Watch the tourists: dripping sweat, crisped to crimson by hours in the sand, stumbling like zombies along Lincoln Road. Suddenly, they're drawn in. Maybe it's the cool aluminum look of the place, the promise of chill air. Maybe it's that blue umbrella, beckoning: Gelateria. Life returns to their watery eyes as they scan the tubs of fresh-made, silky-smooth gelato. But wait. Confusion. What in hell is that, sitting in the martini glasses in front of each row of gelato? Guanabana? Tamarind? Rice pudding? Rice pudding gelato? If they're brave, they order the mysterious milky-white gelato under the rough-barked tamarind root or the off-white guanabana. They glance around, uncertain, wavering before lifting that first spoonful to the tongue. And then the flavor hits. That's what a happy tourist looks like. That's the power of excellent gelato, spun into otherworldly flavors and made fresh.

It's hard not to kiss kiss bang bang an art-house movie theater that avoids 3-D blockbusters, sticky seats, and stale popcorn in favor of Citizen Kane, a comfy chaise lounge, and its own line of baked goods. This is especially true when one of the goodies is the Miami Beach Cinematheque's triple chocolate brownie. Thick and made with all-natural ingredients, these moist, heavenly creatures cost just four bucks. And chock full of cocoa (before Chanel) and milk and white chocolate chips, they're truly kick ass. Don't believe us? One bite has been known to silence the lambs, placate seven angry men, and provide eternal sunshine to many a spotless mind. Or, at the very least, with their Vito Corleone-approved size, they are Titanic enough to get anyone through both acts of Gone With the Wind without going all vertigo from hunger.

It's after midnight. You've just spent the past five hours studying for a big midterm exam or finishing a work project that has an 8 a.m. deadline. You need a sugar fix. Not just your run-of-the-mill Snickers bar high, but the sort of mental state brought on only by flan. The perfect flan. The kind with a smooth, sweet layer on top. You'll find it at Chico's, a Hialeah landmark that's open 'round the clock and serves some of the tastiest Cuban cuisine north of Havana. The chances you run into Mayor Julio Robaina are pretty good. The chances you see a customer savoring the flan are even higher. Chico's owner, Jesús Ovides, is there 24/7 to make sure the flan and all the other great eats meet his high standards. And don't let the city's confusing street names scare you. You can get to Chico's from NW 103rd Street (West 49th Street in Hialeah). When you reach West 12th Avenue, head south about nine blocks. Chico's is on the right side, behind a bank.