Warehaus 57
1904 B Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, 954/926-6633
Each year, when we choose Best Of winners, we’re not sure whether Warehaus 57 should win for best acoustic club, best literary readings, best writers workshop, best coffee shop, best place to buy leather clothing, best Greenwich Village-style Boho hangout ... you get the idea. The response from the academy for all those categories is yes, Warehaus 57 wins them all, because it is all those things and more. Thanks to owner Lauren Tellman’s appreciation for all things expressive, Warehaus has evolved into an indispensable venue for musicians and writers to celebrate their craft. The only requirement is you create your own work, whether you’re a musician booked on Friday or Saturday nights, or a writer giving a reading of your poems, short stories or novels at the regular literary readings, or an aspiring writer who attends the monthly workshop with novelist John Dufresne. For those who want to watch or listen to talented locals, Tellman has created an artful atmosphere of found objects (including old diner seating for sipping your cappuccino), original artwork, a large collection of used books and Tellman’s own highly provocative leather clothing. This creative sanctuary is enriched even further by Warehaus’ blackboard selection of healthy eats and an invigorating menu of coffees, cappuccinos and freezes. Wine and beer is also served and Tellman even caters her literary readings with gourmet finger foods that make an event at Warehaus 57 even more inspired.

Oh ... the Drama by Derek Cintron
Derek Cintron is a rock ’n’ roll realist. Having performed in a number of South Florida bands (Vandal, Humbert) for much of the past 10 years, Cintron knows that the difficulties facing obscure but no less talented regional musicians are enormous and never-ending. Yet the versatile guitarist, singer, drummer and songwriter is refreshingly undeterred, plowing ahead with more conviction and determination than some artists who have actually "made it." Oh ... the Drama (Sportatorium Records) is the ultimate realization of this ethic, an uncompromising, carefully crafted (Cintron played all the instruments save piano and violin and produced the CD himself) work born from both inspiration and frustration. But, above all else, it’s simply fantastic rock music. Whether he’s raging against "generic bands ... prefabricated for the air" ("Pirate Radio") or imagining he’s an eyewitness to murder ("The Witness"), Cintron produces as much energy as a supercollider in overdrive. Rock ’n’ roll may be a tough business, but Derek Cintron is obviously up for the challenge. (Contact mail@derekcintron.com.)

Say Hello to Happiness by The Curious Hair
Advance copies of this weird, wonderful CD first began circulating as early as fall 1999, but Say Hello to Happiness (released on Miami’s Evol Egg Nart Recordings) exists in a world and time unto itself. Starting with a foundation of down-home Americana and wide-eyed ’70s pop, The Curious Hair launches into an expanding universe of sound in which songs pulse and glow as if newborn suns. Sounding like Neil Young fronting The Flaming Lips, band founder Jeff Rollason leads an all-star coterie of locals — Maria Marocka, Mitchel Gurdjian, Ben Peeler, Amanda Green, Matthew Sabatella, Ferny Coipel and Mario Padrón — who never let their experimentalism get in the way of their songs. This isn’t "jam band" music, although Say Hello to Happiness does have a certain haphazardness about it, thanks to the kitchen-sink assortment of banjos, acoustic guitars, toy organs and various percussion and wind instruments. And like the title suggests, the listener’s joy is paramount, even though it’s clear the participants are having a great time, as well. In fact, following your initial listen to Say Hello to Happiness, you may find yourself in love: with Marocka’s reassuring songbird voice, with Rollason’s sleepy drawl and with these bright, boundless songs that appear to never sound the same way twice. (Contact hair@nartworld.com.)

BEST LOCAL JAZZ CD

When Time Approaches by The Dave Goldberg/Duane Allen Quartet
The second effort from Hollywood-born saxophonist Dave Goldberg and guitarist Duane Allen finds the pair at the top of their game, Goldberg blowing cool and gutty, Allen alternately playing pretty chords and fills and just churning up hellaciously spiky acid-toned solos. Their contrasting approaches make for some compelling listening, bringing to mind the work of Joe Henderson and John Scofield or Dave Liebman and Pat Metheny. Rich-toned, soulful bassist Dan Feiszli reprises his role on the upright, and Goldberg and Allen pulled in a ringer with New York-based jazz and fusion great Adam Nussbaum, who, as always, adds a simmering excitement to the proceedings. The 10 originals are split evenly between Goldberg’s and Allen’s compositions, for the most part skating coolly along the surface like a swift-moving ship on a glassy sea. Although tempos and textures vary, there is a cohesiveness to the album that bespeaks a maturity on the part of the composers and musicians. This is exemplified first on the brisk, classic-sounding opener "Cyberspace," in the gentle bossa chug of "Someday Summer Day" (with some very nice work from Feiszli), and the somewhat enigmatic yet lovely "A Smile From Tracy," featuring some just plain beautiful solos from the two leaders with some exquisite brush drumming from Nussbaum. These guys can burn, too, as heard on tracks like "Eclipse" and "A. Kuzan," the latter groove inspired, Goldberg says, by a toll booth worker whose name tag he had spied while driving past. When Time Approaches manages to sound both traditional and contemporary, no doubt a testament to the skill and influences of these exceptional players.

Old News, New Shoes by Tom D’Angelo
For years, upright bassist Tom D’Angelo has thumped out the lightning pulse for South Florida jump-blues quintet The Regulators, he and drummer Bob Dean providing the boogity beat that has made the band a local fave. Now, with his Regulators bandmates along for the ride, D’Angelo assembles an all-star crew of South Florida blues talent on his mad-swinging self-released debut CD. Appropriately, The Regs kick off the action with "Lowdown Dog," "Dr. Lee" Lowenthal sounding better than ever with his chromatic harp spewing smoke like a hell-bound diesel, Dean laying down a frenetic big band swing beat, and D’Angelo and guitarist Shawn Starsky stoking the flames of the engine. Nucklebusters frontman "Famous" Frank Ward does a bang-up job on guitar and vocals on "Your Red Wagon" and "Woman Store," the latter also featuring harmonica great Billy Burns. Burns fronts a slinky version of "Big Legs" and "One Bad Stud," with Ward returning the favor. "Juice Head Woman" features the vocal, harp and songwriting talents of Nick Trill, as does "Credit Card Blues," with young Master Starsky doing the six-string honors. Harmonicat Johnny Charles finger-pops a fine rendering of "Safronia B" and joins Burns for a twin-harp attack on "Ain’t No Rockin’." Joel Da Silva contributes blistering guitar and emotional vocals on the slow-burning "Every Night" and Mike Sarafoglu also contributes some smoking guitar work and intense vocals on "You’re the One." Throughout, Regs pianist Rich Del Favero and Hammond organ pumper John Epstein add yet another layer to the partying sounds, as D’Angelo and Dean keep the excitement at fever pitch on the bottom. Besides being an ass-kicking CD, this collection of South Florida blues talent also shows a nice sense of unity on an often divisive music scene. Let’s hope there’s more to come.

Palm Beach Photographic Centre
55 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach, 561/276-9797
If all the center did was present the annual photography extravaganza known as FOTOfusion each winter, it would be enough to justify its existence. For 10 days, the most-famous photographers descend on the Palm Beach Photographic Centre for lectures, classes, demonstrations and critiques. Lucky for South Floridians, the center also presents wonderful exhibitions like the rock star pictures of Linda McCartney and a large array of classes year-round. It’s a first-class resource worthy of New York or Los Angeles.

Coral Springs Museum of Art
2855 Coral Springs Drive, 954/340-5000
Credit director Barbara O’Keefe with innovative programming that relates to art lovers. Not only did she book an outstanding exhibition of accomplished paintings by 14-year-old wunderkind Alexandra Nechita last year, she got the prodigy to come from her California home to lead art workshops for children. Another popular show focused on the Gullah people of South Carolina in the gentle memory paintings of Jonathan Green. Collage artist Bruce Helander was featured at the museum last year; he also led a workshop in collage techniques. Art classes for children and adults help to make the Coral Springs Museum a real treasure.

Boca Raton Museum of Art
501 Plaza Real, Mizner Park, Boca Raton, 561/392-2500
Executive director George S. Bolge mustered community support to the tune of more than $13 million in the past three years. The result is a new 44,000-square-foot museum in prestigious Mizner Park. The pink two-story showplace with sculpture garden opened in January with Picasso: Passion and Creation, The Last 30 Years and it was a hit. The building also houses a substantial collection including photography, and Latin American and Haitian art. In essence, Bolge repeated history, since he earlier took the Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale from a modest storefront operation to a Guggenheim-like museum that is the centerpiece of downtown. Where would the South Florida museum scene be without him?

Gateway Cinema
1820 E. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954/763-7994
The theater recently observed its 50th anniversary, and in the movie theater business, this length of time qualifies it for National Landmark status. The irony, though, is the Gateway is as current as it gets in presenting the highest quality in small, independent art and foreign films. On many given weekends, all four screens are filled with the best the indies have to offer, from the warmth of Billy Elliott to the edginess of Requiem for a Dream. This year, it even offered Fort Lauderdale Film Festival screenings. The theater regularly programs for gay audiences, as well. For regular patrons, the comfortable experience is like having a home movie theater with its cozy lobby stocked with good things to eat and even tons of reading material. And, as we all know, there’s no better location for a great dinner and a movie combo than this bustling area. The Gateway proves stadium seating isn’t the only reason people go to the movies.

Cinema Paradiso
503 S.E. Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale, 954/525-3456
The Fort Lauderdale Film Festival finally got a home base last year — the retrofitted Vinnette Carroll Theater has become Cinema Paradiso. The 200-seat theater provides a movie-viewing experience like no other. It indeed has stadium seating, but it also shows movies in the round. It’s an intimate, homey movie-viewing experience. The theater has started out slowly, but it’s not always easy to find an audience for true art films in the era of the blockbuster. But it’s hanging in there, determined to present something no other movie theater in the area can offer. These art and foreign films, as well as revivals of popular movies such as Croupier and classics such as Kurosawa’s Ran make it a pure art-house cinema. You would have to travel to a major city to find anything comparable. So, we urge you to get out and support a gem. It’s like having a year-round film festival that lives up to its namesake, that much beloved Italian film. By the way, the theater even reminds you of that Sicilian theater filled with love and sentimentality for the art of moviemaking.

Mizner Park
301 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, 561/368-7744
The newest addition to the Sunrise Cinema chain is turning eastern Boca residents, who have been dying for quality cinema, into movie connoisseurs. After all, a Steven Seagal movie didn’t quite fit into the neighborhood. After a visit to the Boca Museum of Art or a stop by Liberties bookstore, you need subtitles with your martial arts, thus a dose of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The theater physically has changed little since its movie chain days. The royal staircase remains, but now the classy product matches the decor. And, with eight screens, there’s room for every indie out there. During its few months of operation, there’s no doubt that the new product has been filling a celluloid need in the area.

Premier at Muvico
3200 Airport Road, Boca Raton, 561/395-6516
Dirty Work would have won an Oscar had the Academy viewed it in the Premier at Muvico. The English Patient would have felt like a 30-minute-short in the Premier. Nowhere will you find a more luxurious setting to take in a flick. The seats are huge and plush, just a few well-spaced rows in the balcony. You could fly to Japan in these babies and hardly know you left the living room. Those smart enough to call in advance for a reservation in the theater (they usually show four different movies at the Premier) take a separate entrance accessed by an escalator. They also get free valet parking and attendants who show you to a love seat large enough to block out the sun and cradle you like a baby. If the mood strikes, make a reservation at the slightly overpriced restaurant. Or stop by the bar for a beer or a free bag of popcorn. All this for $15. You can’t beat that with Dirk Diggler’s stick.

BEST PLACE TO WATCH A KIDS MOVIE

Deerfield Beach
City officials in Deerfield Beach stumbled upon a fantastic concept when they began showing children’s movies on the beach, just south of the popular fishing pier. The city mounts a large screen to a permanent chickee hut while hundreds of families plop down in the sand on blankets and chairs, their backs to the ocean. Cartoons start at 6:30 p.m. and the main feature begins at 7 p.m. in this unique and fun setting. Among last year’s features were Lady and the Tramp and Snow Days. The bad news is the city only turns its beach into a "drive-in" six months out of the year, beginning in October. The good news is that leaves six months to see the latest video releases.

Uncle Funny’s
9160 State Road 84, Davie, 954/474-5653
The laughs start and stop at the Uncle, where nearly every past, present and future standup star has plied the art of making funny. Since opening six years ago, the A list of headliners has included Richard Jeni, Dom Irerra, Robert Schimmel, John Pinette, Damon Wayans, Sheryl Underwood and George Wallace. No strangers to the room are crazy magicians (The Amazing Johnathon), acerbic puppets (Walter from Jeff Dunham’s act), Southern-fried good ol’ boys (Dan Whitney), a soap opera star (Walt Willy), a comic who dresses like a dominatrix (Monique Marvez) and one who simulates frog-licking (Jimmy Shubert). The Uncle also is ground zero for hot-button political satirists such as Lewis Black, Will Durst and the originator of the form, Mort Sahl. Like any comedy worth its two-drink minimum, Uncle Funny’s doesn’t discriminate when it comes to laughs, even if it means booking a comic whose stated purpose is to break up at least one couple per show (Bobby Slayton) or who starred in too many Police Academy movies (Bobcat Goldthwait.) The standard-bearer of the local standup scene got even better off the stage as well this past year with the opening of Regular Joe’s, a Chicago-style sports bar that doubles as a pre- or post-show watering hole to try out your own comedic material.

The Caldwell
7873 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, 561/241-7432
South Florida has a bumper crop of first-rate theaters, but only two or three consistently offer professional productions that challenge their audience. Among these, the Caldwell Theatre ranks with the most professional theaters in the nation. They haven’t staged a mediocre show in years. Rather than trotting out warhorses, each production breaks new ground. Under the artistic direction of Michael Hall, the Caldwell gave us area-premiere productions that made us think (The Last Night of Ballyhoo, The Laramie Project) and sometimes shudder (The Beauty Queen of Leenane) but never bored us.

As Fate Would Have It
There were dozens of shows that were more professional. There were others with more artistic merit. But what makes As Fate Would Have It, the maiden production of Footlights Inc., the best show of the season is a can’t-miss combination of guts and style. Tony Finstrom’s period-piece dramedy not only was unique (not to mention risky) in terms of content, but it was blessed with one of the most enthusiastic ensemble casts of the season. Under Richard Marlow’s high-velocity direction, Footlights took a minimal budget and turned a work in progress into a work of art. For a company to connect this profoundly right out of the starting gate is a feat in itself.

Michael Hall
Caldwell Theater
In the no man’s land between art and commerce, between the board of directors and artistic credibility lies the artistic director. Under the deft hands of Michael Hall, the Caldwell’s 2000-’01 season was its best ever. From the season opener The Last Night of Ballyhoo through the current Our Sinatra, the Caldwell presented regional premieres of the kind few local theaters would even fathom trying. But by picking its material wisely, the Caldwell didn’t lose its audience along the way. A runner-up nod must go to Dan Kelley at the Broward Stage Door for overseeing some of the highest caliber theater in the county. A BSD production is usually polished to the point of incandescence — so much so that the audience doesn’t mind if it’s watching a rerun.

WLRN (91.3-FM) and WXEL (90.7-FM)
South Florida’s two Public Radio stations provide listeners with what has become an oxymoron on either the AM or FM dial: civilized talk. To elaborate: civilized talk in which the host leads the conversation instead of monopolizes it, talk that doesn’t promote an agenda but calls agendas into question, that covers not just one topic but all topics and covers topics in such a way that listeners get insight into the culture, even when the topic is sports. Because it isn’t beholden to advertisers, Public Radio doesn’t have to pigeonhole itself into a brain-dead format that appeals to the lowest common denominator (LCD) and in the process lowers the LCD even more. Whether it’s news magazine shows like All Things Considered, midday topical talk like The Diane Rehm Show and Talk of the Nation, the culture klatch of Fresh Air, jazz and classical music programming at night, Car Talk with Tom and Ray Magliozzi (Click and Clack — the Tappet Brothers to their fans) and A Prairie Home Companion on the weekends, Public Radio provides enlightenment in a medium that sold out long ago to right-wing zealots on AM and middle-of-the-road programmers on FM. And for this, we thank them from the bottom of what’s left of our denominators.

BEST AM RADIO STATION

WINZ (940-AM)
We like WINZ for three reasons: 1) It has Phil Hendrie both morning and night and Randi Rhodes during afternoon drive; 2) It’s almost sports-free (except for motormouth midday man Jim Rome; and 3) It doesn’t have the pompous, right-wing windbag Rush Limbaugh and the relationship Nazi Dr. Laura Schlessinger, a sad distinction that falls to WINZ’s Clear Channel sister station, 610-WIOD. We’ll spare you the rant on how WIOD used to be a great station when it had Neil Rogers, Hank Goldberg, Jim Mandich, Hendrie and Rhodes. Let’s just say we’re glad that WINZ has at least become a shadow of the old WIOD by airing two of that station’s former mainstays, not to mention ex-WIODers Rick and Suds during AM drivetime and Brooke Daniels late at night after a second helping of Hendrie. We’re still not sure why Clear Channel doesn’t just move all commendable talk to the more powerful 610 signal, and ixnay Limbaugh and Laura to the weaker 940 (or off the air completely). But we’ll settle for what we have and hope that lard-ass and the insufferable "doctor" dry up and go away.

Respectable Street
518 Clematis St., West Palm Beach, 561/832-9999
As downtown West Palm Beach becomes more South Beach-like and family-oriented (how’s that for an identity crisis), the 13-year-old Respectable Street remains the area’s fringe conscience, butting heads with the city over noise ordinances, bending minds with concerts by the likes of Southern Culture on the Skids and the Meat Puppets and shaking rumps during its frequent dance nights. The club also is Palm Beach County’s premier venue for local alternative and punk acts, including scene favorites Game Four, Betsy Ross, The Rocking Horse Winner, Legends of Rodeo, One Dog’s Opinion and Pank Shovel. Canned music excels at the club, as well, with electronic dance (9 p.m.-3 a.m. Wednesdays), new wave, synth-pop and industrial retro (9 p.m.-3 a.m. Thursdays) and retro alternative (9 p.m.-4 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays) keeping the club rats sated and the bartenders’ tip jars fat. To keep abreast of the club’s concert schedule and other special events, long onto www.respectablestreet.com or thehoneycomb.com.

Bamboo Room
25 S. J St., Lake Worth, 561/585-2583
In just its second year of operation, Lake Worth’s Bamboo Room has become a necessary stop for South Florida blues lovers. Housed in the historic Paradise Building, the room is distinctively handsome, with polished wooden floors, bamboo-lined walls, a curvilinear bar, Dade pine rafters and vintage furniture. But the real draw is the music, as owners Russell Hibbard and Karen McKinley continue to book some of the best blues acts on the touring circuit. Since we gave them this distinction last year, the Bamboo has hosted acts such as Delta blues stomper John Hammond; the acid-etched roots-blues of Alvin Youngblood Hart’s trio; outrageous Mississippi bluesman Super Chikan; jazzy blues guitar great Duke Robillard; flamboyant West Side Chicago blues legend Eddy Clearwater; and ringing in the New Year in vampy good spirits, torchy blues mama Maria Muldaur. Just over the past month, highlights have included acts as diverse as Canadian blues-R&B greats Downchild Blues Band, former Muddy Waters sidemen Bob Margolin and Jerry Portnoy, passionate New Orleans/Delta blues slide great John Mooney, Austin harmonica king Gary Primich and British-born Delta blues picker Mr. Downchild. Tuesdays through Thursdays, area roots and blues artists such as Theresa Lindstrom and Rit Johnson, the Banyan Street Jug Band or Frank Ward and Magda Hiller take the stage. Add an eager-to-please and genial staff — from bartenders to waitstaff to management — a killer CD jukebox stocked with classic and up-to-the-minute blues recordings, classic cocktails, a variety of intriguing beers and a wall of 78 records with legendary labels like Vocallion and Okeh, and you’re pretty much in blues heaven.

The Culture Room
3045 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, 954/564-1074
No, we didn’t select The Culture Room because Vanilla Ice hangs out and occasionally performs there — that’s reason enough not to pick the place. We selected The Culture Room as Best Rock Club for the second year running because, well, where else are you going to see the likes of Cannibal Corpse, The Impotent Sea Snakes, Kip Winger, Flock of Seagulls and Warrant? Maybe at rival club The Metal Factory, whose mascot is a guitar-playing gorilla, which is just too damn 1986 to place them in the win column. So, congratulations Culture Room, you win Best Rock Club honors by a hair. A mullet hair, to be exact.

O’Hara’s
1903 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, 954/925-2555 and 722 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954/524-1764
No matter that their ads and their neon signs declare O’Hara’s a "jazz and blues café," the longtime South Florida nightlife staple hosts very little jazz or blues (their Las Olas location still maintains a jazz presence on Sunday afternoons). Rather, both clubs’ rosters are designed to keep booties bumping with some of South Florida’s tightest R&B and funk bands: Valerie Tyson, Gary King and the Dream, Leesa Richards, Ruby Baker, High Voltage with Bobby Pruitt, Lauren Carter and Grooveline, and Derek Mack are regular fixtures. Keep your eye on the O’Hara’s schedule for South Florida swamp-blues faves Iko-Iko and roots-funksters Funkabilly Playboys, who also appear about once a month, and way-entertaining jump-blues revivalists Jump N’ Jive, who returned to their regular Thursday at the Hollywood locale last month.

Davie Junction
6311 S.W. 45th St., Davie, 954/581-1132
While it recently encountered some competition to the north in the C&W club The Roundup, Davie Junction remains our hands-down favorite in the genre because: 1) It’s deep in the heart of Davie, where horseback riding is not only welcomed, it’s encouraged; 2) It’s a boot-scootin’ boogie away from Grif’s Western Wear, which can come in handy when some Bubba hopped up on Skoal and Old Milwaukee mistakes your hat for a spittoon and you need to find a replacement pronto; and C) It’s south of its competition — and we all know how Davie residents feel about them Northerners.

One Night Stan’s
2333 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, 954/929-1566
One Night Stan’s isn’t a jazz club in the strictest sense of the word. Most of the week, their stage hosts area blues bands. But on Thursdays, you won’t find any place better in Broward or Palm to fix a jazz jones. Jazz is proprietor Stan Waldman’s true love, and if he wouldn’t immediately go broke, there’s little doubt he’d feature it more frequently. The place just feels like a jazz club. Photos of Nat and Cannonball Adderley, Ira Sullivan and Billie Holiday line one wall, cool Blue Note-era jazz plays on the sound system between sets and there are great sightlines from everywhere (including the bar). For the past two years, the Gary Keller-Ron Miller Quartet has held down regular Thursday-night jazz jams. The early sets give the foursome a chance to stretch out, often on Miller’s evocative original compositions, with Keller’s beautifully toned tenor sax out front of Miller’s atmospheric keyboards, Bill Pace’s resonant upright bass and the always exciting, creative drumming of John Yarling. As the evening progresses, guest musicians join in and may be students of UM faculty mates Keller and Miller or pros who just happen to have the night off. Regardless, the caliber of musicianship is generally high, and you usually can count on appearances by some of our area’s stellar young players. The last Thursday of the month is reserved for South Florida jazz legend Ira Sullivan, who continues to impress on saxophone, flugelhorn and flute, and who generously gives stretch time to his talented roster of rotating sidemen. Last month, big band jazz returned to Stan’s, with Lee Harris’ 19-piece Millennium Band playing regular Wednesdays. While the fortunes of jazz clubs in South Florida, and particularly in Broward, continue to go south, it’s reassuring to know you always can find the good, creative stuff Thursdays at Stan’s.

Elwood’s Dixie Bar-B-Q
301 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 561/272-7427
A converted gas station, this Atlantic Avenue mainstay is simply the coolest hang in downtown Delray for its mix of barbecue, open-air ambiance, live roots music and proximity to the train tracks, which only heightens Elwood’s roadhouse feel. Naturally, it’s a draw for motorcyclists, who proudly line their steel-and-chrome beauties outside of Elwood’s every night. The bikers here are a diverse bunch, from weekend warriors on their polished Harleys to leather-jacketed couples with "his" and "her" bikes to greasy, tattooed roadhogs straight out of Every Which Way but Loose. One caveat: If you have tinnitus, steer clear of Elwood’s. Combined with the trains, bands, crowds and bikes, the place can get as noisy as a Kawasaki factory.

Le Tub
1100 N. Ocean Blvd., Hollywood, 954/921-9425
This is the spot to inspire envy in visitors, particularly if they’re still knocking snow from their boots. A rustic, wooden bar-restaurant on the Intracoastal in Hollywood, Le Tub is a Jimmy Buffett lyric come to life: laid-back, on the water and completely charming. The name is derived from the various bathtubs that decorate the place, one of which is cut out and cushioned like a loveseat. Intimate wooden tables are made even more so at night by the presence of a single light bulb in a coffee can hanging overhead. There are also a couple of pool tables, a pinball machine and an eclectic jukebox (see Best Jukebox) near the bar. But the atmosphere is generally placid and just right for gazing out at the still waters of the Intracoastal, where only the wake of boats or the roiling of fish chasing a tossed morsel disturb the surface. And the whole place is open-air, again making it the perfect spot to bring your snowbound Northern guests, say, in February.

BEST IRISH PUB
Maguire’s Hill 16, 535 N. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale, 954/764-4453
Every year, it seems another name is added to the growing list of Irish pubs. The trouble is, not all of them have much to offer in the way of Irish music, and some of the ones that do strive harder to please those patrons who aren’t there for the Irish music (you might hear anything from a blues band to a Rod Stewart impersonator at an Irish pub these days). But Maguire’s Hill 16 is consistent. You know that any weekend night you walk in the door, you’re going to hear Irish music and that singer Addie O’Connor will be giving it her all, with Celt on Friday and Saturdays and with Curfa (meaning "chorus"), featuring uilleann piper Eamonn Dillon, his talented fiddle-playing sister Roison (pronounced Ro-sheen) and others on Thursday and Sunday. The food, whether traditional Irish fare or a burger and fries, is good, and the patrons — from kids to grandparents — are friendly. It’s the sort of place you can meet a friend for a drink and not dread the thought of having to walk in alone, only to find out they haven’t arrived yet.

BEST GAY BAR, FEMALE
Kick’s
2008 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, 954/564-8480
The casual, laid-back nature of this lesbian-owned sports bar has made it a big hit with the ladies. In gay-friendly Wilton Manors, the club has the atmosphere of a no-hassle safe zone. Friday nights are the most popular, with the crowds usually arriving after 9. The four pool tables get some heavy activity as do the dart boards in the back of the club. As the eclectic jukebox blares everything from classic rock to country and the socializing gets heavy, you’ll hardly notice the TVs showing some form of sports. But on Sundays, the softball teams often occupy this comfy bar, and on Super Bowl Sunday, the activity even streams into the parking lot for big-screen viewing of the game. On Thursdays, there’s free pool and drink specials throughout the week. It’s become a home-away-from-home for many lesbians.

Cathode Ray
1307 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954/462-8611
Even after a move a block or so down the street, Cathode Ray is an institution in the gay community. The club attracts Las Olas neighbors but also tourists and visitors from other neighborhoods. The aquarium in the foyer soothes your entryway into a three-bar domain. The front bar is primarily the sports bar; the middle bar with the banks of screens promoting disco divas, features the larger square bar; and the back dancing room, well, it’s rarely used but there just in case anyone gets a bad case of happy feet. This is a bar for casual conversation and not necessarily the party crowd. But Wednesday nights have become a tad raucous this year with the Internet game show Dating Gayme.com, which has been attracting big crowds. The bar boasts a mixed crowd, too. On Sundays, there’s a ladies T-dance social in the dance bar from 4 to 8 p.m.

Ultra at Sea Monster
2 S. New River Drive, West, Fort Lauderdale, 954/463-4641
Much like the Coliseum, Ultra at Sea Monster, which occupies the club on Saturday nights, has become the hottest dance spot for all South Florida lesbians, attracting them from both south and north counties. With its four bars and several rooms, including the side patio featuring fine acoustic acts, the club has many feels depending on your mood. But most Saturdays, all eyes are on the dance floor where lesbians enjoy hot DJs pumping out the sounds and some of South Florida’s classiest go-go dancers, who really know how to dance and look terrific, too. Out magazine recently termed them "the best dancers this side of the Mississippi." The crowds usually start arriving about 10, and the guarded parking lots are appreciated by patrons, as well.

The Coliseum
2520 S. Miami Road, Fort Lauderdale, 954/832-0100
This high-energy, bilevel dance club has achieved the impossible this year by luring gay men up from the ever trendy South Beach to see the grand style of those rubes in Fort Lauderdale. This cavernous space, with its giant disco ball, classical murals, glitzy drag shows and gorgeous go-go boys, could have been used as a setting on Queer As Folk. Yep, you’ll see writhing, shirtless dancers, pecs to pecs, on the huge and often crowded dance floor. And if you’re bellying up to one of the bars, don’t be surprised if you spot fire-fingered bartenders who put on their own show. The house music is pounding and unrelenting for those ready to party. Efficient valet parking makes this ultimate party stop an easy trip.

The Sporting Brews
2640 Weston Road, Weston, 954/385-8080
All the big sports bars supply a TV for every game and beer for every palate. But none can compete with The Sporting Brews when it comes to something else sports fans cherish: memorabilia. Owned in part by former Dolphins owner Tim Robbie, the Brews serves as a quasi sports hall of fame with its collection of photos, jerseys and trophies culled from Robbie’s attic. There are signed photos by greats like Muhammad Ali and Pele, team photos of the Miami Dolphins from their first five seasons (1966-’70) and, most impressively, the two Super Bowl trophies won by the Fins in 1973 and ’74. Fans of the old Fort Lauderdale Strikers can reminisce as well with the famed bumblebee jerseys of Ray Hudson and Ken Fogarty that hang over the dining area and a medal from the 1980 Soccer Bowl team that is framed in the entrance. The museum pieces aren’t the only reason to drop in, however. The Sporting Brews lives up to its name by brewing its own beer on the premises and providing a home base for Dolphins fans to gather on a Sunday afternoon. The food is a cut above, as well, with the Southwestern shrimp and chicken egg rolls an appetizer worth going back for.

Billabong Pub
3000 Country Club Lane, Pembroke Park, 954/985-1050
Drink yourself around the world and/or under the table at this friendly neighborhood bar in Pembroke Park, just west of I-95 at Hallandale Beach Boulevard. With 150 beers to choose from, including 17 on draft (only one of which is an American brew), you could spend a lifetime at the Billabong soaking up the suds and the environment. Owner Dick Abrams bought the Billabong 13 years ago from "an Australian guy" and ever since has been slinging exotic beers like the Peach Lambic from Belgium, which he emphasizes is made from real fruit. "It’s kind of expensive at $8 a pint," Abrams warns. So, do you sell much of it? "Oh, yeah," he says. "This stuff’s like sex. You could lick worse stuff off a person." The Billabong also serves alcoholic aphrodisiacs from Czechoslovakia, Japan, China, Ireland, Bavaria and just about anywhere else in the world that beer and love are one and the same. If you can maintain any hand-eye coordination, venture to the back of the bar where a couple of pool tables, dart boards and video games (Galaga!) await.

Tarpon Bend
Downtown Fort Lauderdale is hardly the funky, bohemian enclave it once was, when local artists displayed their works on the walls of the Good Planet Cafe, when Tavern 213 featured original music instead of cover bands and when underground music icons like Ani DiFranco and Jonathan Richman played around the corner at the Nocturnal Cafe. That was then, Tarpon Bend is now. With its faux nautical theme spread out over two stories on the southeast corner of the Himmarshee Village entertainment district, Tarpon Bend draws the same people who used to avoid downtown in droves — preppy college-age kids, portfolio-minded young professionals and the breed of folk who find the neighboring Poor House too "edgy." In other words, fans of the Dave Matthews Band. And they’re all on the make. On weekends, Tarpon Bend is literally pelvis to pelvis, with the crowd spilling out from the bar to the street like pheromones from their pores. But the joke’s on them: More often than not, the male to female ratio at Tarpon Bend is an intimidating five-to-one. So, go easy with that CK-ONE, college boy.

The Poor House
110 S.W. Third Ave., Fort Lauderdale, 954/522-5145
Like the best neighborhood bars, The Poor House is a reliable standby. You know there’ll be good live music — blues, funk, rock — from a variety of local performers. You know there will be fine-looking people of all genders and orientations to dance with or gawk at. You know there’s an interesting selection of beers in the bottle and on tap, as well as a full liquor bar. And you know the place will pretty much be slamming by about midnight and stay that way for the next three hours. The atmosphere is low-key, the lights are low and the décor is functional and funky, with the wooden stage looking very much like some backroads front porch, complete with hanging hubcaps, license plates and old metal signs. And if the music gets too loud or you’re not in the mood to grope or be groped, you can always pull up a seat to sip your drink and listen to the tunes at one of the tables on the sidewalk out front. If you can find an empty one.

Stratford’s Bar and Restaurant
2910 Hollywood Blvd., 954/920-6159
Many things have changed along the Hollywood Boulevard corridor leading east off I-95 since 1944, but Stratford’s isn’t one of them. The bar-restaurant originally opened in 1938 on Johnson Street, but six years later moved to its current location. The funky, two-story establishment is a genuine Hollywood landmark and has remained a family operation: The original owner turned over the business to his son-in-law, Guy Roper, and it’s since been owned and operated by Guy Roper Jr. and current owner, Robin, who is Roper’s daughter. Stepping into the bar is like stepping back in time. Of course, there’s a jukebox, cold beer on tap or in bottles and a glass jar of pickled eggs at the end of the bar. You also can play "shuffleboard," a game where you finesse heavy metal discs along a bar-length wooden table, and which is best attempted after a few beers. The bar section is grafted onto a dining area, and Stratford’s long has been famous for its all-you-can-eat shrimp pig-outs, as well as an all-you-can-eat catfish dinner. Bar food, such as chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, jalapeno poppers and onion rings, are also available. Even as Hollywood revamps its downtown and has given a spitshine to the eastward corridor, Stratford’s remains pretty much the same.

Ye Olde Falcon Pub
2867 S. University Drive, Davie, 954/424-0300
This venerable Davie tavern offers an English-style atmosphere and an All-American sensibility that provides steady sustenance any night of the week. Operating under the philosophy of doing simple things well and leaving its regulars to provide the volume (either through lively talk or the classic-rock jukebox), the Falcon offers plenty of dark-as-oak British ales that go nicely with the not-too-pricey selection of ribs, chicken and fish items on the menu. There’s a large-screen TV in the main bar and dining room, but it rarely, if ever, distracts from what’s really important and what makes this such a great neighborhood bar: talking with your mate about life, love and the pursuit of happiness over a pint or two.

Whales Rib
2031 N.E. Second St., Deerfield Beach, 954/421-8880
Expect a wait. This consummate beachside restaurant and bar rarely is anything less than packed. Part of the charm is its dive bar-type atmosphere — rustic, wooden, supremely casual and generally friendly. You wouldn’t feel too bad about spilling a beer on the ground. At the same time, it’s not a bad place for noisy kids. But the Rib wouldn’t bring such a consistent crowd if the food weren’t superior to that of similar establishments (and reasonably priced). The menu ranges from The Whale (boiled ham, cappicola, provolone, lettuce, tomato, onions and the mysterious whale juice) to conch fritters (served with whale fries) to mussels marinara and the seafood combo (half-stuffed Maine lobster, one clam casino, one stuffed clam, one oyster Rockefeller, scallops and dolphin). They also have a complete raw bar and, of course, a popular wet one.

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR, BOCA RATON

Boca Pub and Nite Gallery
105-107 W. Palmetto Park Road, 561/392-8578
In less than a year, this former wino hangout that sits just a little too close to the Boca Raton Police Department has become the premier venue for Boca Raton’s underground culture. New owner Jeff Clinton kicked the toothless out and invited the brainy in, playing host to the edgiest local musicians and artists. In fact, the visual works of musicians like Chief Rumbles With Honking Noises (a.k.a. Rick from The Ex-Cretins) have adorned the walls while the stage has absorbed the sounds of such fringe groups as Plutonium Pie, the Baby Robots and Mr. Entertainment and the Tiny Show. Some bands — e.g., the Baby Robots — respect the Pub so much they’ve chosen to hold their CD release parties here over bigger, more trafficked venues.

Sandbar Island
520 Forest Hill Blvd., West Palm Beach, 561/547-0503
If you want to feel like you’re wasting away in Margaritaville, Sandbar Island is your Key away from the Keys. Owner Gabrielle Boll, originally from Germany, bought this place about a year ago and did a complete overhaul of the long-standing bar. Though they only have a beer and wine license, it’s not the alcohol that makes the Sandbar what it is. It’s the atmosphere. The majority of the bar is outdoors and set up with decks built around trees, which have stood here for decades. Except for the sound of passing cars and trains, you’d swear you were in Key West. The small interior has a few booths, a pool table and a jukebox that plays everything from Ozzy to Korn to Jimmy Buffet to Journey. Sit on the deck, enjoy steamed clams on the half shell with drawn butter, a jerk chicken sandwich or homemade clam chowder and wash it all down with one of 24 bottled beers, four drafts or a variety of wines. Enjoy nightly live music and waste away all you want.

Sneakers
112 S. 20th Ave., Hollywood, 954/929-3902
Why has downtown Hollywood’s renaissance failed to strike sparks? We’re not sure, but it might just be because, at heart, it’s a shot-and-a-beer kind of town, no matter how you try to glitz it up with South Beach pretensions. Think of the successful establishments along Hollywood Boulevard, Harrison Street and Young Circle, and inevitably they’re either affordable, nonglamorous restaurants or great bars with live music and tons of atmosphere. On the short list of the latter, you have to include Sneakers, a watering hole on a side street connecting Hollywood and Harrison. The bright, vertical pink and blue neon sign and green awning beckon passersby to stop in and hoist a few. The long, narrow bar usually attracts a loyal crowd on weekends, many of whom come to hear the house band, B.O.B., who provide a mix of Grateful Dead, Beatles and other era favorites, as well as originals. A busy grill, deep-fryer and oven behind the bar churn out reliable eats, from burgers to pizzas to just about anything that can be deep-fried and consumed. Necessary accouterments to any tavern worth its beer taps are added attractions like pool tables, a pinball machine and a jukebox. And with its 4 a.m. closing time, Sneakers is always a good place to sneak in one more pop before heading for breakfast or home.

Ocean’s 11 South Restaurant and Lounge
"800 N. Federal Highway, Hallandale Beach, 954/454-5858
If only Hallandale Beach City Commissioners had a little more foresight, Ocean’s 11 could have been open round the clock. But noooo, they had to go and vote down an ordinance that would have nudged closing times from 6 to 7 a.m., in effect allowing the longtime fixture on Federal Highway to remain open for 24 hours, like a 7-Eleven. Not that owners Arnold and Lorette Orenstein intended to do so, they demurred to The Miami Herald, it just would have been nice to have the flexibility of peeling that last die-hard from his barstool. For years, the Pepto-Bismol-colored brick building across from the Hollywood Greyhound Race Track has been the last-call of choice for those who won’t let a little thing like the rising sun get in the way of their drinking. (In all fairness, there are those who work till the wee hours who stop in for a quick pop before heading home.) Of course, there’s the notorious four-for-one happy hours (4-6 p.m., midnight-2 a.m. and 10 a.m.-2 p.m.) and the free-drink wheel-of-fortune behind the bar, as well, in case you’re still thirsty after imbibing your four cocktails.

Nick’s Bar and Grill
1214 N. Broadwalk, Hollywood, 954/920-2800
You can come here to party or you can come here to mellow out, it all depends on when. During the day, the cool, dark Nick’s is often filled with beachgoers dodging the afternoon rays, sipping a beer or several, chowing down on Nick’s tasty menu items, including artery-clogging fried finger food and raw bar, or perhaps noisily enjoying a ball game on the tube. Sit along the open-air windows facing the Broadwalk and you can scope out the thong bikinis and the passing parade of bikers, bladers and Canadians. At night, you might find live music from acoustic blues busters The Bent Fender Duo or jazzy acoustic from guitarist Jeff Prine, a fixture at the bar for nearly 20 years. With Prine picking some Coltrane on the small stage, a fish tank bubbling placidly behind him, a slight breeze coming in off the ocean and a cold beer or refreshing citrus-based mixed drink in your hand, you could hardly find a better spot to proclaim, "Damn, this beats the hell outta Cleveland."

Rose & Crown
3680 W. Commercial Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954/731-6245
The old adage location, location, location gets a sendup at Rose & Crown, which has poured its English ales for the past 26 years in a strip center that looks more like an abandoned warehouse district than the setting for a neighborhood pub. Located directly across from the infamous Trapeze swingers club, the Rose is the quintessential British pub, despite its offbeat locale. The main barroom has brick walls, a flat stone faux fireplace, pictures of Churchill and Chaplin, soccer matches on television, and a menu of food and beers that the Queen Mum herself would approve. The traditional selection of back-home cooking, including Yorkshire pudding, fish and chips, bangers and mash, Scottish pastie and kidney pie, is prepared with everlasting love by Aggie, who has worked the kitchen since the pub opened in 1975. Aggie, by the way, is so famous with regulars that she’s on a one-name basis. Rose & Crown is open from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. daily, serving an English breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays in the morning. There’s also a large room separate from the bar for darts and large parties. This place can be tricky to find the first time — it’s just east of 441 on the south side of Commercial Boulevard (look for the Union Jack flag) — but once you’ve been here, you’ll have no trouble finding it again.

Le Tub
1100 N. Ocean Drive, Hollywood, 954/921-9425
South Florida’s quirkiest waterfront bar/restaurant has a jukebox playlist that is as timeless as the plywood and porcelain that has distinguished this Intracoastal haunt since it opened in 1955. Eschewing soulless one-hit wonders for true artists from a variety of idioms, the Le Tub songbook primarily draws from the 1960s and ’70s, with a smattering of classics from the decades that precede and follow. The heady cross-section of blues, soul, jazz, folk and classic rock includes a host of legends that rarely, if ever, make it to most jukeboxes. If you want blues, there’s John Lee Hooker, Joe Williams and Chicago ax-man Son Seals; folkies can revel in Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen, while rock classicists can drain a bottle of suds over Pete Townshend, Van Morrison and Warren Zevon. Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue or Tom Waits’ The Heart of Saturday Night are perfect for a last call sendoff or as the soundtrack for a romantic breakup. There’s also greatest-hits discs from Elvis Costello, jazz chanteuse Nina Simone and slide guitar master Ry Cooder. And no waterfront bar would be complete without plenty of Jimmy Buffet. You can get Buffet anywhere, but go ahead and try to find a jukebox with Tom Waits. If you find another one, let us know.

Rosey Baby
4587 N. University Drive, Lauderhill, 954/749-5627
It’s almost a shame to even call Rosey Baby’s Louisiana-themed menu bar food, in that it’s far from the typical chicken fingers and jalapeno poppers fare and certainly better than a nearby restaurant that actually purports to serving authentic Bayou State cuisine (we don’t want to name any names, but it rhymes with 811 Bourbon Street). When they’re in season, crawfish are served freshly steamed in buckets of various sizes, and Rosey Baby is the only South Florida restaurant to do so. The rest of the year, however, the tasty bugs are found in Rosey’s signature crawfish bisque, hearty po-boys and as a spicy fried-tail appetizer. The muffuletta is also great, as are the soups, red beans and rice, catfish dishes and jambalaya.

The Entrada Resort and Motel
509 N. Federal Highway, Hollywood, 954/925-7098
"The bar is open till 6 a.m. and they have a pool," joked Donnie Walsh, leader of the Toronto-based Downchild Blues Band. "What more can you want?" Walsh and his crew, like many Canadian visitors to Hollywood, were staying at the Entrada, a motel just a bottle cap’s throw north of downtown’s Young Circle and just down the street and across the tracks from One Night Stan’s, where the band was playing for the club’s fifth anniversary in March. Besides fairly inexpensive room rates ($36 a night in the off-season, up to $75 during), the Entrada is rich with history. With its huge retro-looking sign and mural facing Federal, the place is suffused with a character that permeates downtown Hollywood, in contrast to the city’s attempts at expunging the funk. But for 42 years, the 60-room Entrada’s bar has provided cocktails and comfort for those out and about in the wee hours. Adjacent to the patio and its kidney-shaped, 40,000-gallon pool, the lounge has character to spare, closing its doors only for that hour between 6 and 7 a.m. and providing a haven for graveyard shifters and those in search of one more drink after all the other establishments have started stacking the chairs on the tables. Although the neighborhood’s somewhat seedy, you needn’t worry about a visit to the Entrada, which has on-site security and surveillance cameras around the premises. And if you need something to soak up some of the alcohol, you can order a $2 breakfast, or enjoy a free dinner with the purchase of two drinks, depending upon which of the 23 hours of operation you choose to visit.

Underground Coffeeworks
105 S. Narcissus Ave., West Palm Beach, 561/835-4792
Who says you can’t enjoy a great cup of Joe when you’re six feet under? In business for more than eight years, this popular and eclectic bar underneath Narcissus Avenue serves the living, the dead and the in-between. Choose from more than 30 types of coffee, in a variety of styles (black or cream and sugar are still acceptable), as well as dozens of tempting teas. Or have a beer or a glass of wine while you enjoy live local music or poetry. And if you’re hungry, order from the menu or feast on a piece of homemade dessert. So, if you’re in the mood to just relax in an atmosphere as warm and dark as a cup of cappuccino, this is the place.

The 15th Street Fisheries
1900 S.E. 15th St., Fort Lauderdale, 954/763-2777
Though it’s best-known for its Intracoastal waterfront location and fresh seafood dishes (not to forget the kangaroo and ostrich), the martini is the Fisheries’ secret weapon. Unlike other restaurants, and even most martini bars that monitor how much vodka or gin goes into each martini, the Fisheries’ bartenders are liberal pourers, meaning they’re not only pro-choice but also pro-buzz. Actually, it means they "free pour," eschewing the shot glass measuring system of other tightfisted bartenders and letting the liquor flow as they see fit. Fisheries martinis don’t use the gag-inducing vermouth and come with the hard-to-find tomolives if desired. Better still, martini lovers have two options here: They can enjoy their drinks downstairs at the casual dockside bar (tended by Rob "Furlong" Laatz) or in the more upscale upstairs dining room, where service bartender "Lethal" Leatha does her work out of sight from customers, but hardly out of mind.

Canyon Southwest Café
1818 E. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954/765-1950
Ever go to a bar where everyone around you has ordered the same drink? If not, then you haven’t been to Canyon, where the Prickly Pear Margarita is the drink du jour every day of the week. A subtle yet fruity confluence of tequila, Triple Sec, fresh-squeezed sour mix and the cactus-picked, tequila-soaked prickly pear, this signature margarita is so delicious and well-matched to the four-star cuisine served at Canyon that its alcoholic competitors simply gather dust on the glass shelf above the bar. If you want to stand out in this bar crowd, order Budweiser, or even that well-aged Glen Livet Scotch that sits waiting like a boy who can’t find anyone to dance with him. But this is one case where being different only makes you strange, not adventuresome.

Mai-Kai
3599 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, 954/563-3272
Madness, sheer madness. That was our initial thought when we attempted to meet a friend at the Mai-Kai after work on a Friday evening. Think spawning fish fighting the currents and you have a general idea of the difficulty we had navigating the Friday crowds that gather at the Molokai Bar of the vintage Polynesian restaurant that was tiki before tiki was cool. Why do they do it? Again, we’re reminded of the spawning fish ... hormones were all but ricocheting off the dark timber and thatched surfaces. For a mellower happy hour experience, you might want to come in 5-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, when you also can enjoy a complimentary sushi bar with your drinks (from 5 to 9 p.m.). Other happy hour enticements include half-price appetizers from 5 to 6 p.m. and after 10 p.m. daily, from which you can choose such toothsome tropical treats as pupu platter, nams (pork- and crab-filled egg rolls) and barbecued ribs. A menu of 57 tropical drinks is designed to delight all the senses. Libations are brought to your table by a sarong-wearing waitress and served in everything from a coconut shell to something resembling an iceberg. Serving four to six people, The Mystery Drink, a rum and fruit juice concoction, is usually ordered to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries; an undulating Polynesian dancer wiggles the beverage to your table, putting new meaning to the term "belly up to the bar." But most popular is the infamous Barrel of Rum, 12 brain-numbing ounces of Jamaican and Puerto Rican rum mixed with orange juice. Barrel number one will cost you $11, but you get the second one free during happy hour. Of course, you always can sober up over dinner and the fire-dancers show in the adjoining restaurant.

West Palm Beach Greenmarket
October through April
Sure, every city seems to have a greenmarket, so why is this one so good? For several years, this in-season Saturday event in downtown West Palm Beach features the finest products Mother Nature has to offer. So bread and pastries don’t grow on trees, but baked goods seem so natural. You can mosey down this two-block area and pick from a huge selection of fresh-cut flowers, organic veggies and fruit, honey, teas, coffee, seafood, natural remedies and plants. There’s even a pickle stand. Live music mellows things out even more, so sit back with your orange-strawberry smoothie or wheat grass shot, nibble on a hearty dill and enjoy a home-grown variety of healthy and natural goods.

Las Olas Art Festival
Bubier Park at Las Olas Boulevard and Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, 954/763-6464
While pretenders to the art festival throne sprawl all over Las Olas Boulevard, the king of them all is in Bubier Park across the street from its sponsor, the Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale. It’s been a pre-spring tradition for more than 30 years. For one weekend in March, nearly 300 artists both local and national show handmade ceramics, wood whirligigs, children’s furniture, handmade musical instruments, sculpture, paintings, posters, photography — you get the idea. With more than $10,000 in prizes awarded, the quality is exceptionally high.

CG Café
517 Lake Ave., Lake Worth, 561/585-5911
Richard Kaminsky has owned this eclectic eatery on Lake Avenue since 1994, and in that time, he’s done much for local artists. His most popular good deed is Wednesday’s open mike hosted by Ric Pattison. The reason he does it? "I love the ability to have local people showcase their arts and wares, because that’s what I do," Kaminsky says. Singer-songwriters, crooners, poets, rappers, comedians, even jugglers perform before an average 70 people every week. The café’s menu includes chicken curry, chicken primavera and homemade desserts.

The Florida Derby
Every March at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach
The Florida Derby may not incite a weeklong party in Hallandale Beach like the Kentucky Derby does in Louisville, but that doesn’t mean this prestigious horse race isn’t worth celebrating. The capper to Gulfstream’s three-month meet (which will be even longer next year, the Legislature willing) and one of the earliest main events of the national racing season, the Florida Derby took place for the 50th time this year. And fans couldn’t have asked for a more exciting race, which culminated in a come-from-behind win by the heavily bet Monarchos, who cruised down the final stretch like a Corvette on a country road, finishing four and a half lengths in front of Fountain of Youth winner Songandaprayer. In addition to witnessing the awesome power and athleticism of the thoroughbreds, Derby Day is also a great people-watching event, as South Floridians of every culture, tax bracket and fanaticism level fill the park, empty their pockets and, win or lose, scream their fool heads off.