AFTER DARK

Big daddy of sports bars gets Weston touch

Flanigan's Seafood Bar and Grill recently celebrated its 50th year in business, so I stopped by the Weston location (2460 Weston Rd.) in acknowledgment of the golden anniversary.

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Countdown's on for Mexican Independence Day

September is usually just a transition from cruising through school zones to driving the speed limit. But that doesn't mean things have to slow down.

AFTER DARK

Some sure bets for the long weekend

Don't waste a minute of this three-day weekend laboring over what to do. Refer instead to the following list of scenic settings, noteworthy nightspots and island adventures.

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Star chefs line up for Sunday's Sand Bake

Once we heard a radio station advertise a New Year's Eve party, the notion of Labor Day weekend being upon us didn't seem all that far-fetched. And saying sayonara to summer is hardly a teary farewell. Between the recession, oppressive heat and bad reality TV, we're ready to move on.

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Taking a lesson in the fine art of club life

Bar hopping isn't always a bleary-eyed pastime, especially when there's an ample supply of eye candy of the artistic sort we saw at the recent Heineken Art Crawl throughout the Brickell area. But even when there's no art on display, places like Segafredo, Novecento, Piola, Dolores Lolita and Badrutt's Place often give barflies something to look at besides the bottom of their empty glasses. Providing ample distractions of its own in that neighborhood is the newly opened Brickell Irish Pub, where live bands, poker tournaments and karaoke nights are among the planned nightly activities besides the usual Guinness guzzling.

AFTER DARK

Feeling crabby? Rustic Inn's got the cure

After being sandwiched for three hours on a plane between a snotty 11-year-old girl and a middle-aged man who smelled like soup, I needed a cocktail. So when my flight landed in Fort Lauderdale, I hightailed out of the long-term parking lot and was sitting at the Rustic Inn's bar within five minutes.

AFTER DARK

The Trove's a Lauderdale beachside treasure

For those of you who require a respite from the excessive drinking and loud music typically associated with a night out in South Florida, I occasionally write a review about an artsy java joint, arcade, bowling alley, miniature golf course, go-kart facility or pottery studio.

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Get up and crawl for the cause

Deep into the summer, things have come to somewhat of a turtle-like crawl, but in the case of Summer Fest '09, that's a good thing because that crawl is between bars. Kicking off Friday and going through the weekend, the Equality Florida Bar Crawl joins with the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force to present a musical chairs of sorts for adults, with some of South Beach's best -- and only -- gay bars hosting various events. That's Score, Palace, Halo, Twist, as well as equal opportunity spots like Hotel Victor and the Tides Hotel. The weekend's festivities will be emceed by drag stars Geraldine and Fernan-D-Cute. A slew of events is planned -- Friday's Fashionista Fest at The Tides (8-11 p.m.) and Meltdown, the official Summerfest Women's Event at the Catalina Hotel's Maxine Bistro and Bar and Bamboo Pool Deck featuring DJ Nancy Starr (10 p.m. to 5 a.m.), Saturday's Sunburst Brunch at the Palace (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and Summer Storm at Score (10 p.m. to 5 a.m.), and Sunday's T-Dance and Pool Party at the Victor (1-6 p.m.), and Bar Crawl from 8 p.m. until 2 a.m. Many of the venues offer up to three free Belvedere cocktails or Bud Lights. For specific information on events, venues and ticket prices (at the time of this writing tickets for the entire weekend were $50 in advance with 100 percent of proceeds going to the task force and Equality Florida) call 305-509-2700 or e-mail info@thepinkdollar.com. Not included in the price -- a cab, if need be.

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Jazid celebrates sweet 13 with all-star lineup

The beach may be a far cry from the hills of Austria, but at least this weekend, it's alive with the sound of music. Jazid's Bar Mitzvah celebration -- a 13-year milestone -- kicks off Friday and continues through the weekend with a slew of bands including Locos Por Juana and Bachaco at 8 p.m. and DJ Le Spam and the Spam Allstars, Suenalo Sound System, Local 34, The Deco Band, Fabian Hernandez, Natalie Bretoneche, Jacob Jeffries and the Max Ferber Trio beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday. Saturday's party...

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For summer crowd, good deals abound

All these plays on the word vacation are making us nuts -- playcation, staycation. If you ask us, it's all affectation, but that said, whatever you choose to call it, sleepover deals in your own ZIP Code are aplenty this summer -- and not just at your corner Motel 6.

MUSIC

POPLIFE celebrates a decade of indie-rock, alternative culture

Ask party people around the world about Miami nightlife and they'll rave about megaclubs such as Mansion and Space and the superstar DJs who jet in to rock the crowds with their pulsing house beats.

AFTER DARK

If you want to impress, land at the Pelican

If you're thinking about taking the plunge into Internet dating, I'm going to share a secret: Just about everyone online is lying. Lying about their height, weight, income, marital status, intentions, interests, drinking frequency, smoking status, child status and if they have hair under that baseball hat or not. I once met a young lady who said in her profile that she was a dead ringer for Marilyn Monroe. Upon meeting, I learned her words ''dead ringer'' must have referred to what the blonde bombshell...

Get a taste of Club Med at Miami Beach

Unable to get to the Mediterranean this summer because your yacht's in the shop or because of a little problem called being broke? Don't worry, the Med is coming to you vis a vis the Mediterranean Experience Wine Challenge on Saturday at the Miami Beach Convention Center. At the event, a panel of winos -- er, judges -- taste and rate all sorts of wines to choose the Best in Show. The panel includes Hell's Kitchen season five contestant Seth Levine, among other expert swishers. Although you don't...

What are you doing New Year's Eve?

Where are you going to be when the ball drops? From where the celebs are celebrating to countdown-perfect cocktails to New Year's Eve memories from local personalities, we've got everything you'll need to plan your celebration. Welcome to Miami.com's NYE '09 guide. Read on and ring it in right.