Miami Area, FL

Eating out in Miami Area, FL

Miami is awash with people offering you things to eat, from the humble fruit vendor with his street-corner cart to the greatest chefs in the world in their own gourmet palaces. There is cuisine from every country and local seafood so fresh and flaky it melts in your mouth. Miami's position as a gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean has greatly influenced everything about its culture, not least of which includes the food. The unique flavors that come together in these multi-culturally inspired kitchens has come to be known as Floribbean cuisine, and even if you tried, you couldn't find a way to miss a taste of it in Miami.

Gourmet

Le Festival is a French restaurant renowned for its extraordinary soufflés (free on Monday nights!), rustic duck liver paté, vichyssoise, and many other exquisite creations to please a discerning gourmand. The rooms are stylish with smoked mirrors, green floral carpeting, and etched glass, with "old school" waiters in black tie. 2120 Salcedo Street, Coral Gables.

Highly Recommended

Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant can truly be called a Miami institution - everyone goes to Joe's. It's expensive and you just might wait three hours for a table, but it is well worth the hassle for this king's feast of the stone crab delicacy that has made Joe's internationally famous. 11 Washington Avenue, South Beach.

Local Flair

Versailles - All over Miami, Cuban food is handed to you through a counter window or served in opulent dining halls from Calle Ocho to South Beach and everywhere in between. For as long as its doors have been open, locals have been going to Versailles family restaurant for classic Cuban dishes at good prices. 3555 SW 8th Street, Little Havana.

Romantic

The Forge Restaurant has been a favorite dinner spot for couples since the 50s. The elegance of its black-tie service, distinguished menu, and intimate setting have kept the mood alive for 50 years. Many marriage proposals have been gallantly made in the intimate setting of the Library. 432 - 41st Street, Miami Beach.

Going party in Miami Area, FL

The nightlife in Miami is whatever you want it to be - a flash of dancing youthful masses or a poignant theater production, a sing-a-long piano bar or a beachside pool hall. In recent years there has been a welcome growth in its cultural diversions, with quite respectable theater, dance, symphony, and art galleries blossoming all over town. But when you think of "nightlife" in Miami, chances are you're thinking of getting past the velvet rope of the hottest club or partying with the in crowd - which means, of course, you're headed for SoBe or the Grove.

Liquid

The high coolness quotient of this club lies in its ownership by Madonna pal Ingrid Casares and its interior decoration by Madonna's brother Christopher Ciccone. Those connections attract superstar DJs and major celebrities while, at the same time, a crowd that's serious about dancing barely notices if Ricky Martin is in the house. The velvet ropes may seem impenetrable, but eventually part for just about anybody who's waited long enough. South Beach.

Bash

The party never ends at this club, with dance music inside, world music outside, and weekend jams that lure a young crowd. Weekdays there are often private parties for fashion and entertainment people. Sean Penn is a part-owner, and while he rarely ventures here, other celebrities visit. South Beach.

Blue

South Beach is nothing if not a trend-setter and at this club, it's trendy to be Blue, though you'll feel anything but in this hip electric lounge, where the pervasive color actually lifts your spirits. A stylish stream of models and local personalities give it a high profile. South Beach.

Chili Pepper

This state-of-the-art club is a fresh new face on the scene. In less than a year, it became the hottest new nightspot in the Grove. On Tuesdays, DJs spin hip-hop, and on Thursdays, house, funk, and rap dominate. Fridays and Saturdays feature alternative, industrial, house, dance, and techno. Wednesdays are band nights. Coconut Grove.

Tropigala Supper Club

This club might be the love-child of Ricky Ricardo's big band Tropicana nightclub and a flirtatious Las Vegas stage show. In a glitzy deco ballroom, dancing to a 10-piece orchestra before and after a major floor show production takes you back to the days when an evening at a nightclub was a gala event. Miami Beach.

Gusman Center for the Performing Arts

This ornate, 1920s theater is the most beautiful in South Florida. Designers went to great lengths to create the image of an outdoor Mediterranean amphitheater, using stylized architecture and hundreds of twinkling lights in the dark blue ceiling. The stellar acoustics and easy sight lines make every seat in the house a good one for the eclectic programming that includes world-class musicians, critically-acclaimed plays, the annual Miami Film Festival, and the Miami Latin Jazz Festival. Downtown.

Common events in Miami Area, FL

Carnival Miami

This spectacular ten-day party has concerts, contests, parties, and lots of Latin food and music that starts in Miami and ends in South America. Sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Little Havana, it brings together millions of people from differing cultures to celebrate unity and good-will. Downtown, March.

Calle Ocho (8th Street) Street Fair

The biggest block party in the world! The fantastic Carnival Miami Festival winds up with this million-plus person party on the streets of Little Havana where the biggest conga line ever was headed up by Gloria Estefan! Little, Havana, March.

Bob Marley Caribbean Festival

Created by his devoted mother as a way to honor her son, each year, the 12-hour show culminates with an amazing performance by Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers. Special guests have included Carlos Santana and Maxi priest. Downtown Bicentennial Park, February.

Miami Film Festival

An annual exhibit of American and International films, seminars, parties, and deal-making. Hosted by the Film Society of Miami, it has come into its own as an important venue for filmmakers and screenwriters. Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, Downtown February.

Great Sunrise Balloon Race

Fills the sky with delightfully colorful hot-air balloons competing for a grand prize as they race across the borders of the primal Everglades. Kendall-Tamiami Airport, May.

The Miami/Bahamas Goombay Festival

A celebration of Bahamian heritage with costumed parades, island food, and the African-rooted Goombay music. Coconut Grove, June.

Columbus Day Regatta

Biscayne Bay fills with sailboats racing from Coconut Grove to the Keys, capped by a no-holds-barred floating party after dark that dots the bay with hundreds of little boat lights. Coconut Grove, October.

Big Orange New Year's Eve Celebration

Miami's version of Time's Square big ball drop at the stroke of midnight, except here it's a great big orange with much warmer weather! The view is also amazing, looking across the moonlit bay to Key Biscayne. Bayfront Park Downtown Miami, December.