Mexican St. Paddy's Day arrives with plenty of tequila

By Lesley Abravanel | lank@aol.com5/4/2012

'N Cinco
The Mexican St. Paddy's Day for those of us not of Mexican heritage, Cinco de Mayo is another good excuse to go out and imbibe in all the specials going on at places that aren't remotely Mexican either. Take Duffy's for instance, where drink specials include $4 Cazadores Margaritas, $6 Corona-ritas and $10 guac and chips. For $10 more dollars, stay until 9 p.m. when Duffy's will air the Mayweather v. Cotto showdown at their North Miami Beach location, among others.

For a different kind of knockout across county lines, starting at 7 p.m. on May 5 at the W Fort Lauderdale's trio of drinking establishments--Whiskey Blue, Living Room and the Wet Lounge will be offering $5 Corona and Corona Lights, $10 Jalapeño Margaritas, $8 Herradura shots and a special Mexican menu. DJ Danny Stern will spin poolside. Bonus: a chance to win an all-expense paid trip for two to actual Mexico by signing up here.

And, because it's Miami, the mariachi music has to have a techno or electro beat which is why a DJ will spin Salsa Fiesta's Cinco de Mayo mayhem, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and continuing from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m. Saturday. Among the specials: $2.50 beers and $3 margaritas and sangrias.

For bargain basement priced frozen margaritas ($5!) in a ritzy setting, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, May 5, the DiLido Beach Club at the Ritz-Carlton, South Beach is the place, where there will also be $5 suckling pig, chicken or fish tacos to the tune of DJ Mac spinning lounge music. There’s no cover.

Swank Cinema
High tech movie theaters with supersonic sound systems and couches that make you want to doze off are great and all, but there's something about screening a classic flick in the courtyard of The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, Miami that makes the movie experience that much more magical. Starting at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 6 with It Happened One Night, The Ritz's Starry Night Movie Classics on the Courtyard will offer similarly comfy couches on which you may or may not fall asleep, specialty cocktails and Italian and Mediterranean influenced apps by chef Khaled Ibrahim. The screening is free, no reservations required. Future screenings include Jaws on June 3.

Blues Bash
Multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Big Poppa E is an influential blues and roots musician who just so happens to be celebrating his birthday beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, May 4 at Tobacco Road. “My mother wanted me to be a preacher... my father wanted me to go to hell... I compromised and became a blues singer,” he writes on his Facebook page. The singer will perform with his All Star Band, featuring Sanna Vaarna, George Caldwell and Curmit Seibert. Other performances that night include former child prodigy blues guitarist Reggie Sears at 10:30 p.m., and Amy Arlo, dubbed a modern day Janis Joplin, and her Almost Blue Band at 11 p.m.  

Four Your Information
For once, Miami isn’t directly behind New York in something—instead, it’s right behind Chicago in US News & World Reports’ list of 18 of the country’s best nightlife spots. That’s right, your Magic City is in fourth place. NYC is number one, Vegas number 2, and Chicago number 3. Key West, incidentally, also made the list at number 17.