Turkey Legs to Go is FanHouse's complete travel guide for all of the 2008-2009 college bowl games. Here, we cover the Orange Bowl (Miami, Florida), which pits Virginia Tech against Cincinnati.Overview/Matchup: Welcome to the showdown of the century, folks. It's the ACC (Va Tech, BEAMERBALL!) versus the Big East (Cincy, Who?) in a matchup that will determine what major conference was most inept in 2008? The Hokies, as you can see from the capitol letter phrase above, win by playing hard-nosed defense and special teams, and creating turnovers. Cincy wins because Jerry Kelly is a freaking magician.
Hotels: Bowl-travelers descending on Miami will be glad to know that the best spots in town are just a mile or two from the stadium. Many of the finest hotels, restaurants and clubs are in the bay-front area. For luxury accommodation, we recommend the Mandarin Oriental Miami. The hotel's design combines Asian simplicity with Miami flare and the service is world-class. Renovated and rebranded in June of 2008, the Hilton Miami Downtown offers better service and newer guestrooms than most other midrange hotels in the downtown area. Be sure to check out La Brisa Bistro, the hotel's restaurant serving Cuban-accented meals with international flare. If budget is your primary concern, the Rodeway Inn Miami Airport is the spot for you. Accommodations are limited, but the property offers rooms for less than US$100 per night.
Restaurants: When it comes to fine dining, those staying at the Mandarin Oriental are in for a treat... our recommended restaurant is in the hotel. Azul features the culinary flare of Chef Clay Conley, who combines Mediterranean, North African and Asian flavors to create an inspired menu. Reservations are recommended. Just south of the airport in Coral Gables is the South-American inspired Cacao. The restaurant features entrees like suckling pig, duck breast and rack of lamb. If you need to make your money last or just want to visit a Miami landmark, try eating at El Palacio de los Jugos. The small roadside restaurant has been around for 30 years and still serves affordable, delicious family-style Cuban food. If you don't speak Spanish, other patrons will be around to assist you.
Nightlife: As for nightlife, clubs and bars come and go in Miami with the tide. They close, open, and change name so frequently you may want to check the nightlife section of the Miami Herald's website before going out for the evening. If you want a casual beer on the mainland, check out John Martin's Pub in Coral Gables. If you feel like dancing and enjoying the club scene, visit any of the clubs in Miami Beach, but particularly keep an eye out for Nocturnal. The club is open from 11pm to 4am, has three floors, a rooftop terrace and is frequently headlined by internationally renowned DJs.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-31-2008 @ 4:43PM
Unforgivable Wetness said...
Strip Clubs: Miami's strip joints have a reputation for being an orgy of beautiful people, both the women onstage and the male (and sometimes female) customers watching them. That image is enhanced by the somewhat-overblown preconception that all the clubs there have a heavy Latina presence, when there are plenty of girls of all colors and shapes to please anyone who wants to visit the area. What probably makes the scene hopping, however, is that Miami allows both totally nude dancing and alcohol in the same place; most cities, including Tampa and Jacksonville in Florida, make a club choice one or the other.
While there are about 30 or so places in the area, one place dominates all of them: Tootsie's Cabaret, which moved into a big, some say cavernous, new building a couple years ago. Packed with beautiful strippers (the majority of them Latina, but in a place this big there are girls of all kinds) and nooks and crannies for anyone who has some money and wants some one-on-one time, this is the place to be. This is the place to be on weekends, where the crowds give Tootsie's an indelible party-like atmosphere. But if you want some mileage and extras, this club in the daytime is the best place in Miami as well. For places that may be less crowded at night, go north to Hallandale, where the Cheetah and Scarlett's Cabaret reside.
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