The South Florida Traveler

What’s Going on for NYE?

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 03:22:42 +0000

If you haven’t made plans for New Year’s Eve yet, time is running out. No matter what kind of evening you’d like to partake in, there are options in every corner. Here are some possibilities to spend that magical night:

Palm Beach County:

Join in the fun close to home at John Bull English Pub. They will be offering $5 martinis, some amazing dinner specials, a live band “24/7″ and the infamous ball drop at midnight. Call early for reservations. 561-697-2855
Stop by Taverna Opa for a night to remember. Located at CityPlace, their first seating at 6 pm is $100/person and includes a glass of champagne. The 2nd seating is at 9 pm, is $175/person and includes 2 glasses of champagne, a lobster tail and prawns. For more info, visit opapalmbeach.com

Broward County:

Lola’s on Harrison will be offering a 4-course dinner and champagne toast on New Year’s Eve for $65. Enjoy such culinary delights as Maryland Blue Crab Cakes, Grilled Filet with Roasted Fingerling Potato and Carmelized Onion Hash and Pan Seared Mahi Mahi with shrimp risotto and lobster butter sauce. Visit Lola’s on Harrison for more info.

Miami-Dade County:

Elevate your senses on NYE at the Conrad Miami. Spend the night in the hotel or enjoy a gourmet dinner at Atrio. Stay for cocktails at the bar and watch the fireworks from the balcony. The chef’s dinner from 6:30 – 11:30 includes a champagen toast for $125/person. For reservations, call 305-503-6529 or visit conradmiami.com/seasonalspecials
Area 31 at the Epic Hotel promises to be the best spot for an amazing fireworks display in the area. Executive Chef John Critchley has put together a 5 course dinner for the evening for $135 ++ and includes a welcome glass of Prosecco, an after dinner libation, a midnight Champagne toast and live music.
NYE at LIV: Hop on down to the Fountainebleau as they will be hosting 3 soirees. Maroon 5’s Adam Levine will be hosting a poolside party with DJ Berrie. Molly Sims and DJ Ross will be at Blade and Diddy will be hosting a dance party at LIV. Tickets begin at $225. LIV

Photo credit: Dan4th @ flickr

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Are You Looking For a Luxe Guide to Miami?

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 03:58:45 +0000

If you are looking for a pocket size guide to the luxe lifestyle in Miami that is sleek, savvy and even a bit witty, check out the LUXE City Guides. This series of guidebooks, 30 in all, just added Miami to the line-up. Written by over 20 local contributors, this lifesaver of a book lets you know about the hottest hotels, restaurants, clubs, bars and spas in the area. Additionally, you will learn about services, shops and hidden secrets that only the locals know about. Even better, the LUXE guides take in zero advertising dollars, therefore you know the recommendations are the best the city has to offer. The guides are short, sweet and to the point.

You don’t have to worry about these guides to be outdated, as they are updated every year, and give you updates throughout the year via the Internet. Can’t decide on an itinerary for your trip? No worries, as shopping and activity itineraries are available to mix and match. Available for $9.99 on their website.

Image courtesy of Hawkins PR.

Post from: The South Florida Traveler

Last Minute Shopping Anyone?

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 16:48:36 +0000

For me up north, the snow is keeping me inside, but for those people in Florida you are a bit luckier as you can get around. But, as you are preparing to finish up your holiday shopping what is open? Here’s a quick run-down on where to sneak in and pick up those last minute touches to make your holidays a little merrier.

Publix: All stores close at 7:00 pm on Christmas Eve and are closed all day on Christmas Day
Albertson’s: open until 3:00 pm on Christmas Day, 9:00 pm on Christmas Eve
Winn-Dixie: open until 4:00 pm on Christmas Day, 7:00 pm on Christmas Eve
Target: open from 7:00 am – 6:00 pm on Christmas Eve, closed on Christmas Day
Wal-Mart: Closed Christmas Day
K-Mart: open from 6:00 am – 10:00 pm Christmas eve, closed on Christmas Day
Malls: All malls are closed on Christmas Day, Most malls closes at 6:00 pm on Christmas Eve

Image Credit: Saquan Stimpson @ flickr

Post from: The South Florida Traveler

Are you looking to find a restaurant open on Christmas Day?

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 03:10:21 +0000

I’m a huge fan of Open Table. This online reservation system is ideal for finding new restaurants, making reservations, and even better at this time of the year, it’s perfect to find out what restaurants are open for those days when you feel the city has shut down — including Christmas Day. If you are one of those people who would rather go out than spend the day in the kitchen or if you are on the road for work or another reason, Open Table is the place to go to. They have nearly 60 restaurants for you to choose from in South Florida.

Here are my favorites:

Miami area

Baleen at the Grove Isle
La Marea at the Tides
Meat Market
Vix

Broward County

Palm Beach County

Photo Credit: p u n t o @ flickr

Post from: The South Florida Traveler

Create Your Own Personal Hotspot

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 20:12:34 +0000

Today was one of those days — a much awaited travel day. Yes, I woke up at 5am this morning and with my eyes half opened made my way to the Fort Lauderdale airport to head up to the snowy Midwest. Only 1 day after reading about the 10 inches of snow they just received. Lovely! Right? Although, the weather can cause quite a nuisance during the long days of travel, the thing that bothers me even more is the lack of an Internet connection in the airports. OK so they do have an Internet connection, but every airport uses a different system – Boingo, T-Mobile, Sprint, Wi-fi zone, Access Anyplace – Why can’t there be one centralized system?

Your answers are solved with the new Cradlepoint PHS300 Personal Hotspot. This device is designed to work with your cell phone whenever you are without an Internet Connection. It creates your own personal hotspot with a built in firewall. It can definitely be a lifesaver when you are trying to conduct business on the road. It’s compact and portable, and it’s the perfect travel companion. Available online for $179.99.

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Make your way down to Clematis Street for the Presidential Inauguration

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:01:21 +0000

Mark you calendars now as on Tuesday, January 20, 2009, the City of West Palm Beach will be holding a special Inauguration celebration on Clematis Street. Their weekly Clematis by Night will move to Tuesday that week in order to help mark the swearing in of our nation’s 44th President, Barack Obama.

And if you don’t want to wait that long, you could always make your way down there tonight as from 6:00 – 9:00 pm, Vanilla Monk will be on stage. Vanilla Monk is a soulful, funky rock group from Fort Lauderdale. Hop on down to Centennial Square tonight on Clematis Street to join in some pre-holiday fun. It’s about to get crazy.

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Clematis Social Opens Up in West Palm Beach

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:38:12 +0000

When I first met Burt Rapoport nearly 2 years ago, I knew he was one to keep an eye on. I was thoroughly impressed with his genuine character and the excellent food and service you received in his restaurants. The only problem was that none of the restaurants were very close by, until now. Clematis Social, Burt’s latest endeavor, opened up recently on Clematis Street in West Palm Beach. Located at 223 Clematis Street (next to Forte and across the street from Rocco’s Tacos), this place has been buzzing since it opened its doors just a few weeks ago.

For those of you who aren’t aware of the Rapoport Restaurant Group, clear you schedule for tomorrow night, as they will be hosting their official grand opening. From 6:30 – 9:00 on Wednesday, December 17th, 20% of all sales will go directly to the Junior League of the Palm Beaches. Clematis Social is aiming to be the new hotspot bringing an upbeat, relaxed atmosphere to a vibrant crowd. You need to check out the main wall in the restaurant as it sports candid photos of past guest and they will be changing these photos randomly. They will be focusing on internationally-inspired small plate dishes. Small plate sliders, flatbreads, Beer Battered Fish and Chips, Southern Fried Chicken and Classic Eggs Benedict highlight the menu. They are even bringing some of his other restaurants favorite dishes including the Wasabi Seared Tuna appetizer (my favorite).

If you can’t make it to the grand opening or make it to the West Palm Beach area often, be sure to check out his other restaurants including Opus 5 or Bogart’s (located in Boca Raton) or Henry’s located in Delray Beach, as they are all fantastic.

Photo Credit: Joe Woolf

Post from: The South Florida Traveler

Bidding for Charity

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:18:06 +0000

I love feel good stories. The idea of helping those who are struggling just puts a good feeling inside. Though recently, it seems like the amount of people that are struggling has become a majority rather than a rare site. As I was looking recently at some items being auctioned off for the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, I came across a company called ‘bidding for good.’ It is definitely one of those feel good companies that everyone should look into.

In addition to offering bargains on items being auctioned off and having items that are nearly impossible to get elsewhere (they did have a wii fit in their line-up going for just $75), the profits from these auctions go towards charity. Their byline is ‘great deals, good causes, good gifts.’ It doesn’t matter where you live or what charities you support, you are sure to find something that you are passionate about. Some local charities with active auctions include Deliver the Dream, International Rhino Foundation and National Parkinson Foundation. Other charities include Boys & Girls Club, AIDS Network, First Night and Habitat For Humanity.

They also have a gift guide. Whether you are shopping for your neighbor, teacher, boss or loved one, you are able to narrow down that search. You can also search for once-in-a-lifetime experiences (think Paris culinary adventure), the cause you support or for a specific item. If you are in charge of raising funds for a specific charity, they have easy instructions and contact information on how to begin. To date, they have raised over $50 million. Now’s your time to join in the success.

Image Credit: by Bonnie @ flickr

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Best US Airports

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 18:22:50 +0000

Every year, Travel & Leisure magazine releases their survey results of the best and worst airports in America, and I thought now, right before the holidays, would be a great time to highlight these results. For most of you, if you plan on traveling during the next couple of weeks, I hope you have bought your tickets, but if not, here’s a guide to help you know what airports to avoid. As always, some Florida airports made the list. Can you guess which ones?

First of all, here’s a list of the Top 10 worst airports:

#10 (tie): Chicago-Midway with 25% of all flights delayed
#10 (tie): Atlanta
#8 (tie): JFK
#8 (tie): San Francisco
#6: Washington Dulles
#5: NY Laguardia
#4: Dallas/Fort Worth
#3: Miami
#2: Newark
#1: Chicago O’Hare with 35% of all flights delayed

and for the Top 10 Best Airports:

#10 LAX
#7 (tie): Phoenix
#7 (tie): Tampa
#7 (tie): Seattle
#3 (tie): Mpls/St. Paul
#3 (tie): Washington D.C.
#3 (tie): Oakland
#3 (tie): San Diego
#2: Portland
#1: Salt Lake City

Now what about the best and worst airlines to take (these statistics are based on on-time arrival and departure times)? US Airways, Southwest and Hawaiian airlines top the list

Photo Credit: The Shane H @ flickr

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Northwood Village Keeps on Growing

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 19:53:38 +0000

For those of you who have been around South Florida for awhile, you must surely remember when CityPlace used to be more of a ghetto than a tourist destination. After cleaning the area up, a huge amount of real estate development and some dedicated people devoted to change, CityPlace was transformed. OK, so I wasn’t around to see the transformation, I’ve surely heard stories, but now I feel that another area of West Palm Beach is worthy of recognition, a place called Northwood Village.

Northwood Village is located 1 mile north of Palm Beach Lakes Blvd. in West Palm Beach between North Dixie Highway and Broadway. It resembles a small town community where gated communities are extinct (somewhere finally!), neighbors gather for block parties, and familiar faces frequent the local establishments. It’s also a nice place for the Palm Beach crowd to escape from the island.

If you haven’t made your way over to this area, this weekend is an ideal time to do so as they are hosting their monthly art and wine promenade on Friday night (ok so you already missed this, but they do it every month). They are also hosting a few grand openings this month.

Tonight, the grand opening of Jade Kitchen. At the helm of chef/owner Wayne Devers, this hip New American restaurant offers inventive menu options without an expensive pricetag. Even better, they offer a great selection of wines by the glass. Come join in the fun at 6-8 pm tonight at 422 Northwood Road (561) 366-1185. They will be serving wine and hors d’oeuvres. Ribbon cutting at 6:30 pm.
On Sunday, December 14th, just down the street from Jade at 404 Northwood Rd, Cafe Centro will be unveiling their piano bar. The grand opening will take place from 7:30 – 9:00 pm and will include cocktails, tapas, delightful sounds of the baby grand and a ribbon cutting ceremony at 8:30 pm. For dinner reservations, call Terry at 561-514-4070.

If you can’t make it out there this weekend, no worries as these are sure to be mainstays in Northwood.

Photo credit: WTL photos @ flickr

Post from: The South Florida Traveler