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Before Miami became the hot spot that it is, there was Palm Beach ' the destination of choice for affluent folks from the Gilded Age and on. Palm Beach still packs 'em in, offering a huge variety of activities for even the most jaded visitor. Getting the obvious out of the way first, Palm Beach encompasses 47 miles of white, sandy beaches that are just begging to be walked across, and along which you will find scads of quaint cottages and small inns. The more urban side of Palm Beach reveals the city as a major cultural and commercial center. You will find museums, art galleries, and performance venues, not to mention huge shopping centers and over 2,000 restaurants. In spite of this, there isn't much Miami/Ft. Lauderdale-style nightlife to be found in Palm Beach. Club Y is the only real nightclub, and while I really have no complaints with it (it's really pretty nice), the fact that there is only one limits your choices and makes club-hopping difficult. The dining scene in Palm Beach is, however, without peer ' and Amici Restorante and bar has been at the forefront of fine dining in Palm Beach for the past 12 years.

Amici is (as might be inferred) a restaurant specializing in Italian food. Over the past decade, it has become the restaurant in which you 'see and are seen,' and is quite a hotspot. The food is all quite good, though naturally a bit expensive, and the wine list is superb. They offer brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, but to truly appreciate Amici, you really have to go for dinner. My favorite item is the grilled yellowtail snapper, but I haven't had anything there that wasn't top notch ' their gourmet pizzas are delicious, and comparatively inexpensive ' though some of them are a little too mundane for the price. They have a great variety of Italian and American wines, and the wait-staff are always willing to recommend a bottle that will compliment your meal if you aren't that familiar with Italian wines. The only thing lacking about Amici is their desserts; what little they have is fairly uninspired, though it is always nice to close your meal with a simple gelato.

Amici is one of Palm Beach's best, so hop in a Mirage Limo and come on over (would you really not take a limousine to a place you go to be seen?) Amici is a great South Florida experience, in a different way than the restaurants and clubs of Miami.