American

If you’re looking for a hot dog in Miami [1], the place to go is Dogma Grill (7030 Biscayne Blvd., 305/759-3433, 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Mon.–Sat., main courses from $4). In addition to all-beef dogs, Dogma also serves turkey and chicken dogs as well as soy-based franks for vegetarians. They’re all grilled to order, but the dogs themselves are almost secondary to the infinite ways they can be dressed. A full salad bar–type setup is available so you can add fresh vegetables, herbs, and salsa as well as a few different cheeses to your plain dog, but the inventions that come out of the kitchen—like the Pitchfork (bacon, grilled onions, barbecue sauce, and cheddar cheese), Pomodoro (chopped tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese), or El Macho (jalapeños, diced tomatoes, onions, cheddar cheese, spicy brown mustard, and a spicy salsa and cream concoction)—are what truly sets this place apart from other hot-dog joints.

Although it’s primarily positioned as one of the Design District [2]’s late-night lounges, Grass (28 NE 40th St., 305/573-3355, 6–11 p.m. Tues. and Fri.–Sat., main courses from $9) serves an eclectic array of American, Latin, and European fare in a beautiful outdoor environment. Light bites like seviche, escargot, and oysters pave the way for marinated skirt steak, grilled fish entrées, and other classics.

Out of the Blue (2426 NE 2nd Ave., 305/573-3800, 8 a.m.–10 p.m. Mon.–Thurs., 8 a.m.–midnight Fri., 9 a.m.–midnight Sat., 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Sun., main courses from $5) is popular for its potent morning coffees and thick Belgian waffles, but the rest of the day finds the comfortable café serving excellent hot and cold sandwiches, including an amazing panini filled with grilled chicken, roasted red peppers, jalapeños, and marinated artichokes, as well as meal-sized salads.

They say that only fools wash a rental car, but if you’re anywhere near the Karma Car Wash (7010 Biscayne Blvd., 305/759-1392, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. daily, tapas from $6) while driving around in a rental, you’d be a fool not to stop in. The main attraction is, of course, the ecofriendly car wash itself, which prides itself on low-cost, high-impact cleaning. However, settling in for a nibble and a nip at the stylish Metro Cafe inside makes the car washing something of an afterthought. Mimosas, tapas, and sandwiches are what the Karma is best known for, but organic coffees, a decent wine list, and a recently expanded menu of entrées is making the place a destination for foodies as well as loving gearheads.