Las Olas Café
   922 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954/524-4300


    The Las Olas Café provides an oasis for couples looking to duck the bustle of the boulevard. Turn down a narrow brick alleyway, to a niche marked only by a small sign and a chalkboard menu, and you’re instantly transported to a charming Parisian bistro. The alley opens on an appealing courtyard with tables for alfresco dining, twinkling white lights making it all the more inviting.

   The dining room is even more intimate, its atmospheric lighting and linen tablecloths lending a casual elegance perfectly suited for conversation. The menu, too, reflects a certain sensuality; from the crunchy brushetta or multitextured baked goat cheese in phyllo appetizers to spinach and pine nut ravioli or grilled salmon served over spinach fettuccine, Las Olas Café understands the concept of food as foreplay. Even so, it couldn’t hurt to order, by the bottle or glass, from the café’s wine list, which ranges from Napa and Sonoma to Chile and Argentina. Check, please!