Eat  

Balans: The place for locals to hang and eat linguine with tomato, shallots garlic and basil; North African grilled chicken with spiced pine nut couscous and harissa; grilled chicken breast sandwich with fine roasted peppers, or lobster club sandwich with bacon, lettuce, tomato and Florida cocktail sauce.  Location: 1022 Lincoln Road (Miami Beach). Phone: 305-534-9191

BleauView: This Mediterranean restaurant takes a lot of pride in its view.  There is also the cuisine: antipasto misto della casa with shaved prosciutto, calabrese and sopresata; and Maine lobster. Location: 4441 Collins Avenue (Fontainebleau Hotel, Miami Beach).  Phone: 305-538-2000, ext. 4670.

Breakwater Café:  Primarily Italian style food with SoBe flavor.  Start with Antipasti and fresh salad at affordable prices.  Pastas and pizzas are garnished with flagrant assortments of toppings.  Sandwiches are labors of love and the daily specials vary depending upon seasonal produce. Location: 940 Ocean Drive (Miami Beach). Phone: (305) 674-4885.

Breez: The first sign of life in the much-anticipated entertainment complex Billboard Live, Breez gives culinary wizard Ephraim Kadish the chance to unveil his latest Pan Asian creations. The menu itself is split into sushi and everything else.  Location: 1501 Collins Avenue.  Phone: 305-538-2251.

Café Avanti: An Italian dining institution on Arthur Godfrey Road, Café Avanti has a wide array of appetizers, starters such as farfale al salmone in a pink sauce with fresh tangy capers, herbs and spices and main courses like bistecca di manzo, a one inch  thick, seven-inch long and three-inch wide meat cut with mushrooms, chopped parsley, fresh ground pepper and oil.  Location: 732 41^st Street (Miami Beach). Phone: 305-538-4400.

Café Efesus: A “casual elegant” restaurant, Café Efesus serves traditional Turkish cuisine prepared with fresh local and imported ingredients. Daily enticing specials all graciously presented by owner Matt Erdogan.   Generous appetizers, Kebabs, Bulghur rice, stuffed grape leaves, Middle Eastern spices, Pilaki, Babaganush and tasty desserts. A family-oriented atmosphere with fine food and personal service. Location: 1339 Washington Avenue (Miami Beach) Phone: 305-674-0078.

Clevelander: Sure you might want to go to the Clevelander to watch every sport imaginable on television, hang out with sport celebrities or watch Sol Saturday’s Best Body Contest (male and female).  But the Clevelander also has food.  In fact on Fridays, this sports bar offers a one-pound lobster for $9.95 during happy hour and half price drinks. Happy Hour Food Specials (weekdays from 5 to 7 p.m.).  Location: 1020 Ocean Drive (Miami Beach). Phone: 305-531-3485.

Da Leo Trattoria: The first restaurant on Lincoln Road to create a true “trattoria” with “al fresco” dining, Da Leo is also famous for its “Pasta E Basta” Tuesday Nights where customers can dine on any of 12 pasta dishes, plus a soup and salad as well as a glass of wine for only $11.95.  Location: 819 Lincoln Road.  Phone: 305-674-0350.

David’s Café II: Open 24 hours a day, David’s Café is the place for Cuban sandwiches, salads, Cuban-style pork, seafood and chicken dishes and authentic café con leche.  Plus, an all you can eat buffet for $7.50.  So come on down and find out why 9 out of 10 local politicians like to hang out at David’s.  Location: 1654 Meridian Avenue. Phone: 305-672-5655.

Edelweiss: Named after a flower in Bavaria, Alex Richter’s gasthaus & restaurant serves traditional German favorites like smoked pork loin chops with sauerkraut; rolled rib eye stuffed with bacon, pickles and onions; calves liver with apples and onions, and fresh salmon fillet grilled with a sour cream-chives dip. Location: 2655 Biscayne Boulevard (Miami).  Phone: 305-573-4421.

El Rancho Grande: A family owned restaurant, El Rancho Grande is bueno, simpatico and will not leave you wondering what happened to your paycheck. Some of the homemade Mexican dishes include fajitas con camarones (fajitas with shrimp), enchiladas de queso (corn tortillas stuffed with Monterrey and cheddar cheese) and the alahambre combo (served with shrimp, beef, chicken, onions, tomatoes, green peppers and bacon) Location: 1626 Pennsylvania Avenue (Miami Beach).  Phone: 305-673-0480.

“Fico” Key West Seafood:  Owned by Juan “Fico” Ziegenhirt, this seafood restaurant and market has specialties such as ciego de Avila, a dish consisting of shrimp, scallops, calamari and mussels casserole and paella Valenciana with seafood, shellfish, chicken and sausage. Live entertainment Friday and Saturday evenings.  Location: 1248 Washington Avenue (Miami Beach); 3757 W. Flagler Street (Miami).  Phone: 305-534-0065 (Miami Beach); 305-446-4040 (Miami).

Joia: The movie stars and recording artists discovered it three years ago, but this South Pointe restaurant is popular not only with the celebrities, but also local SoBe residents as well.  The reason: Southern Italian dishes such as filets of Dover sole rolled in crabmeat, and boneless duck breast served in a porcini mushroom sauce. You can eat a different Joia pasta every night for two weeks and not have tasted them all. Location: 150 Ocean Drive (Miami Beach). Phone: 305-674-8871

Kim’s Chinese Restaurant: For 39 years, this Chinese restaurant has served familiar combo platters as well as entrees such as kon pao chicken with peanuts and special sauce; Maine lobster Szechuan style with scallions and ginger; and Hawaiian duck  topped with tropical fruits and sweet and sour sauce.  Location: 1245 Lincoln Road. (Miami Beach).  Phone: 305-672-8822.

Les Deux Fontaines: This trendy South Beach establishment is an indoor restaurant with a separate cigar/beverage area and a terrace café, a la Francaise.  Menu changes daily but often includes fresh salmon, dolphin, lobster, stone crabs and dozens of seafood specialties.  This ocean view eatery also offers great meat dishes and fresh and crispy salads.  All you can eat breakfast buffet daily and late night desserts are part of the allure. Location: 1230 Ocean Drive (Miami Beach). Phone: 305-672-7878

London Tavern at Bay Harbor Inn & Suites:  Have a craving for a 10-ounce New York steak or 6-ounce fresh salmon for only $9.99? Why not head on over to the London Tavern between 5 and 7 p.m. Both entrees are served with herbed whipped potatoes and steamed fresh vegetables. Also during this “happy hour” the Tavern offers 2 for 1 drink specials on house brands.  Location: 9600 East Bay Harbor Drive (Bay Harbor Islands). Phone: 305-868-4141.

Mango’s Tropical Café:  More than just a nightclub… or a café.  It is also a restaurant serving enticing entrees by Chef Alex Brugger such as Mango’s Margarita Chicken, grilled and roasted in “Mango Margarita Glaze,” Josh’s Jumping Snapper (1 ½ lb. yellowtail snapper served with Creole tomato sauce), and Drunken Herb Marinated Strip Loin (marinated in bourbon and herbs).  Location: 900 Ocean Drive (Miami Beach).  Phone: 305-673-4422.

Mark’s South Beach: Mark Militello returns to Miami-Dade with this American gourmet restaurant named after himself.  Enjoy cuisine such as grilled yellowtail snapper with whitewater clams and black mussels; rack of Summerfield Farm natural lamb with crushed chestnuts and mellow goat cheese, and Mark’s very own surf and turf with Maine lobster tail poached in lobster roe butter and milk-fed/bacon wrapped veal tenderloin.  Location: 1120 Collins Avenue (Nash Hotel, Miami Beach).  Phone: 305-604-9050.

Mezzaluna: A casual and friendly Italian restaurant with very artistic décor and a brick oven.  Features hot and cold antipasto, seafood specials, zesty sauces, homemade pastas and pizzas galore. Spirits are affordable.  Want more?  Try the homemade desserts. The aroma of freshly prepared dishes will seduce you and so will the view of the Ocean Drive antics.  Location: 834 Ocean Drive (Miami Beach). Phone:  305-674-1330.

Nexxt Café: A mainly outdoor café offering several choices of beverages, starters (chicken pot stickers, quesadillas, salmon egg rolls), salad, pizzas (shrimp pizza, Hawaiian pizza), chicken and steak dishes and an array of “Nexxt Specialties.” Also has virtually every beverage imaginable.  Location: 700 Lincoln Road (Miami Beach) Phone: 305-532-6643.

Pacific Time: This acclaimed Pan-Asian restaurant boasts such entrees as Szechwan grilled local grouper; Wok-Sautéed Yellow-Fin Tuna doused in wasabi, mustard and shiso; steamed Pacific Alaskan halibut with crushed tomatoes and sea vegetables, and sizzling hot and sour yellowtail stuffed with ribbon vegetables and tempura crisp ginger. Location: 915 Lincoln Road (Miami Beach) Phone: 305-534-5979

Salza Grill:  This new neo-Latino replacement for Ricky Martin’s Casa Salsa features traditional Latin dishes infused with international and modern influences. The menu runs a Latin gamut from empanadas to paella. There’s a lively bar and an outdoor patio on Ocean Drive featuring live flamenco music and dancing. Downstairs is the new, upscale Club Q, with state-of-the-art sound and lighting and an All You Can Drink $10 Special that should pack them in. Location: 524 Ocean Drive (Miami Beach). Phone: 305-535-0090. 

SoBe Bar-B-Q: Nightlife entrepreneur Paul Orofino’s “labor of love,” SoBe Bar-B-Q serves such dishes as pulled pork, brisket of beef, chicken, ribs and baby back ribs.    Sandwiches and platters are also available. Homemade barbecue sauces, a wide selection of beers and wine, and daily specials. Location: 1216 Washington Avenue (Miami Beach). Phone: 305-532-9986.

Soyka’s: Take a walk on the wild side and head on over to Soyka’s, a culinary oasis in Miami’s Upper East Side. Main courses include garlic and herb Rotisserie chicken; grilled New York steak; linguine with spicy Italian sausage; wienerschnitzel and sesame seared salmon with sweet soy, spinach and shiitakes.  Location: 5556 NE 4^th Court (Miami).  Phone: 305-759-3117.

Spris La Pizzeria: TiramesU’s pizzeria serves such gourmet pizzas such as Genovese with tomato sauce, garlic, black olives, olive oil and fresh basil; Vegetariana with mozzarella, Brie and gorgonzola; and Prosciutto e Funghi with tomato sauce, mozzarella, ham and mushrooms.  TiramesU also has a fine selection of oven baked sandwiches, calzones, antipastas, and other Italian dishes. Location: 731 Lincoln Road.  (Miami Beach) Phone: 305-673-2020.

Suva: Featuring the original recipes by Chef Robert Oliver, Suva offers such South  Seas- inspired dishes as  “Poke” (an island style tuna tartar with pineapple, avocado, passion fruit, Wasabi dressing and plantains); grilled Lobster Pago Pago with a pepper bisque sauce and curried mashed potatoes, and snapper with a Lobster Luau and flash fired spinach. Location: 801 Lincoln Road (Miami Beach). Phone: 305 925-0051.

Tango Beef Café: If you have a strong craving for some meat, Tango Beef Café is the place to be.  Several kinds of steak, grilled chicken breast, blood sausages, and ribs are just some of the dishes offered in this meat lovers’ paradise. For the real meat nut, try the parrillada para uno (for one person) or parillada para dos (for two) dishes, which feature sausage, entrails, blood sausage, sweetbreads and skirt steak. Location: 946 Normandy Drive. Phone: 305-861-7797.

Tantra Restaurant & Lounge: Executive Chef Willis Loughhead is out to prove that Tantra is not only a wildly popular SoBe nightclub, but a world-class restaurant as well.    Some of the items on his menu include filet mignon with Cuban coffee sauce; mustard crusted venison chop with wide egg Stroganoff noodles and a garlicky black winter truffle puree; and Florida Keys Black grouper on a bed of scallions, tomato and sake-poached mussels.  Location: 1445 Pennsylvania Avenue (Miami Beach).  Phone: 305-672-4765.

The Crazy Fish: This cozy, laid-back eatery opposite Normandy Fountain features savory Cuban-style seafood.  Owner Antonio Diaz and his key staff met while working at hotels in the Cuban resort of Varadero.  Specialties include fish ceviche, dolphin in Creole sauce, Spanish shrimp, grilled seafood platter and Cuban-style whole snapper.  Affordable prices.  Free parking in rear.  Location: 916 71^st Street (Miami Beach). Phone: 305-868-8989.

The 1800 Bar & Grill: A cozy drinking and eating atmosphere dominates this modest establishment.  Some of the specialties include lemon herb chicken breast marinated in lemon, herbs and olive oil; penne pasta with fresh tomato, garlic and herbs, black olives, white wine basil and mushrooms, and chicken Florentine with creamed spinach and imported cheeses. Location: 1800 N. Bayshore Drive (Miami).  Phone: 305-375-1093.

TiramesU: Want to get a great deal on quality Italian food?  Head over to TiramesU between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m., for their beat the clock specials. Dishes like linguine alla carbonara with eggs, bacon, cram and Parmesan cheese and rigatoni pomodro e basilico with chopped tomatoes and basil that are normally between $11 and $13, are the priced according to the time the customer places an order.  It’s 5:30 p.m.?  The dish is only $5.30.  Location: 731 Lincoln Road (Miami Beach).  Phone: 305-673-2020.

Tropical on the Beach: This casa del churrasco (steak house) is open 24 hours a day and offers such carnivorous favorites as ham steak with pineapple, T-bone steak special and liver Italian style with green peppers and onions at very affordable prices. Plus, Tropical offers a wide selection of sandwiches, seafood dishes (lobster in tomato sauce, roasted lobster with butter) as well as breakfast, desserts and beverages.  Location: 1413-15 Washington Avenue (Miami Beach).  Phone: 305-532-3338.

Tutti’s Café: Owners Berry Schlomvitz and Israel Yunger transformed Tutti’s Restaurant with a new spin on Italian food.  Among the features: a walk through window serving freshly baked breads and Café Cubano, fast take out and door to door deliveries. Dishes include ravioli in fettuccini alfredo sauce, Tutti’s Fresh Tuna Salad, 11-inch pizza and 18-inch BBQ Chicken Special. Location: 635 Collins Avenue (Miami Beach). Phone: 305-538-0012.

Wolfie’s: A landmark restaurant, Wolfie’s was on the verge of becoming ancient history when, in 1984, Joe Nevel bought the eatery.  In an effort to offer healthy food, owner Joe Nevel cut the fat contents while enhancing the portions in an expanded menu that still includes a vast array of traditional deli favorites: stuffed cabbage; hot corned beef platters and potato salads; fresh smoked whitefish platter; matzoh balls and fresh veggies in beef broth; roast turkey dinner with stuffing and so on and so forth. Location: 2038 Collins Avenue (Miami Beach).  Phone: 305-538-6626.