The Comeback of Croatia

Always wanted to vacation in Miami but never knew where to see or do? Mark answered your questions on Tuesday, February 17, at noon EST. Read the transcript below. Mark Ellwood has lived out of a suitcase for most of his life. After finishing university in England, he spent several years as tour director leading art tours around cities like Florence, Rome and Paris. He then joined the Rough Guides team and left garlic and Gallic passion behind, moving across the Atlantic to America. Since then, he's zigzagged around the country, researching destinations as diverse as Key West and Niagara Falls; but has always loved Miami for its weather, nightlife and Cuban coffee. _______________________ Mark Ellwood: Hi Mark Ellwood here - thanks for joining me. I'm a travel writer, who specializes in Miami and am here to answer as many of your questions as I can over the next hour. _______________________ Manchester, NH: I will be taking in a long weekend in Miami Beach soon with my wife (we're newlyweds). Where can I catch good "Broadway style" shows in the Miami area? Mark Ellwood: The best place for shows in Miami is actually on the mainland, in Coral Gables. The Actors Playhouse in Coral Gables is a top notch theater, where a lot of Broadway shows try out -- the current revival of Little Shop of Horrors was workshopped there last spring. Otherwise, the Coconut Grove playhouse has some good plays, though if you're looking for spectacle stick to Coral Gables - the building's also astonishing. _______________________ Teaneck, NJ: There's a restaurant in Miami that I am curious about. The restaurant has beds as tables and couples are served their dinner in bed by candlelight. It's supposed to be very trendy and there was also a plan to have a similar kind of restaurant in NYC. Do you know what the name of the restaurant is? I have friends that are flying to Miami in April and would like to suggest that restaurant to her. Many thanks. Mark Ellwood: The restaurant's called B.E.D. - it stands for Beverage, Entertainment & Dining, and is on Washington Avenue. It's certainly great fun, especially on Wednesday nights when the uber promoter Michael Capponi hosts a night there. There are two seatings (or lyings, I suppose) each night: as a tip, book into the later one. _______________________ Anonymous: I was thinking of taking in a few days of warm sun and have chosen Miami. I want a hotel on the beach that is at least "average" in amenities (if not higher-end) and I don't want to break the bank. Is there a steal on the beach? Mark Ellwood: Absolutely. There are two gems there that are reasonably priced, staffed by happy, helpful people and super groovy. The Townhouse on 20th St is owned and run by Jonathan Morr, the restauranteur & nightlife maven from New York; it's all white, with smallish rooms & no pool, but the rooftop terrace has a bar & huge bright red waterbeds where you can sunbathe. Prices can be as low as $99 per room. Otherwise, check The Albion: Jennifer Rubell is one of the beach's nicest movers & shakers, and she owns this place. It's designed in a nautical deco style, like a ship, and has a huge pool with portholes on the side which you can see swimmers through. Rates are usually around $150 there. _______________________ Brooklyn, NY: Mark, Every time I try to find a bookstore in Miami Beach, the locals look at me like I'm crazy. I love Miami but find the lack of culture (outside of nightclubs) to be a little tiresome after a while. Can you suggest some museums or art galleries or bookstores? Signed, Not Ashamed to be Brainy Mark Ellwood: It's fair to say that Miami isn't a place for bookworms, or for that matter, anyone who wants to hole up in museums. But there are options: at the beach, you can pick up a used paperback at Kafka's Kafe on 14th & Washington or there's a small selection at the News cafe on 8th & Ocean. Otherwise, head to Lincoln Road for Books & Books, a smallish satellite branch of the main outlet in Coral Gables. My favorite museum in town is the Miami Art Museum which is just by the bus station downtown: its selection of modern art is stunning & very smartly curated - some lovely conceptual pieces from the Cuban artist Felix Gonzales-Torres especially. _______________________ Denver, CO: I'm gay (and hoping my partner of ten years and I can get married someday soon). So, where's the gay nightlife in Miami? South Beach? Mark Ellwood: Miami's gay nightlife is shifting - in fact, some of the long-term club owners have headed up the coast to Fort Lauderdale, which now has quite a buzzy gay scene. Stalwarts include Twist on Washington Ave, which has about 6 rooms and lots of different music/bars or the Laundry Bar on Lincoln Lane just north of Lincoln Road, which is mixed but great fun (the name comes from the working washing machines there). I think another gem is the Magnum Lounge on the mainland, 79th street or so, which is lush, kitschy piano bar/restaurant where you can sing along with the pianists most nights. _______________________ New York, NY: My friends and I are going to South Beach for the music conference. Can you recommend us a good place to stay, which is not far from all the action, has an affordable price, and has decent quality standard? Please, also mention some good places to eat and must see clubs. We are flying into Ft. Lauderdale and are not sure what is the best and cheapest way to get to South Beach. Mark Ellwood: The cheapest way to South Beach from Lauderdale for a group is definitely to hire a car: rates are very reasonable in Florida, and most firms offer pretty similar prices. Aside from Townhouse & Albion, another funky, cheap option is Aqua, on Collins & 15th - it's a remodeled motel with concrete floors & modernist, brightly colored decor. Must-see clubs? Well, Mynt is a good bar/club hybrid -- Miami's a place where clubs are often bars or restaurants earlier in the evening. Everyone's looking out for the opening of Mansion, where the legendary Level used to be, though there's no firm date yet; ditto Rok Bar, next to Mynt - it's co-owned by Tommy Lee & won't be a dance music place, but sounds like a really cool hangout. As for eating, I love David's Cafe, the cheap Cuban off Lincoln Road; and there's a fantastic hidden gem further up the beach if you want to get away from the crowds - Cafe Prima Pasta on 71st St is a real local's favorite, cheap, fantastic Italian food. _______________________ Anonymous: If you were visiting Miami for only 2 days, what sites would you be sure not to miss? Mark Ellwood: Must sees? 1. The Holocaust Memorial on South Beach, which is one of the most moving, disturbing such memorials anywhere 2. Dawn on Ocean Drive: it's so full of people these days that the only time you can really amble & enjoy it is before the crowds tumble out of bed. And the light at that time shows exactly why all the photographers loved Miami so much in the early 1990s. 3. A stroll down Lincoln Road to see the locals strutting. 4. A trip to the mainland - the real action these days is migrating to a new strip north of downtown called the Biscayne Corridor: go to the Design District to see the Living Room building, an office that's been built to look like someone's living room (hence the name) and see all the trendy stores there. Then grab lunch at Dogma hot dog stand at 73rd & Biscayne. _______________________ Pickering, Ontario: We would like to take a trip to Miami during mid-March during spring break, but we are over 50 and looking for a bargain that doesn't include a lot of 'party animals' from the high school and college set. What would you recommend? Also, just because we're over 50 doesn't mean we don't like to dance, etc., but we do want to be beach bums with a little ambience, without the price tag. Think in terms of the movie "10", rather than "Animal House" for this ROAD TRIP! Please advise. Thanks! Mark Ellwood: It's quite simple to avoid the Animal House action now. Most of the raucous, rowdy bars are crowded along Ocean Drive south of 14th street, so stay away from there & you should be fine. The Roney Palace hotel at 23rd & Collins has lovely, large rooms plus balconies; or on the mainland, you could try the Miami River Inn in Little Havana, which is a cluster of houses turned into a B&B, decked in lovely old furniture and with very friendly, helpful owners. For the beach, just get in a car and head to Haulover Park at 104th on Miami Beach: it's primarily known as a nude beach, but there are plenty of sections there for anyone who prefers to keep their costume on, and the sand's frankly much nicer than down south. Or head over to Key Biscayne to one of the parks there, which are always less crowded. _______________________ Spickard, MO: My husband and another couple are flying to Miami this next coming week. Please give us a heads up on reasonable, but nice places to go to have a nice supper. Then also be sure and let us know the places we must go to see. We will be staying at the Trump Sonesta and they say they have a shuttle bus service, but should we rent a car? Thank you for your time. Mark Ellwood: I would definitely rent a car from Trump Sonesta - it's a lovely resort in Sunny Isles, but you'll feel you can zip around to the sights more easily with a car of your own. For a wonderful old time Miami diner experience, you don't have to go far though: the Rascal House at 171st and Collins is the diner that time forgot, staffed by the same people for the last 50 years. Fantastic for breakfast. As for dinner, treat yourselves at Tambo on 18th & Purdy Ave - it's Asian/Peruvian fusion, but the food's fantastic and the wine list impressive. And Cafe Prima Pasta's not far away either -- again, great place for a lovely supper. _______________________ St. Simons Island, GA: I saw and taped the Today Show recently with travel tips. It was great and informative, but I am a single mother with a 6-year-old. I know about the all famous trips for kids; in fact, I plan to go for a Disney cruise next year, but have a hard time thinking of a kid-friendly trip or getaway. My husband and I went on some great trips (he is now deceased) and eventually I will take her to some of them: Montana, Hawaii, Maine, etc. Can you guide me now on where to look for kid-friendly trips other than Walt Disney, cruises, etc.? Anything else out there that is also good for kids? Thanks. Mark Ellwood: Check out singleparenttours.com-- it's a company that runs trips expressly for parents who'll be traveling solo with kids. Not sure when they're planning a Miami trip, but they certainly offer sun & beach vacations. _______________________ New York, NY: Where, in your opinion, is the best sushi in South Beach? Mark Ellwood: I love Bond Street's sushi - it's in the basement of the Townhouse hotel on 20th St, and the rolls are really, really good - especially some of the vegetarian options. What's even nicer is that it's a scene, but not a crazy one. Otherwise, Tambo's also an option on Purdy Ave. _______________________ New York, NY: What makes Miami more appealing than the Caribbean and is it safe? Mark Ellwood: Firstly, Miami is now as safe (if not more so) than any other big city in America. The tourist violence which really plagued it during the early 1990s is gone - certainly, you have to pay attention in some areas, but that's no different from NY, Chicago or LA. If you stay on the beach, you should be fine wherever you go. I think Miami's distinct appeal is its schizophrenic personality. Downtown, where you'll hear more Spanish spoken on the streets than English, could be in any Central American country; while there's a vibrant Haitian community on Biscayne Boulevard north of 50th street (the signs there will be in English & Creole). There are growing groups of Nicaraguans and Dominicans, as well as the long time Jewish community. In that way, it's thrillingly mixed and mixed up place. In many Caribbean resorts, you'll go simply for the sand & sun - in Miami, there's so much more. _______________________ Anonymous: I'm flying into Miami on Thursday night and will be driving to the Keys on Friday morning, then returning to Miami on Monday to fly home Tuesday morning. Any suggestions for: 1) a place to stay Thursday night with a great view of sunrise and 2) things not to miss during some free time on Monday and Monday night? Thanks! Mark Ellwood: Wow. Quick visit. The Keys are fantastic though. Here's a couple of thoughts: the Pelican Hotel on Ocean Drive is great fun, and has good views from its beachfront rooms. But if you're brave enough to stay somewhere other than the beach, try the Grove Inn Guesthouse near Homestead - the owners are lovely, and it will mean you'll break your drive into equal halves. Things not to miss? Aside from everything else I've mentioned, try eating at Yambo in Little Havana - it's a Nicaraguan place that seems as if it was shipped wholesale (customers included) from Nicaragua. Fantastic, so cheap and buzzing any night even Monday. _______________________ Atlanta, GA: I am taking a group of 150 21 to 35-year-olds on a cruise in November that leaves out of Miami on Sunday the 7th. Most of us will be flying in on Friday the 5th to hang out and see the Miami sights. For our age group, what do you think would be an ideal (and not very expensive) hotel to stay at? In what area of town? Also, what clubs would you recommend contacting to see if we can get group rates on bringing our group there? Gracias. Mark Ellwood: 150 people is a lot - and most of the hotels in Miami are boutique sized. I'd recommend contacting the Loews Hotel on Collins, close to Lincoln Road - it's large enough to house your group, and you should be able to negotiate a good discount. Club-wise, things change so rapidly, and frankly a lot of promoters won't worry about discounting to get you there on a weekend. I'd check the larger places like Crobar, which is terrific & really cool, despite being open for several years; or the new place Mansion I mentioned, as that should be quite large & good for groups. Check newtimes.com closer to the time to see what's opened up (and closed) - 9 months is a lifetime in nightlife as far as Miami's concerned! _______________________ Sarasota, FL: Mark, Having traveled a few times through Miami, I'm not so much concerned with Miami once I've arrived, but rather, the problem escaping the airport. Every time I've flown to, from or through Miami's "airport", the experience has been horrific. I've vowed to never again use it unless I'm forced through it on the way to a loved one's funeral. The employee's are the most disengaged I've come across, the layout is laughable, and the queues are pathetic. Do the 'powers that be' in Miami realize this? And, if so, are there plans to raze it and start over? The airport alone has put me off Miami. Thanks. Mark Ellwood: I hear you. Miami airport is certainly the city's Achilles heel, though I've never had problems with staff (who've always been charming), more its odd layout. No plans from the city as far as I know to change anything; the option most people take if they need to go M.I.A. from MIA is to fly to Fort Lauderdale - it's only 40 minutes' drive & a lot of the cheaper airlines land there anyway. _______________________ New York, NY: Hi Mark! I'll be visiting Miami with my 5-year-old and my 1-year-old. Beside the beach, what sites will they most enjoy visiting? And what are the most "kid-friendly" restaurants (FYI: being from NYC, we don't do McDonalds, my kids eat Thai food, Japanese food, etc. by kid friendly, I mean places where people won't get upset if the baby's a little loud. They'll eat almost anything I put in front of them). THANKS!! Mark Ellwood: I love Parrot Jungle: it's moved to a new location on Watson Island near the beach, which lacks a little of the rickety old charm of its original site, but is still wonderful - the animals are very friendly and the colors mesmerizing. There's also the new Miami Children's Museum right across the road. As for beaches, check out the sands on Key Biscayne, by far the most family-friendly beaches in the city; if you want to stay in South Beach, the seafront round 3rd street is best for kids. As for eating, try the Front Porch Cafe on 14th & Ocean; full of locals, large and bustling, so lively kids won't disrupt the waiters' rhythm. Or Big Pink on 2nd & Collins - it's a funky diner aimed at the 20-something crowd, but the cool menu & fun design should appeal to kids - and it's very laid back. On another note, there's a charming toy store on Key Biscayne called Toy Town - Nintendo free zone, with lots of old fashioned toys. _______________________ Columbus, OH: My husband and I have been married for four years now and have not been able to afford a honeymoon. Our anniversary is coming up in April and we would like to go on a romantic honeymoon. Could you recommend someplace in the Miami area that is not too expensive? Mark Ellwood: Aside from the ideas I mentioned above, for a romantic getaway check the city's new boutique hotels web site: it's accessible through miamiandbeaches.com, and has lots of recommendations & deals on the best, hippest places. Another option is the Whitelaw Hotel: it's part of a local mini chain called the South Beach Group (check southbeachgroup.com) which has 6 or so properties all of which are trendy, friendly and cheap. _______________________ New Orleans, LA: Our vacation club has a resort in South Beach and we are considering spending one of our vacations there. Is this a suitable area for a family vacation or does this area appeal more to single younger individuals rather than families? Mark Ellwood: Certainly, many of South Beach's attractions are geared to adults -- after all, it's nightlife and bars for which it's best known. But away from the beach, there's plenty for kids - other than the beaches on Key Biscayne, the Seaquarium there is filled with animals including manatees. The rangers run very interesting talks, tours and feeding sessions. Or check out the new Zoo, finally rebuilt and restocked with animals after being devastated by the hurricane of 1992. _______________________ Olive Branch, MS: Hi Mark, I'm contemplating going to Miami over the Memorial Day holiday. Are the best deals at a South Beach hotel or would I gain just as much staying on Biscayne Bay? Mark Ellwood: Memorial Day is close to off-season for Miami - once you hit June, July and August, it's still hot but the humidity means many people don't want to holiday there... so you can get some real bargains. That said, Memorial Day in recent years has been the time for an impromptu hip hop festival in South Beach, so the hotels have been able to fill rooms at a high rate; I'd suggest you either book now for a bargain, or just stay further up the beach so you can hang out there easily - try the Beach House Bal Harbour at 94th and Collins. _______________________ Portland, OR: I visited Miami for the first time last fall on my way to a cruise and was surprised how much I enjoyed it. Especially enjoyed the food at Tu Tu Tango. Do you have any suggestions for similar restaurants with a very interesting menu? Thanks. Mark Ellwood: Restaurants come and go so frequently in Miami, so any list is almost out of date as soon as it's written. But my pick of the places to eat right now are all on the mainland, along the Biscayne Corridor. Check out OLA, it's a Latin fusion place at 50th St which just opened and is chef'd by the famous Douglas Rodriguez; or there's Citronelle further up, a Haitian fusion eatery. The place that has the most alternative, Portland-esque vibe is probably Cafe 190, on NE 46th St - brunch there is an all you can eat deal for $15, and there are poetry readings and performances during the week. _______________________ Columbus, OH: Hi Mark, I'm a single person, and have no idea where to stay or go to enjoy the "full flavor" of Miami. Any top 5 list would be helpful. Thanks! Mark Ellwood: To get the 'full flabor' of Miami, here's a top 5 to show its range: Get ice cream at the Lakay Bakery in Little Haiti Hang out on the beach at South Beach north of 8th street Grab dinner at the cafe-style Yambo in Little Havana Go shopping (well, window shopping) along Lincoln Road in South Beach Visit Villa Vizcaya in Coral Gables for some culture Marietta, GA: Hi Mark! I'm 16 years old, and I'm going to Miami with my mom, dad, and 18-year-old brother for spring break in early April. I've done some research online, and it doesn't seem like there's much to do there unless you're at least 18. What are some fun things to do for my age group? Thanks. Mark Ellwood: Great question. Here's what I'd do: I'd rent some rollerblades, and take a trip round South Beach that way - try Fritz's Skate Shop on Lincoln Road. The best hangout is News Cafe on 8th & Ocean - it's open 24 hrs, and it's where the teen models still grab a black coffee once in a while when they're waiting for their next assignment. You can hang there for quite a while without problems. At night, you're stuck with your folks more or less, though get them to take you to one of the cooler restaurants like Sushi Rock Cafe and you should get a good taste of Miami nightlife. _______________________ Mark Ellwood: Thanks so much - looks like that's all we've got time for. Thanks for all your questions and hope you have a great time in Miami - it's a magnificent city. _______________________

The news is good: Given enough time, anyone can work abroad. All you need is information and a few good leads-and you'll soon have both. The real trick isn't landing a job. It's landing a good job. Let's say you dream of being a ski bum in the French Alps. With some effort, you land a spot washing dishes. You're thrilled to have work, but you soon discover minimum wage doesn't get you far in a pricey resort and the 48-hour weeks (fairly standard) don't allow time to put on your skis. And, as the lone washer, you're too busy to meet anyone. Eventually, you wonder what the point is. For me (I actually had this job), it took two weeks. I left the suds and found work guiding snowmobile trips into the mountains. The pay was double, the trips were such fun I would have done them for free, and, best of all, I was able to log nearly 100 ski days. The type of job for you Factoring in living costs, does the job pay enough to cover future travel? Is it interesting, or does it provide a valued skill? Does the workload allow you to partake in local activities you enjoy? Now get a fundamental grasp of the overseas employment situation. In other words, what's legal, what's illegal, and does it matter? Here's the scoop: To be completely safe, get a work visa. If you possess a skill the locals don't (or don't have enough of), an employer can usually justify to the government that you need to be imported. And, as with most imports, you must be properly processed and stamped at the border when you arrive. Which means securing permission before leaving home. Fortunately, you can find just about everything you need online at the immigration or work-visa section of the country's Web site. For a list of foreign embassies, try embassyworld.com. And don't forget this insider loophole: your heritage. If your parents or grandparents were born in another country, you may be eligible for a special permit, such as the four-year extendable work visa in the U.K. for some descendants. And if you use family ties to get a passport for one E.U. country, you're allowed to work across Europe. Illegal under-the-table work (serving, picking fruit, dishwashing) isn't much different, in principle. Employers generally prefer locals, but sometimes need foreigners for various skills, such as English-speaking waitresses at international resorts. In the manual-labor market, positions are usually underpaid, otherwise locals would be lining up for them. Thousands of travelers thrive on this type of high-turnover, undocumented work. But before accepting an under-the-table position, learn the law of the land. The consequences may be more severe than simply losing your job. If you're seen as stealing a good job from a local, you could be slapped with a fine, clapped behind bars, or chucked out of the country for good (and guess who pays for the ticket home?). Professional work International guiding Teaching English Winter-resort work Work programs Harvest-season work Schoolteachers Diving instructor You can also travel on a Divemaster certification or higher. At padi.com, get contacts for nearly every diving resort on the planet. Many instructors make personal contact and get paid under the table. Or they return with a legal visa from home. Among the major diving centers are Airlie Beach and Cairns in Australia, Belize, Cozumel, and Ras Mohammed on the Red Sea. Tip: You may have more luck at the lesser-known sites you stumble across on your travels. Massage Bartending Entrepreneur One of the most popular DIY jobs is tutoring, whether it's private lessons in English, dance, or music. Gardening, baby-sitting, and cleaning are also popular. Typically, a few well-placed notes on area bulletin boards will start you off, and word of mouth takes it from there. Creative types set their own schedules making jewelry or art, or sell themselves in the classic entrepreneurial travel gig: performance. A busy corner doesn't always bring good fortune, but as an American you know that showmanship makes up for short talent. Be careful: Some towns demand permits and enforce the law vigorously, and no amount of song-and-dance will save you from penalty. Editor's note Every country has laws limiting employment to foreigners, with some defined exceptions. Our writer discusses those exceptions ("legal employment") and also deals with cases in which a country deliberately declines to enforce its own labor laws (creating safe "illegal employment"). Budget Travel warns that normally "illegal employment" is not without risks and should be discussed with a local adviser.

Since the 1990s, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and above all South Miami Beach have developed no shortage of swank restaurants catering to the "beautiful people" (physically or financially--some of America's highest household incomes are found on Miami's residential islands). Overall, though, Miami is America's poorest large city, so there's also a dizzying variety of more affordable dining options. It's a little tougher to find good quality for rock-bottom prices in Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale, but plenty of regular folks--including immigrants and students--live there, too. And they manage to scrape by on considerably less than Gloria Estefan, Rosie O'Donnell, and Ricky Martin. The immigrants in particular have set a-bubbling a culinary melting pot whose strongest dishes hail from Latin America and the Caribbean. Especially in the Miami area, you'll find heaping helpings from Argentina to , with an obvious emphasis on Cuba. Even , infamous for its spring-break madness, has managed to shed some of its white bread, surf-and-turf reputation. Miami/Miami Beach Tropical on the Beach 1413-15 Washington Ave., South Beach, 305/532-4242; open 24 hours Since 2001, this cavernous space has seen a steady stream of diners round-the-clock (as well as folks crowding the counter up front for fancy pastries and Argentine sweets, and surfers at the Internet terminals in back). It really gets hopping in the wee hours, when club-goers most appreciate the Latin fare turned out to a pop-music beat. The menu is dominated by specialties of Cuba, owner Mairely Rodríguez's homeland, and dishes are similar in quality to those at Puerto Sagua, the longtime landmark just below South Beach. But the setting here is spiffier (green-tile palms on cool white walls, exposed ceiling ducts, mod light fixtures) and the location is central--two blocks west of Ocean Drive, three blocks south of the chichi pedestrian mall known as Lincoln Road, and three blocks north of the distinguished Wolfsonian Museum. The frita cubana (Cuban-style hamburger, $3.70) and Cuban sandwich (cold cuts and pickles on French bread, run through a sandwich press, $5.55) are top picks from the sandwich menu. But the best deals are at the steam tables, with lechón asado (succulent roast pork) and about a dozen other items for $5.55, including two sides (rice, beans, potatoes, plantains, cassava, or sweet potatoes). À la carte platters, most of which cost $9, include the same sides along with the likes of chicken and steak. Tropical calls itself La Casa del Churrasco (House of Steak), and for good reason. The vaca frita (fried flank steak with onions, $9) is less crisp than at other Cuban restaurants, instead playing up tenderness and flavors of lemon and garlic; the picadillo a la criolla (ground beef sautéed with olives and raisins, $5) is hearty and rich; and the joint's former Argentine influence shows in the high quality of its 12-ounce steak platters ($14.95). Tap Tap 819 5th St., South Beach, 305/672-2898; 4 p.m.-11 p.m. Mon.-Wed., 4 p.m.-midnight Thurs.-Sat., 4-11 p.m. Sun. Haitians are another major Caribbean ingredient in its cultural stew. But most of the Haitian restaurants are in dicey neighborhoods. So, Katharin Kean founded Tap Tap eight years ago, both to introduce the general public to kizin kreyòl and to give middle-class Haitian-Americans a nice place to enjoy it. The result is a mini-maze of five dining spaces, painted in cheerful primary colors and named after local artists and various Haitian voodoo gods. Tap Tap's funky, friendly vibe couldn't be further from the attitude of the rest of South Beach--especially on Thursday and Saturday evenings, when live bands do their thing. And the food? It's not unlike Jamaican, with subtle twists and sometimes different spicing. The stewed beef ($8.95) and chicken ($5.95) are delicious, but you'll also find tender goat (grilled, $12.95, and in a more elaborate creole-style stew, $8.95) and conch (same preparations, for about a dollar more). All main courses come with at least two of the following: rice, beans, fried plantains, or cassava fries. Soups, salads, and sides involving other Caribbean staples like okra and pumpkin are also reasonably priced. For dessert, try the blancmange ($3), a coconut pudding with an almost cake-like consistency. Scotty's Landing Chart House Dr., off South Bayshore Dr., Grove Key Marina, Coconut Grove, 305/854-2626; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. weekends Coconut Grove, once a charming 1920s harborfront town of wood cottages and cobblestone lanes, has finished its long, strange trip from boho hippie hangout in the '60s and '70s to a land of Starbucks, Armani, and the mansions of Madonna and Stallone. Enough of the charm lingers to make the Grove something of a party magnet--especially on weekends--but there's also the lure of a historic mansion (Miami's oldest) called the Barnacle, the Coconut Grove Playhouse, the Vizcaya Mansion, the Miami Museum of Science and Space Transit Planetarium, and Key Biscayne, with its Seaquarium. Fortunately, there are a handful of refuges from high prices and plastic atmosphere--Scotty's Landing foremost among them. For 12 years, Scotty Wessel has run a weathered bait shack and an open-air dining area that's basically a dock under a green-and-white canopy, flanked by banana trees and coconut palms (you can even pull up in your boat). The clientele is made up of weekend boaters, grizzled old salts (especially around the bar), and slick, young investment bankers who all sit under overhead fans and watch the yachts slipping in and out of the marina; unspoiled Grove Key is in the background, Miami Beach is across the bay. Friday through Sunday, bands set up under a nearby banyan tree and serenade everybody with island rhythms. It's a great spot for knocking back a cold one at sunset (drafts from $2.35). This is some of the area's freshest, most unfancy seafood. The cracked conch is nice and moist ($6.95 with fries), and the 10-ounce grilled blackened mahi steak with fries and salad ($10.95) is another favorite. There are plenty of other mahi and conch options (including conch fritters jazzed up with a touch of Scotch bonnet, $4.75), as well as shrimp, clams, oysters, and calamari. Scotty's can be a little stingy with drinks (no refills at meals, no happy-hour discounts), but there's no better place to soak up the flavor of old Coconut Grove. Versailles Restaurant 3555 SW 8th St., at SW 36th Ave., Little Havana, 305/444-0240; 8 a.m.-2 a.m. Sun.-Thurs., 8 a.m.-4:30 a.m. Fri. and Sat. First things first: It's pronounced "vehr-sigh-yes," in the Spanish manner. This vast, must-visit landmark has reigned famously over the western end of Little Havana's Calle Ocho, the heart of Miami's Cuban exile community, since 1971. The ambience is heavily Latin, with glass chandeliers and etched, backlit mirrors that mean to suggest the original Versailles but wouldn't have kept the Sun King up nights. You get 'em all here: gray-hairs, blue-rinses, families, sleek young Yucas (young, upwardly mobile Cuban-Americans). It's not the finest Cuban food in town, but it's the best mix of good solid fare and an entertaining local scene. Start with the smoky black-bean soup ($2.55) or a plateful of crunchy/velvety croquettes (ham, chicken, or cod, $4.95), followed by a house specialty, lechón asado (juicy roast pork, $8.75) or a more acquired taste such as lengua asada (ox tongue in wine sauce, $8.95). Daily specials start at $5.25, and most entreés include sweet plantains and white or yellow rice. On a larger scale, the two surtidos cubanos (Cuban samplers, $10.95) come with two entrées apiece, accompanied by a croquette and the standard sides. Whatever your pleasure, wash it all down with sweet, herbal Materva soda ($1.10) or an Hatuey beer ($3.25). After your feast, stroll around the galleries and shops of Calle Ocho--old guys in starched guayabera shirts will be playing dominos in (where else?) Domino Park, cigar rollers will be making stogies the old-fashioned way at La Gloria Cubana. Nearby, the Latin American Art Museum is also well worth a look. Guayacán 1933 SW 8th St., at SW 19th Ave., Little Havana, 305/649-2015; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. daily They still call it Little Havana, but in parts it's looking more like Central America these days--with Nicaraguan, Honduran, Guatemalan, and Salvadoran restaurants popping up right and left. So Nicaraguan food is what, exactly? Find out by pulling into a cute little mini-mall and pulling up a chair in this warm, homey dining room with plank-and-beam cathedral ceilings, red terra-cotta floor, and charming art and tchotchkes on the blue walls. The food can occasionally call to mind Mexican (corn tacos and tortillas, pico de gallo) but can also bop over to the Caribbean before you can say tostones and maduros (fried plantains, salty and sweet). But it has its own savory vibe, too--especially when it comes to roasted meats. The star of the show is chimichurri, a garlic, parsley, and olive oil slurry that when slathered on a succulent churrasco (charbroiled skirt steak, $14.75) adds up to a carnivore's ecstasy. The pork is just as luscious, subtly seasoned in a way that may remind you of Indian tandoori. Seafood abounds too, though it's a little pricier. Splurge just a tad on the abundant platter of mixed appetizers ($13.25); the fried cheese is another treat ($3.75). Drinks can get a touch exotic for gringo tastes--on the order of cacao (milk with cocoa beans), cebada (barley water), and semilla de jícaro (a sweet soft drink brewed from fermented corn). The crowning glory of Nicaraguan food is a decadent little dessert called tres leches ("three milks," $3.25)--a creamy half-pudding, half-cake that's such a Miami hit, it's now a staple of most local Cuban and other Latino dining spots. At lunch, you can get out of here for as little as $6.75--for an entrée plus rice and beans, bread, salad, and a choice of plantains and other sides; the same meal at dinner starts at $7.95. And if you want a little live música with your food, stop in weekend nights or all day Sunday. Delicias del Mar 2937 Biscayne Blvd., at NE 30th St., Miami, 305/571-1888; 10 a.m.-midnight And now for something completely different: Peruvian seafood, a growing restaurant trend. Delicias del Mar is on the eastern edge of the burgeoning design district--already bursting with galleries, and awaiting an elaborate new performing arts center in a year or so--and just north of downtown landmarks like the Miami Art Museum. Under a red-shingle roof and behind a white stucco facade, the dining room has paneled walls tarted up with Peruvian arts, crafts, and photos of Lima and Machu Picchu. The room really comes alive because of the crowd (almost all Latins, but menus are also in English), having a grand old time as Andean music warbles in the background. The menu lists nearly three dozen delicias del mar (marine delicacies), from a simple fillet of corvina--grilled or fried, with rice and salad, for $9.50--to more complex dishes, such as a whole red snapper served with plantains and salad, for around $13. There's also plenty to satisfy meat eaters (bistec a lo pobre is a delicious kitchen-sink steak concoction crammed with rice, beans, eggs, and plantains, $10), and even vegetarians (papa a la huancaína is a Peruvian classic: diced potatoes in a subtle, creamy cheese sauce, $4). Drink an Inca Cola if you like--it tastes a little like bubble gum, or maybe Red Bull. Fort Lauderdale The Floridian 1410 E. Las Olas Blvd., at 15th Ave., 954/463-4041; open 24 hours Remember Flo, the sassy TV sitcom waitress? Her sisters-in-spirit are alive and well at this 65-year-old diner--which happens to be widely known as "the Flo." Conveniently located toward the eastern end of Fort Lauderdale's fancy Las Olas boutique and restaurant corridor and a short drive west from the beach, it's popular with everybody from neighborhood old-timers to club kids piling in at around 4 a.m. The Flo is kitschy-kitschy cool; walls are awash in chrome, mirrors, neon signs, and celebrity pix. There are also cute touches like the Champagne Room, an otherwise unremarkable booth mirrored on three sides topped with a crystal chandelier. But you can't eat crystal. Considering the moderate prices, the variety and quality of the food is impressive. Try the "international" meatloaf platters (dressed up with chili for Mexican, tomato and mozzarella for Italian, and so on; $7.25 with two sides); the mahi sandwich with slaw and fries ($7.95); chicken Alfredo over penne (with soup and salad, $10.25); desserts such as the enormous four-layer chocolate cake ($5.95) and "Atkins" cheesecake ($4.95); and the extensive 24-hour breakfast menu. Also worth noting: a special "gourmet burger corner," from the small and plain ($4.95) to the extra large with blue cheese ($8). The best deals in the house are the 20 hot combination platters, which come with two sides, usually a potato and veggie ($6.25 to $10.95). Grandma's French Café 3354 N. Ocean Blvd., at NE 34th St., 954/564-3671; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tues.-Sun. In the Gulf Ocean area, north of Lauderdale's main stretch of beachfront, an ice cream parlor called Grandma's was turned into a locally cherished, off-the-tourist-track café. The dining room has French country flavor--yellow walls with blue trim, fleur-de-lis curtains, and soft lighting, and the crooning of Edith Piaf, who seems to regret nothing night after night after night. (The oversize tropical fish tank is a more South Florida touch.) There's also outdoor seating on a cute porch. The menu lists 16 exquisite, meal-size crepes ($4.95 to $10.95); a particularly tasty one involves Bourgogne escargots with mushrooms and tomatoes in garlic butter ($9.95). But there's more, from a tasty croque monsieur ($7.95, with salad), a meal-size chef salad ($7.95), and a small selection of entrées such as a tuna steak à la Provençale (in lemon and olive oil), accompanied by rice and unusually crisp, rosemary-scented ratatouille ($10.95). The $8.95 daily specials, also with rice and ratatouille, give the word special its meaning back, whether blanquette de veau (veal stew), beef Bourguignon, or salmon in a delicate tarragon sauce. For dessert? Ice cream, in a dozen flavors (one scoop $2.20, two scoops $3.20), chocolate mousse ($3.95), and a silky crème brûlée ($4.95). Típico Café 1910 E. Sunrise Blvd., Gateway Shopping Ctr., at NW 19th Ave., 954/463-9945; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun. Broward County also boasts more than its share of Hispanics, but up here they tend to be Puerto Rican and Mexican. So it's no shocker that many of South Florida's better Mexican cantinas are to be found in Fort Lauderdale--including this relatively new little spot in a strip mall (in this city, even fine restaurants can be found in strip malls) off a busy thoroughfare just a short drive in from the beach. Cozy and family-run, the restaurant is a nicely lit space with warm wood floors and adobe walls. Típico does a great job with the Tex-Mex standards--fajitas, burritos, chimichangas, quesadillas. But the menu's also well sprinkled with less common regional goodies such as Tampico-style steak, felicitous inventions like the "Mexican stir-fry" (with ginger sauce, no less), and favorites from elsewhere in Latin America (Cuban-style roast pork, for example). And the damage? An à la carte platter crammed with entrée and sides, plus drink, comes in at just over $10. There are great specials at lunch (from $5.95), and an early-bird dinner offered from 4 to 6 p.m. ($8.95), the latter of which throws in soup and either soda or a glass of house wine. All in all, a terrific way to keep your budget from zooming north of the border. Hot spots at lower costs Even the area's posher nibbles aren't always out of reach. Every August and September, the Miami Spice promotion puts multicourse prix fixe dinners on sale for $29.99 at 60 hot eateries like the Forge, the Blue Door, Yuca, and China Grill (305/539-3000, ). Broward County has gotten into the act with its September promotion, Savor Greater Fort Lauderdale (). Some 20 dining spots--including stylish favorites like Casablanca Café and Bar Amici, along with the very tony likes of Mark's Las Olas--offer prix fixe lunches for $10.03 or $20.03, dinners for $20.03 or $30.03.

Florence is the cradle of the Renaissance; Venice, threaded with canals, is that most serene city of Gothic palaces. Both are renowned for their excellent cuisine. Florentine cooks choose the thickest, juiciest cuts from the Chiana valley's snowy white cattle, brush them with olive oil and cracked peppercorns, and slow-grill them to perfection to become the mighty bistecca fiorentina. Venetian chefs cruise the ancient loggias of the Rialto market with an eye for the finest fish and shellfish caught that morning, which they will put in their famous fresh-seafood medleys. So basically we're talking about one town famous for its steak and another for its seafood. Neither comes cheaply. We're here to help. Below are a dozen of the best cheap meals these two capitals of Italian culture have to offer. We've got everything from a pizzeria in Venice to a stall in Florence's food market; a Venetian tavern where Casanova took other men's wives for romantic trysts to a candlelit Florentine trattoria suitable for a romantic dinner. At all of them, you can get a full meal, including first and second courses and wine or water, for under E13 ($14.04). The prices quoted here are based on the exchange rate of E1=$1.08. To call Italy from the United States, dial 011-39 before the numbers listed below. Buon appetito! Florence loves its food. When Brunelleschi was erecting the cathedral's great dome, the engineering marvel of its age, he installed a trattoria up in the fabric of the dome itself so the workers could enjoy a full meal on their lunch breaks. Here are the joints where latter-day laborers, market workers, and farmers in town to sell their harvest find inexpensive, filling meals of traditional fare. Trattoria Mario Via Rosina 2r (on the north corner of Piazza del Mercato Centrale), 055-218-550, www.trattoriamario.com. Closed for dinner and on Sundays. E8.45-E12.90 ($9.13-$13.93). No credit cards. Tucked into a side street behind slightly pricier trattorie surrounding Florence's central food market, this unabashedly old-school trattoria doesn't seem to have changed one iota since Mario Colzi opened it in 1953. His son, Romeo Colzi, Romeo's wife, Patrizia, and brother Fabio refuse to alter the simple tiled walls, glassed-in kitchen, ancient wood ceiling, and culinary traditions (tripe on Mondays, fish on Fridays, etc.)-or the habit of shoehorning strangers into already packed tables to make new friends and enjoy genuine Florentine cooking at the lowest prices in town. The menu is hand-printed at the door and on the wall, and changed constantly to include such everyday delicacies as mezzelune al rag- (half-moon cheese ravioli in meat sauce) and coniglio al forno (roast rabbit). Even if you order both the most expensive first course and second course on the menu and have wine, you still ring in under E13-practically unheard of in Florence. Le Mossacce Via del Proconsolo 55r (halfway between the back side of the Duomo and the back of Palazzo Vecchio), 055-294-361. Closed Saturdays and Sundays. E10.70-E15.80 ($11.56-$17.06). You can tell this is a working-class trattoria: It's only open weekdays, and you have to thread your way past the bar to the single tiny room in the back to sit elbow to elbow with strangers at tables stuffed around a busy open kitchen. Most primi, including the tagliatelle, rigatoni, and minestrone, are E4.20; for cannelloni (Florence's famed meat-stuffed pasta tubes) or cheese ravioli it's E4.70. To stay strictly within our E13 limit, order boiled or roasted chicken for your second course. If you're willing to go a little over budget, the field opens up to include succulent involtini (thinly sliced veal wrapped around veggies, then stewed) or spezzatino (a goulash-like stew)-pretty much everything except the cheapest bistecca fiorentina in town, which weighs in at E12 to E14 and is well worth the splurge. La Mescita Via degli Alfani 70r (at Via dei Servi, two blocks north of the Duomo, one block southeast of the Accademia), no phone. Closed for dinner and on Sundays. No credit cards. E10.55-E12.65 ($11.39-$13.66). Mauro's tiny, one-room joint is a happy compromise between a fiaschetteria (see box, p.94) and a trattoria. You set your own table and retrieve your own dishes from the bar's high glass counter. It's open for wine by the glass and panini (E1.60-E3.50) from 8 a.m. but doesn't start serving hot dishes until 11 a.m. These include delectables such as fettuccine alla lepre (noodles in a hare rag-), penne alla rustica (pasta quills in a heady pesto of oregano, capers, and zucchini), saltimbocca (veal layered with sage and prosciutto), and scaloppine alla pizzaiola (veal drenched in mozzarella and tomato sauce). Nerbone Mercato Centrale (inside the central market, between San Lorenzo and Piazza del Mercato Centrale), 055-219-949. Closed for dinner and on Sundays. No credit cards. E3.50-E7 ($3.78-$7.56). A stand-up lunch at Nerbone is something of a rite of passage into true Florentine dining. Since 1872 Nerbone has occupied a corner stall inside the Mercato Centrale food market (itself a limitless supply of picnic goodies). Many market workers and other regulars wolf down their food while standing at the bar; those without a stall to return to often prop their elbows on the bar and spend an hour nursing a small beer. More leisurely diners take their trays and grab one of the few tables set in an alcove across the corridor. The menu is simple: trippa alla fiorentina (diced tripe stewed with tomatoes and sage); panino con bollito (a boiled-meat sandwich that's bagnato, or dipped quickly into the bubbling meat-filled pot, before being handed over); pappa al pomodoro (a thick bread-and-tomato soup); and salsicce con patate (sausage atop a mound of boiled potatoes). Trattoria La Casalinga Via Michelozzi 9r (in the Oltrarno, on a side street between Pitti Palace and Santo Spirito), 055-218-624. Closed Sundays. E10.85-E13.65 ($11.72-$14.74). One sign of an otherwise unremarkable trattoria truly favored by the locals: People actually line up and wait for it to open. The old vaulted rooms of La Casalinga open into blandly modern ones, heritage of an expansion several years back that sucked the spirit out of the place (but the food is still both cheap and good). It's tough to break the E13 barrier here, so feel free to order anything ... la carte, be it ribollita (a stewlike vegetable soup), tortellini in a rabbit rag-, polpette al forno (giant baked meatballs), or faraona arrosto (roast guinea fowl). Trattoria Antichi Cancelli Via Faenza 73r (on the main hotel drag two blocks east of the train station), 055-218-927. Closed Mondays. E12 ($12.96). This endlessly popular trattoria's location-nestled amid the cheap hotels near the train station-belies its quirky atmosphere. Ancient wine bottles, garlands of garlic, and framed placemats with artistic doodles line the walls under vaulting of hand-cast bricks. Steaks come not on a plate but on a cutting board, and main courses include a complimentary side dish (usually roast potatoes or boiled spinach). The most inclusive E12 men- turistico in town gets you a choice of among roughly ten primi (tortellini in broth, pennette in tomato sauce, or Tuscany's storied ribolitta) and ten secondi (veal piccata with lemon or under tomato sauce, Florentine tripe stewed with tomatoes and sage-just steer clear of the dry and tasteless grilled chicken), plus a dessert of macedonia (fruit salad) or gelato, and wine or water. The food's not particularly outstanding, but it's the closest you can get to a true restaurant experience for E12. Venice presents a particular challenge. Not only is it the priciest city in Italy, but seafood is included in nearly every traditional dish. As I pondered which restaurants to include, I realized none of the usual suspects fit the bill. The tried-and-true cheap eats of Venice can feed you very well for E15 or E16...but E13? I could picture only pizzerie and cicchetti bars (see box, p.97). I ended up going local: I asked masons and fishmongers, gondoliers and budget hoteliers, the guy at the newsstand and the plumber fixing my hotel's water heater. Many laughed in my face: "A full meal for E13? In Venice? Impossible!" A few told me their secrets, where they and their cronies went for lunch. I sampled a dozen; six made the grade. These are the best E13 meals in all of Venice. Cantina Do Spade Calle Do Spade 860, San Polo (it's hidden: cross the Rialto bridge to the San Polo side, go through the little market and then dogleg a few feet left to keep walking straightish down alleys and passages until you see a profusion of chalkboard menus around the doorway), 041-521-0574, www.dospadevenezia.it. E10-E15 ($10.80-$16.20). A few years ago, Giorgio Lanza expanded his venerable cicchetti bar of 1415. He added more tables, started offering a full menu, and reopened the back room where Casanova once wined and dined his romantic conquests (it has a back door so the famed lothario could slip out should any husbands show up). After a few years and many old customers' clamoring (well, okay, I clamored), Giorgio has finally brought back his five-alarm, tastebud-searing do spade sauce. It graces one of the many bruschetta menus (E10-E11), each of which pairs a slab of peasant bread topped with squid, tuna, or shrimp with a main dish, perhaps baccal... (dried cod), or sausages and polenta. He also offers several E13 to E14 menus that let you mix and match a few genuine Venetian dishes-pasta with peas or baccal..., fried sardines with onions and polenta, sausage and polenta, or pasta with roasted veggies. A E15 menu offers spaghetti with clams (Giorgio's pride keeps him from using frozen seafood) followed by baccal... or calamari and polenta. Rosticceria Teatro Goldoni Calle Teatro 4747, San Marco (at Ponte del Lovo, a block east of Calle dei Fabbri on the main route between San Marco and the Rialto), 041-522-2446. E13 ($14.04). A rosticceria is basically a tavola calda (literally "hot table," a sort of cafeteria with excellent pre-prepared dishes) that also serves roast chicken. This joint behind plate-glass windows near the Rialto has been around since 1950 and goes above and beyond typical rosticcerie by offering a vast array of choices, plenty of seating, and a particularly ample E13 tourist menu. This comes with half a dozen choices each for both primo and secondo-meat-filled cannelloni alla bolognese, pasta and beans, lasagna, one quarter of a roast chicken, breaded veal cutlet alla milanese, mixed fish fry, pork chop-along with a salad, fried potatoes, or veggies; bread and fruit or cheese; and a cup of coffee. Osteria a la Campana Calle dei Fabbri 4720, San Marco (just a few blocks north of Piazza San Marco en route to the Rialto), 041-528-5170. Closed Sundays. E12.75 ($13.77). It just says Osteria in the window, and from the door you can see only the bar. The wood-paneled dining room hidden to the left has curtains in the windows as if to keep the tourists who wash up and down the busy street from discovering this budget eatery. Venetian dialect buzzes from the tightly packed, tiny wooden tables. There's no menu; waiters just rattle off the day's pre-prepared dishes when you sit down (come early before the good stuff's gobbled up). They operate under a true home-cooking mentality: If the rigatoni's tomato sauce is flavored with tuna, then the fried polpette (meatballs) will be tuna as well. Dishes change daily: perhaps pasta with prosciutto and peas, bocconcini (morsels) of veal cooked tender in milk, or batter-fried fish. The sfuso (table wine) is from the Friuli, and if soccer season is on, so is the TV up in the corner. Ae Oche Calle del Tintor 1552, Santa Croce (just south of Campo San Giacomo dell'Orio), 041-524-1161. E8.50-E12.90 ($9.18-$13.93). This perennially popular pizzeria is far enough from the tourist centers-about halfway between Campo San Polo and the train station-that it's packed with mostly Venetians. It's done up as a sort of ersatz American roadhouse, rock music playing softly, the rough-planked walls painted with peeling old sports-team logos, classic American signs from the era when Pepsi cost 5>, and a large map of Yosemite. A meal of pizza-more than 90 to choose from-and beer runs E8.50 to E11, though you could also squeak into our price range a fuller meal of fusilli in a tomato and basil sauce followed by a grilled chicken breast with spinach. Vini da Pinto Campiello Beccarie 367, San Polo (cross the Rialto bridge to the San Polo side and keep walking straight until you see the fish market on your right, just before the first bridge), 041-522-4599. Closed Mondays. E13.70 ($14.80). How fresh is the fish? You could lob a clamshell from your outdoor table and hit the guy who sold it to the chef that morning-Venice's main fish market sprawls under a brick-and-marble Gothic loggia a few feet away. Fishmongers and other neighbors have jostled at Pinto's bar since 1890. A few curious tourists file past them into the blessedly air-conditioned dining room beyond, where they can sit in designer chairs under ancient wood beams. But what really counts is the food: simple, but good and filling. The E12 menus include everything but drinks-once you add E1.70 for water or E2.50 for wine, you're a wee bit over budget-served on one plate, either spaghetti alla bolognese with a grilled steak, seafood-studded spaghetti pescatore with fried calamari, or a generous slab of lasagne alla bolognese with a breaded veal cutlet alla milanese. Trattoria Cea Calle del Prestin 5337-5422/A, Cannaregio (just south of the Fondamente Nuove), 041-523-7450, www.trattoriacea.it. Closed for Saturday dinners and on Sundays. E13 ($14.04). You can sit on straw-bottom chairs inside, listen to Italian radio, and play elbow hockey with the local workmen who pack the place at lunchtime, or you can snag one of the four lovely outdoor tables ranged around an ancient marble wellhead, under an arbor thick with leafy vines. Most everyone orders the fixed-price menu, which offers choices such as pennette in rag- or a rich vegetable soup to start, followed by a mix of roasted meats, sarde in saor (fried sardines in vinegar-a Venetian specialty), or oven-roasted pork, with a salad or vegetable side included. Florentine fiaschetterie: The original wine bars Florence's traditional fiaschetterie are modest little wine-shops-with-a-bar named for the fiaschi, or straw-bottom flasks, in which Tuscan wines were once delivered from the vineyards. Although these flasks are now only used to hold cheap table Chianti and destined to become candle holders, at a fiaschetteria you can still get a sandwich, a platter of meats and cheese, or even a simple dish or two along with your tipple. Many are not much more than holes in the wall. Florence's best, I Fratellini, is a six-foot-deep doorway where two young men behind the counter continue a 128-year tradition of whipping out scrumptious panini (E2.10) and pouring E.80 glasses of wine to be enjoyed while standing on the flagstones of this pedestrian street in the heart of town. It's at Via de' Cimatori 38r, off Via dei Calzaiuoli between the Duomo and Piazza della Signoria (055-239-6096). Another classic is Antico NoS, where namesake Noah's drunkenness is reenacted daily by the winos who hang around this passageway in a slightly disreputable corner of town near Santa Croce. It's under Volta di San Piero 6r, off the very eastern end of Borgo degli Albizi (055-234-0838). Few tourists bother hunting down one of the locals' favorites in the Oltrarno. Enoteca Fuori Porta has one of the best wine selections and the broadest menu. It's at Via Monte alle Croci 10r, hidden halfway up the hill and rising to the panoramic viewpoint Piazzale Michelangelo (055-234-2483). Le Volpi e l'Uva is newer and modern, but the wines are carefully hand-selected by the owner, who also serves excellent cheese and prosciutto platters (E4-E4.50) and teeny panini (E1.50-E2). It's just off Via Guicciardini on Piazza de' Rossi (055-239-8132). Cicchetti: Venetian Tapas In the early evening, Venetians will duck into a b caro (wine bar) to prendere un'ombra, literally, "to take a little shade," but really to sip a glass of wine and chat. To complement their wine, many bars offer snacks-on-toothpicks called cicchetti-anything from a savory chunk of salami or pxt, on a roundel of bread to an anchovy filet wrapped around a pickled onion. Cicchetti cost E.75 to E1.50 each, although if they put together a platter the cost per piece usually comes down. You can stroll from one b caro to the next, sipping glasses of house wine and nibbling your way toward a full meal. B cari that don't turn into pubs later tend to close around 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., so if you're making this into a light dinner, plan it early. One of the best and most atmospheric cicchetterie is the 1462 Cantina Do Mori, a long bar under low, wood-beamed ceilings near the Rialto market. Upended barrels serve as tabletops, and though it's widely cited in the guidebooks, Do Mori's staunch local clientele will never let the tourists take over. It's at Calle Do Mori 429, San Polo, just over the Rialto, through the street market, then dogleg a few feet left to continue straight; it's on the next block (041-522-5401). Enoteca Cantinone Gi... Schiavi offers not only a broad selection of E1 cicchetti and inexpensive glasses of vino, but also a few dozen wines under E10 a bottle, so you can take an ombra home with you. After your snack, walk to the far end of the fondamenta to see one of the last surviving squeri (gondola workshops) in Venice. It's at Fondamenta San Trovaso 992, Dorsoduro, over the Accademia bridge, your first right; when you hit the first canal turn left and follow it halfway down. The bar's across from a small bridge (041-523-0034). Though Vino Vino serves cicchetti, it really leans more toward being a full osteria, offering little wooden tables and a few dishes prepared by the chefs at its parent restaurant, the pricey Antico Martini down the block. True to its name, it also boasts one of the best wine cellars in Venice, with many excellent selections available by the glass. It's at Ponte delle Veste 2007, San Marco, just south of La Fenice opera house (041-523-7027).