cheese a distinctive icing on the cake. A small key lime pie that feeds five (perhaps fewer because most people demand seconds) costs $7.35, and that's really all you need to know, though we'd be remiss not to mention Knaus Berry Farm's freshly baked pecan rolls and legendary strawberry milkshakes. Don't run out for your key lime pie just yet, though: The stand is open only from mid-November through the last Saturday of April and is closed Sundays.

Readers´ Choice: Joe´s Stone Crab

Miami

305-573-3355

www.grasslounge.com The name of the restaurant, Grass, seems just right for eating salad. The tropical trappings reinforce the mood with French West Indian accents, Indonesian colonial slate floors, tiki hut booths, low-slung tables with flower petals strewn across them, and Buddha Bar and Stereo Sushi-like aural effects. The open-air venue, vaguely sheltered by a thatch roof, sometimes lets in a gentle rain. The organic surroundings practically scream for light, chic dining, but it's the menu descriptions of Chef Pedro Duarte's Pacific Rim salad compositions that will ultimately make you succumb to the lettuce. Try smoked salmon with diced avocados, teardrop tomatoes, crisp wontons, roasted almonds, frisée greens, and shoyu vinaigrette. Or maybe softly poached chicken with Fuji apples, carrots, delicate rice noodles, iceberg lettuce, and sesame dressing. Or the best of the best: a mismaloya salad of mesclun greens, red oak leaves, mango, nectarines, Korean pears, avocado, pine nuts, and vanilla-infused white balsamic vinaigrette. Tantalizing textures, flamboyant flavors, and portions big enough for two make the greens greener at Grass.

Miami

305-573-3355

www.grasslounge.com The name of the restaurant, Grass, seems just right for eating salad. The tropical trappings reinforce the mood with French West Indian accents, Indonesian colonial slate floors, tiki hut booths, low-slung tables with flower petals strewn across them, and Buddha Bar and Stereo Sushi-like aural effects. The open-air venue, vaguely sheltered by a thatch roof, sometimes lets in a gentle rain. The organic surroundings practically scream for light, chic dining, but it's the menu descriptions of Chef Pedro Duarte's Pacific Rim salad compositions that will ultimately make you succumb to the lettuce. Try smoked salmon with diced avocados, teardrop tomatoes, crisp wontons, roasted almonds, frisée greens, and shoyu vinaigrette. Or maybe softly poached chicken with Fuji apples, carrots, delicate rice noodles, iceberg lettuce, and sesame dressing. Or the best of the best: a mismaloya salad of mesclun greens, red oak leaves, mango, nectarines, Korean pears, avocado, pine nuts, and vanilla-infused white balsamic vinaigrette. Tantalizing textures, flamboyant flavors, and portions big enough for two make the greens greener at Grass.

Miami Beach

305-532-8112

www.prime112.com Conventional wisdom suggests that when choosing a steak house, do so based on the quality of steak. We say throw conventional wisdom out the window along with the ketchup bottle. You can get a thick, juicy, dry-aged, inarguably delectable slab of meat at Capital Grille, Ruth's Chris, Palm, Morton's, Smith & Wollensky, or any such quality chain. Whatever subtle differences exist between the steaks at these places can be nullified by sheer dumb luck. The cut of sirloin you order may come from a well-marbled, tender animal -- or not. The grill cook might have a hangover and overcook it just enough to take away the edge. Or maybe he called in sick and his replacement possesses the perfect touch for seasoning that will make it taste a bit better. Prime One Twelve offers more than just prime meat. Housed in Miami Beach's original hotel, the two-story series of dining rooms are renovated gems of a bygone era, replete with a front porch for outdoor seating. Classic steak-house sides are upgrades over the competition, creamed spinach spiked with crispy shallots, the sweet-potato mash jazzed via vanilla bean. Non-carnivores can nibble on creative raw-bar selections, outlandishly large salads, and engaging entrées such as wild salmon in lemon nage. And after indulging in desserts like warm chocolate pudding cake with sweet cream and amarene cherries, or a bananas Foster cheesecake with Myers rum coffee sauce, you may have trouble remembering it was steak that brought you here in the first place.

Miami Beach

305-532-8112

www.prime112.com Conventional wisdom suggests that when choosing a steak house, do so based on the quality of steak. We say throw conventional wisdom out the window along with the ketchup bottle. You can get a thick, juicy, dry-aged, inarguably delectable slab of meat at Capital Grille, Ruth's Chris, Palm, Morton's, Smith & Wollensky, or any such quality chain. Whatever subtle differences exist between the steaks at these places can be nullified by sheer dumb luck. The cut of sirloin you order may come from a well-marbled, tender animal -- or not. The grill cook might have a hangover and overcook it just enough to take away the edge. Or maybe he called in sick and his replacement possesses the perfect touch for seasoning that will make it taste a bit better. Prime One Twelve offers more than just prime meat. Housed in Miami Beach's original hotel, the two-story series of dining rooms are renovated gems of a bygone era, replete with a front porch for outdoor seating. Classic steak-house sides are upgrades over the competition, creamed spinach spiked with crispy shallots, the sweet-potato mash jazzed via vanilla bean. Non-carnivores can nibble on creative raw-bar selections, outlandishly large salads, and engaging entrées such as wild salmon in lemon nage. And after indulging in desserts like warm chocolate pudding cake with sweet cream and amarene cherries, or a bananas Foster cheesecake with Myers rum coffee sauce, you may have trouble remembering it was steak that brought you here in the first place.

Hallandale

954-456-6822 "Best Argentine Restaurant" may as well be synonymous with "Best Argentine Steak House," because Argentine restaurants are almost always steak houses. And this year's pick is unquestionably a red-meat joint -- make no mistake about it. If you are a vegetarian, don't bother reading further. Certainly you wouldn't be interested in this: a large, festive restaurant decked out in warm woods and neutral tones, filled with the buzz of excited, intoxicated patrons chatting loudly and gesticulating wildly (the place is a hit among Argentines, no surprise there). Waiters bring bowls of hot French fries and baskets of fresh bread to the tables, while diners scurry away from the self-service, all-you-can-eat grill with metal plates displaying succulent sausages, ribs, steaks, and sweetbreads. In front of the grill, a cold salad bar teems with Russian salad, fresh mozzarella, ripe red tomatoes, greens, vegetables, nuts, and dressings. The waiter brings a bottle of Argentine wine for each diner. You gorge, then get up for more, then do it all over again. And again. Finally the waiter offers you coffee (which here means espresso, with steamed milk if you like) or dessert (chocolate mousse, flan, ricotta torte). You accept because, after all, you are too drunk to say no to anything at this point. Then he brings the bill. You hold your breath. The total: $25 per person. Can it be? Yes, it can. The Knife is a fixed-price, all-you-can-eat steak house, and the quality is fixed too -- at superb. And that's why, though we know there are plenty of good Argentine restaurants in Miami-Dade (Graziano's Parrilla Argentina, Zuperpollo, Rincon Argentino), we must give credit where credit is due, and that's just a bit north of the county line.

Hallandale

954-456-6822 "Best Argentine Restaurant" may as well be synonymous with "Best Argentine Steak House," because Argentine restaurants are almost always steak houses. And this year's pick is unquestionably a red-meat joint -- make no mistake about it. If you are a vegetarian, don't bother reading further. Certainly you wouldn't be interested in this: a large, festive restaurant decked out in warm woods and neutral tones, filled with the buzz of excited, intoxicated patrons chatting loudly and gesticulating wildly (the place is a hit among Argentines, no surprise there). Waiters bring bowls of hot French fries and baskets of fresh bread to the tables, while diners scurry away from the self-service, all-you-can-eat grill with metal plates displaying succulent sausages, ribs, steaks, and sweetbreads. In front of the grill, a cold salad bar teems with Russian salad, fresh mozzarella, ripe red tomatoes, greens, vegetables, nuts, and dressings. The waiter brings a bottle of Argentine wine for each diner. You gorge, then get up for more, then do it all over again. And again. Finally the waiter offers you coffee (which here means espresso, with steamed milk if you like) or dessert (chocolate mousse, flan, ricotta torte). You accept because, after all, you are too drunk to say no to anything at this point. Then he brings the bill. You hold your breath. The total: $25 per person. Can it be? Yes, it can. The Knife is a fixed-price, all-you-can-eat steak house, and the quality is fixed too -- at superb. And that's why, though we know there are plenty of good Argentine restaurants in Miami-Dade (Graziano's Parrilla Argentina, Zuperpollo, Rincon Argentino), we must give credit where credit is due, and that's just a bit north of the county line.

Pinecrest

305-255-2468

http://store.gardnersmarkets.com/farmersmarket.html From relatively exotic items to basic organic produce, this Pinecrest mainstay has fair prices and a staff of local growers and dreadlocked fakin' Jamaicans to tell you about your cruelty-free produce selections and Mother Earth. Berries, greens, tomatoes of all shapes, sizes, and colors, as well as a variety of orchids, plants, oils, preserves, and salsas, can be found here every Sunday from January through April. Bonus: Every Sunday at 11:00 a.m. a different chef from a prominent local restaurant puts on a cooking demonstration using market products.

Pinecrest

305-255-2468

http://store.gardnersmarkets.com/farmersmarket.html From relatively exotic items to basic organic produce, this Pinecrest mainstay has fair prices and a staff of local growers and dreadlocked fakin' Jamaicans to tell you about your cruelty-free produce selections and Mother Earth. Berries, greens, tomatoes of all shapes, sizes, and colors, as well as a variety of orchids, plants, oils, preserves, and salsas, can be found here every Sunday from January through April. Bonus: Every Sunday at 11:00 a.m. a different chef from a prominent local restaurant puts on a cooking demonstration using market products.

Coral Gables

305-913-1944 Since her eponymous restaurant opened two years ago, chef Carmen Gonzalez has won so much national recognition for the upscale Nueva Puerto Rican-influenced fare in her venue's formal dining room that it's easy to forget half the place is a casual wine bar with its own menu of equally tasty light bites. And once you're committed to a bar meal, it's hard to turn down exotic stuff like rock shrimp empanadas for basic American hamburgers. But what burgers! The minimorsels of juicy ground sirloin, four per order, are only 1.5 ounces each. But unlike standard sliders, they come cooked to order, as rare as you like 'em, topped with creamy Gorgonzola and caramelized onions. Their buns? Homemade brioches. And all accompaniments, from the crisp shoestring fries to the pickles -- even the ketchup -- are made from scratch.

Readers´ Choice: Fuddruckers

Coral Gables

305-913-1944 Since her eponymous restaurant opened two years ago, chef Carmen Gonzalez has won so much national recognition for the upscale Nueva Puerto Rican-influenced fare in her venue's formal dining room that it's easy to forget half the place is a casual wine bar with its own menu of equally tasty light bites. And once you're committed to a bar meal, it's hard to turn down exotic stuff like rock shrimp empanadas for basic American hamburgers. But what burgers! The minimorsels of juicy ground sirloin, four per order, are only 1.5 ounces each. But unlike standard sliders, they come cooked to order, as rare as you like 'em, topped with creamy Gorgonzola and caramelized onions. Their buns? Homemade brioches. And all accompaniments, from the crisp shoestring fries to the pickles -- even the ketchup -- are made from scratch.

Readers´ Choice: Fuddruckers

1120 Collins Avenue

Miami Beach

305-604-9050

www.chefmark.com You two lovebirds want a cozy nest for cooing to each other? Fly down to the Nash Hotel, site of Mark's South Beach. Choose your venue: a stylish indoor dining room with mahogany walls and upholstered booths (elegant but not stuffy or dull) or, beyond French doors, a romantic 30-seat terrace by the pools. Music plays at a reasonable level, the lights are appropriately dim, the waitstaff attentive yet discreet. Perfect. So is the wine list, an array of mid- to high-end California bottles to pair with every fragrant flavor combination on the menu -- and the contemporary American menu at this five-year-old restaurant brims with bold taste sensations. Legendary local chef Mark Militello is a master at juggling diverse and innovative ingredients without ever losing balance, and executive chef Larry LaValley, from New York's Daniel, Union Pacific, and Bouley's Bakery, orchestrates Militello's compositions in enrapturing fashion. Share bites of your duck confit with champagne mango glaze, or black grouper and artichoke hash in sweet herb broth. Sensational food is sensual food, and sensual food encourages intimacy. But talk gets you only so far. After that it's time to leave the words behind and let passion render you both speechless -- pastry chef Juan Villaparedes's Gianduja chocolate terrine and double chocolate sorbet will do just that.

1120 Collins Avenue

Miami Beach

305-604-9050

www.chefmark.com You two lovebirds want a cozy nest for cooing to each other? Fly down to the Nash Hotel, site of Mark's South Beach. Choose your venue: a stylish indoor dining room with mahogany walls and upholstered booths (elegant but not stuffy or dull) or, beyond French doors, a romantic 30-seat terrace by the pools. Music plays at a reasonable level, the lights are appropriately dim, the waitstaff attentive yet discreet. Perfect. So is the wine list, an array of mid- to high-end California bottles to pair with every fragrant flavor combination on the menu -- and the contemporary American menu at this five-year-old restaurant brims with bold taste sensations. Legendary local chef Mark Militello is a master at juggling diverse and innovative ingredients without ever losing balance, and executive chef Larry LaValley, from New York's Daniel, Union Pacific, and Bouley's Bakery, orchestrates Militello's compositions in enrapturing fashion. Share bites of your duck confit with champagne mango glaze, or black grouper and artichoke hash in sweet herb broth. Sensational food is sensual food, and sensual food encourages intimacy. But talk gets you only so far. After that it's time to leave the words behind and let passion render you both speechless -- pastry chef Juan Villaparedes's Gianduja chocolate terrine and double chocolate sorbet will do just that.

Miami Beach

305-534-3996 Guru, like most Indian restaurants, offers a generous selection of vegetarian dishes. True, Guru isn't like most Indian restaurants. Proprietor Adish Jain offers an "international" menu that includes items such as Indonesian lemon fish, Argentine churrasco steak, and an American cheeseburger to go along with the kormas, masalas, and biryanis. But things work out exceptionally well for meatless diners just the same. The good veggie vibes begin via complimentary bhajia (vegetable fritter) with bowls of mint and tamarind dipping sauces and nan flatbread strips with cucumber raita. A few specially worthwhile selections from the quirky menu: dal makhani, a multidimensional lentil dish with unexpected textural variety; palak paneer, a spinach and tofu-cheese purée zinged with fresh ginger; and vegetarian dumplings in a mildly spiced yogurt-based sauce (kofta curry), the vegetable-flecked spheres so airy and tender you might find yourself looking at meatballs with suspicion from here on in. Sunday brunch is equally friendly to noncarnivores and a gift at twelve dollars.

Miami Beach

305-534-3996 Guru, like most Indian restaurants, offers a generous selection of vegetarian dishes. True, Guru isn't like most Indian restaurants. Proprietor Adish Jain offers an "international" menu that includes items such as Indonesian lemon fish, Argentine churrasco steak, and an American cheeseburger to go along with the kormas, masalas, and biryanis. But things work out exceptionally well for meatless diners just the same. The good veggie vibes begin via complimentary bhajia (vegetable fritter) with bowls of mint and tamarind dipping sauces and nan flatbread strips with cucumber raita. A few specially worthwhile selections from the quirky menu: dal makhani, a multidimensional lentil dish with unexpected textural variety; palak paneer, a spinach and tofu-cheese purée zinged with fresh ginger; and vegetarian dumplings in a mildly spiced yogurt-based sauce (kofta curry), the vegetable-flecked spheres so airy and tender you might find yourself looking at meatballs with suspicion from here on in. Sunday brunch is equally friendly to noncarnivores and a gift at twelve dollars.

Pinecrest

305-666-5979 People can respectfully disagree about what the best thing is about Captain's Tavern. There are those who insist that the experience of Bill (the captain) and Audrey Bowers, who've helmed ship for more than 30 years, is what makes this beloved family fish house sail smoothly. (The paneled walls, padded captain's chairs, and faux-nautical kitsch would probably not top most folks' lists, but it is sort of neat in an anti-South Beach way.) Enophiles tend to focus on the wine selection of more than 600 labels, while those who just like to drink good wine at an affordable price point out the absurdly low markup on bottles. The long-time bartender and professional old-school waitstaff would certainly win votes as the Tavern's top draw, as would the serious selection of fresh, fabulous-but-not-frilly seafood that splashes across a five-page menu: fried shrimp, Portuguese fish stew, oysters in rosemary-perfumed cream sauce, yellowtail grilled Jamaican-style -- all fantastic, really, so as we've said, we can disagree with all the unfortunate, ill-informed, and misguided patrons who don't know that the very best thing about Captain's Tavern is the conch fritter -- or fritters, because you get six glorious globes for $8.95. The secret to the Captain's rendition is properly tenderizing the conch before chopping and mixing it with flour, eggs, green onions, celery, red peppers, and a savory thyme-tinged blend of spices. Top your sandwich off with the hottest thing about Captain's Tavern: Audrey's homemade Scotch bonnet pepper sauce. If you dare.

Pinecrest

305-666-5979 People can respectfully disagree about what the best thing is about Captain's Tavern. There are those who insist that the experience of Bill (the captain) and Audrey Bowers, who've helmed ship for more than 30 years, is what makes this beloved family fish house sail smoothly. (The paneled walls, padded captain's chairs, and faux-nautical kitsch would probably not top most folks' lists, but it is sort of neat in an anti-South Beach way.) Enophiles tend to focus on the wine selection of more than 600 labels, while those who just like to drink good wine at an affordable price point out the absurdly low markup on bottles. The long-time bartender and professional old-school waitstaff would certainly win votes as the Tavern's top draw, as would the serious selection of fresh, fabulous-but-not-frilly seafood that splashes across a five-page menu: fried shrimp, Portuguese fish stew, oysters in rosemary-perfumed cream sauce, yellowtail grilled Jamaican-style -- all fantastic, really, so as we've said, we can disagree with all the unfortunate, ill-informed, and misguided patrons who don't know that the very best thing about Captain's Tavern is the conch fritter -- or fritters, because you get six glorious globes for $8.95. The secret to the Captain's rendition is properly tenderizing the conch before chopping and mixing it with flour, eggs, green onions, celery, red peppers, and a savory thyme-tinged blend of spices. Top your sandwich off with the hottest thing about Captain's Tavern: Audrey's homemade Scotch bonnet pepper sauce. If you dare.

11401 NW Twelfth Street

West Miami-Dade

305-599-7729

www.texasdebrazil.com Everything about this churrascaria is grand in size. Cylindrical walls the color of bloody red meat rise to such lofty heights that an elevator brings patrons up and down. The 450 seats surround a salad bar in the room's center, with a gargantuan floral spray that nearly stretches to the second level. And there is such an insane amount of comestibles on display that even the most gluttonous of gluttons must occasionally flip the green marker (bring 'em on!) to red (hold your horses!). The marker move stops roaming gauchos, who carry long skewers of fourteen types of meat, from swarming your table and cutting slabs from their carnivorous load and piling them upon your plate as if it were still the Fifties. For a set fee of $39.99, diners get to indulge in all the mesquite-smoked picanha (top of the top sirloin), pork loin, leg and rack of lamb, filet mignon, flank steak, beef and pork ribs, sausages, and chicken they want, along with garlic mashed potatoes, sweet fried plantains, a 40-item salad bar with a number of surprisingly upscale ingredients (and also soup, rice, beans, and other hot foods), and warm boules of rich Brazilian cheese bread. Huge wine list, too, and lavishly portioned desserts that are supplemental to the dinner menu. If, after partaking of all the above meats and sides, you decide to go for a bananas Foster pie or caramel cheesecake, we applaud your resolve. We also think it might be personally beneficial if you stand up in the middle of the room and proclaim, "My name is (say your full name), and I am a glutton." Acknowledgment is paramount for starting on the road to recovery.

11401 NW Twelfth Street

West Miami-Dade

305-599-7729

www.texasdebrazil.com Everything about this churrascaria is grand in size. Cylindrical walls the color of bloody red meat rise to such lofty heights that an elevator brings patrons up and down. The 450 seats surround a salad bar in the room's center, with a gargantuan floral spray that nearly stretches to the second level. And there is such an insane amount of comestibles on display that even the most gluttonous of gluttons must occasionally flip the green marker (bring 'em on!) to red (hold your horses!). The marker move stops roaming gauchos, who carry long skewers of fourteen types of meat, from swarming your table and cutting slabs from their carnivorous load and piling them upon your plate as if it were still the Fifties. For a set fee of $39.99, diners get to indulge in all the mesquite-smoked picanha (top of the top sirloin), pork loin, leg and rack of lamb, filet mignon, flank steak, beef and pork ribs, sausages, and chicken they want, along with garlic mashed potatoes, sweet fried plantains, a 40-item salad bar with a number of surprisingly upscale ingredients (and also soup, rice, beans, and other hot foods), and warm boules of rich Brazilian cheese bread. Huge wine list, too, and lavishly portioned desserts that are supplemental to the dinner menu. If, after partaking of all the above meats and sides, you decide to go for a bananas Foster pie or caramel cheesecake, we applaud your resolve. We also think it might be personally beneficial if you stand up in the middle of the room and proclaim, "My name is (say your full name), and I am a glutton." Acknowledgment is paramount for starting on the road to recovery.

Miami

305-577-3344

www.baysidemarketplace.com Don't be fooled by the bright colors, the guy with the parrots, the gambling ships and tour boats, the generic mall stores, the kiosks overflowing with Miami fun-in-the-sun gear. Bayside Marketplace is more than just a tourist trap. Locals who work downtown know this, and they come here for the food. French Crêpes, Starbucks, Kelly's Cajun Grill, and Latin American Café are all here. You'll also find the Teriyaki Temple, Yeung's Lotus Express, and the Middle East Connection. Just outside the actual food court (south wing, second floor) you'll find table service at the venerable Nicaraguan steakhouse Los Ranchos, Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, Snappers Bar and Grill, Captain Joe's Seafood, Chili's, Lombardi's Ristorante, and Hooters. Most of these establishments either feature gorgeous views or outdoor seating where you can dine and gaze at the marina, the port, and the bay.

Miami

305-577-3344

www.baysidemarketplace.com Don't be fooled by the bright colors, the guy with the parrots, the gambling ships and tour boats, the generic mall stores, the kiosks overflowing with Miami fun-in-the-sun gear. Bayside Marketplace is more than just a tourist trap. Locals who work downtown know this, and they come here for the food. French Crêpes, Starbucks, Kelly's Cajun Grill, and Latin American Café are all here. You'll also find the Teriyaki Temple, Yeung's Lotus Express, and the Middle East Connection. Just outside the actual food court (south wing, second floor) you'll find table service at the venerable Nicaraguan steakhouse Los Ranchos, Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, Snappers Bar and Grill, Captain Joe's Seafood, Chili's, Lombardi's Ristorante, and Hooters. Most of these establishments either feature gorgeous views or outdoor seating where you can dine and gaze at the marina, the port, and the bay.

Miami Beach

305-604-3647 Once upon a time the best French fries were the ones grandma made with her crinkle-cut slicer, deep fryer, and aged Crisco seasoned with assorted residues from the previous 21 days of high-temperature gurgling. But times, they a-changed, and tastes did too. Today, saturated with the latest findings of cooking oil research, we think if fries aren't cooked in canola oil, then it's baloney. Or something as revolting. That said, there is simply no substitute for "fresh-cut" fries, the term used by gourmet chefs across the globe to indicate that earlier in the day they (the fries, not the cooks) were part of a nice raw potato. As any fresh-cut fries freak knows, a good bistro is where to find them. However, Dawg House Grill, located on the ground-floor terrace of the Tudor Hotel, offers a bistro-style French fry at a burger-joint price ($2.75). Cleverly served in a cone of paper tucked inside a stylish metal holder, they come with a surprising assortment of condiments: balsamic vinaigrette, red wine vinaigrette, aioli, coconut chili sauce, and regular old ketchup.

Readers´ Choice: McDonald´s

Miami Beach

305-604-3647 Once upon a time the best French fries were the ones grandma made with her crinkle-cut slicer, deep fryer, and aged Crisco seasoned with assorted residues from the previous 21 days of high-temperature gurgling. But times, they a-changed, and tastes did too. Today, saturated with the latest findings of cooking oil research, we think if fries aren't cooked in canola oil, then it's baloney. Or something as revolting. That said, there is simply no substitute for "fresh-cut" fries, the term used by gourmet chefs across the globe to indicate that earlier in the day they (the fries, not the cooks) were part of a nice raw potato. As any fresh-cut fries freak knows, a good bistro is where to find them. However, Dawg House Grill, located on the ground-floor terrace of the Tudor Hotel, offers a bistro-style French fry at a burger-joint price ($2.75). Cleverly served in a cone of paper tucked inside a stylish metal holder, they come with a surprising assortment of condiments: balsamic vinaigrette, red wine vinaigrette, aioli, coconut chili sauce, and regular old ketchup.

Readers´ Choice: McDonald´s

Aventura

305-936-8555 Ask Mo's fiercely faithful regulars about the roasted chicken, Roumanian steak, or stuffed cabbage, and their praise will be effusive. Inquire about the sizable sides of potato latkes and kasha varnishkas, and they'll weary you with glowing adjectives. Let the customers express themselves freely and you'll hear everything you ever wanted to know about Mo's creamed herring, matzoh brei, challah French toast, and noodle kügel with maraschino cherries inside (use this opportunity to sip some Dr. Brown's soda, glance around the spacious room, and take in the New York neighborhood deli décor). We warn you: Don't bring up the deliciously sweet, vanilla-infused homemade blintzes or impossibly plumped pastrami and corned beef sandwiches (such a pickle on the side!) or, God forbid, the bronzed, hand-rolled, baked-on-premise bagels -- unless you've got plenty of time on your hands. Brace yourself -- bagel talk will only lead to huzzahs for the challahs, babkas, and rugelach from Mo's exceptional bakery counter. When you've heard your fair share of deli accolades for the day, casually drop the words "So, how are the kids?" into the conversation, and the previously chatty patrons will likely respond, "Don't ask."

Readers´ Choice: Epicure Market