Cinco De Mayo 2006 ~ Miami Style

If you're looking for tasty ways to celebrate Cinco de Mayo this year, you could not have picked a better city than Miami, FL. While the city offers cuisine to satisfy just about any discriminating palate, Cinco de Mayo is one day of the year to bring out
your inner Latino, no matter what your nationality.

Miami is home to some of the best Mexican cuisine in the country, including The River Oyster Bar, located at 650 South Miami Avenue. Chef and Owner David Bracha promises a special "combination" of cuisine and culture. Together with his partner, Keiran Fallon, Chef Bracha followed their vision and passion to create an upscale, urbane dining experience in Miami's Brickell Village. His dishes are more than food; they are a destination centered on fine food and wine. Menu items during the 2005 holiday included Foie Gras and Duck Taquitos, Shredded Pork Carnitas, Sopa Pillas, and their signature cocktail, the Rain & Watermelon martini. This year's selections are sure to be just as tantalizing.

If you're looking for authentic Mexican cuisine that will still leave your waist-line in check, then check out Lime Fresh Mexican Grill, with a South Miami Beach location (1439 Alton Rd, Miami Beach) and a North Miami Beach location (14831 Biscayne Blvd, North Miami Beach.) Their entire menu is based around low-fat, healthy, and low-carb dishes. Each customer has the option of choosing from regular, whole wheat, or low-carb tortillas. But don't mistake low-fat for no-taste. Their salsa is homemade throughout each day, and their fresh Mahi-Mahi and Yellowfin Tuna are favorites on the daily specials board. Plus, to wash it all down, Lime has every Mexican beer that can be found in South Florida.

If your appetite includes more than food on this holiday, perhaps a cruise would be on the menu! Royal Caribbean
is hosting a 13-night Transatlantic Eastbound "Cinco de Mayo" cruise on their ship, Brilliance of the Seas. Starting in Miami with stops in Funchal (Madeira), Lisbon, Malaga, Villefranche (Nice), Barcelona, this cruise is affordable at $794, through www.cruisecompete.com. The departure date is April 28, 2006.

Cinco de Mayo offers everyone a chance to celebrate with friends and family; and no matter what your tastes, there are many culinary ways to commemorate this special event in Mexican history. A popular misconception is that Cinco de Mayo marks Mexico's Independence Day. It does not. Cinco de Mayo commemorates the victory of the Mexicans over the French army at The Battle Of Puebla in 1862. Mexico's Independence Day is actually September 16.