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.

● The Little Owl (New York) - Small hotspot where you can view the West Village through rose-colored window panes. A savvy choice for a date in the know, but let your date know you chose it for the greenmarket menu. Swoon.
● Mistral (Los Angeles) - Intimate space, low lighting, the smell of French cuisine, and love is in the air. Couples relish the dark corners. A vast wine list and pared-down menu means easy first date decision-making. Opt for fries over the spinach side; the soft light helps you seem sexy, but it will do nothing for a green tooth.

● Blue Capri (Coconut Grove) - Coco Grove boutique for the beach set.
● Kitchen 305 (Sunny Isles Beach) - American fusion resto with wacky plating and late-night tunes.

● Switch (Coconut Grove) - Brew, tapas, and flat screens; full bar coming soon.
● The Cape Cod Room (South Beach) - The clams aren't the only things stuffed around this primo seafood restaurant.

Guys may come from Mars, and women from Venus, but Friday night dance parties are universal lingo. From glittering warehouses to stealth doors at intimate lounges, these slick floors ache for some unbridled dancing debauchery.

● Butter (NYC) - Friday night party Whipped is so fresh, most can't believe it's Butter. Resident hipster DJs Matt&Maia draw out big name fashion folks like Alexander Wang and the Ronsons and buddy up with special guest DJs like Interpol's Paul Banks. Mixed clientele harbor a serious need to put on their dancing Miu Mius.
● Cielo (NYC) - New York's dance addiction reigns supreme. Deep Space house heads maintain the sunken dance floor, which still attracts the pretty people looking to move something.

The way the car rental market is right now, you're lucky to get a rate lower than $50 a day. Companies like Avis, Budget, Alamo, and Thrifty are squeezing their customers but good. However, if you're super-flexible and want to take a road trip, there are deals to be had. If you've ever wanted to go to Disney World or Key West or Miami, and you happen to be close to the Houston, Boston, or Providence airports, and (the kicker) you have the time to make a southern/eastern road trip between now and November 15, this is the deal for you. Should you fit into all those rigid requirements of geography, inclination, and time off, you can drive for just a dollar a day (plus taxes, gas, lodging, hookers, etc.) from Texas or New England down to Florida.

● Prelude (Downtown/Brickell) - Conveniently located for theater-goers hankering for an extra-friggin-ordinary meal.
● Mina Miami Beach (South Beach) - Adorable little shop offering fashions at affordable prices.

● Bardot Speakeasy (Wynwood/Design Dist.) - Undercover, modern-day speakeasy in the DD.
● Talavera (Coral Gables) - Classy Mexican spot for the Gables crowd.

Frequent fliers (those who have traveled an average of 17 times over the last two months) have voted, and all 14,500 agree: LAX is a terrible airport. In fact, it's the third most terrible airport in the world, eclipsed only by Charles De Gaulle in Paris and London's Heathrow airport. Rounding out the top five worst airports in the world are Frankfurt International and Miami International. So what makes LAX so bad?

● Lemon Twist Bistro (North Miami Beach) - What's old is new again at this North Beach space brought back to life.
● Sci Sci (Downtown/Brickell) - Just another resto/lounge trying to make it in the Brickell hood.

At the New York Film Festival premiere of Broken Embraces:

● PENELOPE CRUZ - Favorite restaurant in New York? "Oh, I have many because I love food so much!" And in Madrid? "I go to many that are out in the countryside, but whoever goes there for the first time should go to Botin. It's the oldest restaurant in the world." What did you like about it? "Everything!"

● PEDRO ALMODOVAR - Favorite restaurant in New York? "Mr. Chow's -- we had dinner there the other day, and it was really very impressive." And in Madrid? "In Madrid, there are many. Casa Lucio is one of my favorites."