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The Linksys E4200 is a major upgrade to the Linksys E3000; it has a better design, faster performance, and a Web interface that encompasses the functionality of the easy-to-use Cisco Connect desktop application.

Except for a few minor blemishes–its bulky power adapter, a guest networking feature that’s limited to only 10 clients at a time, and the lack of support for 450Mbps throughput on the 2.4GHz band–we love everything about this router.

At around $180, it’s rather expensive, but it’s worth the investment. For a slightly cheaper router with similar features, we’d recommend the Linskys E3000 or the Linksys E2000.

Design and ease of use
The Linksys E4200 router brings the overall styling of Cisco’s Linksys E series up a notch, looking more like an expensive jewelry gift box than a router. With the flat shape and internal antenna design, the router is also compact compared with its peers. Its features allow you to leave it out in the open, rather than hide it, as you would most other routers. Unfortunately, you do want to tuck away its power adapter, which is disproportionately large for a router this size; it’s about the size of portable charger for a small laptop.

The router comes with four LAN ports and one WAN port on the back. All are Gigabit-capable, meaning they support throughput up to 1,000Mbps. Also on the back you’ll find the push button for the Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) feature, a recessed reset button, and a USB 2.0 port that can host a USB external storage device for the router’s network attached storage (NAS) function. WPS allows you to conveniently add WPS-enabled clients to the wireless network via the push of a button. Unfortunately, like the E3000, the E4200 isn’t designed to host a printer, which is a little disappointing.

On the front, the new E4200 forgoes the usual array of status LEDs. Instead it has just one white light, in the shape of Cisco’s logo, that blinks when the router’s booting up (or something is not right) and stays solid when everything is in order.

Like all routers in the E series, the E4200 comes with Cisco Connect, which helps novice users set up and manage the router very easily. Anyone who can use a computer mouse can get the router up and running within about 5 minutes.

By default, the software set up the wireless networks by combining two of them–one for the 2.4GHz band and the other for the 5GHz band–into one that shares same name and the same password. This is similar to how Apple sets up its AirPort Extreme. Though this makes things easier, it also means you won’t be able to manually pick which band to use. The password is then also used for logging in to the router’s interface. This network name and the password are selected at random, but you can change them if you like.

The Cisco Connect software also allows you to turn the guest network (which is available only in the 2.4GHz band) on or off, manage the parental control features, and more. The software is very limited in functionality and requires a live Internet connection to work. In order to do more or to set up the router for an isolated network that’s disconnected from the Internet, you’ll need to use the router’s Web interface by pointing a connected computer’s browser to 192.168.1.1.

Note that if you haven’t used Cisco Connect, the default password to log in to the router’s Web interface is “admin” with the username being left blank. Once you have changed the default password, the username is now “admin.”

The good news is, unlike with previous models, the E4200′s Web interface’s functionality encompasses that of Cisco Connect. For this reason savvy users can and should skip the Cisco Connect software entirely, so they can be in complete control of the router’s settings.

In the end, it’s best to use either the Cisco Connect software if you are a novice user, or the Web interface if you are a savvy user, but not both. We tried using both of them to change the router’s settings and sometimes ran into situations when both stopped working and we had to reset the router.

Features
The Linksys E4200 is a true dual-band router, meaning it has two separate access points–one for the 2.4GHz band and the other for the 5GHz band–that can work simultaneously. It can also create an additional separate wireless guest network, on the 2.4GHz band only. The E4200 is also the first we’ve reviewed that offers the higher 450Mbps speed on the 5GHz band. This is because the router uses the newer three-stream standard. To take advantage of this new speed, for now, you’ll need to have a laptop equipped with an Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 or 5300 Wi-Fi adapter. In the future there will also be USB adapters and add-in cards that support this speed.

Guest networking is a great solution when you want to share the Internet with others but want to keep them from accessing your local resources, such as files or printers. The E4200′s guest networking feature allows only 10 clients max, which isn’t very many. Though this is enough for home use, it’s not good for a public place, such as a cafe or restaurant.

The E4200 has simple support for network storage, including the ability to share the content of a USB external hard drive (formatted using either NTFS or FAT32), with user account restriction. By default the admin account has full access, including the ability to create more user accounts. It also has a built-in UPnP media server that allows you to stream digital content to other UPnP-compliant devices, such as set-top boxes or game consoles. Unfortunately, though streaming music and photos worked well in our trials, the video streaming wasn’t smooth and sometimes didn’t seem to work at all. This is mostly because the router doesn’t have enough power to offer the fast storage throughput required to stream high-definition content.

For file sharing, the E4200 supports Windows SMB, so you can browse the share folders easily while using a network browser such as Windows Explorer. It also has the ability to turn a folder on an attached USB hard drive into an FTP site. We did find the layout of the Web interface for the storage feature rather cumbersome, though still easy enough for savvy users to figure out.

Like the E3000, the E4200 includes a simple, yet robust, parental control content-filtering system. This feature, which you can manage with the Cisco Connect software or the Web interface, allows you to change the way a particular computer on the network accesses the Internet.

Similar to other routers in the E series, the E4200′s Web interface also gives access to the router’s Applications Gaming feature, which lets you set port forwarding and triggering for specific applications such as games, remote desktop, and FTP and HTTP servers. You can also assign static IP addresses to certain computers in the network, making the port forwarding much more relevant and easy to do. If you want to create a VPN connection, an FTP access, or a remote desktop connection to a certain computer in the network, you will find this handy and convenient.

Like most recent routers, the Linksys E42000 supports all available wireless encryption standards including WEP, WPA-Personal, and WPA-Enterprise. The router allows VPN pass-through for all existing VPN protocols including IPsec, L2TP, and PPTP, meaning that if you have the router at home, you can use a VPN client to access your office system.

Performance
The Linksys E4200 did very well where it matters the most: wireless performance. Note that we didn’t have a client that supports the 450Mbps standard at the time of this review. (We’ll retest when we get a hold of one and update this part of the review then.) Nonetheless, with general 300Mbps clients, the E4200 excelled.

In the 5GHz frequency tests, the router registered 100.5Mbps on our close-range throughput test, which is about 20Mbps faster than the D-Link DIR-825. At this speed, the router can finish transmitting 500MB of data in just about 40 seconds. On our long-range test, the E4200 did even better with 79.1Mbps, about 40Mbps faster than the D-Link, which scored 48.8Mbps. By far, the E4200 was the fastest on the 5GHz band, which is not a surprise because as we mentioned before, it’s the first we’ve reviewed that supports the three-stream standard for this band.

On our 2.4GHz frequency tests, the router’s scores were also among the tops on our charts. It scored 61.4Mbps in the close-range throughput test and 46.9Mbps in the long-range test. In the mixed-mode test, where the router was set to work with both N and legacy G wireless clients, it scored 57.6Mbps.

The Linksys E4200 also did very well in our stress test. It didn’t disconnect once during the 48 hours of heavy data transferring between multiple clients. It offered great range, too, in our test, with about 290 feet for both 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands. This is the first time we’ve seen a router that offers similar ranges for both bands. Normally, the 5GHz band has a shorter range than the 2.4GHz band.

So far the E4200 is the fastest true dual-band router we’ve seen when it comes to wireless performance.

On the other hand, the router’s NAS performance, as we’ve always seen in routers that have network storage features, was mediocre. We tested it with a USB portable hard drive, and the scores were nowhere close to those of dedicated NAS servers. The router’s write and read speeds were just slightly faster than 60Mbps. This means it’s only suitable for casual small-file sharing among network computers. If you want to do heavy file sharing or media streaming, we’d recommend a dedicated NAS server, such as the Synology DS410.

We didn’t run into any problems during the review, but we did notice that the router got rather warm. It’s recommended that it be set up in an open area.

CNET Labs 2.4GHz Wireless-N performance score (in Mbps)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)

Mixed mode  

Range  

Throughput  

CNET Labs 5GHz Wireless-N performance score (in Mbps)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)

Range  

Throughput  

CNET Labs NAS performance (in Mbps)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)

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Service and support
Cisco backs the Linksys E4200 with a one-year limited warranty. Cisco’s toll-free phone support is available 24-7, as is online chat with a support representative. The company’s Web site includes software, drivers, and firmware downloads as well as an FAQ section. Hide Review

This week’s review is of the Stone Soup Company (1517 Seventh Ave.; 813-247-7687) in Ybor City. Neat place and chef/owner Ilya Ben Goldberg is clearly thinking big picture. Here is a link to the review, and here is a link to the restaurant’s site.

Barring a last-minute glitch, the new Dali Museum will include a cafe run by the folks behind Parkshore Grill and two other downtown St. Petersburg restaurants.

Owner Steve Westphal says executive chef Tyson Grant has crafted a menu for the Gala Cafe meant to evoke Dali’s Spanish roots. It will open, along with the new museum, on 1/11/11 at 11:11 a.m. The address is 1 Dali Blvd., next door to the Mahaffey Theater.

The ground-floor cafe will be open for breakfast and lunch, coinciding with the museum’s hours, but no museum admission will be required.

The menu will include Spanish omlettes, salads, wraps, tapas and Spanish wine.

Besides Parskshore, Westphal and Grant also run 400 Beach Seafood and Tap House (which has a new chef who introduced a new menu in October, Westphal says) and The Hangar Restaurant and Flight Lounge.

Westphal says adding a fourth restaurant will allow him to rotate cooks and servers. “It’s easier the bigger the ball gets,” he said. Although the final contract has not been signed, Westphal says, “We’re moving in that direction…We’ve got the china ordered.”

The menu, still in development, is after the jump.

 
Early
                House Baked Croissants 
                Spanish Coffee Cake
                Potato and Onion Tortilla (traditional Spanish omelet)
                Fresh Fruit Salad
 
Lunch- Mid Day
               

                Gazpacho
                Caldo Gallego
                fruit salad
                Mixed Green salad with organic baby greens, roasted peppers, tomato, olives, onion, sherry vinaigrette
                Ensalata Jamon with smoked ham, artichokes, toasted almonds, manchego cheese

               Plata Espana, with chorizo, Manchego, olives, almonds and Pequillo peppers
               Roasted Pork sandwich or wrap with Piquillo peppers, pomato, olive oil, roasted garlic, tomato, Manchego

              
              Tortillas (Spanish omelets)
              Potato and Onion
              Chorizo, Peppers and Olives
              Smoked Ham and Artichoke
 
Desserts
Flan – Coffee, orange, vanilla
Milk chocolate Tiramisu
Mantecados – Spanish crumb cookies

It seems we are at the end of two stories for which there has been much ado.

I never quite figured out when Lagniappe Bistro (350 First Ave. N) was ever open. I know it was, because i walked in once. There were people behind the counter and everything. That restaurant had been in the making for some time, and with the amount of history it had amassed before even opening, I decided to give it some time before checking it out. The early menu I had suggested it was open for lunch hours only. So, when I decided that, officially or not, i wanted something New Orleans-flavored, I went over to get a po’ boy. But no matter when I went over, they were closed. Not in a way that looked like they were out of business, because there were tables set, and lights on, but decidedly unopen. Friends told me that they had seen them open in the evening, but that it didn’t look like they had anything resembling food.

All this leading to the fact that there is now a For Lease sign in front of the store, and brown paper covers the windows. So, I’ll pretty much scratch that one off the list.

Similarly, we first heard that Rad Finz Coastal Cuisine was going to open in the spot formerly occupied by Leatherbacks (15000 Madeira Way, Madeira Beach) in January 2010. The initial opening date was set for April, and it was pushed back consistently. But there has been no movement, or an announcement of a new opening date, for some time. Phone numbers associated with the project are disconnected, and I’ve heard that a new tenant is being sought. It is a prime spot across from the beach and hotels. Something should work there.

We’ll see.
 

Features
The TDK Three Speaker Boombox offers iPhone/iPod support (via USB), AM/FM radio, and USB stick media playback (MP3, AAC, WMA). You also get a slew of auxiliary input options, including RCA, minijack, and a quarter-inch instrument input that can be blended with the other audio for instant karaoke/block party high jinks.

It’s worth noting that TDK’s unique support for iPhone and iPod takes its audio signal from the dock connection’s digital output, leaving the digital-to-analog decoding to TDK’s integrated converters. The company also throws in an EQ with 5dB of cut and boost, represented on an OLED display on the front and controlled using the system’s oversize aluminum knobs.

Radio junkies will appreciate TDK’s inclusion of both AM and FM bands, along with five presets for each. Using the dial on the right, you can tune stations using either a manual control or a seek mode, both of which are a bit slow if you’re the type who really likes to blaze through the dial. For supporting broadcasts, station ID and song info text scrolls across the speaker’s smaller OLED screen on the left, near the volume knob.

We’re a little disappointed that a speaker system in this price range doesn’t offer a remote control (even as an accessory). We also think that TDK’s device agnostic, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach stopped short by not including support for Bluetooth. Had it, we wouldn’t need to worry about perching devices on the top of the speaker, since they could simply stay in our pocket.

Performance
Under the hood, the TDK Three Speaker Boombox includes three 5.5-inch drivers: a 15-watt woofer at the center, flanked by two 10-watt stereo speakers with edge-driven tweeters at their center. Because the speakers aren’t covered by a grille, TDK utilized woven carbon fiber speaker cones that can stand up to the elements. Altogether it’s 35 watts RMS, which doesn’t sound like much, but you feel every watt. Turned up just halfway, it’s a house party.

With its dedicated woofer, it’s no surprise that the TDK Three Speaker Boombox delivers serious low end. That said, it’s not gratuitously bass-heavy and offers a surprisingly balanced, refined sound that falls more in line with Bose than Creative.

TDK also must have done some nice work with the internal DSP, since the system holds its sound quality sweet spot well through the first half of the dial. To our ears, this three-driver beauty sings best with the volume dial pegged midway at 12 o’clock–loud enough that you can really see the woofer pushing some air, but not so loud that the police will show up. Of course, if it’s your intention to get noticed, the TDK Three Speaker Boombox has volume to spare. After all, there’s a reason the volume knob goes up to 11.

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The Jabra Stone Bluetooth headset, which was introduced almost a year ago, was one of a few Bluetooth headsets we thought was stylish enough to not trigger too much embarrassment when worn. That is due to its unique and discreet design that stays close to the ear, looking more like modern jewelry than a telemarketer headpiece. The second iteration, the Jabra Stone 2, has thankfully kept the same design, but now has many more features to keep up with the competition. The Jabra Stone 2 is available for $129.99 retail.

As we mentioned, the Jabra Stone 2 has the same design as the original. It’s in the shape of a comma, or a curved hook, housed inside a smooth and round portable charger. The headset comes with four ergonomic ear gels that feel super comfortable in the ear. In fact, we found it completely effortless to slip the headset on and off. The only difference between the Stone 2 and the Stone’s design is that the Stone 2 comes in glossy and leather finishes, in contrast to the original Stone’s smooth pebble feel. The glossy finish is available from ATT stores, while the leather version is from Verizon. For more details on the Stone 2′s design, we’ll point you to the review of the first Jabra Stone so we don’t repeat ourselves.

The DS1511+ offers basically all the features you’d commonly see in a high-end NAS server, including the ability to work as an FTP/HTTP server, media streaming servers, support for user accounts, Active Directory, external hard drives, printer, iSCSI, and Time Machine backup for Macs.

On top of that, the DS1511+ has features that you’re unlikely to find in others, organized in a set of “stations,” such as Surveillance Station, Download Station, File Station, and Photo Station. All of these stations can be accessed via the local network or over the Internet. Some of them also come with mobile applications for the iPhone or iPod Touch or Android-based smartphones.

The following, by the way, are just a few noticeable features of the DS1511+ that we have tried out and were impressed by. The server offers a lot more, but it would make this already long review much longer to talk about all of them.

The DS1511+’s Surveillance Station supports up to 20 IP cameras. This means you can use the NAS server as a video recorder and managing station of a very comprehensive surveillance system. Unfortunately, only one camera license is included, and additional camera licenses cost $49 each. Other than that, this feature worked really well in our trial. We could view live images and record them based on scheduling or motion detection. When multiple cameras were used, we could even synchronize the playback to see what was recorded by different cameras at a given time. The server supports a long list of IP cameras and is able to automatically detect those connected to the local network to help facilitate the setup process. Synology also offers an app called DSCam for both the iPhone and Android devices, so you can manage your surveillance via your mobile device even when you’re out and about.

The DS1511+’s Photo Station allows you to easily organize photos into albums. Once activated, a share folder called “photo” will be created. Photos stored in this share folder will be automatically placed in well-organized, customizable albums, one for each subfolder. You can then browse the album via a Web browser, as with Google’s Picasa Web albums, and very easily add captions and comments to each photo. The Photo Station also offers a complete blogging engine for those who want to chronicle their lives with both photos and texts. The Photo Station includes a mobile app called DS Photo for the iPhone and Android platforms. The Photo Station has a separate set of user accounts from those of the NAS server. This allows the owner to share photos and blogs with others without compromising the security of other types of data and services on the server.

The Download Station allows the server to download files from the Internet by itself and is able to download files from Web sites that require authentication (such as RapidShare). It also supports the eMule and BitTorrent file-sharing services. You can manage your download any time from anywhere via the local network or the Internet by accessing the server’s Web interface. This is an excellent feature for those who want to download large files, as no other computer needs to be running, other than the NAS server itself, during the downloads.

We did find a few things that could be improved about the Download Station, however. First of all, other than RapidShare, Megaupload and BitTorrent, the station doesn’t remember usernames and passwords for any other download services or Web sites. This means if you download a lot from some other Web site that requires authentication, you’ll need to manually enter the credentials for each download, which can be a hassle. The second issue is that its Download Redirector desktop software, which allows you to manage downloads from a computer instead of having to log in the server’s Web interface, doesn’t work over the Internet, but just from within the local network. As many other features, such as the Surveillance Station, can work over the Internet, we don’t see why this would not be available for the Download Station. These are minor shortcomings, however; the way it is right now, the Download Station is still one of the best offered on an NAS server.

Any local computers, Mac or PC, can access the DS1511+’s storage via its share folder, similar to browsing for shared data between computers. However, if you want to access the server’s storage via the Internet, you’ll need to use its File Station. To do this, you’ll need to know how to set up a dynamic domain name system (DDNS) connection or access the Internet via a static IP. The DS1511+ made it a little easier for users by adding the ability to automatically change the settings of the router if it supports UPnP. Still, the process is not easy and intuitive enough for those with little networking know-how. Once set up, the File Station enables you to access data in the NAS server’s share folder over the Internet. You can download a single file or a whole folder to the remote computer and can upload files or a whole folder to the NAS server. Multiple users can use this feature at once from different locations.

The DS1511+ has built-in backup options that are focused on backing up its content onto an external storage device or a network location. For backing up files on your computer to the DS1511+, there’s the Data Replicator desktop software. This is a simple, straightforward backup application that allows you to quickly copy data, much like copying and pasting using Windows Explorer, from your computer to the DS1511+. Also, the software has a nice feature that helps you find and quickly back up e-mail archives, which generally are buried deep in layers of subfolders within a user profile. In addition, it allows scheduling and keeping track of the backup process via e-mail notification. However, we found that the software is a little buggy at times and might kick you out of some applications, such as a game, when the backup process starts.

Performance
We tested the DS1511+ with its Hybrid RAID and RAID 0, and the server’s performance was stellar via Gigabit Ethernet.

In Hybrid RAID, which is similar to RAID 5, the server scored 99.21MBps and 109.89MBps in write and read, respectively. These are about the same speeds as a USB 3.0 external hard drive, and even faster than some. The server did even better in RAID 0, which is optimized for performance at the expense of data integrity, with 104.9MBps write and 112.28MBps read.

It was also interesting that the writing performance and reading performance of the DS1511+ are similar. For most NAS servers, the write speed is significantly lower than the read speed.

All in all, we were very happy with the DS1511+’s performance. It was consistently the fastest we’ve reviewed. The server also performed quietly in our labs, where there is a rather high level of ambient noise. In a quiet room, you might hear the subtle humming of the ventilation fans.

CNET Labs NAS performance scores (in MBps)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)

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Service and support
As with other NAS servers it has released, Synology backs the DS1511+ with a three-year warranty from the date of purchase, which is one year longer than for the DS410. Phone tech support is available Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT. At its Web site, you can find Synology’s forum, download software, and the latest firmware, and get more information about its products from its Wiki page.

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By Laura Wides-Munoz, Associated Press

In Print: Sunday, January 23, 2011

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MIAMI

For travelers looking for respite from South Beach clubs and the oh-so-chic Design District, the offbeat Miami Modern District — also known as MiMo — offers a welcome change of pace.

No Segway tours here. This is the real Miami, a place to pass a lazy afternoon by the bay, peruse independent boutiques and enjoy some surprisingly delicious local bistros, including celebrity chef Michelle Bernstein’s flagship restaurant, Michy’s.

The stretch along U.S. 1, which recently received a historic designation, lies just north of midtown, dividing Biscayne Bay’s hidden residential neighborhoods from Miami’s Little Haiti corridor. MiMo is easily distinguished by a string of 1950s, or midcentury modern, motels along Biscayne Boulevard, and by the original, kitschy, three-story sign of the Coppertone Girl and her dog on a building overlooking the traffic at 7300 Biscayne Blvd. The hotels flourished in the 1950s as affordable, family-friendly lodging before the advent of freeways — so too did the first franchised Playboy Club (now defunct).

Then, like much of Miami, the neighborhood fell into disrepair. But today, MiMo (pronounced Mee-mo) is on the rise — though, as in the days of old, it’s helpful to have car to explore the area.

“People come here because they want a real experience . . . We’re not trendy. We’re not trying to be something we’re not,” said Bernstein, a guest judge on Bravo TV’s Top Chef, who, like many MiMo business owners, lives in the ‘hood. (Full disclosure: So does this reporter.) Bernstein, a Miami native, was first attracted to MiMo, part of Miami’s broader Upper East Side, as an untouristy place to experiment with her menu. But the crowds kept coming, so she stayed, even as she opened other restaurants in more upscale neighborhoods.

MiMo is still a mix of naughty and nice. A couple of the hotels, like the New Yorker at 6500 Biscayne Blvd., have been revamped in the sleek style of their 1950s heyday and draw young, European budget travelers, but midnight police sirens aren’t uncommon.

Still, it’s fine for daytrippers with families, who can start the morning just outside MiMo’s northern border at Yiya’s Gourmet Cuban Bakery and Cafe, 646 NE 79th St. An outdoor mural of a seagull stealing a woman’s bread makes it easy to spot. Enjoy a cafe con leche and sugar-dusted vanilla croissant or a guava cheese Danish and chat with the super-friendly staff.

Then head for the sun. Off the southeast end of MiMo is Morningside Park, where shaded benches offer tranquil views of the bay. Turn east off Biscayne Boulevard at 58th Street and ask the guard at the gate for directions to the park. During the winter, kids will enjoy the covered playground and a nature walk through mangroves. In the summer, you can rent kayaks and visit one of a handful of the bay’s uninhabited islands. Also fun for families, bayside Legion Park at 64th Street features two sets of playground equipment beneath giant mango and banyan trees.

Feel the need to sweat indoors? Try a boxing class at Biscayne Boxing Fitness Club at 7200 Biscayne Blvd., or a pole dancing class and a massage up the street at IronFlower Fitness, which doubles as a hair and nail salon.

Unlike South Beach’s Lincoln Road, when it comes to shopping, MiMo boasts a bevy of locally owned stores, ideal for fashionistas on a budget.

On the west side of Biscayne at 72nd Street, there’s the vintage store Divine Trash. Two blocks north, award-winning designer Julian Chang creates samples for his international line of women’s wear. Next door, the Consignment Bar displays Gucci and Hermes beneath a ceiling of rose-printed paper and crystal chandeliers. Consignment Bar co-owner Ilissa Whitehead, who opened the store about a year ago, said she wanted to support the neighborhood in which she lives.

“There’s a long way to go, but MiMo is undiscovered. It’s eclectic, and things are changing a lot,” she said.

On the east side next to Legion Park, Rebel features trendy styles and aromatherapy candles. A giant bowl of Legos means Mom can try on that little black sheath in peace. Just south at Pet Mode, patrons can browse sequined doggy sweaters while their pooches get their nails painted.

For the kiddies, there’s the hipster children’s consignment shop LoudGirl Exchange at 75th Street, which lets the wee ones play with toys while their parents shop and take in works by local artists. For the artistically inclined, Tyler Galleries offers high-quality antiques, while Broadway Art Framing showcases new artists. Other art galleries regularly sprout and fade.

The boulevard comes alive weekend nights with inexpensive valet parking at a host of restaurants. Bernstein and her husband, David Martinez, helped jump-start the MiMo revival in 2005 with their casually elegant Michy’s at 6927 Biscayne Blvd. Its bright orange and blue decor and mismatched flowered chairs were inspired by Bernstein’s childhood Barbie dollhouses. Michy’s white gazpacho and crispy duck confit regularly draw locals, downtown theatergoers and even New York snowbirds. Meanwhile, the patio oasis and Moroccan-inspired bar of UVAS Restaurant and Lounge at 69th Street provide one of the neighborhood’s liveliest happy hours.

Michael Bloise, formerly of South Beach’s four-star Wish restaurant, has just opened the inexpensive American Noodle Bar, where patrons can choose among ingredients like brown sugar ginger sauce and braised oxtail. MiMo also has several sushi restaurants and the Greek Anise Waterfront Taverna, just off Biscayne at 78th Street. Hungering for crepes? There’s Le Cafe Bistro, tucked into the corner of a strip mall at 73rd Street, which doubles as a gallery with live music.

Then there’s Red Light, a hip eatery at 7700 Biscayne Blvd. New Orleans chef Kris Wessel uses local ingredients to whip up dishes like citrus steamed mussels, green tomatoes and crunchy plantain chips. The riverside locale offers patrons rare city views of old Miami nature, as well as a glimpse of the neighborhood’s remaining corner strip club . . . just like old times.

if you go

Exploring MiMo

The Miami Modern/Biscayne Boulevard Historic District runs on Biscayne Boulevard from 50th to 77th street. It’s about 250 miles from the Sunshine Skyway bridge, taking about four hours to drive south on Interstate 75 and then continue east across the state on Alligator Alley and south on Interstate 95 to Miami.

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Weird news stories, bizarre news, strange but stories. You’ve come to the right place: Bizarre Florida, where weird is the norm. Exploding pythons. Armless, one-legged drivers. Yep. We certainly have unusual news stories. Offbeat news. Strange, interesting stories. Weird, unusual, true news stories. Get the picture? Have a story suggestion?

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