Restaurants ramp up for Miami Spice

Hundreds of restaurants are already lining up to participate in Miami Spice, the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau promotion for local restaurant deals.

What's happening: From Aug. 1–Sept. 30, diners can get three-course meals at top eateries for just $30–$35 (lunch/brunch) and $45–$60 (dinner).

• That's essentially a 40% discount at some participating restaurants.

What we're watching: Menus are already posted, so we're working on our plan of attack.

• Miami Spice is a great way to check out Michelin-recommended hotspots such as Miami Beach's Estiatorio Milos in the South of Fifth neighborhood or Brasserie Laurel downtown.
• Longtime favorites like Cafe La Trova and Michael's Genuine are also participating.

Of note: Some restaurants have deals for certain meals (maybe not Saturday night dinners, for example) — so we recommend checking their websites and calling ahead for reservations.

• And you'll have to shell out a little extra for tax, tip and beverages.