Centro Restaurant & Lounge, The Colony

At Centro Restaurant-Lounge, the only commonality between morning and evening are the orange chandeliers dripping glass filigree toward the floor. "After 10 o'clock we move the tables to the kitchen," says manager Francisco Ibarra. Then, DJs spin furious dance beats for a crowd of partygoers. Well-stocked bars center both the lounge and outdoor patio, which is further augmented with umbrellas and cabanas.

Despite the lounge's dramatic transformation, "before 10 o'clock it's like a normal restaurant," Ibarra says. Its menu is the brainchild of Ibarra and his longtime friend, Marcos Hernandez, who began crying deeply while cutting onions alongside his mother when he was 7 years old. "Now he has a lot of authentic Mexican food talent," Ibarra says. Using Hernandez's culinary gift and Ibarra's flair for business, the two have elevated Centro's cuisine with the addition of flavorful cactus flowers, Mexican corn bread, and a steak marinade with traditional spices.