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Boca Bound
Perhaps Boca is getting a bad rap—for every surgically enhanced boob in this town, you can find a good bar

“Steve-O from Jackass used to come here ( Surf Café ) before he was famous. He would balance bar stools on his forehead.”

What's your reaction if someone says, “Let's go out in Boca?”

Do you cringe? Do you get excited? Do you go?

Whatever your response is, try to keep an open mind. Yes, the stereotypical image of Boca Raton is a pasty-white, monoculture land of yellow Porsches, McMansions, and faux everything.

But there are a lot of people in Boca, well over 100,000 when including the western unincorporated section of the city. And a lot of them are young. There are three colleges in the damn town, so you would think there might be a LITTLE something happening.

So the question begs, “Is there anyplace to hang in Boca?”

Of course there is. But the bigger question is: Will those places make you cringe? Of course they will—some of them, but not all. So read on, and whatever your nightlife desire is, you can find a cringe-free evening in the Mouth of the Rat.

Unfortunately, you'll probably find that nightspot in a strip-mall. If you're going out in Boca, get used to it.

That said, why not start with the king of strip-malls, Mizner Park , which isn't really a park or a strip-mall; it's a hybrid of the two that includes housing. And no, people don't live in the park—this isn't Fort Lauderdale.

Among the pink storefronts in Mizner, there's a surprisingly large number of places to get a drink. Sure, there's Ruby Tuesday and American Café , which are places that can be found in any mall. But this is Boca, so naturally there's a Caviarteria a few doors down from Ruby Tuesday . Walk by it on a weekend night and the pumping sound system makes the small narrow bar sound much bigger than it actually is.

With caviar and champagne being the featured items, Caviarteria is one of the few places with alcohol as the main course. Most spots in Mizner are first restaurants, then bars, but that doesn't take away from the ample drinking/lounge areas offered.

In the center of Mizner is the cocktail hub, where Mark's on the Park , Gigi's , and Pranzo's rest side by side. Although each place has a different décor, they all feature handsomely decorated interiors with rich wood accents, and they all also offer indoor/outdoor seating, plus separate bar areas. Gigi's and Pranzo's turn the nighttime activities up a notch by offering bands on the weekend.

Right outside of Mizner is Zara's Oceans Eleven , a snazzy spot that puts nightlife ahead of food.

“In August, we got the liquor license that allows smoking and turned it into more of a bar/lounge as opposed to the fine dining we were doing,” manager Joe Forgione says.

Oceans still has a full menu, but now they have less tables and live entertainment nightly. If the 30-to-60-year-old crowd is impressed enough with the stainless steel ceiling, slate stacked wall, and numerous waterfalls, for $7,500 one can buy a membership. Among membership advantages are an on-call chef, members-only lunch, and access to a VIP room.

Right around the corner from Oceans is yet another festive party place, Oh! Martini , which is not as swanky as its Oceans or Mizner Park neighbors, but still offers an extremely functional party room and a great incognito outdoor lounge with extra wide lounges. They only take Mondays off, and offer a variety of parties throughout the week.

If you're looking for something a little more casual, Boca has just as many dress-down bars as any town – probably more.

Perhaps the king of casual around Boca is the Surf Café , a long-standing bar that features bands from across South Florida.

“Steve-O from Jackass used to come here before he was famous,” manager Maribel Quinones says while talking about the bar's crowd. “He would balance bar stools on his forehead.”

Steve-O hasn't been around in a while, but his spirit lives. On any given night at the Surf, you'll find college kids, blue collars, Rasta's, and professionals all hanging out. For a good mid-week blowout check out their reggae night on Wednesdays featuring $2 pitchers.

“We go through 10 to 14 kegs on that night,” Quinones adds.

Because of its relaxed atmosphere and live original music, the Surf holds a revered place in Boca's nightlife.

“When I'm in the area, if I have an opportunity to drink, this is where I want to come,” Kristin Cappiello says. Cappiello came up from Pompano to perform a couple songs at the open-mic that takes place every Thursday.

“It's a musical place,” her boyfriend, Delray Beach's Alan Feldman , adds about why they like the Surf. “It's kinda a throw back to my Bottom Line days in Manhattan. It has a real feel to it. Delray was created—this is real. There's trailblazing going on in here,” he says happily.

The Surf features live music every Wednesday through Saturday.

It seems like for every strip-mall in Boca, there's a bar. Many of them are simply your corner booze hangs, such as the Boca Beer Works , which just changed hands from the old Corner Kick. Of course they feature numerous brews, plus bands on the weekend and an open-mic on Mondays. Also around East Boca there are TJ Murphy's and Flanigan's —both no frill bars with strong local followings.

And if you go west—the options keep growing. There, you'll find hangs such as Gatsby's , the Draft House , the Turn 3 , the Porterhouse , and the mega dance club Radius —all of which stay open till 5 a.m., three more hours than bars on the east side of town.

From drinking establishments with pricey memberships, to a Jackass alumnus' old haunt, if you can't find a place to feel comfortable drinking in Boca, you have a drinking problem.

Boca Beer Works
1929 N Federal Hwy
561/ 361.8549

Caviarteria
415 Plaza Real
561/620.0606

Draft House
22191 Powerline Road
561/394.6699

Flanigan's
45 South Federal Highway
561/395.4324

Gatsby's
5970 SW 18th St.
561/393.3900

Gigi's
346 Plaza Real
561/368.4488

Mark's on the Park
344 Plaza Real
561/395.0770

Oh! Martini Restaurant and Lounge
170 SE First St.
561/955.1238

Porterhouse Bar & Grill
7050 W Palmetto Park Rd.
561/391.6601

Pranzo's
402 Plaza Real
561/ 750.7442

Radius Nightclub
7000 W. Palmetto Park Road
561/392.3747

"Should you opt for a more traditional (read: romantic) approach to Valentine's Day, Miami has plentiful locations for an ideal memorable meal or extended holiday."

Could there be any more pressure on your average person on Valentine's Day?

Consider the various stresses associated with the holiday. First, there are the relationship questions: Where are we in this relationship? How does our relationship correlate with this holiday observance? What signals will a gift/evening plan give one's significant other?

As if that's not intimidating enough—particularly to men—there are subsequent things to have to ascertain. Primarily, how to celebrate the holiday and where to do so. Is a gift and dinner out at a regular favorite restaurant adequate? Or does the occasion call for something more elaborate—a weekend away, dancing under the stars, or some combination of things in aggregate making for a delightful romantic itinerary?

Guess who gets to make the assertion as to what is an appropriate level of holiday observance? You do, of course; meaning you are solely left holding the bag if Valentine's Day ends up like an Adam Sandler family Thanksgiving or an average evening around the Whitney-Bobby household. This would not be a good thing—unless you choose Valentine's Day to dump your significant other, in which case one of those glass roses/crack pipes from your neighborhood convenience store might just do the trick best.

That said, at the very least, should you opt for a more traditional (read: romantic) approach to Valentine's Day, Miami has plentiful locations for an ideal memorable meal or extended holiday.

Dinner is generally the centerpiece of a (well, public) Valentine's Day evening. Several Miami-area restaurants stand out as particularly romantic venues for this special dinner. Take Crystal Café on Miami Beach's Arthur Godfrey Road. It's been lauded by authorities from Zagat to local publications, the Miami New Times and SunPost , as Miami's “Most Romantic” restaurant. Soft lighting, immaculate if unfussy service, a highly charismatic chef working the room and careful attention to every aesthetic detail lend Crystal Café a very New York-bistro feel. AAA seems to think so too, since Crystal Café was one of just three Miami Beach restaurants awarded that institution's Four Diamond designation. Adding the final touch to Crystal Café's perfection for the holiday is the chef's dinner-for-two menu, featuring tasteful options and a bottle of wine to boot.

There's something intrinsically romantic about a restaurant operated by romantic partners, and that's exactly what you'll find at Talula Restaurant & Bar . Talula is the result of the creative personal and professional relationship between award-wining chefs Andrea Curtzo-Randazzo and Frank Randazzo . A comfortable and tasteful interior sets a romantic tone, which is sure to be accentuated by this creative dynamic duo for the holiday. They dub their menu theme “Creative American Cuisine,” which seems an understatement, considering just how exceptional the food is. Moreover, though, there is something in the air at Talula that sets an ideal tone for the occasion—presumably the coupling from which this delightful restaurant sprung.

Now if Eros is driving your Valentine's Day plans, then South Beach's Tantra should be your destination of choice. After all, no one else in town has a menu revolving around “aphrodisiac cuisine.” In translation this means largely Asian-Indian and Thai flavorings incorporated into highly imaginative dishes. Tantra is a total experience, though. With grass for floors, exotic décor and appropriate privacy for intimate dining, Tantra is the kind of place made for romance. It's pricey, but between the erotic flavors, exotic environment and the omnipresent possibility that a Hollywood celebrity will be enjoying the holiday at this famed South beach destination, it is well worth it for some.

Technically, Flute Champagne Lounge doesn't practice “aphrodisiac cuisine.” In fact, one might not think of Vietnamese fusion spring rolls or simple things like cheese and fruit as “cuisine” at all. However, toss in a selection of top-notch caviars from around the world with other gourmet goodies, and you are off to a good start. That, before we even get to the vast, world class selections of champagnes by the flute or the bottle, as well as other deluxe top-shelf Scotch, Cognacs and other spirits and you might as well be doing a screen test for the next James Bond flick. Still, it is an upscale lounge with food primarily served as accompaniment to the terrific sparkling wines and champagnes. But depending on what the rest of the evening has in store for you, Flute is guaranteed to impress before, after or in lieu of a more complicated meal.

For the Full Monty of Valentine's Day dining, really the only absolute guarantee is Azul at the Mandarin Oriental in Miami. Why? Well, it could be because both the hotel and restaurant earned that coveted Five Diamond recognition from AAA, with Azul being the only restaurant in Miami to earn that grand high honor. Executive Chef Michelle Bernstein's Latin-tinged New American cuisine draws on local and regional flavors and ingredients to create dishes as marvelous to the eye as to the palate. Combine the stellar cuisine with a dining room looking out onto Brickell-meets-the-Bay and you're guaranteed to impress.

Of course, the holiday experience can be accentuated by extending it a couple of days. If

Valentine's Day is too imposing as a one-night event, why not make it a weekend? With the recent addition of a “beachfront” pool and one of the city's most acclaimed spas right on site, you and your significant other can enjoy days of pampering and romance without leaving the scenic grounds of Miami's hottest hotel property.

A more recent addition to the Miami hotel pantheon, the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove , is simply one of the most charming spots in town. With its Italian Renaissance design, a grand 20-foot lobby ceiling and 16 majestic columns that just channel European cathedral it has a more romantic look and feel than one might expect from even a deluxe chain flag. Outside, a spectacular cascading courtyard waterfall centers a stone and marble double concave staircase leading to an outdoor pool on the second floor, contributing to the setting.

For the record—guys in particular—nightclubbing might be part of you and your date's normal routines, but it's a dubious proposal for Valentine's Day. You'll want to avoid those things not conducive to romance—smoky rooms, loud music, pressed crowds. So think of

upscale, elegant lounges such as Flute, the aptly themed B.E.D. , upscale sites in the scene like SkyBar or The Forge . Remember to keep the focus on your date and put together a holiday itinerary to accentuate the experience—or else you might end up dancing the night away under the strobe lights—on your own.

Valentine's Day is a unique holiday for its tight focus on romance, and as a result the stress can be intense. Remember that whatever you choose to do with the evening, the real stars are you and your date. Miami's more romantic restaurants, hotels and lounges can be important components to how your personal story unfolds.