Miami’s diversity inspires dining delights in a variety of culinary styles from sophisticated to casual. Fine restaurants, grills, bistros and bayside cafes feature flavorful food served in attractive surroundings making Downtown Miami an area of good taste. The James L. Knight International Center is a venue for concerts and sporting events.

Peak season in South Florida runs from October to March. And while peak season is the most popular time to visit, pre- and postseason offer you a less congested, less expensive travel experience. Regardless of when you choose to travel, a little advanced planning will help you make the most of your trip.

Dining in South Florida is no longer just an early bird's paradise. Thanks to Latin and European influences, there are now restaurants in which you can have your dinner at, say, 2am, if that's what appeals to you. Still hot in South Florida is fusion, eclectic, and the South Florida-born New World cuisine.

As far as dress is concerned, it all depends on where you eat. Even in fancy restaurants in the Keys, for instance, shorts and T-shirts are usually acceptable and commonplace. On South Beach, things tend to get a bit dressier, though jackets are never required and black is always the safest bet. Up in Fort Lauderdale, dress code ranges from beach casual to South Beach hip. If you have a hankering for jacket-required restaurants, head to Palm Beach. The Treasure Coast is pretty casual, as well.

Practically every club in the area has installed closely guarded velvet ropes to create an air of exclusivity. Don't be fooled or intimidated by them -- anyone can go clubbing in the Magic City.

South Beach is certainly Miami's uncontested nocturnal nucleus, but more and more diverse areas, such as the Design District, South Miami, and even Little Havana, are increasingly providing fun alternatives without the ludicrous cover charges, "fashionably late" hours of operation (things don't typically get started on South Beach until after 11pm), the lack of sufficient self-parking, and outrageous drink prices that come standard in South Beach.

And while South Beach dances to a more electronic beat, other parts of Miami dance to a Latin beat -- from salsa and meringue to tango and cha cha. However, if you're looking for a less frenetic good time, Miami's bar scene offers something for everyone, from haute hotel bars to sleek, loungey watering holes.

Parts of downtown Miami, such as the Biscayne Corridor, the Miami River, and the Design District are in the throes of a trendy makeover a la New York City's Meatpacking District, in which, slowly but surely, cool lounges, bars, and clubs are popping up and providing the "in" and arty crowds with another, newer, more urban-chic nocturnal pasture.

But if the possibility of a celebrity sighting in one of the city's lounges, bars, or clubs doesn't fulfill your cultural needs, Miami also offers a variety of first-rate diversions in theater, music, and dance, including a world-class ballet (under the aegis of Edward Villella), a recognized symphony, and a talented opera company.

For up-to-date listing information, and to make sure the club of the moment hasn't expired, check the Miami Herald's "Weekend" section, which runs on Fridays, or the more comprehensive listings in New Times, Miami's free alternative weekly, available each Wednesday, or visit www.miami.citysearch.com online.

If you're unsure of what to wear out on South Beach, your safest bet will be anything black.

Do not try to tip the doormen manning the velvet ropes. That will only make you look desperate and you'll find yourself standing outside for what will seem like an ungodly amount of time. Instead, try to land your name on the ever-present guest lists by calling the club early in the day yourself, or, better yet, having the concierge at your hotel do it for you. Concierges have connections. If you don't have connections and you find yourself without a concierge, then act assertive, not surly, at the velvet rope, and your patience will usually be rewarded with admittance. If all else fails -- for men, especially -- surround yourself with a few leggy model types and you'll be noticed quicker.

If you are a man going out with a group of men, unless you're going to a gay bar, you will most likely not get into any South Beach hot spot unless you are with women.

Finally, have fun. It may look like serious business when you're on the outside, but once you're in, it's another story. Attacking Clubland with a sense of humor is the best approach to a successful, memorable evening out.

Rascal House has been a Miami Beach institution since 1954. No visit to Miami is complete without a stop at Wolfie's place for a bagel, corned beef sandwich and a healthy sized piece of cheesecake. Beware -- Rascal House does not take reservations and the legendary lines stretch around the corner into the rear parking lot on even the slowest nights.

This authentic Brazilian steakhouse prepares some of the finest meat dishes Miami has to offer. Their slogan - "Vegetarians Beware!" - is quite fitting! Be sure to stop by on a Saturday night for the Feijoada dish or sample the Rodizio buffet of appetizers, salads, seafood, sushi and meat.

If you find yourself in South Florida during stone crab season (October 15th - May 15th), a stop at Joe's Stone Crabs on South Beach is absolutely mandatory! This former lunch counter opened in 1913 and claims to be the original discoverer of the delicious stone crab.

Another old-time favorite, Tobacco Road was established in 1912 and has a somewhat shady history of run-ins with local law enforcement authorities. That said, it's the absolute best place in town to find a huge greasy hamburger and you're liable to hear some of the best live blues music in the country while you're dining.

This acclaimed Italian restaurant frequently wins top billing from a variety of Miami restaurant polls. Visit their Miami Beach location and you're bound to find some sumptuous homemade pasta, chicken and veal dishes.

Shorty's is not a fancy place. However, if you don't mind a few splinters in your rear and a roll of paper towels to wipe your mouth with, you'll find the best bar-b-q in South Florida at amazingly low prices! The original Shorty's on U.S. 1 opened in 1951 and is joined by more recent openings in West Dade and Broward.

This authentic Cuban restaurant on Calle Ocho serves a variety of Latin specialties until the wee hours of the morning -- they generally only close for a few hours to clean and restock. Be sure to top off your meal with a fresh cafe cubano!

Ranked by the Zagat's survey as one of the top ten steakhouses, the Capital Grille offers delicious steaks and a celebrated wine list to discerning patrons. They're located in the heart of downtown right near the Brickell Bridge.

Azul's cuisine may leave something to be desired, but they more than make up for it with one of the city's best wine lists and a breathtaking view of Biscayne Bay. It's located inside the Mandarin Oriental hotel on Brickell Key.

 

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In the face of Miami’s ocean vistas and lush landscapes, man-made attractions are hard-pressed to show deference to nature. Even so, the artistry exhibited at these created sites gives beaches and sun worshiping a run for their money. Foremost among them is James Deering’s 1916 winter estate, Vizcaya, which was painstakingly designed to mimic authentic Italian villas. Another icon from the era, Denman Fink’s Venetian Pool, is a fantasy of grottos, waterfalls and Mediterranean architecture constructed around an abandoned rock quarry. Charting more recent history are the Holocaust Memorial, whose enormous bronze hand hints simultaneously at hope and despair, and the Wolfsonian, which tracks the contemporary relationship between design and civilization in terms of culture, commerce and politics. Another tension – that of nature versus human intervention – gets a measure of reconciliation at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, where a rainforest and arboretum highlight gorgeous, warm-weather specimens. In addition, entertaining Parrot Jungle Island delights visitors with its residents’ exotic plumage before surprising them with the birds’ carefully choreographed performances and raucous calls.

Different locations in and around Miami produce some very different conditions for water sport.

Windsurfing, for instance: Biscayne Bay off Rickenbacker Causeway has winds that usually blow side-onshore, and the water stays fairly shallow, allowing even a beginner to walk his way back to shore if necessary. If you want to go further a field, however, continue toward Key Biscayne and spots like Hobie Beach, where operators can provide you a two-hour lesson if you are new to the sport for about $70. After that, you can rent your own board by the hour. The drive down toward Key Biscayne is itself an experience as you gain a fantastic view of Miami’s skyline and closer by beneath you, the water’s surfaces alive with sailboats of all kinds, jet skiers, or just people fishing from the boats. The biggest collections of rental outlets for jet skis are to be found at Virginia Key on the way to Key Biscayne.

Getting you on your way to either dive, surf, or windsurf adventure are plenty of well-equipped private operators around the city and its outer areas. South Beach Divers, for instance, is a renowned PADI Five Star facility located in the heart of South Beach and within walking distance to most hotels; this small but full-service shop provides diving gear and instruction from which you can easily receive your certification over the course of a weekend. They’ve also begun to cater extensively to the surfing crowd, with a full range of all the top surfboards and accessories; they offer surf lessons as well and there’s even a 24 hour surf report that is updated daily. If you already a die hard surfer able to take off on your own, you will find that while this coastal area of south Florida does not have the powerful waves and cross-currents to match those along the Pacific coast, there are still some respectable surfing conditions out there. Head just north of Miami Beach, where the swells at Haulover Beach and South Pointe Beach are the largest and most popular. A little closer to the city, some windy days can see five to seven foot waves roll in off the beach between First and Third Streets in the South Beach area.

 
Not all outdoor activity on water has to be done right out in the neighboring Atlantic, of course—this is a city with its own urban and suburban waterways and canals to paddle through: Miami-Dade Parks also has canoe trips that explores some of the more interesting wildlife aspects of these: for instance, with a trip into the historic Oleta River which forms the eastern boundary of Greynolds Park. The trip includes a stop at a tropical hardwood hammock and Tequesta Indian midden in East Greynolds Park. Another canoe outing takes you through the Coral Gables Waterway--the same historic canals that gondoliers once used to ferry guests from the Biltmore Hotel to the bay for a day at the beach. Relive this experience where you may see a surprising amount of wildlife. If you have the time to go further a field, then you might look into the canoeing available on a day trip to the Everglades or Loxahatchee River preserves which are just about an hour’s drive from the city. Flamingo, deep in Everglades National Park is another great spot for naturalist-led adventures as well as world-class fishing on Florida Bay. The eight-mile stretch of Loxahatchee River that begins in Riverbend Park meanders through cypress trees, while otters, turtles, and alligators are all resident in the waters here. More than a third of Everglades National Park is made up of marine areas and shallow estuaries, and that means thousands of acres of shallow water flats, channels, and mangrove keys in which to fish for the plentiful snapper, sea trout, redfish, bass and bluegill.