SoLita Las Olas, Fort Lauderdale

Though Solita Las Olas's lounge-like atmosphere has been known to attract celebrities, such as the Miami Heat's Udonis Haslem, nightlife isn't even its main draw. In addition to a bustling upscale lounge and dining room, SoLita—or "south of Little Italy"— houses a hopping kitchen where chefs cook Italian meals using generations-old family recipes. Local and imported ingredients give zings of flavor to fresh pasta dishes, draped in sauces from spicy white wine tomato sauce to rich Parmesan cream. For heartier meals, chefs grill rib-eye steaks, veal chops, and filet mignon, or sizzle the catch-of-the-day with garlic, capers, and a sense of man's dominance over the mighty ocean.