Dating Dalliances

A LOOK AT SOME BREEZY, BUSY, AND TASTY PLACES TO TAKE THAT FIRST STEP

BY KYLIE WANG

The Casual Choices

We’ve all been there before: You’ve asked someone out that you thought was a nice person, you ended up disliking them from the moment you sat down for dinner, and now you’re stuck for two hours making awkward small talk over a meal that – no matter how good it is – just can’t salvage your night. Well, maybe it can salvage it just a bit, especially if you can get away expeditiously. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of the best first date spots in Coral Gables, places both casual and sophisticated where you can get a drink and a bite – and make a quick getaway if you must.

out through the glass doors, but you shouldn’t let that stop you from getting there early and enjoying their famous Spanish tapas over a $7 house martini. And if you like your date enough to stick around for a while, order a pitcher of their excellent sangria ($24) and bond over a custom charcuterie board. 2500 Ponce de Leon. 786.810.6215

Cebada

This rooftop bar on Giralda Plaza has some of the best people watching in the Gables and we guarantee ordering one of their hilariously named drinks will break the ice on your first date. Seriously, try saying “Bro, Why Are Your Pants So Tight” or “Your Wife’s in My Pina Colada” in front of a person you just met without laughing. With over three pages of drinks and an inventive food menu courtesy of Chef Jorge Ramos, featuring everything from a whole suckling pig to a raw bar, you’ll never run out of things to talk about here. 124 Giralda Ave. 786.409.2287

Bay 13 Brewery

This is THE spot for beer lovers in the Gables that also comes with a full bar for the cocktail inclined. When the weather is nice, the big couches on the expansive outdoor patio make it easy to snuggle up to your date and share a plate of beer-steamed mussels or spiced lamb ribs. The daily happy hour has great discounts on beer, wine, and margaritas, and if all goes well, you can bring your partner back for one of their beer-paired dinners or wine tasting yoga sessions. 65 Alhambra Plaza. 786.452.0935

Bulla

Probably the best part about taking a date to a Bulla happy hour is that if you don’t like them, it’s almost guaranteed there’ll be someone else there you will! (Not that we recommend ditching your date.) On weekdays after work, a younger crowd is virtually spilling

Mamey on 3rd

This third-floor rooftop bar at the THesis Hotel features all the best bites and drinks from the main restaurant’s menu, including a

They began years ago simply as a skin tightening procedure, producing noticeable improvement despite the not infrequent ‘pulled’ appearance. You probably have seen someone with that somewhat obvious, yet uncomfortable look and thought ‘I don’t want to look like that’, I’d rather stay how I am.’

Aside from the pulling, the excessive tension on the skin, trying to lift and hold up the face, also can lead to poor scars around the ears, plus ear and hairline distortions. So why do we still see those less than desirable results? Because they are relatively easy, and quick, to produce, under local anesthesia in an office, and for less cost. These types of ‘mini-lifts’ however produce less than optimal results although they might just suffice for some self-selected patients (“That’s all I want, doc.”) and something might be better than nothing.

So, what if you want more than quick and easy? You want to look natural, a younger, fresher version of yourself, without discernible signs of having had surgery, and the longest result possible. Well, you need to go beyond simple skin tightening and do more, and deeper, with more innovative facelift techniques.

Anatomically, the function of skin is to provide a cover (akin to a building’s facade); it is not designed to lift and hold up the face through excessive tension. The facial support function is served by its deeper infrastructure (similar to a building), comprised of muscles and connective tissues, all resting on top of your facial bone structure.

The principles for improved results with modern techniques are simple:

1. Restore prior tightness to the lax facial infrastructure which has drooped over time, thus actually lifting the face from within, restoring earlier anatomy, followed by:

2. Careful mobilization and trimming away of the loose and excess facial and neck skin, with meticulous suturing along aesthetically placed, anatomic lines, and without undue tension. All the saggy skin in the neck and along the jawline must be elevated to allow it to be properly trimmed and redraped.

Shortcuts in technique are an invitation to suboptimal results and an early recurrence of loose skin, especially in the central neck.

Trimming excess skin and ‘bags’ around the eyes, restoring lost facial volume with fillers or fat, when indicated, along with Botox® and dermatologic skin care, all can help to optimize results.

The surgery takes time, typically no less than four hours for the lower cheek/jawline/neck area, under carefully selected

Stephan Baker MD

anesthesia provided by a safe anesthesia team (MD and CRNA) in a hospital operated outpatient surgery center. Recovery varies from 7 to 14 days to resume usual daily and work activities.

These innovative techniques, beyond simple skin tightening, render exciting and natural looking results - a clean neck and jawline without jowls - the key to a pleasing result. A refreshed but not pulled look. A younger, not distorted version of yourself, keeping others wondering why you look good.

The surgery requires continuous spot-on surgeon focus and stamina, but the results are worth the time and effort. And, of course, it takes an aesthetic eye, along with years of experience (and training) in Plastic Surgery.

So, when you feel ready to refresh and rejuvenate your face, research and reflect carefully before proceeding, and be in good health with realistic expectations.

STEPHAN BAKER, MD, FACS

Plastic Surgery of the Face Breast and Body

daily happy hour from 3 to 6 pm that features the best grilled cheese you’ve ever tasted for only $6. Thursday through Sunday, there’s live music from 6 to 10 pm, occasionally accompanied by dancing from some of the braver patrons – a nice way to get close to your date. If you don’t want to break the bank on an $18 cocktail, happy hour is an essential here. 1350 S. Dixie Hwy (THesis Hotel). 305.266.2639

The Sophisticated Choices

high ceilings and comfortable booths and if you really end up liking your date, you can come back for the $61 “churrasco experience” and spend all night talking over a never-ending parade of meat. 2801 Ponce de Leon. 786.297.8788

Perry’s Bar 79

With the summer heat coming on fast, Perry’s Bar 79, with its wide open doorways and stacked bar menu, is a great compromise to sitting outdoors. During “social hour ” – Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 pm and Sunday from 4 to 9 pm – you can get $2 off bar bites, wines, and cocktails. The bar isn’t huge so come early to impress your sweetie with a round of beef carpaccio or cherry pepper calamari and a cocktail from the extensive drink menu. 4251 Salzedo St. (Shops at Merrick Park). 786.703.9094

NOMA Beach at Redfish

It might be a little hard to make a smooth exit from NOMA Beach, what with it being deep down in Matheson Hammock Park, but it’d be hard to dislike anyone here enough to want to leave early. Come at sunset and enjoy golden hour from the bar or a table outside along the beach. You’ll be in love before the end of the night – if not with your date, then definitely with the view. Tuesday through Friday from 4 to 7 pm is happy hour, where beers go for $6, cocktails for $12, and Chef Donatella’s famous meatball sliders for $14. 9610 Old Cutler Rd. 305.668.8788

Fogo de Chão

With the best happy hour in town, Fogo de Chão is upscale enough that you can radiate sophistication while also keeping your wallet happy with a couple of $9 caipirinhas. The Brazilian steakhouse has $5 happy hour bites weekdays from 4:30 to 6:30 pm in the bar area and an all-day happy hour on drinks. The interior is refined with

La Terrazza

This open-air rooftop lounge on top of Fiola might rival its sister restaurant downstairs in terms of price, but its signature events coupled with a gorgeous view of Coral Gables make it well worth it. Sunset happy hour with two-for-one cocktails is available Wednesday through Friday from 5:30 to 7 pm, and on Fridays you can pair that with live music – or live music and a cigar on Thursday nights. Request a table at the edge of the patio so you can woo your date under the stars and lights of Coral Gables. 1515 Sunset Dr. / 1500 San Ignacio Ave. 305.912.2639 ■