Variety is key when you are testing the waters of love and lust. To some, love is motivated by how fat one's pocketbook is. To others, it's based on where one is able to get a reservation at peak time on a Friday night. Whether your leading lady is a tastemaker with a tiny appetite, or your gent is a sucker for the sauce, there’s a hotspot that’s all the bang for your buck, and a watering hole that may just lead to a bang.

● Casa Tua (South Beach) - Friday night ressies are hard to come by, so plan in advance, unless of course you have an in at the uber-private club upstairs. ● Bond St. Lounge (South Beach) - Ideal for a blind date. A dark room, quick service -- just in case he/she sucks -- and a trendy name are all it takes. ● Nemo (South Beach) - Perfect for a first date with that girl you really like. Not too pretentious, but perf for scoring points early on. Opt for a table outside and romance her under the stars.

● Greenstreet Cafe (Coconut Grove) - Mosey on over to this Grove hot spot on Saturday mornings with your pup in tow. Always a little wait for an outdoor seat, but absolutely worth it. The watermelon lemonade is divine, but if you are looking for a drink of the non-virgin variety, sort opt for the blood Mary. ● Balans (South Beach) - You don’t need a night on the town when you can have the mimosas at Balans. Get sloshed after a delish meal and keep the energy up with a game of I Spy. It can’t get any better than pointing out a Lincoln Road tourist set over eggs Benedict. ● Baleen (Coconut Grove) - May we recommend this resto for the views alone. Secluded from the usual cluster of tourists, locals arrive decked in their Sunday best. An assortment of brunch fare is presented inside, but definitely ask for a seat by the bay.

Dominick D'Alleva, owner of Home and the still-hot Sway, on trading in the Law for the industry, not getting a table at his own joint, and plotting power moves in this economy.

More effective than The Game, roofies, red roses, and puppies.