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.

● 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.

Favorite Hangs: One of my old friends from Yale Law School and I still meet weekly at Da Silvano. We also like other, more quaint restaurants. When we go out, we go to Cipriani, Giorgione, but, since Little Italy has been eaten by Chinatown, you have to look for places [further away].

Point of Origin: I was born in Italy -- in Abruzzi on the Adriatic; that had a tremendous influence as I grew up. At four, I stole eggs from my grandmother and traded them for pastries. I started early. I grew up in my uncle's restaurant in Orsogna; now my cousin has it.

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

1. Nemo - Serious atmo at work plus food you can share in a flirty way. Like dining in a secret garden -- only on pavement. And in SoFi.
2. Vivi Ristorante - The kind of candle-lit restaurant you'd find in New York's theatre district, but prettier, with prettier people, and much better food.
3. Joe Allen - If you're dating the no-bullshit type (rare in these parts), go here. Cool vibe, cool people. Split the cookie desert after your meal.